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Tsekrekou M, Giannakou M, Papanikolopoulou K, Skretas G. Protein aggregation and therapeutic strategies in SOD1- and TDP-43- linked ALS. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1383453. [PMID: 38855322 PMCID: PMC11157337 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1383453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with severe socio-economic impact. A hallmark of ALS pathology is the presence of aberrant cytoplasmic inclusions composed of misfolded and aggregated proteins, including both wild-type and mutant forms. This review highlights the critical role of misfolded protein species in ALS pathogenesis, particularly focusing on Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and emphasizes the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting these misfolded proteins directly. Despite significant advancements in understanding ALS mechanisms, the disease remains incurable, with current treatments offering limited clinical benefits. Through a comprehensive analysis, the review focuses on the direct modulation of the misfolded proteins and presents recent discoveries in small molecules and peptides that inhibit SOD1 and TDP-43 aggregation, underscoring their potential as effective treatments to modify disease progression and improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsekrekou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Giannakou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
- Institute for Bio-innovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
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2
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Angera IJ, Wright MM, Del Valle JR. Beyond N-Alkylation: Synthesis, Structure, and Function of N-Amino Peptides. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:1287-1297. [PMID: 38626119 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
The growing list of physiologically important protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has amplified the need for compounds to target topologically complex biomolecular surfaces. In contrast to small molecules, peptide and protein mimics can exhibit three-dimensional shape complementarity across a large area and thus have the potential to significantly expand the "druggable" proteome. Strategies to stabilize canonical protein secondary structures without sacrificing side-chain content are particularly useful in the design of peptide-based chemical probes and therapeutics.Substitution of the backbone amide in peptides represents a subtle chemical modification with profound effects on conformation and stability. Studies focused on N-alkylation have already led to broad-ranging applications in peptidomimetic design. Inspired by nonribosomal peptide natural products harboring amide N-oxidations, we envisioned that main-chain hydrazide and hydroxamate bonds would impose distinct conformational preferences and offer unique opportunities for backbone diversification. This Account describes our exploration of peptide N-amination as a strategy for stabilizing canonical protein folds and for the structure-based design of soluble amyloid mimics.We developed a general synthetic protocol to access N-amino peptides (NAPs) on solid support. In an effort to stabilize β-strand conformation, we designed stitched peptidomimetics featuring covalent tethering of the backbone N-amino substituent to the preceding residue side chain. Using a combination of NMR, X-ray crystallography, and molecular dynamics simulations, we discovered that backbone N-amination alone could significantly stabilize β-hairpin conformation in multiple models of folding. Our studies revealed that the amide NH2 substituent in NAPs participates in cooperative noncovalent interactions that promote β-sheet secondary structure. In contrast to Cα-substituted α-hydrazino acids, we found that N-aminoglycine and its N'-alkylated derivatives instead stabilize polyproline II (PPII) conformation. The reactivity of hydrazides also allows for late-stage peptide macrocyclization, affording novel covalent surrogates of side-chain-backbone H-bonds.The pronounced β-sheet propensity of Cα-substituted α-hydrazino acids prompted us to target amyloidogenic proteins using NAP-based β-strand mimics. Backbone N-amination was found to render aggregation-prone lead sequences soluble and resistant to proteolysis. Inhibitors of Aβ and tau identified through N-amino scanning blocked protein aggregation and the formation of mature fibrils in vitro. We further identified NAP-based single-strand and cross-β tau mimics capable of inhibiting the prion-like cellular seeding activity of recombinant and patient-derived tau fibrils.Our studies establish backbone N-amination as a valuable addition to the peptido- and proteomimetic tool kit. α-Hydrazino acids show particular promise as minimalist β-strand mimics that retain side-chain information. Late-stage derivatization of hydrazides also provides facile entry into libraries of backbone-edited peptides. We anticipate that NAPs will thus find applications in the development of optimally constrained folds and modulators of PPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac J Angera
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Madison M Wright
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Juan R Del Valle
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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Tavili E, Aziziyan F, Khajeh K. Inhibitors of amyloid fibril formation. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 206:291-340. [PMID: 38811084 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Many diseases are caused by misfolded and denatured proteins, leading to neurodegenerative diseases. In recent decades researchers have developed a variety of compounds, including polymeric inhibitors and natural compounds, antibodies, and chaperones, to inhibit protein aggregation, decrease the toxic effects of amyloid fibrils, and facilitate refolding proteins. The causes and mechanisms of amyloid formation are still unclear, and there are no effective treatments for Amyloid diseases. This section describes research and achievements in the field of inhibiting amyloid accumulation and also discusses the importance of various strategies in facilitating the removal of aggregates species (refolding) in the treatment of neurological diseases such as chemical methods like as, small molecules, metal chelators, polymeric inhibitors, and nanomaterials, as well as the use of biomolecules (peptide and, protein, nucleic acid, and saccharide) as amyloid inhibitors, are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Tavili
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aziziyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khosro Khajeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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Liu H, Cui Y, Zhao X, Wei L, Wang X, Shen N, Odom T, Li X, Lawless W, Karunarathne K, Muschol M, Guida W, Cao C, Ye L, Cai J. Helical sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides modulating Aβ oligomerization and cytotoxicity by recognizing Aβ helix. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311733121. [PMID: 38285951 PMCID: PMC10861862 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311733121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
In contrast to prevalent strategies which make use of β-sheet mimetics to block Aβ fibrillar growth, in this study, we designed a series of sulfonyl-γ-AApeptide helices that targeted the crucial α-helix domain of Aβ13-26 and stabilized Aβ conformation to avoid forming the neurotoxic Aβ oligomeric β-sheets. Biophysical assays such as amyloid kinetics and TEM demonstrated that the Aβ oligomerization and fibrillation could be greatly prevented and even reversed in the presence of sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides in a sequence-specific and dose-dependent manner. The studies based on circular dichroism, Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D-NMR) spectra unambiguously suggested that the sulfonyl-γ-AApeptide Ab-6 could bind to the central region of Aβ42 and induce α-helix conformation in Aβ. Additionally, Electrospray ionisation-ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (ESI-IMS-MS) was employed to rule out a colloidal mechanism of inhibitor and clearly supported the capability of Ab-6 for inhibiting the formation of Aβ aggregated forms. Furthermore, Ab-6 could rescue neuroblastoma cells by eradicating Aβ-mediated cytotoxicity even in the presence of pre-formed Aβ aggregates. The confocal microscopy demonstrated that Ab-6 could still specifically bind Aβ42 and colocalize into mitochondria in the cellular environment, suggesting the rescue of cell viability might be due to the protection of mitochondrial function otherwise impaired by Aβ42 aggregation. Taken together, our studies indicated that sulfonyl-γ-AApeptides as helical peptidomimetics could direct Aβ into the off-pathway helical secondary structure, thereby preventing the formation of Aβ oligomerization, fibrillation and rescuing Aβ induced cell cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Yunpeng Cui
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Xue Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Lulu Wei
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Xudong Wang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Ning Shen
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Timothy Odom
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Xuming Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - William Lawless
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | | | - Martin Muschol
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Wayne Guida
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Chuanhai Cao
- Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33612
| | - Libin Ye
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL33620
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Chandrasekhar G, Srinivasan E, Nandhini S, Pravallika G, Sanjay G, Rajasekaran R. Computer aided therapeutic tripeptide design, in alleviating the pathogenic proclivities of nocuous α-synuclein fibrils. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:483-494. [PMID: 36961221 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2194003] [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: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disorder (PD) exacerbates neuronal degeneration of motor nerves, thereby effectuating uncoordinated movements and tremors. Aberrant alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is culpable of triggering PD, wherein cytotoxic amyloid aggregates of α-syn get deposited in motor neurons to instigate neuro-degeneration. Amyloid aggregates, typically rich in beta sheets are cardinal targets to mitigate their neurotoxic effects. In this analysis, owing to their interaction specificity, we formulated an efficacious tripeptide out of the aggregation-prone region of α-syn protein. With the help of a proficient computational pipeline, systematic peptide shortening and an adept molecular simulation platform, we formulated a tripeptide, VAV from α-syn structure based hexapeptide KISVRV. Indeed, the VAV tripeptide was able to effectively mitigate the α-syn amyloid fibrils' dynamic rate of beta-sheet formation. Additional trajectory analyses of the VAV- α-syn complex indicated that, upon its dynamic interaction, VAV efficiently altered the distinct pathogenic structural dynamics of α-syn, further advocating its potential in alleviating aberrant α-syn's amyloidogenic proclivities. Consistent findings from various computational analyses have led us to surmise that VAV could potentially re-alter the pathogenic conformational orientation of α-syn, essential to mitigate its cytotoxicity. Hence, VAV tripeptide could be an efficacious therapeutic candidate to efficiently ameliorate aberrant α-syn amyloid mediated neurotoxicity, eventually attenuating the nocuous effects of PD.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Chandrasekhar
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to Be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - E Srinivasan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - S Nandhini
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to Be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G Pravallika
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to Be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G Sanjay
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to Be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to Be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
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Zhao Y, Rao PPN. Small Molecules N-Phenylbenzofuran-2-carboxamide and N-Phenylbenzo[ b]thiophene-2-carboxamide Promote Beta-Amyloid (Aβ42) Aggregation and Mitigate Neurotoxicity. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4185-4198. [PMID: 37972377 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00576] [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: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports the unusual ability of small molecules N-phenylbenzofuran-2-carboxamide (7a) and N-phenylbenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide (7b) to promote and accelerate Aβ42 aggregation. In the in vitro aggregation kinetic assays, 7a was able to demonstrate rapid increases in Aβ42 fibrillogenesis ranging from 1.5- to 4.7-fold when tested at 1, 5, 10, and 25 μM compared to Aβ42-alone control. Similarly, compound 7b also exhibited 2.9- to 4.3-fold increases in Aβ42 fibrillogenesis at the concentration range tested. Electron microscopy studies at 1, 5, 10, and 25 μM also demonstrate the ability of compounds 7a and 7b to promote and accelerate Aβ42 aggregation with the formation of long, elongated fibril structures. Both 7a and 7b were not toxic to HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells and strikingly were able to prevent Aβ42-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells (cell viability ∼74%) compared to the Aβ42-treated group (cell viability ∼20%). Fluorescence imaging studies using BioTracker 490 green, Hoeschst 33342, and the amyloid binding dye ProteoStat further demonstrate the ability of 7a and 7b to promote Aβ42 fibrillogenesis and prevent Aβ42-induced cytotoxicity to HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells. Computational modeling studies suggest that both 7a and 7b can interact with the Aβ42 oligomer and pentamers and have the potential to modulate the self-assembly pathways. The 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) dye binding assay also demonstrates the ability of 7a and 7b to expose the hydrophobic surface of Aβ42 to the solvent surface that promotes self-assembly and rapid fibrillogenesis. These studies demonstrate the unique ability of small molecules 7a and 7b to alter the self-assembly and misfolding pathways of Aβ42 by promoting the formation of nontoxic aggregates. These findings have direct implications in the discovery and development of novel small-molecule-based chemical and pharmacological tools to study the Aβ42 aggregation mechanisms, and in the design of novel antiamyloid therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusheng Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Campus, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Praveen P N Rao
- School of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Campus, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
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Sudhakar S, Manohar A, Mani E. Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS)-Driven Fibrilization of Amyloid-β Protein. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3655-3664. [PMID: 37718544 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00286] [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: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β [Aβ(1-40)] aggregation into a fibrillar network is one of the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, a few studies reported that polyphosphate (polyP), an anionic biopolymer that participates in various cellular physiological processes in humans, induces fibrilization in many amyloidogenic proteins [ 2020 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures; John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2020; Tanzi, R. E.; Bertram, L. Cell 2005, 120, 545-555; Selkoe, D. J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1995, 275, 630-631; and Rambaran, R. N.; Serpell, L. C. Prion 2008, 2, 112-117]. However, the role of polyP in Aβ(1-40) fibrilization and the underlying mechanism are unclear. In this study, we report experimental investigations on the role of polyP in the fibrilization kinetics of Aβ(1-40). It is found that polyP exhibits a dual effect depending upon the pH value. At pH = 7 (neutral), polyP inhibits amyloid fibrilization in a dose-dependent manner similar to negatively charged nanoparticles. On the contrary, at pH = 3 (acidic), polyP accelerates amyloid fibrilization kinetics via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), wherein the protein-rich droplets contain mature fibrils. In the parameter space spanned by concentrations of Aβ(1-40) and polyP, a phase diagram is constructed to demark the domain where LLPS is observed at pH = 3. Characterization of the protein aggregates, secondary structure content in the aggregates, and cell viability studies in the presence of aggregates are discussed at both pH values. This study reveals that anionic biopolymers can modulate amyloid fibrilization kinetics, linked to neurodegenerative diseases, depending upon their local concentrations and pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Sudhakar
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
- Center for Soft and Biological Matter, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Anagha Manohar
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Ethayaraja Mani
- Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
- Center for Soft and Biological Matter, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
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Srivastava T, Tyagi D, Fatima S, Sathyan MTV, Raj R, Sharma A, Chaturvedi M, Sinha M, Shishodia SK, Kumar D, Sharma SK, Shankar J, Satish A, Priya S. A natural small molecule-mediated inhibition of alpha-synuclein aggregation leads to neuroprotection in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurochem 2023. [PMID: 37429595 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules are being explored intensively for their applications as therapeutic molecules in the management of metabolic and neurological disorders. The natural small molecules can inhibit protein aggregation and underlying cellular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases involving multi-factorial mechanisms of action. Certain natural small molecular inhibitors of pathogenic protein aggregation are highly efficient and have shown promising therapeutic potential. In the present study, Shikonin (SHK), a natural plant-based naphthoquinone has been investigated for its aggregation inhibition activity against α-synuclein (α-syn) and the neuroprotective potential in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). SHK significantly inhibited aggregation of α-syn at sub-stochiometric concentrations, delayed the linear lag phase and growth kinetics of seeded and unseeded α-syn aggregation. The binding of SHK to the C-terminus of α-syn maintained α-helical and disordered secondary structures with reduced beta-sheet content and complexity of aggregates. Further, in C. elegans transgenic PD models, SHK significantly reduced α-syn aggregation, improved locomotor activity and prevented dopaminergic (DA) neuronal degeneration, indicating the neuroprotective role of SHK. The present study highlights the potential of natural small molecules in the prevention of protein aggregation that may further be explored for their therapeutic efficacy in the management of protein aggregation and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulika Srivastava
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Divya Tyagi
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
| | - Siraj Fatima
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Malur Thirumalesh Vishnu Sathyan
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
| | - Ritu Raj
- Department of Advanced Spectroscopy and Imaging, Centre of Biomedical Research (CBMR), Lucknow, India
| | - Aniket Sharma
- Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Minal Chaturvedi
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Meetali Sinha
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Computational Toxicology Facility, Toxicoinformatics Research Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR) Vishvigyan Bhawan, Lucknow, India
| | - Sonia Kumari Shishodia
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan, India
- University Institute of Biotechnology (UIBT), Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Advanced Spectroscopy and Imaging, Centre of Biomedical Research (CBMR), Lucknow, India
| | - Sandeep K Sharma
- Food, Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
| | - Jata Shankar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan, India
| | - Aruna Satish
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
| | - Smriti Priya
- Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Martins GF, Nascimento C, Galamba N. Mechanistic Insights into Polyphenols' Aggregation Inhibition of α-Synuclein and Related Peptides. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1905-1920. [PMID: 37125909 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
While several polyphenols were found to either inhibit or modulate the aggregation of proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), discrepant action mechanisms have been reported. This, in addition to some polyphenols' pan-assay interference compounds' reputation, casts some doubts concerning their therapeutic relevance. Here, we studied, through molecular dynamics and enhanced sampling methods, the aggregation of 11-mer peptides from the non-amyloid-β component, an aggregation-prone domain of α-synuclein (α-syn) implicated in PD and other synucleinopathies, in neat water and aqueous solutions of resveratrol (RSV) and gallic acid (GA). Further, simulations of the complete protein were carried out in aqueous urea, RSV, and GA solutions. Our results show that peptide aggregation is not disrupted by either phenolic compound. Thus, instead, intrusion of RSV and GA in the inter-peptide region induces a peptide-peptide re-orientation, favoring terminal interactions that manifest in the formation of barrierless solvent-separated configurations. Moreover, although the (poly)phenols induce a pronounced peptide dewetting at high concentrations, β-sheet-rich regions, a hallmark of α-syn aggregation, are not disrupted. Thus, our results indicate that, if anything, RSV and GA delay or modulate peptide aggregation at high concentrations via the stabilization of solvent-separated conformations as opposed to aggregation inhibition. Structural analysis of the full protein, however, shows that the (poly)phenols induce more extended conformations of α-syn, similar to urea, possibly also influencing its aggregation propensity. However, opposite to urea, the (poly)phenols reduce α-syn's conformational space, likely due to steric effects and a slowdown of the solvent dynamics. These effects are concentration-dependent and possibly unattainable at therapeutic-relevant concentrations. These results suggest that the aggregation inhibition activity of RSV and GA in vitro should involve, instead, either the non-covalent binding to oligomeric intermediates or the stabilization of the monomer and/or oligomers through the formation of covalent bonds of the respective quinones with α-syn. In addition, the enhanced aggregation tendency of the peptides observed here could be associated with the formation of non-toxic oligomers, reported for some polyphenols.
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Affiliation(s)
- G F Martins
- BioISI─Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, C8, Campo Grande, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - C Nascimento
- BioISI─Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, C8, Campo Grande, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - N Galamba
- BioISI─Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, C8, Campo Grande, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
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Maity D. Recent advances in the modulation of amyloid protein aggregation using the supramolecular host-guest approaches. Biophys Chem 2023; 297:107022. [PMID: 37058879 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107022] [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: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Misfolding of proteins is associated with many incurable diseases in human beings. Understanding the process of aggregation from monomers to fibrils, the characterization of all intermediate species, and the origin of toxicity is very challenging. Extensive research including computational and experimental shed some light on these tricky phenomena. Non-covalent interactions between amyloidogenic domains of proteins play a major role in their self-assembly which can be disrupted by designed chemical tools. This will lead to the development of inhibitors of detrimental amyloid formations. In supramolecular host-guest chemistry approaches, different macrocycles function as hosts for encapsulating hydrophobic guests, i.e. phenylalanine residues of proteins, in their hydrophobic cavities via non-covalent interactions. In this way, they can disrupt the interactions between adjacent amyloidogenic proteins and prevent their self-aggregation. This supramolecular approach has also emerged as a prospective tool to modify the aggregation of several amyloidogenic proteins. In this review, we discussed recent supramolecular host-guest chemistry-based strategies for the inhibition of amyloid protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debabrata Maity
- Department of Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad 500007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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Depraz Depland A, Stroganova I, Wootton CA, Rijs AM. Developments in Trapped Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry to Probe the Early Stages of Peptide Aggregation. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:193-204. [PMID: 36633834 PMCID: PMC9896548 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) has proven to be an excellent method to characterize the structure of amyloidogenic protein and peptide aggregates, which are formed in coincidence with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. However, it remains a challenge to obtain detailed structural information on all conformational intermediates, originating from the early onset of those pathologies, due to their complex and heterogeneous environment. One way to enhance the insights and the identification of these early stage oligomers is by employing high resolution ion mobility mass spectrometry experiments. This would allow us to enhance the mobility separation and MS characterization. Trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) is an ion mobility technique known for its inherently high resolution and has successfully been applied to the analysis of protein conformations among others. To obtain conformational information on fragile peptide aggregates, the instrumental parameters of the TIMS-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer (TIMS-qToF-MS) have to be optimized to allow the study of intact aggregates and ensure their transmission toward the detector. Here, we investigate the suitability and application of TIMS to probe the aggregation process, targeting the well-characterized M307-N319 peptide segment of the TDP-43 protein, which is involved in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. By studying the influence of key parameters over the full mass spectrometer, such as source temperature, applied voltages or RFs among others, we demonstrate that by using an optimized instrumental method TIMS can be used to probe peptide aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Depraz Depland
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iuliia Stroganova
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anouk M. Rijs
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life
Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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Maity D. Inhibition of Amyloid Protein Aggregation Using Selected Peptidomimetics. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202200499. [PMID: 36317359 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant protein aggregation leads to the formation of amyloid fibrils. This phenomenon is linked to the development of more than 40 irremediable diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Plenty of research efforts have been given to understanding the underlying mechanism of protein aggregation, associated toxicity, and the development of amyloid inhibitors. Recently, the peptidomimetic approach has emerged as a potential tool to modulate several protein-protein interactions (PPIs). In this review, we discussed selected peptidomimetic-based approaches for the modulation of important amyloid proteins (Islet Amyloid Polypeptide, Amyloid Beta, α-synuclein, mutant p53, and insulin) aggregation. This approach holds a powerful platform for creating an essential stepping stone for the vital development of anti-amyloid therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debabrata Maity
- Department of Organic Synthesis and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, 500007, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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13
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Sedov I, Khaibrakhmanova D. Molecular Mechanisms of Inhibition of Protein Amyloid Fibril Formation: Evidence and Perspectives Based on Kinetic Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113428. [PMID: 36362217 PMCID: PMC9657184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of fibril formation is considered a possible treatment strategy for amyloid-related diseases. Understanding the molecular nature of inhibitor action is crucial for the design of drug candidates. In the present review, we describe the common kinetic models of fibril formation and classify known inhibitors by the mechanism of their interactions with the aggregating protein and its oligomers. This mechanism determines the step or steps of the aggregation process that become inhibited and the observed changes in kinetics and equilibrium of fibril formation. The results of numerous studies indicate that possible approaches to antiamyloid inhibitor discovery include the search for the strong binders of protein monomers, cappers blocking the ends of the growing fibril, or the species absorbing on the surface of oligomers preventing nucleation. Strongly binding inhibitors stabilizing the native state can be promising for the structured proteins while designing the drug candidates targeting disordered proteins is challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Sedov
- Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
- Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 420111 Kazan, Russia
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-9600503916
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14
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Xu Y, Maya-Martinez R, Guthertz N, Heath GR, Manfield IW, Breeze AL, Sobott F, Foster R, Radford SE. Tuning the rate of aggregation of hIAPP into amyloid using small-molecule modulators of assembly. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1040. [PMID: 35210421 PMCID: PMC8873464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28660-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) self-assembles into amyloid fibrils which deposit in pancreatic islets of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Here, we applied chemical kinetics to study the mechanism of amyloid assembly of wild-type hIAPP and its more amyloidogenic natural variant S20G. We show that the aggregation of both peptides involves primary nucleation, secondary nucleation and elongation. We also report the discovery of two structurally distinct small-molecule modulators of hIAPP assembly, one delaying the aggregation of wt hIAPP, but not S20G; while the other enhances the rate of aggregation of both variants at substoichiometric concentrations. Investigation into the inhibition mechanism(s) using chemical kinetics, native mass spectrometry, fluorescence titration, SPR and NMR revealed that the inhibitor retards primary nucleation, secondary nucleation and elongation, by binding peptide monomers. By contrast, the accelerator predominantly interacts with species formed in the lag phase. These compounds represent useful chemical tools to study hIAPP aggregation and may serve as promising starting-points for the development of therapeutics for T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Xu
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Roberto Maya-Martinez
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nicolas Guthertz
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - George R Heath
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Iain W Manfield
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alexander L Breeze
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Frank Sobott
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Richard Foster
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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15
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Nedaei H, Rezaei-Ghaleh N, Giller K, Becker S, Karami L, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Griesinger C, Saboury AA. The Calcium-free form of Atorvastatin inhibits amyloid-β(1-42) aggregation in vitro. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101662. [PMID: 35104501 PMCID: PMC8898965 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of extraneuronal amyloid plaques composed of amyloid-beta (Aβ) fibrillar aggregates in the brains of patients. In mouse models, it has previously been shown that atorvastatin (Ator), a cholesterol-lowering drug, has some reducing effect on the production of cerebral Aβ. A meta-analysis on humans showed moderate effects in the short term but no improvement in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive Subscale behavioral test. Here, we explore a potential direct effect of Ator on Aβ42 aggregation. Using NMR-based monomer consumption assays and CD spectroscopy, we observed a promoting effect of Ator in its original form (Ator-calcium) on Aβ42 aggregation, as expected because of the presence of calcium ions. The effect was reversed when applying a CaCO3-based calcium ion scavenging method, which was validated by the aforementioned methods as well as thioflavin-T fluorescence assays and transmission electron microscopy. We found that the aggregation was inhibited significantly when the concentration of calcium-free Ator exceeded that of Aβ by at least a factor of 2. The 1H–15N heteronuclear single quantum correlation and saturation-transfer difference NMR data suggest that calcium-free Ator exerts its effect through interaction with the 16KLVF19 binding site on the Aβ peptide via its aromatic rings as well as hydroxyl and methyl groups. On the other hand, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that the increasing concentration of Ator is necessary for the inhibition of the conformational transition of Aβ from an α-helix-dominant to a β-sheet-dominant structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Nedaei
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasrollah Rezaei-Ghaleh
- Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany; Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karin Giller
- Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Leila Karami
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Christian Griesinger
- Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Ali Akbar Saboury
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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16
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Aguayo-Ortiz R, Guzmán-Ocampo DC, Dominguez L. Insights into the binding of morin to human γD-crystallin. Biophys Chem 2021; 282:106750. [PMID: 34999344 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106750] [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] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Crystallin aggregation in the eye lens is one of the leading causes of cataract formation. The increase in the human γD-crystallin (HγDC) aggregation propensity has been associated with the oligomerization of its partially folded and fully unfolded structure. A recent study demonstrated that the binding of flavonoid morin (MOR) to HγDC inhibits the fibrillation of this protein. In this work, we carry out an exhaustive search for the possible binding site of MOR on HγDC by combining an ensemble docking approach with the Wrap 'N' Shake protocol. In agreement with previous results, we found a potential MOR-binding site in the cleft formed between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of HγDC. MOR preference for the cleft residues was observed even with the interface-opened intermediate conformers of HγDC. In addition, metadynamics simulations were carried out to corroborate the stabilizing activity of MOR on HγDC structure and to identify the structural regions implicated during the unfolding inhibition. Overall, this study provides relevant insights into the identification of new HγDC aggregation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Aguayo-Ortiz
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Dulce C Guzmán-Ocampo
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Laura Dominguez
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
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17
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Khan AN, Qureshi IA, Khan UK, Uversky VN, Khan RH. Inhibition and disruption of amyloid formation by the antibiotic levofloxacin: A new direction for antibiotics in an era of multi-drug resistance. Arch Biochem Biophys 2021; 714:109077. [PMID: 34728171 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2021.109077] [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] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of debilitating maladies involving protein aggregation. To this day, all advances in neurodegenerative disease therapeutics have helped symptomatically but have not prevented the root cause of the disease, i.e., the aggregation of involved proteins. Antibiotics are becoming increasingly obsolete due to the rising multidrug resistance strains of bacteria. Thus, antibiotics, if put to different use as therapeutics against other diseases, could pave a new direction to the world of antibiotics. Hence, we studied the antibiotic levofloxacin for its potential anti-amyloidogenic behavior using human lysozyme, a protein involved in non-systemic amyloidosis, as a model system. At the sub-stoichiometric level, levofloxacin was able to inhibit amyloid formation in human lysozyme as observed by various spectroscopic and microscopic methods, with IC50 values as low as 8.8 ± 0.1 μM. Levofloxacin also displayed a retarding effect on seeding phenomena by elongating the lag-phase (from 0 to 88 h) at lower concentration, and arresting lysozyme fibrillation at the lag stage in sub-stoichiometric concentrations. Structural and computational analyses provided mechanistic insight showing that levofloxacin stabilizes the lysozyme in the native state by binding to the aggregation-prone residues, and thereby inhibiting amyloid fibrillation. Levofloxacin also showed the property of disrupting amyloid fibrils into a smaller polymeric form of proteins which were less cytotoxic as confirmed by hemolytic assay. Therefore, we throw new light on levofloxacin as an amyloid inhibitor and disruptor which could pave way to utilization of levofloxacin as a potential therapeutic against non-systemic amyloidosis and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asra Nasir Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Insaf Ahmed Qureshi
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Umar Khalid Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India.
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18
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Peng K, Lozach PY. Rift Valley fever virus: a new avenue of research on the biological functions of amyloids? Future Virol 2021. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2021-0094] [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
Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis that was first discovered in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, in 1930. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) primarily infects domestic animals and humans, with clinical outcomes ranging from self-limiting febrile illness to acute hepatitis and encephalitis. The virus left Africa a few decades ago, and there is a risk of introduction into southern Europe and Asia. From this perspective, we introduce RVFV and focus on the capacity of its virulence factor, the nonstructural protein NSs, to form amyloid-like fibrils. Here, we discuss the implications for the NSs biological function, the ability of RVFV to evade innate immunity, and RVFV virulence and neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, PR China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Pierre-Yves Lozach
- Cell Networks, CIID (Cluster of Excellence & Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research), Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- University of Lyon, INRAE, EPHE, IVPC (Infections Virales et Pathologie Comparée), 69007, Lyon, France
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19
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Hanczyc P, Fita P. Laser Emission of Thioflavin T Uncovers Protein Aggregation in Amyloid Nucleation Phase. ACS PHOTONICS 2021; 8:2598-2609. [PMID: 34557567 PMCID: PMC8451393 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
There is currently no definitive test for early detection of neurodegeneration which is linked with protein aggregation. Finding methods capable of detecting intermediate states of protein aggregates, named oligomers, is critical for the early stage diagnosis of over 30 neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Currently, fluorescence-based imaging using Thioflavin T (ThT) dye is the gold standard for detecting protein aggregation. It is used to detect aggregation in vitro and in various tissues, including the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), whereby the disease-related protein recombinant is seeded with the patient's fluid. The major drawback of ThT is its lack of sensitivity to oligomeric forms of protein aggregates. Here, we overcome this limitation by transferring a ThT-oligomer mixture into solid state thin films and detecting fluorescence of ThT amplified in the process of stimulated emission. By monitoring the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) we achieved a remarkable recognition sensitivity to prefibrillar oligomeric forms of insulin and lysozyme aggregates in vitro, to Aβ42 oligomers in the human protein recombinants seeded with CSF and to Aβ42 oligomers doped into brain tissue. Seeding with Alzheimer patient's CSF containing Aβ42 and Tau aggregates revealed that only Aβ42 oligomers allowed generating ASE. Thus, we demonstrated that, in contrast to the current state-of-the-art, ASE of ThT, a commonly used histological dye, can be used to detect and differentiate amyloid oligomers and evaluate the risk levels of neurodegenerative diseases to potential patients before the clinical symptoms occur.
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20
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Sharma S, Modi P, Sharma G, Deep S. Kinetics theories to understand the mechanism of aggregation of a protein and to design strategies for its inhibition. Biophys Chem 2021; 278:106665. [PMID: 34419715 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregation phenomenon is closely related to the formation of amyloids which results in many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In order to prevent and treat these diseases, a clear understanding of the mechanism of misfolding and self-assembly of peptides and proteins is very crucial. The aggregation of a protein may involve various microscopic events. Multiple simulations utilizing the solutions of the master equation have given a better understanding of the kinetic profiles involved in the presence and absence of a particular microscopic event. This review focuses on understanding the contribution of these molecular events to protein aggregation based on the analysis of kinetic profiles of aggregation. We also discuss the effect of inhibitors, which target various species of aggregation pathways, on the kinetic profile of protein aggregation. At the end of this review, some strategies for the inhibition of aggregation that can be utilized by combining the chemical kinetics approach with thermodynamics are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Priya Modi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Gargi Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Shashank Deep
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India.
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21
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Masroor A, Chandel TI, Malik S, Mateen QN, Uversky VN, Khan RH. Evaluation of ThT augmentation and RLS inner filter effect caused by highly fluorescent coumarin derivative and establishing it as true inhibitor of amyloid fibrillation. Arch Biochem Biophys 2021; 709:108981. [PMID: 34214556 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2021.108981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Screening of inhibitors that slow down or suppress amyloid fibrils formation relies on some simple but sensitive spectroscopy techniques. Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay is one of the most common, amyloid specific and sensitive method. However, if an inhibitor is itself fluorescent in the ThT fluorescence range, its screening becomes complicated and require complementary assays. One of such molecules, 6, 7-dihydroxycoumarin (6, 7-DHC, also known as aesculetin, esculetin, and cichorigenin) is fluorescent in the ThT emission range and absorbs in the ThT excitation range. Therefore, it can produce a subtractive effect attributed to primary inner filter effect and/or additive effect due to its self-fluorescence in ThT assay. Our study shows that 6, 7-DHC produces an additive effect in ThT fluorescence, which is minimized at high concentration of ThT and decrease in ThT fluorescence is solely due to its inhibitory effect against HSA fibrillation. These ThT fluorescence-based results are verified through other complementary assays, such as Rayleigh and dynamic light scattering and amyloid-specific Congo red binding assay. Furthermore, hydrophobicity reduction is studied through Nile red (NR) and kinetics through far-UV circular dichroism (far-UV CD) in place of the most commonly employed ThT assay owing to extremely high fluorescence of 6, 7-DHC during initial incubation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiman Masroor
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Tajalli Ilm Chandel
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Sadia Malik
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Qazi Noorul Mateen
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Biology and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India.
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22
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Toward the equilibrium and kinetics of amyloid peptide self-assembly. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 70:87-98. [PMID: 34153659 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Several devastating human diseases are linked to peptide self-assembly, but our understanding their onset and progression is not settled. This is a sign of the complexity of the aggregation process, which is prevented, catalyzed, or retarded by numerous factors in body fluids and cells, varying in time and space. Biophysical studies of pure peptide solutions contribute insights into the underlying steps in the process and quantitative parameters relating to rate constants (energy barriers) and equilibrium constants (population distributions). This requires methods to quantify the concentration of at least one species in the process. Translation to an in vivo situation poses an enormous challenge, and the effects of selected components (bottom up) or entire body fluids (top down) need to be quantified.
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23
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Zhang L, Wang Z, Yuan X, Sui R, Falahati M. Evaluation of heptelidic acid as a potential inhibitor for tau aggregation-induced Alzheimer's disease and associated neurotoxicity. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 183:1155-1161. [PMID: 33971235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a major component of protein plaques in tauopathies, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). The purpose of the present study is to explore the inhibitory effects of heptelidic acid as a bioactive compound from fungus T. koningii on tau fibrillization and associated neurotoxicity. The influences of various concentrations of heptelidic acid on tau fibrillization and underlying neurotoxicity were explored by assessment of the biophysical (ThT/Nile red fluorescence, CR absorbance, CD, and TEM) and cellular (MTT, LDH, and caspase-3) assays. It was shown that heptelidic acid inhibited tau fibrillization in a concentration-dependent manner. On the other hand, cellular assays indicated that the viability, LDH release, and caspase-3 activity were regulated when neurons were exposed to tau samples co-incubated with heptelidic acid. In conclusion, it may be indicated that heptelidic acid inhibited tau fibrillization which was accompanied by formation of amorphous aggregated species of tau with much less neurotoxicity than tau amyloid alone. Thus, heptelidic acid can be considered as a potential candidate in preventive care studies to inhibit the formation of tau plaques as neurotoxic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Zhuo Wang
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Xueling Yuan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Rubo Sui
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China.
| | - Mojtaba Falahati
- Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
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24
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Yuan X, Wang Z, Zhang L, Sui R, Khan S. Exploring the inhibitory effects of liquiritigenin against tau fibrillation and related neurotoxicity as a model of preventive care in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 183:1184-1190. [PMID: 33965487 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.05.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation of tau protein into the form of insoluble amyloid fibrils is linked with Alzheimer's disease. The identification of potential small molecules that can inhibit tau protein from undergoing aggregation has received a great deal of interest, recently. In the present study, the possible inhibitory effects of liquiritigenin as a member of chiral flavanone family on tau amyloid fibrils formation and their resulting neurotoxicity were assessed by different biophysical and cellular assays. The inhibitory effect of the liquiritigenin against tau amyloid formation was investigated using thioflavin T (ThT) and 1-Anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence spectroscopy, Congo red (CR) binding assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Neurotoxicity assays were also performed against neuron-like cells (SH-SY5Y) using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT) and caspase-3 activity measurements. We found that liquiritigenin served as an efficient inhibitor of tau amyloid fibrils formation through prevention of structural transition in tau structure, exposure of hydrophobic patches and their associated neurotoxicity mediated by decrease in the production of ROS and caspase-3 activity and elevation of CAT activity. These data may finally find applications in the development of promising inhibitors against amyloid fibril formation and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueling Yuan
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Zhuo Wang
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China
| | - Rubo Sui
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121099, China.
| | - Suliman Khan
- Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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25
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Madhuranthakam CMR, Shakeri A, Rao PPN. Modeling the Inhibition Kinetics of Curcumin, Orange G, and Resveratrol with Amyloid-β Peptide. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:8680-8686. [PMID: 33817530 PMCID: PMC8015079 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The β-amyloid (Aβ) protein aggregation into toxic forms is one of the major factors in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Screening compound libraries as inhibitors of Aβ-aggregation is a common strategy to discover novel molecules as potential therapeutics in AD. In this regard, thioflavin T (ThT)-based fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely used in vitro method to identify inhibitors of Aβ aggregation. However, conventional data processing of the ThT assay experimental results generally provides only qualitative output and lacks inhibitor-specific quantitative data, which can offer a number of advantages such as identification of critical inhibitor-specific parameters required to design superior inhibitors and reduce the need to conduct extensive in vitro kinetic studies. Therefore, we carried out mathematical modeling based on logistic equation and power law (PL) model to correlate the experimental results obtained from the ThT-based Aβ40 aggregation kinetics for small-molecule inhibitors curcumin, orange G, and resveratrol and quantitatively fit the data in a logistic equation. This approach provides important inhibitor-specific parameters such as lag time λ, inflection point τ, maximum slope v m, and apparent rate constant k app, which are particularly useful in comparing the effectiveness of potential Aβ40 aggregation inhibitors and can be applied in drug discovery campaigns to compare and contrast Aβ40 inhibition data for large compound libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arash Shakeri
- School
of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Campus, University
of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Praveen P. N. Rao
- School
of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Campus, University
of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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26
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In Silico Therapeutic Peptide Design Against Pathogenic Domain Swapped Human Cystatin C Dimer. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10191-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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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: 378] [Impact Index Per Article: 126.0] [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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28
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Ebrahim-Habibi A, Kashani-Amin E, Larijani B. Modeling and simulation in medical sciences: an overview of specific applications based on research experience in EMRI (Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences). J Diabetes Metab Disord 2021:1-7. [PMID: 33500880 PMCID: PMC7821172 DOI: 10.1007/s40200-020-00706-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The concomitant use of various types of models (in silico, in vitro, and in vivo) has been exemplified here within the context of biomedical researches performed in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI) of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Two main research aeras have been discussed: the search for new small molecules as therapeutics for diabetes and related metabolic conditions, and diseases related to protein aggregation. Due to their multidisciplinary nature, the majority of these studies have needed the collaboration of different specialties. In both cases, a brief overview of the subject is provided through literature examples, and sequential use of these methods is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Ebrahim-Habibi
- Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Jalal-al-Ahmad Street, Chamran Highway, 1411713137 Tehran, Iran
| | - Elaheh Kashani-Amin
- Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Jalal-al-Ahmad Street, Chamran Highway, 1411713137 Tehran, Iran
| | - Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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29
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Bioactive Phytocompounds: Anti-amyloidogenic Effects Against Hen Egg-White Lysozyme Aggregation. Protein J 2021; 40:78-86. [PMID: 33392981 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-020-09946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyloidosis is the process of fibril formation responsible for causing several diseases in the human being that involve protein aggregation such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, and type II diabetes. Natural phytocompounds such as curcumin shown promising anti-amyloidogenic activity. In the present study, selective phytocompounds such as piperine, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and cuminaldehyde present in Piper nigrum L, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Eugenia caryophyllus Thumb, and Cuminum cyminum L, respectively were analyzed for anti-amyloidogenic activity using hen egg white-lysozyme (HEWL) as a model system. Out of the selected phytocompounds, piperine showed the most significant anti-amyloidogenic activity, as evident from in vitro assays that were validated by in silico molecular docking study. Piperine showed 64.7 ± 3.74% inhibition of amyloid formation at 50 μM concentration, as observed by Thioflavin T assay. Subsequently, the anti-amyloidogenic activity of piperine was further validated by congo red, intrinsic fluorescence assay, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The in silico molecular binding interaction showed piperine with the highest docking score and glide energy. Piperine was found to be interacting with amyloidogenic region residues and Trp62, the most important residue involved in the amyloidogenesis process. In conclusion, piperine can be used as a positive lead for a potential therapeutic role in targeting diseases involved amyloidogenesis.
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30
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Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Entry into Host Cells Using Small Molecules. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13120447. [PMID: 33302344 PMCID: PMC7762362 DOI: 10.3390/ph13120447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus belonging to the Coronavirus family, is now known to cause Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) which was first recognized in December 2019. Covid-19 leads to respiratory illnesses ranging from mild infections to pneumonia and lung failure. Strikingly, within a few months of its first report, Covid-19 has spread worldwide at an exceptionally high speed and it has caused enormous human casualties. As yet, there is no specific treatment for Covid-19. Designing inhibitory drugs that can interfere with the viral entry process constitutes one of the main preventative therapies that could combat SARS-CoV-2 infection at an early stage. In this review, we provide a brief introduction of the main features of coronaviruses, discuss the entering mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 into human host cells and review small molecules that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. Specifically, we focus on small molecules, identified by experimental validation and/or computational prediction, that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and the different host cell proteases that activate viral fusion. Given the persistent rise in Covid-19 cases to date, efforts should be directed towards validating the therapeutic effectiveness of these identified small molecule inhibitors.
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31
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Prasanna G, Jing P. Polyphenols redirects the self-assembly of serum albumin into hybrid nanostructures. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:3932-3942. [PMID: 32898539 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hyperglycemia results in the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and triggers amyloid fibril formation. Molecules designed to inhibit amyloid fibrils function by eliminating toxic oligomers or reducing fibril formation. Here, the bioactivity of polyphenols in redirecting the self-assembly of amyloid fibrils was reported through microscopic, spectroscopic and molecular docking studies. Our findings illustrate that glycation causes BSA to self-assemble into amyloid fibrils. 17 Lys residues had modified to carboxy methyl lysine (CML) but only Lys523 was probable of modifying into carboxy ethyl lysine (CEL). In contrast, only 6 Arg residues are identified to be modified to Argpyrimidine (Arg-p). A simple polyphenol baicalein (BLN) redirect the self-assembly of amyloid fibrils into off-pathway hybrid nanostructures. Circular dichroism spectroscopic studies suggested that in the presence of BLN helical conformation was favored. Molecular modeling studies suggested that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction of polyphenols preferentially at crucial amyloidogenic regions can hinder amyloid fibrillation (Phe133, Lys136, Tyr137, Ile141, Tyr160 and Arg185). Mass spectrometric results illustrated that the presence of a simple polyphenol BLN several residues are unmodified to CML, CEL or Arg-p. Together, our findings suggest that polyphenols could have a protective effect and the redirection can help alleviate the amyloid fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govindarajan Prasanna
- Shanghai Food Safety and Engineering Technology Research Center, Key Lab of Urban Agriculture (South), Bor S. Luh Food Safety Research Center, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Pu Jing
- Shanghai Food Safety and Engineering Technology Research Center, Key Lab of Urban Agriculture (South), Bor S. Luh Food Safety Research Center, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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32
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Cawood EE, Guthertz N, Ebo JS, Karamanos TK, Radford SE, Wilson AJ. Modulation of Amyloidogenic Protein Self-Assembly Using Tethered Small Molecules. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:20845-20854. [PMID: 33253560 PMCID: PMC7729939 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Protein–protein
interactions (PPIs) are involved in many
of life’s essential biological functions yet are also an underlying
cause of several human diseases, including amyloidosis. The modulation
of PPIs presents opportunities to gain mechanistic insights into amyloid
assembly, particularly through the use of methods which can trap specific
intermediates for detailed study. Such information can also provide
a starting point for drug discovery. Here, we demonstrate that covalently
tethered small molecule fragments can be used to stabilize specific
oligomers during amyloid fibril formation, facilitating the structural
characterization of these assembly intermediates. We exemplify the
power of covalent tethering using the naturally occurring truncated
variant (ΔN6) of the human protein β2-microglobulin
(β2m), which assembles into amyloid fibrils associated
with dialysis-related amyloidosis. Using this approach, we have trapped
tetramers formed by ΔN6 under conditions which would normally
lead to fibril formation and found that the degree of tetramer stabilization
depends on the site of the covalent tether and the nature of the protein–fragment
interaction. The covalent protein–ligand linkage enabled structural
characterization of these trapped, off-pathway oligomers using X-ray
crystallography and NMR, providing insight into why tetramer stabilization
inhibits amyloid assembly. Our findings highlight the power of “post-translational
chemical modification” as a tool to study biological molecular
mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Guthertz
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica S Ebo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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33
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Cawood EE, Karamanos TK, Wilson AJ, Radford SE. Visualizing and trapping transient oligomers in amyloid assembly pathways. Biophys Chem 2020; 268:106505. [PMID: 33220582 PMCID: PMC8188297 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oligomers which form during amyloid fibril assembly are considered to be key contributors towards amyloid disease. However, understanding how such intermediates form, their structure, and mechanisms of toxicity presents significant challenges due to their transient and heterogeneous nature. Here, we discuss two different strategies for addressing these challenges: use of (1) methods capable of detecting lowly-populated species within complex mixtures, such as NMR, single particle methods (including fluorescence and force spectroscopy), and mass spectrometry; and (2) chemical and biological tools to bias the amyloid energy landscape towards specific oligomeric states. While the former methods are well suited to following the kinetics of amyloid assembly and obtaining low-resolution structural information, the latter are capable of producing oligomer samples for high-resolution structural studies and inferring structure-toxicity relationships. Together, these different approaches should enable a clearer picture to be gained of the nature and role of oligomeric intermediates in amyloid formation and disease. Methods to study structure, toxicity, and kinetics of transient amyloid oligomers. NMR and single particle methods can characterize lowly-populated oligomers. Chemical tools/antibodies stabilize oligomers for structural and toxicity studies A combination of methods is needed to fully characterize amyloid assembly pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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34
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Prasanna G, Jing P. Self-assembly of N-terminal Alzheimer's β-amyloid and its inhibition. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 534:950-956. [PMID: 33143872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Peptide sequence modulates amyloid fibril formation and triggers Alzheimer's disease. The N-terminal region of amyloid peptide is disordered and lack any specific secondary structure. An ionic interaction of Aβ1-11 with factor XII is critical for the activation of the contact system in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we report the self-assembly of fluctuating N-terminal Aβ1-11 into nanotubes using atomic force micrography, transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism studies and molecular modeling studies. The effect of four polyphenols: baicalein, rutin, vanillin and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) was also explored on the amyloid fibril inhibitor perspective using amyloid specific dye Thioflavin T (ThT). AFM micrographs suggested the self-assembly of Aβ1-11 into nanotubes after three weeks of incubation. Microwave treatment results in the conformational variation of disordered structure to β-sheet rich amyloid fibrils. The presence of salts (sodium and potassium chloride) induces the structural transformation of Aβ1-11 to super-helix. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies using ThT suggested differential inhibition of amyloid fibrils formation in the presence of polyphenols. Molecular modeling studies suggested that binding of polyphenols to Aβ1-11 through hydrophobic interaction (Phe4 and Tyr 10) and hydrogen bonding (Glu3 and Arg5) play a substantial role in stabilizing Aβ1-11-polyphenols complex. In the presence of polyphenols, Aβ1-11 transforms to hybrid nanostructures thus hindering amyloid fibril formation. These results provide structural insights and importance of the N-terminal residues in the Aβ1-42 self-assembly mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govindarajan Prasanna
- Shanghai Food Safety and Engineering Technology Research Center, Key Lab of Urban Agriculture (South), Bor S. Luh Food Safety Research Center, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Pu Jing
- Shanghai Food Safety and Engineering Technology Research Center, Key Lab of Urban Agriculture (South), Bor S. Luh Food Safety Research Center, School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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35
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Cox SJ, Rodriguez Camargo DC, Lee YH, Dubini RCA, Rovó P, Ivanova MI, Padmini V, Reif B, Ramamoorthy A. Small molecule induced toxic human-IAPP species characterized by NMR. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:13129-13132. [PMID: 33006345 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc04803h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the effect of CurDAc, a water-soluble curcumin derivative, on the formation and stability of amyloid fibers is revealed. CurDAc interaction with amyloid is structurally selective, which is reflected in a strong interference with hIAPP aggregation while showing weaker interactions with human-calcitonin and amyloid-β1-40 in comparison. Remarkably, CurDAc also exhibited potent fiber disaggregation for hIAPP generating a toxic oligomeric species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Cox
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Paul A, Frenkel-Pinter M, Escobar Alvarez D, Milordini G, Gazit E, Zacco E, Segal D. Tryptophan-galactosylamine conjugates inhibit and disaggregate amyloid fibrils of Aβ42 and hIAPP peptides while reducing their toxicity. Commun Biol 2020; 3:484. [PMID: 32879439 PMCID: PMC7468108 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01216-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly of proteins into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of various diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Type-2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Aggregation of specific peptides, like Aβ42 in AD and hIAPP in T2DM, causes cellular dysfunction resulting in the respective pathology. While these amyloidogenic proteins lack sequence homology, they all contain aromatic amino acids in their hydrophobic core that play a major role in their self-assembly. Targeting these aromatic residues by small molecules may be an attractive approach for inhibiting amyloid aggregation. Here, various biochemical and biophysical techniques revealed that a panel of tryptophan-galactosylamine conjugates significantly inhibit fibril formation of Aβ42 and hIAPP, and disassemble their pre-formed fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. They are also not toxic to mammalian cells and can reduce the cytotoxicity induced by Aβ42 and hIAPP aggregates. These tryptophan-galactosylamine conjugates can therefore serve as a scaffold for the development of therapeutics towards AD and T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashim Paul
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Daniela Escobar Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Giulia Milordini
- The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, Brixton, London, SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Elsa Zacco
- The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, Brixton, London, SE5 9RT, UK.
- RNA Central Lab, Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152, Genova, Italy.
| | - Daniel Segal
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
- Sagol Interdisciplinary School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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37
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Zhao N, Francis NL, Calvelli HR, Moghe PV. Microglia-targeting nanotherapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. APL Bioeng 2020; 4:030902. [PMID: 32923843 PMCID: PMC7481010 DOI: 10.1063/5.0013178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in nanotechnology have enabled the design of nanotherapeutic platforms that could address the challenges of targeted delivery of active therapeutic agents to the central nervous system (CNS). While the majority of previous research studies on CNS nanotherapeutics have focused on neurons and endothelial cells, the predominant resident immune cells of the CNS, microglia, are also emerging as a promising cellular target for neurodegeneration considering their prominent role in neuroinflammation. Under normal physiological conditions, microglia protect neurons by removing pathological agents. However, long-term exposure of microglia to stimulants will cause sustained activation and lead to neuronal damage due to the release of pro-inflammatory agents, resulting in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. This Perspective highlights criteria to be considered when designing microglia-targeting nanotherapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. These criteria include conjugating specific microglial receptor-targeting ligands or peptides to the nanoparticle surface to achieve targeted delivery, leveraging microglial phagocytic properties, and utilizing biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials with low immune reactivity and neurotoxicity. In addition, certain therapeutic agents for the controlled inhibition of toxic protein aggregation and for modulation of microglial activation pathways can also be incorporated within the nanoparticle structure without compromising stability. Overall, considering the multifaceted disease mechanisms of neurodegeneration, microglia-targeted nanodrugs and nanotherapeutic particles may have the potential to resolve multiple pathological determinants of the disease and to guide a shift in the microglial phenotype spectrum toward a more neuroprotective state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanxia Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, 98 Brett Rd., Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Nicola L. Francis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, 599 Taylor Rd., Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Hannah R. Calvelli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 604 Allison Rd., Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Kaur A, New EJ, Sunde M. Strategies for the Molecular Imaging of Amyloid and the Value of a Multimodal Approach. ACS Sens 2020; 5:2268-2282. [PMID: 32627533 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c01101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Protein aggregation has been widely implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington disease, as well as in systemic amyloidoses and conditions associated with localized amyloid deposits, such as type-II diabetes. The pressing need for a better understanding of the factors governing protein assembly has driven research for the development of molecular sensors for amyloidogenic proteins. To date, a number of sensors have been developed that report on the presence of protein aggregates utilizing various modalities, and their utility demonstrated for imaging protein aggregation in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of these sensors highlights the various advantages and disadvantages of the different imaging modalities and makes clear that multimodal sensors with properties amenable to more than one imaging technique need to be developed. This critical review highlights the key molecular scaffolds reported for molecular imaging modalities such as fluorescence, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging and includes discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each modality, and future directions for the design of amyloid sensors. We also discuss the recent efforts focused on the design and development of multimodal sensors and the value of cross-validation across multiple modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandeep Kaur
- The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J. New
- The University of Sydney, Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The University of Sydney, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Margaret Sunde
- The University of Sydney, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- The University of Sydney, Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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Cox SJ, Lam B, Prasad A, Marietta HA, Stander NV, Joel JG, Sahoo BR, Guo F, Stoddard AK, Ivanova MI, Ramamoorthy A. High-Throughput Screening at the Membrane Interface Reveals Inhibitors of Amyloid-β. Biochemistry 2020; 59:2249-2258. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Cox
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Brian Lam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ajay Prasad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hannah A. Marietta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Nicholas V. Stander
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Joseph G. Joel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Bikash R. Sahoo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Fucheng Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Andrea K. Stoddard
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Magdalena I. Ivanova
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Program in Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Program in Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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40
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Al Adem K, Lukman S, Kim TY, Lee S. Inhibition of lysozyme aggregation and cellular toxicity by organic acids at acidic and physiological pH conditions. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 149:921-930. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.01.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Armiento V, Spanopoulou A, Kapurniotu A. Peptide-Based Molecular Strategies To Interfere with Protein Misfolding, Aggregation, and Cell Degeneration. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:3372-3384. [PMID: 31529602 PMCID: PMC7064928 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201906908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding into amyloid fibrils is linked to more than 40 as yet incurable cell- and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and type 2 diabetes. So far, however, only one of the numerous anti-amyloid molecules has reached patients. This Minireview gives an overview of molecular strategies and peptide chemistry "tools" to design, develop, and discover peptide-based molecules as anti-amyloid drug candidates. We focus on two major inhibitor rational design strategies: 1) the oldest and most common strategy, based on molecular recognition elements of amyloid self-assembly, and 2) a more recent approach, based on cross-amyloid interactions. We discuss why peptide-based amyloid inhibitors, in particular their advanced generations, can be promising leads or candidates for anti-amyloid drugs as well as valuable tools for deciphering amyloid-mediated cell damage and its link to disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Armiento
- Division of Peptide BiochemistryTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität MünchenEmil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 585354FreisingGermany
| | - Anna Spanopoulou
- Division of Peptide BiochemistryTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität MünchenEmil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 585354FreisingGermany
- Current address: Coriolis Pharma Research GmbHFraunhoferstrasse 18B82152PlaneggGermany
| | - Aphrodite Kapurniotu
- Division of Peptide BiochemistryTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität MünchenEmil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 585354FreisingGermany
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42
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Armiento V, Spanopoulou A, Kapurniotu A. Peptid‐basierte molekulare Strategien zum Einsatz bei Proteinfehlfaltung, Proteinaggregation und Zelldegeneration. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201906908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Armiento
- Fachgebiet PeptidbiochemieTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising Deutschland
| | - Anna Spanopoulou
- Fachgebiet PeptidbiochemieTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising Deutschland
- Aktuelle Adresse: Coriolis Pharma Research GmbH Fraunhoferstraße 18B 82152 Planegg Deutschland
| | - Aphrodite Kapurniotu
- Fachgebiet PeptidbiochemieTUM School of Life SciencesTechnische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising Deutschland
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43
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Mujeeb AA, Alam KFB, Alshameri AWF, Jamal F, Farheen S, Kashif M, Ahmed A, Ghazi IA, Owais M. Chaperone Like Attributes of Biogenic Fluorescent Gold Nanoparticles: Potential to Alleviate Toxicity Induced by Intermediate State Fibrils Against Neuroblastoma Cells. Front Chem 2019; 7:787. [PMID: 31799242 PMCID: PMC6878823 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In general, neurodegenerative disorders have a great deal of correlation with the misfolded as well as aggregated forms of protein-based macromolecules. Among various species formed during the aggregation process, protein oligomers have been classified as most toxic entities against several types of living cells. A series of chemicals have been developed to inhibit protein aggregation as a measure to regulate neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, various classes of nanoparticles have also been reported to inhibit protein aggregation. In the present study, we synthesized fluorescent gold nanoparticles (B-AuNPs) employing Olax scandens leaf extract. Next, an in vitro study was performed to assess the effect of as-synthesized B-AuNPs on the aggregation behavior of the ovalbumin (OVA) and other related model proteins. We performed an extensive study to elucidate anti-amyloidogenic properties of nano-sized entities and established that small-sized B-AuNPs manifest chaperone potential against protein aggregation. Further, we exploited as-synthesized B-AuNPs as a mean to prevent protein aggregation mediated toxicity in neuroblastoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzar Abdul Mujeeb
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | | | | | - Fauzia Jamal
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Saba Farheen
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Mohd Kashif
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Anees Ahmed
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Irfan Ahmad Ghazi
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mohammad Owais
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
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44
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Katz JR, Day IJ. Using Small-Molecule Probes to Investigate Aggregation of Sunset Yellow FCF: What are the Concentration Limits? J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:8987-8994. [PMID: 31560194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of small molecules into larger structures, often driven by noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, aromatic stacking interactions, and burial of hydrophobic surface, is of widespread interest. The interaction of small molecules with aggregates also has a large range of applications from fluorescence aggregation assays to gas storage in framework materials. Here, we utilize nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the interaction of a small-molecule probe on the assembly state of sunset yellow across a wide range of relative concentrations. Information from both macroscopic (diffusion) and microscopic (chemical shifts) measurements allows the interaction to be studied and the binding mode to be interrogated. Using fluorophenol as the small-molecule probe, we show that the aggregation behavior of sunset yellow is broadly unaffected by the relative amount of fluorophenol added.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Katz
- School of Life Sciences , University of Sussex , Falmer , Brighton BN1 9QJ , U.K
| | - Iain J Day
- School of Life Sciences , University of Sussex , Falmer , Brighton BN1 9QJ , U.K
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45
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Haghighi-Poodeh S, Navidpour L, Yaghmaei P, Ebrahim-Habibi A. Monocyclic phenolic compounds stabilize human insulin and suppress its amorphous aggregation: In vitro and in vivo study. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 518:362-367. [PMID: 31431258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.08.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Insulin is a small protein with 51 residues that mediates glucose uptake, and an interesting model for studying protein misfolding and aggregation. The aggregated forms of insulin undergo loss of activity and can provoke unwanted immune responses. Use of small molecules is considered to be an affordable method to counteract this aggregation process and stabilize insulin. In this study, aggregated forms of human recombinant insulin have been produced following exposure to high temperature. Aggregation process was followed over time by checking absorbance with spectrophotometry in presence and absence of various concentrations of small phenolic compounds including eugenol and epinephrine. Effects of these compounds on the structure and function of incubated insulin were evaluated by spectrofluorimetry, melting temperature (Tm) measurement and insulin tolerance test on Wistar rats. Formation of heat-induced insulin aggregation can be effectively inhibited by 1 mM eugenol and epinephrine and both compounds were found to preserve insulin activity to a considerable extent. In conclusion, simple aromatic compounds could be tailored to act as potent anti-aggregation compounds for insulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Haghighi-Poodeh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Latifeh Navidpour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14174, Iran.
| | - Parichehreh Yaghmaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Ebrahim-Habibi
- Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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46
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Lao Z, Chen Y, Tang Y, Wei G. Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal the Inhibitory Mechanism of Dopamine against Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (hIAPP) Aggregation and Its Destabilization Effect on hIAPP Protofibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:4151-4159. [PMID: 31436406 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aberrant self-assembly of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) into toxic oligomers, protofibrils, and mature fibrils is associated with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Inhibition of hIAPP aggregation and destabilization of preformed hIAPP fibrils are considered as two major therapeutic strategies for treating T2D. Previous experimental studies reported that dopamine prevented the formation of hIAPP oligomers and fibrils. However, the underlying inhibitory mechanism at the atomic level remains elusive. Herein we investigated the conformational ensembles of hIAPP dimer with and without dopamine using replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations demonstrated that dopamine preferentially bound to R11, L12, F15, H18, F23, I26, L27, and Y37 residues, inhibited the formation of β-sheets in the amyloidogenic regions spanning residues 11RLANFLVH18, 22NFGAIL27, and 30TNVGSNT36, and resulted in more disordered hIAPP dimers, thus hindering the amyloid formation of hIAPP. Protonated and deprotonated dopamine molecules displayed distinct binding capabilities but bound to similar residue sites on hIAPP. Additional microsecond molecular dynamics simulations showed that dopamine mainly bound to the β1 and turn regions of hIAPP protofibril and destabilized the protofibril structure. This study not only revealed the molecular mechanism of dopamine toward the inhibition of hIAPP aggregation but also demonstrated the protofibril-destabilizing effects of dopamine, which may be helpful for the design of drug candidates to treat T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenghui Lao
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yujie Chen
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiming Tang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
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47
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Morel B, Conejero-Lara F. Early mechanisms of amyloid fibril nucleation in model and disease-related proteins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:140264. [PMID: 31437584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.140264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein amyloid aggregation is a hallmark in neuropathologies and other diseases of tremendous impact such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases. During the last decade, it has become increasingly evident that neuronal death is mainly induced by proteinaceous oligomers rather than the mature amyloid fibrils. Therefore, the earliest molecular events occurring during the amyloid aggregation cascade represent a growing interest of study. Important breakthroughs have been achieved using experimental data from different proteins, used as models, as well as systems related to diseases. Here, we summarize the structural properties of amyloid oligomeric and fibrillar aggregates and review the recent advances on how biophysical techniques can be combined with quantitative kinetic analysis and theoretical models to study the detailed mechanism of oligomer formation and nucleation of fibrils. These insights into the mechanism of early oligomerization and amyloid nucleation are of relevant interest in drug discovery and in the design of preventive strategies against neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Morel
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - Francisco Conejero-Lara
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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48
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Rational design of linear tripeptides against the aggregation of human mutant SOD1 protein causing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2019; 405:116425. [PMID: 31422280 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Formation of protein aggregation is considered a hallmark feature of various neurological diseases. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is one such devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by mutation in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase protein (SOD1). In our study, we contemplated the most aggregated and pathogenic mutant A4V in a viewpoint of finding a therapeutic regime by inhibiting the formation of the aggregates with the aid of tripeptides since new perspectives in the field of drug design in the current era are being focused on peptide-based drugs. Reports from the experimental study have stipulated that the SOD1 derived peptide, "LSGDHCIIGRTLVVHEKADD" was found to have the inhibitory activity against aggregated SOD1 protein. Moreover, it was determined that the hexapeptide, "LSGDHC" was the key factor in inhibiting the aggregates of SOD1. Accordingly, we utilized the computerized algorithms and programs on determining the binding efficiency and inhibitory activity of hexapeptide on mutant SOD1. Following that, we incorporated a cutting-edge methodology with the use of molecular docking, affinity predictions, alanine scanning, steered molecular dynamics (SMD) and discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) in designing the de novo tripeptides, which could act against the aggregated mutant SOD1 protein. Upon examining the results from the various conformational studies, we identified that CGH had an enhanced binding affinity and inhibitory activity against the aggregated mutant SOD1 protein than other tripeptides and hexapeptide. Thus, our study could be a lead for state-of-the-art design in peptide-based drugs for doctoring the cureless ALS disorder.
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49
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Trumbore CN. Shear-Induced Amyloid Formation in the Brain: III. The Roles of Shear Energy and Seeding in a Proposed Shear Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:47-70. [PMID: 30040710 PMCID: PMC6087447 DOI: 10.3233/jad-171003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
If cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids move through very narrow brain flow channels, these restrictive surroundings generate varying levels of fluid shear and different shear rates, and dissolved amyloid monomers absorb different shear energies. It is proposed that dissolved amyloid-β protein (Aβ) and other amyloid monomers undergo shear-induced conformational changes that ultimately lead to amyloid monomer aggregation even at very low brain flow and shear rates. Soluble Aβ oligomers taken from diseased brains initiate in vivo amyloid formation in non-diseased brains. The brain environment is apparently responsible for this result. A mechanism involving extensional shear is proposed for the formation of a seed Aβ monomer molecule that ultimately promotes templated conformational change of other Aβ molecules. Under non-quiescent, non-equilibrium conditions, gentle extensional shear within the brain parenchyma, and perhaps even during laboratory preparation of Aβ samples, may be sufficient to cause subtle conformational changes in these monomers. These result from brain processes that significantly lower the high activation energy predicted for the quiescent Aβ dimerization process. It is further suggested that changes in brain location and changes brought about by aging expose Aβ molecules to different shear rates, total shear, and types of shear, resulting in different conformational changes in these molecules. The consequences of such changes caused by variable shear energy are proposed to underlie formation of amyloid strains causing different amyloid diseases. Amyloid researchers are urged to undertake studies with amyloids, anti-amyloid drugs, and antibodies while all of these are under shear conditions similar to those in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad N Trumbore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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50
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How SC, Hsin A, Chen GY, Hsu WT, Yang SM, Chou WL, Chou SH, Wang SSS. Exploring the influence of brilliant blue G on amyloid fibril formation of lysozyme. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 138:37-48. [PMID: 31295491 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.07.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that amyloid fibril mitigation/inhibition is considered a promising approach toward treating amyloid diseases. In this work, we first examined how amyloid fibrillogenesis of lysozyme was affected by BBG, a safe triphenylmethane compound with nice blood-brain-barrier-permeability, and found that shorter fibrillar species were formed in the lysozyme samples treated with BBG. Next, alterations in the features including the secondary as well as tertiary structure, extent of aggregation, and molecular distribution of lysozyme triggered by the addition of BBG were examined by various spectroscopic techniques, right-angle light scattering, dynamic light scattering, and SDS-PAGE. In addition, we have investigated how BBG affected the lysozyme fibril-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. We found that a large quantity of shorter fibrillar species and more lysozyme monomers were present in the samples treated with BBG. Also, the addition of BBG rescued SH-SY5Y cells from cell death induced by amyloid fibrils of lysozyme. Finally, information about the binding sites and interacting forces involved in the BBG-lysozyme interaction was further explored using synchronous fluorescence and molecular docking approaches. Molecular docking results revealed that, apart from the hydrophobic interaction(s), hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waal forces may also be involved in the binding interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Chun How
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ai Hsin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Yu Chen
- Department of Life Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Tse Hsu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Ming Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Lung Chou
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hungkuang University, Sha Lu, Taichung City 433, Taiwan.
| | - Shiu-Huey Chou
- Department of Life Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Steven S-S Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
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