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Salem S, Kilgore MD, Anwer M, Maxan A, Child D, Bird TD, Keene CD, Cicchetti F, Latimer C. Evidence of mutant huntingtin and tau-related pathology within neuronal grafts in Huntington's disease cases. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 198:106542. [PMID: 38810948 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106542] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
A number of post-mortem studies conducted in transplanted Huntington's disease (HD) patients from various trials have reported the presence of pathological and misfolded proteins, in particular mutant huntingtin (mHtt) and phosphorylated tau neuropil threads, in the healthy grafted tissue. Here, we extended these observations with histological analysis of post-mortem tissue from three additional HD patients who had received similar striatal allografts from the fetal tissue transplantation trial conducted in Los Angeles in 1998. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using anti-mHtt antibodies, EM48 and MW7, as well as anti-hyperphosphorylated tau antibodies, AT8 and CP13. Immunofluorescence was used to assess the colocalization of EM48+ mHtt aggregates with the neuronal marker MAP2 and/or the extracellular matrix protein phosphacan in both the host and grafts. We confirmed the presence of mHtt aggregates within grafts of all three cases as well as tau neuropil threads in the grafts of two of the three transplanted HD patients. Phosphorylated tau was also variably expressed in the host cerebral cortex of all three subjects. While mHtt inclusions were present within neurons (immunofluorescence co-localization of MAP2 and EM48) as well as within the extracellular matrix of the host (immunofluorescence co-localization of phosphacan and EM48), their localization was limited to the extracellular matrix in the grafted tissue. This study corroborates previous findings that both mHtt and tau pathology can be found in the host and grafts of HD patients years post-grafting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen Salem
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Mitchell D Kilgore
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mehwish Anwer
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexander Maxan
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dan Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas D Bird
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Francesca Cicchetti
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Caitlin Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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2
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Soto C. α-Synuclein seed amplification technology for Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:829-841. [PMID: 38395703 PMCID: PMC11223967 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.01.007] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) associated with cerebral accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) misfolded aggregates. At this time, there is no effective treatment to stop or slow down disease progression, which in part is due to the lack of an early and objective biochemical diagnosis. In the past 5 years, the seed amplification technology has emerged for highly sensitive identification of these diseases, even at the preclinical stage of the illness. Much research has been done in multiple laboratories to validate the efficacy and reproducibility of this assay. This article provides a comprehensive review of this technology, including its conceptual basis and its multiple applications for disease diagnosis, as well for understanding of the disease biology and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX77030, USA.
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3
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Nutini A. Amyloid oligomers and their membrane toxicity - A perspective study. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 187:9-20. [PMID: 38211711 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Amyloidosis is a condition involving a disparate group of pathologies characterized by the extracellular deposition of insoluble fibrils composed of broken-down proteins. These proteins can accumulate locally, causing peculiar symptoms, or in a widespread way, involving many organs and. causing severe systemic failure. The damage that is created is related not only to the accumulation of. amyloid fibrils but above all to the precursor oligomers of the fibrils that manage to enter the cell in a very particular way. This article analyzes the current state of research related to the entry of these oligomers into the cell membrane and the theories related to their toxicity. The paper proposed here not only aims to review the contents in the literature but also proposes a new vision of amyloid toxicity. that could occur in a multiphase process catalyzed by the cell membrane itself. In this process, the denaturation of the lipid bilayer is followed by the stabilization of a pore through energetically favorable self-assembly processes which are achieved through particular oligomeric structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Nutini
- Biology and Biomechanics Dept - Centro Studi Attività Motorie, Italy.
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4
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Kumar A, Dixson J, Azad RK. RNA-Seq Analysis of Mammalian Prion Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2812:367-377. [PMID: 39068373 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3886-6_20] [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: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
A protein, which can attain a prion state, differs from standard proteins in terms of structural conformation and aggregation propensity. High-throughput sequencing technology provides an opportunity to gain insight into the prion disease condition when coupled with single-cell RNA-Seq analysis to reveal transcriptional changes during prion-based pathogenicity. In this chapter, we present a protocol for RNA-Seq analysis of mammalian prion disease using a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset procured from the NCBI GEO database. This protocol is a tool that can assist researchers in characterizing mammalian prion disease in a reproducible and reusable manner. Further, the resulting output has the potential to provide transcript biomarkers for mammalian prion diseases, which can be employed for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambarish Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Jamie Dixson
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Rajeev K Azad
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.
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5
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Zhong H, Liu H, Liu H. Molecular Mechanism of Tau Misfolding and Aggregation: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2855-2871. [PMID: 37031392 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230409145247] [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: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Tau dysfunction has a close association with many neurodegenerative diseases, which are collectively referred to as tauopathies. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formed by misfolding and aggregation of tau are the main pathological process of tauopathy. Therefore, uncovering the misfolding and aggregation mechanism of tau protein will help to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of tauopathies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is well suited for studying the dynamic process of protein structure changes. It provides detailed information on protein structure changes over time at the atomic resolution. At the same time, MD simulation can also simulate various conditions conveniently. Based on these advantages, MD simulations are widely used to study conformational transition problems such as protein misfolding and aggregation. Here, we summarized the structural features of tau, the factors affecting its misfolding and aggregation, and the applications of MD simulations in the study of tau misfolding and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Zhong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hongli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Science, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, 999078, China
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6
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Chandra R, Sokratian A, Chavez KR, King S, Swain SM, Snyder JC, West AB, Liddle RA. Gut mucosal cells transfer α-synuclein to the vagus nerve. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e172192. [PMID: 38063197 PMCID: PMC10795834 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological and histopathological findings have raised the possibility that misfolded α-synuclein protein might spread from the gut to the brain and increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. Although past experimental studies in mouse models have relied on gut injections of exogenous recombinant α-synuclein fibrils to study gut-to-brain α-synuclein transfer, the possible origins of misfolded α-synuclein within the gut have remained elusive. We recently demonstrated that sensory cells of intestinal mucosa express α-synuclein. Here, we employed mouse intestinal organoids expressing human α-synuclein to observe the transfer of α-synuclein protein from epithelial cells in organoids to cocultured nodose neurons devoid of α-synuclein. In mice expressing human α-synuclein, but no mouse α-synuclein, α-synuclein fibril-templating activity emerged in α-synuclein-seeded fibril aggregation assays in intestine, vagus nerve, and dorsal motor nucleus. In newly engineered transgenic mice that restrict pathological human α-synuclein expression to intestinal epithelial cells, α-synuclein fibril-templating activity transfered to the vagus nerve and dorsal motor nucleus. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prior to induction of α-synuclein expression in intestinal epithelial cells effectively protected the hindbrain from emergence of α-synuclein fibril-templating activity. Overall, these findings highlight a potential non-neuronal source of fibrillar α-synuclein protein that might arise in gut mucosal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Joshua C. Snyder
- Department of Surgery, and
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew B. West
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - Rodger A. Liddle
- Department of Medicine
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
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7
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Guo M, Wang X, Li Y, Luo A, Zhao Y, Luo X, Li S. Intermittent Fasting on Neurologic Diseases: Potential Role of Gut Microbiota. Nutrients 2023; 15:4915. [PMID: 38068773 PMCID: PMC10707790 DOI: 10.3390/nu15234915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As the global population ages, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is surging. These disorders have a multifaceted pathogenesis, entwined with genetic and environmental factors. Emerging research underscores the profound influence of diet on the development and progression of health conditions. Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary pattern that is increasingly embraced and recommended, has demonstrated potential in improving neurophysiological functions and mitigating pathological injuries with few adverse effects. Although the precise mechanisms of IF's beneficial impact are not yet completely understood, gut microbiota and their metabolites are believed to be pivotal in mediating these effects. This review endeavors to thoroughly examine current studies on the shifts in gut microbiota and metabolite profiles prompted by IF, and their possible consequences for neural health. It also highlights the significance of dietary strategies as a clinical consideration for those with neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingke Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xuan Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yujuan Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ailin Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xiaoxiao Luo
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shiyong Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; (M.G.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (A.L.); (Y.Z.)
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8
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Chen Z, Xiao X, Yang L, Lian C, Xu S, Liu H. Prion-like Aggregation of the Heptapeptide GNNQQNY into Amyloid Nanofiber Is Governed by Configuration Entropy. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6423-6435. [PMID: 37782627 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
A major cause of prion infectivity is the early formation of small, fibril-like aggregates consisting of the heptapeptide GNNQQNY. The prion aggregates exhibit a unique stacking mode in which the hydrophobic tyrosine (Y) is exposed outward, forming a bilayer β-sheet-stacking zipper structure. This stacking mode of the prion peptides, termed "Y-outward" structure for convenience, goes against the common understanding that, for other amyloid-forming peptides, the hydrophobic residues should be hidden within the peptide fibril, referred to as "Y-inward" structure. To explore the extraordinary stacking behaviors of the prion GNNQQNY peptides, two fibril models are constructed in a fashion of "Y-outward" and "Y-inward" stackings and then studied in silico to examine their thermodynamic stabilities and disaggregation pathways. The "Y-inward" structure indeed exhibits stronger thermodynamic stability than the "Y-outward" structure, according to potential energy and stacking energy calculations. To show how the peptide fibrils dissociate, we illustrated two disaggregation pathways. A dihedral-based free energy landscape was then calculated to examine the conformational degrees of freedom of the GNNQQNY chains in the "Y-outward" and "Y-inward" structures. Peptide chains lose more configurational entropy in the "Y-inward" structure than in the "Y-outward" structure, indicating that the prion peptides are prone to aggregate in a fashion of "Y-outward" stacking pattern due to its low conformational constraints. The prion-like aggregation of the GNNQQNY peptides into amyloid fibrils is primarily governed by the configuration entropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangyang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Xingqing Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou City, Hainan Province 570228, P. R. China
| | - Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology of Hubei Province, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Lian
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Shouhong Xu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Honglai Liu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
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9
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Chandra R, Sokratian A, Chavez KR, King S, Swain SM, Snyder JC, West AB, Liddle RA. Gut mucosal cells transfer α-synuclein to the vagus nerve. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.553305. [PMID: 37645945 PMCID: PMC10461984 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.553305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological and histopathological findings have raised the possibility that misfolded α-synuclein protein might spread from the gut to the brain and increase the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). While past experimental studies in mouse models have relied on gut injections of exogenous recombinant α-synuclein fibrils to study gut to brain α-synuclein transfer, the possible origins of misfolded α-synuclein within the gut have remained elusive. We recently demonstrated that sensory cells of the gut mucosa express α-synuclein. In this study, we employed mouse intestinal organoids expressing human α-synuclein to observe the transfer of α-synuclein protein from gut epithelial cells in organoids co-cultured with vagal nodose neurons that are otherwise devoid of α-synuclein expression. In intact mice that express pathological human α-synuclein, but no mouse α-synuclein, α-synuclein fibril templating activity emerges in α-synuclein seeded fibril aggregation assays in tissues from the gut, vagus nerve, and dorsal motor nucleus. In newly engineered transgenic mice that restrict pathological human α-synuclein expression to intestinal epithelial cells, α-synuclein fibril-templating activity transfers to the vagus nerve and to the dorsal motor nucleus. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prior to the induction of α-synuclein expression in the gut epithelial cells effectively protects the hindbrain from the emergence of α-synuclein fibril templating activity. Overall, these findings highlight a novel potential non-neuronal source of fibrillar α-synuclein protein that might arise in gut mucosal cells.
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10
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Ge WY, Deng X, Shi WP, Lin WJ, Chen LL, Liang H, Wang XT, Zhang TD, Zhao FZ, Guo WH, Yin DC. Amyloid Protein Cross-Seeding Provides a New Perspective on Multiple Diseases In Vivo. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:1-18. [PMID: 36507729 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid protein cross-seeding is a peculiar phenomenon of cross-spreading among different diseases. Unlike traditional infectious ones, diseases caused by amyloid protein cross-seeding are spread by misfolded proteins instead of pathogens. As a consequence of the interactions among misfolded heterologous proteins or polypeptides, amyloid protein cross-seeding is considered to be the crucial cause of overlapping pathological transmission between various protein misfolding disorders (PMDs) in multiple tissues and cells. Here, we briefly review the phenomenon of cross-seeding among amyloid proteins. As an interesting example worth mentioning, the potential links between the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) and some neurodegenerative diseases might be related to the amyloid protein cross-seeding, thus may cause an undesirable trend in the incidence of PMDs around the world. We then summarize the theoretical models as well as the experimental techniques for studying amyloid protein cross-seeding. Finally, we conclude with an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for basic research in this field. Cross-seeding of amyloid opens up a new perspective in our understanding of the process of amyloidogenesis, which is crucial for the development of new treatments for diseases. It is therefore valuable but still challenging to explore the cross-seeding system of amyloid protein as well as to reveal the structural basis and the intricate processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Yi Ge
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xudong Deng
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Wen-Pu Shi
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Wen-Juan Lin
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Liang-Liang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Huan Liang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xue-Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Tuo-Di Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.,Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Feng-Zhu Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.,Non-commissioned Officer School, Army Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050081, China
| | - Wei-Hong Guo
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Da-Chuan Yin
- Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
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11
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Ray A, Bonorden MJL, Pandit R, Nkhata KJ, Bishayee A. Infections and immunity: associations with obesity and related metabolic disorders. J Pathol Transl Med 2023; 57:28-42. [PMID: 36647284 PMCID: PMC9846011 DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2022.11.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
About one-fourth of the global population is either overweight or obese, both of which increase the risk of insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, and infections. In obesity, both immune cells and adipocytes produce an excess of pro-inflammatory cytokines that may play a significant role in disease progression. In the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, important pathological characteristics such as involvement of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, endothelial injury, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release have been shown to be connected with obesity and associated sequelae such as insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This pathological connection may explain the severity of COVID-19 in patients with metabolic disorders. Many studies have also reported an association between type 2 diabetes and persistent viral infections. Similarly, diabetes favors the growth of various microorganisms including protozoal pathogens as well as opportunistic bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, diabetes is a risk factor for a number of prion-like diseases. There is also an interesting relationship between helminths and type 2 diabetes; helminthiasis may reduce the pro-inflammatory state, but is also associated with type 2 diabetes or even neoplastic processes. Several studies have also documented altered circulating levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes in obesity, which likely modifies vaccine effectiveness. Timely monitoring of inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein) and energy homeostasis markers (e.g., leptin) could be helpful in preventing many obesity-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitabha Ray
- College of Medical Science, Alderson Broaddus University, Philippi, WV, USA,Corresponding Author: Amitabha Ray, MD, PhD, College of Medical Science, Alderson Broaddus University, 101 College Hill Drive, Philippi, WV 26416, USA Tel: +1-304-457-6587, Fax: +1-304-457-6308, E-mail:
| | | | - Rajashree Pandit
- Division of Medical & Behavioral Health, Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, CO, USA
| | | | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, USA
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12
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Gamez N, Bravo-Alegria J, Huang Y, Perez-Urrutia N, Dongarwar D, Soto C, Morales R. Altering Brain Amyloidosis by Intra-Lingual and Extra-Nasal Exposure of Aβ Aggregates. Cells 2022; 11:3442. [PMID: 36359840 PMCID: PMC9654398 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive experimental and human-derived evidence suggest that misfolded Aβ particles spread similarly to infectious prions. Moreover, peripheral administration of Aβ seeds accelerates brain amyloidosis in both susceptible experimental animals and humans. The mechanisms and elements governing the transport of misfolded Aβ from the periphery to the brain are not fully understood, although circulation and retrograde axonal transport have been proposed. Here, we demonstrate that injection of Aβ seeds in the tongue, a highly innervated organ, substantially accelerates the appearance of plaques in Tg2576 mice. In addition, the extra-nasal exposure of Aβ aggregates increased amyloid pathology in the olfactory bulb. Our results show that exposing highly innervated tissues to Aβ seeds accelerates AD-like pathological features, and suggest that Aβ seeds can be transported from peripheral compartments to the brain by retrograde axonal transport. Research in this direction may be relevant on different fronts, including disease mechanisms, diagnosis, and risk-evaluation of potential iatrogenic transmission of Aβ misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dpto. Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain
| | - Javiera Bravo-Alegria
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo 2200, Las Condes, Santiago 7620001, Chile
| | - Yumeng Huang
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nelson Perez-Urrutia
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastian, Lientur 1456, Concepcion 4080871, Chile
| | - Deepa Dongarwar
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
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13
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Li J, Guo M, Chen L, Chen Z, Fu Y, Chen Y. p53 amyloid aggregation in cancer: function, mechanism, and therapy. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:66. [PMID: 36171607 PMCID: PMC9520902 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00317-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to neurodegenerative diseases, the concept that tumors are prion like diseases has been proposed in recent years. p53, the most well-known tumor suppressor, has been extensively studied for its expression, mutation, and function in various tumors. Currently, an interesting phenomenon of p53 prion-like aggregation has been found in several tumors, and studies have found that its pathological aggregation may lead to functional alterations and ultimately affect tumor progression. It has been demonstrated that the mechanism of p53 aggregation involves its mutation, domains, isoform, etc. In addition to p53 itself, some other factors, including Zn2+ concentration, pH, temperature and chaperone abnormalities, can also contribute to p53 aggregation. Although there are some studies about the mechanism and role of p53 aggregation and amyloidosis in tumors, there still exist some controversies. In this paper, we review the mechanism of p53 amyloid fibril structure and discuss the characteristics and effects of p53 amyloid aggregation, as well as the pathogenic mechanism leading to the occurrence of aggregation in tumors. Finally, we summarize the various inhibitors targeting p53 aggregation and prion-like behavior. In conclusion, a comprehensive understanding of p53 aggregation can expand our understanding of the causes leading its loss of physiological function and that targeting p53 aggregation might be a promising therapeutic strategy for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhi Li
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.,Department of Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Zhuchu Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,Department of Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
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14
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Tsafaras G, Baekelandt V. The role of LRRK2 in the periphery: link with Parkinson's disease and inflammatory diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 172:105806. [PMID: 35781002 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently considered a multisystemic disorder rather than a pure brain disease, in line with the multiple hit hypothesis from Braak. However, despite increasing evidence that the pathology might originate in the periphery, multiple unknown aspects and contradictory data on the pathological processes taking place in the periphery jeopardize the interpretation and therapeutic targeting of PD. Mutations in the leucine-rich-repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene have been widely linked with familial and sporadic PD cases. However, the actual role of LRRK2 in PD pathophysiology is far from understood. There is evidence that LRRK2 may be involved in alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) pathology and immune cell regulation, but it has also been associated with inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, tuberculosis, leprosy, and several other bacterial infections. In this review, we focus on the different roles of LRRK2 in the periphery. More specifically, we discuss the involvement of LRRK2 in the propagation of α-synuclein pathology and its regulatory role in peripheral inflammation. A deeper understanding of the multidimensional functions of LRRK2 will pave the way for more accurate characterization of PD pathophysiology and its association with other inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Tsafaras
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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15
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Transmission, Strain Diversity, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071390. [PMID: 35891371 PMCID: PMC9316268 DOI: 10.3390/v14071390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting several species of captive and free-ranging cervids. In the past few decades, CWD has been spreading uncontrollably, mostly in North America, resulting in a high increase of CWD incidence but also a substantially higher number of geographical regions affected. The massive increase in CWD poses risks at several levels, including contamination of the environment, transmission to animals cohabiting with cervids, and more importantly, a putative transmission to humans. In this review, I will describe the mechanisms and routes responsible for the efficient transmission of CWD, the strain diversity of natural CWD, its spillover and zoonotic potential and strategies to minimize the CWD threat.
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16
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Nakaie M, Katayama F, Nakagaki T, Kawasaki M, Yoshida S, Toriba A, Ogawa K, Nishida N, Nakayama M, Fuchigami T. Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyethylamino- and Pyridyl-Substituted 2-Vinyl Chromone Derivatives for Detection of Cerebral Abnormal Prion Protein Deposits. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2022; 70:211-219. [PMID: 35228385 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c21-00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal prion protein aggregates (PrPSc) in the brain. In this study, we developed hydroxyethylamino-substituted styrylchromone (SC) and 2-(2-(pyridin-3-yl)vinyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (VPC) derivatives for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of PrPSc deposits in the brain. The binding affinity of these compounds was evaluated using recombinant mouse prion protein (rMoPrP) aggregates, which resulted in the inhibition constant (Ki) value of 61.5 and 88.0 nM for hydroxyethyl derivative, (E)-2-(4-((2-hydroxyethyl)amino)styryl)-6-iodo-4H-chromen-4-one (SC-NHEtOH) and (E)-2-(4-((2-hydroxyethyl)(methyl)amino)styryl)-6-iodo-4H-chromen-4-one (SC-NMeEtOH), respectively. However, none of the VPC derivatives showed binding affinity for the rMoPrP aggregates. Fluorescent imaging demonstrated that the accumulation pattern of SC-NHEtOH matched with the presence of PrPSc in the brain slices from mouse-adapted bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected mice. A biodistribution study of normal mice indicated low initial brain uptake of [125I]SC-NHEtOH (0.88% injected dose/g (% ID/g) at 2 min) despite favorable washout from the brain (0.26% ID/g, at 180 min) was displayed. [125I]SC-NHEtOH exhibited binding affinities to both artificial prion aggregates as well as prion deposits in the brain. However, significant improvement in the binding affinity for PrPSc and blood-brain barrier permeability is necessary for the development of successful in vivo imaging probes for the detection of cerebral PrPSc in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Nakaie
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Fumihiro Katayama
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Takehiro Nakagaki
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Masao Kawasaki
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Sakura Yoshida
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Akira Toriba
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Kazuma Ogawa
- Laboratory of Clinical Analytical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University.,Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University
| | - Noriyuki Nishida
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Morio Nakayama
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University
| | - Takeshi Fuchigami
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University.,Laboratory of Clinical Analytical Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University
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17
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Moreno-Gonzalez I, Edwards G, Morales R, Duran-Aniotz C, Escobedo G, Marquez M, Pumarola M, Soto C. Aged Cattle Brain Displays Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology and Promotes Brain Amyloidosis in a Transgenic Animal Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:815361. [PMID: 35173603 PMCID: PMC8841674 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.815361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of dementia in late life. Although the cause of AD neurodegenerative changes is not fully understood, extensive evidence suggests that the misfolding, aggregation and cerebral accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins are hallmark events. Recent reports have shown that protein misfolding and aggregation can be induced by administration of small quantities of preformed aggregates, following a similar principle by which prion diseases can be transmitted by infection. In the past few years, many of the typical properties that characterize prions as infectious agents were also shown in Aβ aggregates. Interestingly, prion diseases affect not only humans, but also various species of mammals, and it has been demonstrated that infectious prions present in animal tissues, particularly cattle affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), can infect humans. It has been reported that protein deposits resembling Aβ amyloid plaques are present in the brain of several aged non-human mammals, including monkeys, bears, dogs, and cheetahs. In this study, we investigated the presence of Aβ aggregates in the brain of aged cattle, their similarities with the protein deposits observed in AD patients, and their capability to promote AD pathological features when intracerebrally inoculated into transgenic animal models of AD. Our data show that aged cattle can develop AD-like neuropathological abnormalities, including amyloid plaques, as studied histologically. Importantly, cow-derived aggregates accelerate Aβ amyloid deposition in the brain of AD transgenic animals. Surprisingly, the rate of induction produced by administration of the cattle material was substantially higher than induction produced by injection of similar amounts of human AD material. Our findings demonstrate that cows develop seeding-competent Aβ aggregates, similarly as observed in AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Departamento Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
| | - George Edwards
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gabriel Escobedo
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mercedes Marquez
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Animal Tissue Bank of Catalunya (BTAC), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marti Pumarola
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Animal Tissue Bank of Catalunya (BTAC), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Claudio Soto
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18
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Das TK, Blasco-Conesa MP, Korf J, Honarpisheh P, Chapman MR, Ganesh BP. Bacterial Amyloid Curli Associated Gut Epithelial Neuroendocrine Activation Predominantly Observed in Alzheimer's Disease Mice with Central Amyloid-β Pathology. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:191-205. [PMID: 35527554 PMCID: PMC9583710 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial evidence from recent research suggests an influential and underappreciated force in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis: the pathological signals originate from outside the brain. Pathogenic bacteria produce amyloid-like proteins "curli" that form biofilms and show functional similarities to human amyloid-β (Aβ). These proteins may contribute to neurological disease progression via signaling cascade from the gut to the brain. OBJECTIVE We propose that curli causes neuroendocrine activation from the gut to brain that promotes central Aβ pathology. METHODS PGP9.5 and TLR2 levels in response to curli in the lumen of Tg2576 AD mice were analyzed by immunohistochemical and qRT-PCR analysis. Western blot and human 3D in vitro enteroids culture systems were also used. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to investigate bacterial dysbiosis. RESULTS We found significant increase in bacterial-amyloid curli with elevated TLR2 at the mRNA level in the pre- and symptomatic Tg-AD gut compared to littermate WT controls. This data associates with increased gram-positive bacterial colonization in the ileum of the symptomatic AD mice. We found fundamental evidence for vagus nerve activation in response to bacterial curli. Neuroendocrine marker PGP9.5 was significantly elevated in the gut epithelium of symptomatic AD mice, and this was colocalized with increased TLR2 expression. Enteroids, 3D-human ileal mini-gut monolayer in vitro model system also revealed increase levels of TLR2 upon stimulation with purified bacterial curli fibrils. CONCLUSION These findings reveal the importance of pathological changes within the gut-vagus-brain signaling in response to luminal bacterial amyloid that might play a vital role in central Aβ pathogenesis seen in the AD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar K. Das
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria P. Blasco-Conesa
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Janelle Korf
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pedram Honarpisheh
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew R. Chapman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Bhanu P. Ganesh
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Bhanu Priya Ganesh, Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Tel.: +1 713 500 7429;
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19
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Liu Y, Ding R, Xu Z, Xue Y, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Li W, Li X. Roles and Mechanisms of the Protein Quality Control System in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:345. [PMID: 35008771 PMCID: PMC8745298 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of senile plaques (SPs) and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NTFs), as well as neuronal dysfunctions in the brain, but in fact, patients have shown a sustained disease progression for at least 10 to 15 years before these pathologic biomarkers can be detected. Consequently, as the most common chronic neurological disease in the elderly, the challenge of AD treatment is that it is short of effective biomarkers for early diagnosis. The protein quality control system is a collection of cellular pathways that can recognize damaged proteins and thereby modulate their turnover. Abundant evidence indicates that the accumulation of abnormal proteins in AD is closely related to the dysfunction of the protein quality control system. In particular, it is the synthesis, degradation, and removal of essential biological components that have already changed in the early stage of AD, which further encourages us to pay more attention to the protein quality control system. The review mainly focuses on the endoplasmic reticulum system (ERS), autophagy-lysosome system (ALS) and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), and deeply discusses the relationship between the protein quality control system and the abnormal proteins of AD, which can not only help us to understand how and why the complex regulatory system becomes malfunctional during AD progression, but also provide more novel therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xing Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (Y.L.); (R.D.); (Z.X.); (Y.X.); (D.Z.); (Y.Z.); (W.L.)
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20
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From molecular dynamics to quantum mechanics of misfolded proteins and amyloid-like macroaggregates applied to neurodegenerative diseases. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 110:108046. [PMID: 34736057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.108046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A misfolded protein compared with its native state lacks its biological function resulting in cell dysregulations and often death. Outdated hypotheses on protein folding must be revised: More realistic molecular models, focusing not only on classical molecular dynamics (MD) but also on ab initio quantum mechanics (QM) at the molecular orbitals (MOs) scale, which is not experimentally achievable, are presented to improve our understanding of the thermodynamics of the protein-protein interactions leading to misfolding and neurodegenerative diseases for future drug design. Protein misfolding is characterized by the formation of highly reactive beta-sheets oligomers leading to fibrillar macroscopic aggregates, which are studied with the models given herein that can be useful for the development of new immunotherapies against the Alzheimer's disease and prion, e.g. The example of the prion - an intrinsically disordered protein - is studied, but the models can be generalized to other misfolding diseases. The binding free energy and interactions in a complex of a misfolded prion with a native prion are first analyzed by MD and compared to a complex of two native conformers. A conversion of residues to toxic beta-sheets is observed in the optimized misfolded complex. Then, QM is used to compute, with a much better accuracy than that of MD, the binding free energy of the hydrophobic binding site, responsible of the aggregation, between the bound misfolded and native conformers in the misfolded complex. The latter quantity is significantly negative, so that aggregation is strong and fast. The frontier MOs from QM are used for docking to determine how the first repetitive beta-sheets building blocks of the nanofibrils can be assembled from initial cleaved complexes of the native and misfolded proteins. Successive aggregation of multiple monomers leads to an amyloid-like nanofibril that grows along a principal elongation direction, as also observed experimentally.
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21
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Transmission of cerebral amyloid pathology by peripheral administration of misfolded Aβ aggregates. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5690-5701. [PMID: 34002023 PMCID: PMC8595465 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01150-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous reports showed that brain Aβ amyloidosis can be induced in animal models by exogenous administration of pre-formed aggregates. To date, only intra-peritoneal and intra-venous administrations are described as effective means to peripherally accelerate brain Aβ amyloidosis by seeding. Here, we show that cerebral accumulation of Aβ can be accelerated after exposing mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to Aβ seeds by different peripheral routes of administration, including intra-peritoneal and intra-muscular. Interestingly, animals receiving drops of brain homogenate laden with Aβ seeds in the eyes were efficiently induced. On the contrary, oral administration of large quantities of brain extracts from aged transgenic mice and AD patients did not have any effect in brain pathology. Importantly, pathological induction by peripheral administration of Aβ seeds generated a large proportion of aggregates in blood vessels, suggesting vascular transport. This information highlights the role of peripheral tissues and body fluids in AD-related pathological changes.
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22
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Shedding a new light on Huntington's disease: how blood can both propagate and ameliorate disease pathology. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5441-5463. [PMID: 32514103 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0787-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder resulting from a mutation in the huntingtin gene. This leads to the expression of the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) which provokes pathological changes in both the central nervous system (CNS) and periphery. Accumulating evidence suggests that mHTT can spread between cells of the CNS but here, we explored the possibility that mHTT could also propagate and cause pathology via the bloodstream. For this, we used a parabiosis approach to join the circulatory systems of wild-type (WT) and zQ175 mice. After surgery, we observed mHTT in the plasma and circulating blood cells of WT mice and post-mortem analyses revealed the presence of mHTT aggregates in several organs including the liver, kidney, muscle and brain. The presence of mHTT in the brain was accompanied by vascular abnormalities, such as a reduction of Collagen IV signal intensity and altered vessel diameter in the striatum, and changes in expression of Glutamic acid decarboxylase 65/67 (GAD65-67) in the cortex. Conversely, we measured reduced pathology in zQ175 mice by decreased mitochondrial impairments in peripheral organs, restored vessel diameter in the cortex and improved expression of Dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein 32 (DARPP32) in striatal neurons. Collectively, these results demonstrate that circulating mHTT can disseminate disease, but importantly, that healthy blood can dilute pathology. These findings have significant implications for the development of therapies in HD.
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23
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Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005919. [PMID: 34319151 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal, infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting various species of mammals, including humans. The infectious agent in these diseases, termed prion, is composed exclusively of a misfolded protein that can spread and multiply in the absence of genetic materials. In this article, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of prion replication, interindividual transmission, and dissemination in communities. In particular, we review the potential role of the natural environment in prion transmission, including the mechanisms and pathways for prion entry and accumulation in the environment as well as its roles in prion mutation, adaptation, evolution, and transmission. We also discuss the transmission of prion diseases through medical practices, scientific research, and use of biological products. Detailed knowledge of these aspects is crucial to limit the spreading of existing prion diseases as well as to prevent the emergence of new diseases with possible catastrophic consequences for public health.
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24
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Pritzkow S, Gorski D, Ramirez F, Telling GC, Benestad SL, Soto C. North American and Norwegian Chronic Wasting Disease prions exhibit different potential for interspecies transmission and zoonotic risk. J Infect Dis 2021; 225:542-551. [PMID: 34302479 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a rapidly spreading prion disorder affecting various species of wild and captive cervids. The risk that CWD poses to co-habiting animals or more importantly to humans is largely unknown. In this study we investigated differences in the capacity of CWD isolates obtained from six different cervid species to induce prion conversion in vitro by PMCA. We define and quantify spillover and zoonotic potential indices as the efficiency by which CWD prions sustain prion generation in vitro at expenses of normal prion proteins from various mammals and human, respectively. Our data suggest that reindeer and red deer from Norway could be the most transmissible CWD prions to other mammals, whereas North American CWD prions were more prone to generate human prions in vitro. Our results suggest that Norway and North American CWD prions correspond to different strains with distinct spillover and zoonotic potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and related Brain disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Damian Gorski
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and related Brain disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Frank Ramirez
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and related Brain disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Glenn C Telling
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sylvie L Benestad
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, OIE Reference Laboratory for CWD, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's disease and related Brain disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
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25
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Contiliani DF, Ribeiro YDA, de Moraes VN, Pereira TC. MicroRNAs in Prion Diseases-From Molecular Mechanisms to Insights in Translational Medicine. Cells 2021; 10:1620. [PMID: 34209482 PMCID: PMC8307047 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules able to post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression via base-pairing with partially complementary sequences of target transcripts. Prion diseases comprise a singular group of neurodegenerative conditions caused by endogenous, misfolded pathogenic (prion) proteins, associated with molecular aggregates. In humans, classical prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, and kuru. The aim of this review is to present the connections between miRNAs and prions, exploring how the interaction of both molecular actors may help understand the susceptibility, onset, progression, and pathological findings typical of such disorders, as well as the interface with some prion-like disorders, such as Alzheimer's. Additionally, due to the inter-regulation of prions and miRNAs in health and disease, potential biomarkers for non-invasive miRNA-based diagnostics, as well as possible miRNA-based therapies to restore the levels of deregulated miRNAs on prion diseases, are also discussed. Since a cure or effective treatment for prion disorders still pose challenges, miRNA-based therapies emerge as an interesting alternative strategy to tackle such defying medical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyel Fernandes Contiliani
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Yasmin de Araújo Ribeiro
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Vitor Nolasco de Moraes
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Tiago Campos Pereira
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
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26
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Bacterial Extracellular DNA Promotes β-Amyloid Aggregation. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061301. [PMID: 34203755 PMCID: PMC8232312 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with prion-like aggregation of the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide and the subsequent accumulation of misfolded neurotoxic aggregates in the brain. Therefore, it is critical to clearly identify the factors that trigger the cascade of Aβ misfolding and aggregation. Numerous studies have pointed out the association between microorganisms and their virulence factors and Alzheimer’s disease; however, their exact mechanisms of action remain unclear. Recently, we discovered a new pathogenic role of bacterial extracellular DNA, triggering the formation of misfolded Tau aggregates. In this study, we investigated the possible role of DNA extracted from different bacterial and eukaryotic cells in triggering Aβ aggregation in vitro. Interestingly, we found that the extracellular DNA of some, but not all, bacteria is an effective trigger of Aβ aggregation. Furthermore, the acceleration of Aβ nucleation and elongation can vary based on the concentration of the bacterial DNA and the bacterial strain from which this DNA had originated. Our findings suggest that bacterial extracellular DNA might play a previously overlooked role in the Aβ protein misfolding associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Moreover, it highlights a new mechanism of how distantly localized bacteria can remotely contribute to protein misfolding and diseases associated with this process. These findings might lead to the use of bacterial DNA as a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
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27
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Interactome Mapping Provides a Network of Neurodegenerative Disease Proteins and Uncovers Widespread Protein Aggregation in Affected Brains. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108050. [PMID: 32814053 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactome maps are valuable resources to elucidate protein function and disease mechanisms. Here, we report on an interactome map that focuses on neurodegenerative disease (ND), connects ∼5,000 human proteins via ∼30,000 candidate interactions and is generated by systematic yeast two-hybrid interaction screening of ∼500 ND-related proteins and integration of literature interactions. This network reveals interconnectivity across diseases and links many known ND-causing proteins, such as α-synuclein, TDP-43, and ATXN1, to a host of proteins previously unrelated to NDs. It facilitates the identification of interacting proteins that significantly influence mutant TDP-43 and HTT toxicity in transgenic flies, as well as of ARF-GEP100 that controls misfolding and aggregation of multiple ND-causing proteins in experimental model systems. Furthermore, it enables the prediction of ND-specific subnetworks and the identification of proteins, such as ATXN1 and MKL1, that are abnormally aggregated in postmortem brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, suggesting widespread protein aggregation in NDs.
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28
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Kabir MT, Uddin MS, Abdeen A, Ashraf GM, Perveen A, Hafeez A, Bin-Jumah MN, Abdel-Daim MM. Evidence Linking Protein Misfolding to Quality Control in Progressive Neurodegenerative Diseases. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 20:2025-2043. [PMID: 32552649 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200618114924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Several proteolytic systems including ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system (UPS), chaperonemediated autophagy (CMA), and macroautophagy are used by the mammalian cells to remove misfolded proteins (MPs). UPS mediates degradation of most of the MPs, where Ub-conjugated substrates are deubiquitinated, unfolded, and passed through the proteasome's narrow chamber, and eventually break into smaller peptides. It has been observed that the substrates that show a specific degradation signal, the KFERQ sequence motif, can be delivered to and go through CMA-mediated degradation in lysosomes. Macroautophagy can help in the degradation of substrates that are prone to aggregation and resistant to both the CMA and UPS. In the aforesaid case, cargoes are separated into autophagosomes before lysosomal hydrolase-mediated degradation. Even though the majority of the aggregated and MPs in the human proteome can be removed via cellular protein quality control (PQC), some mutant and native proteins tend to aggregate into β-sheet-rich oligomers that exhibit resistance to all identified proteolytic processes and can, therefore, grow into extracellular plaques or inclusion bodies. Indeed, the buildup of protease-resistant aggregated and MPs is a usual process underlying various protein misfolding disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) for example Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion diseases. In this article, we have focused on the contribution of PQC in the degradation of pathogenic proteins in NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Md Sahab Uddin
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.,Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ahmed Abdeen
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh 13736, Egypt
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Perveen
- Glocal School of Life Sciences, Glocal University, Saharanpur, India
| | - Abdul Hafeez
- Glocal School of Pharmacy, Glocal University, Saharanpur, India
| | - May N Bin-Jumah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11474, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed M Abdel-Daim
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.,Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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29
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Duran-Aniotz C, Moreno-Gonzalez I, Gamez N, Perez-Urrutia N, Vegas-Gomez L, Soto C, Morales R. Amyloid pathology arrangements in Alzheimer's disease brains modulate in vivo seeding capability. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:56. [PMID: 33785065 PMCID: PMC8008576 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01155-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) misfolding is one of the hallmark pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD can manifest with diverse symptomatology including variable rates of cognitive decline, duration of clinical disease, and other detrimental changes. Several reports suggest that conformational diversity in misfolded Aβ is a leading factor for clinical variability in AD, analogous to what it has been described for prion strains in prion diseases. Notably, prion strains generate diverse patterns of misfolded protein deposition in the brains of affected individuals. Here, we tested the in vivo prion-like transmission features of four AD brains displaying particular patterns of amyloidosis. AD brains induced different phenotypes in recipient mice, as evaluated by their specific seeding activity, as well as the total amount of Aβ deposited surrounding vascular structures and the reactivity of amyloid pathology to thioflavin S. Our results support the notion that AD-subtypes are encoded in disease-associated Aβ. Further research exploring whether AD include a spectrum of different clinical conditions or syndromes may pave the way to personalized diagnosis and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
- Networking Research Center On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia Y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
| | - Nelson Perez-Urrutia
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Laura Vegas-Gomez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia Y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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30
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Concha-Marambio L, Chacon MA, Soto C. Preclinical Detection of Prions in Blood of Nonhuman Primates Infected with Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:34-43. [PMID: 31855141 PMCID: PMC6924915 DOI: 10.3201/eid2601.181423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is caused by prion infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy and can be transmitted by blood transfusion. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) can detect prions in blood from vCJD patients with 100% sensitivity and specificity. To determine whether PMCA enables prion detection in blood during the preclinical stage of infection, we performed a blind study using blood samples longitudinally collected from 28 control macaques and 3 macaques peripherally infected with vCJD. Our results demonstrate that PMCA consistently detected prions in blood during the entire preclinical stage in all infected macaques, without false positives from noninfected animals, when using the optimized conditions for amplification of macaque prions. Strikingly, prions were detected as early as 2 months postinoculation (>750 days before disease onset). These findings suggest that PMCA has the potential to detect vCJD prions in blood from asymptomatic carriers during the preclinical phase of the disease.
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31
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Zhang Y, Zhang M, Liu Y, Zhang D, Tang Y, Ren B, Zheng J. Dual amyloid cross-seeding reveals steric zipper-facilitated fibrillization and pathological links between protein misfolding diseases. J Mater Chem B 2021; 9:3300-3316. [PMID: 33651875 DOI: 10.1039/d0tb02958k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid cross-seeding, as a result of direct interaction and co-aggregation between different disease-causative peptides, is considered as a main mechanism for the spread of the overlapping pathology across different cells and tissues between different protein-misfolding diseases (PMDs). Despite the biomedical significance of amyloid cross-seeding in amyloidogenesis, it remains a great challenge to discover amyloid cross-seeding systems and reveal their cross-seeding structures and mechanisms. Herein, we are the first to report that GNNQQNY - a short fragment from yeast prion protein Sup35 - can cross-seed with both amyloid-β (Aβ, associated with Alzheimer's disease) and human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP, associated with type II diabetes) to form β-structure-rich assemblies and to accelerate amyloid fibrillization. Dry, steric β-zippers, formed by the two β-sheets of different amyloid peptides, provide generally interactive and structural motifs to facilitate amyloid cross-seeding. The presence of different steric β-zippers in a variety of GNNQQNY-Aβ and GNNQQNY-hIAPP assemblies also explains amyloid polymorphism. In addition, alteration of steric zipper formation by single-point mutations of GNNQQNY and interactions of GNNQQNY with different Aβ and hIAPP seeds leads to different amyloid cross-seeding efficiencies, further confirming the existence of cross-seeding barriers. This work offers a better structural-based understanding of amyloid cross-seeding mechanisms linked to different PMDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxian Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
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32
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Taniue K, Akimitsu N. Aberrant phase separation and cancer. FEBS J 2021; 289:17-39. [PMID: 33583140 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are intracellularly divided into numerous compartments or organelles, which coordinate specific molecules and biological reactions. Membrane-bound organelles are physically separated by lipid bilayers from the surrounding environment. Biomolecular condensates, also referred to membraneless organelles, are micron-scale cellular compartments that lack membranous enclosures but function to concentrate proteins and RNA molecules, and these are involved in diverse processes. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) driven by multivalent weak macromolecular interactions is a critical principle for the formation of biomolecular condensates, and a multitude of combinations among multivalent interactions may drive liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT). Dysregulation of LLPS and LLPT leads to aberrant condensate and amyloid formation, which causes many human diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer. Here, we describe recent findings regarding abnormal forms of biomolecular condensates and aggregation via aberrant LLPS and LLPT of cancer-related proteins in cancer development driven by mutation and fusion of genes. Moreover, we discuss the regulatory mechanisms by which aberrant LLPS and LLPT occur in cancer and the drug candidates targeting these mechanisms. Further understanding of the molecular events regulating how biomolecular condensates and aggregation form in cancer tissue is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies against tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenzui Taniue
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan
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33
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Konstantoulea K, Louros N, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J. Heterotypic interactions in amyloid function and disease. FEBS J 2021; 289:2025-2046. [PMID: 33460517 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation results from the self-assembly of identical aggregation-prone sequences into cross-beta-sheet structures. The process is best known for its association with a wide range of human pathologies but also as a functional mechanism in all kingdoms of life. Less well elucidated is the role of heterotypic interactions between amyloids and other proteins and macromolecules and how this contributes to disease. We here review current data with a focus on neurodegenerative amyloid-associated diseases. Evidence indicates that heterotypic interactions occur in a wide range of amyloid processes and that these interactions modify fundamental aspects of amyloid aggregation including seeding, aggregation rates and toxicity. More work is required to understand the mechanistic origin of these interactions, but current understanding suggests that both supersaturation and sequence-specific binding can contribute to heterotypic amyloid interactions. Further unravelling these mechanisms may help to answer outstanding questions in the field including the selective vulnerability of cells types and tissues and the stereotypical spreading patterns of amyloids in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Konstantoulea
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Louros
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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34
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Yu X, Persillet M, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Xiuping S, Li X, Ran G, Breger LS, Dovero S, Porras G, Dehay B, Bezard E, Qin C. Evaluation of blood flow as a route for propagation in experimental synucleinopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 150:105255. [PMID: 33421564 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease, synucleinopathy is hypothesized to spread from the enteric nervous system, via the vagus nerve, to the central nervous system. Recent evidences collected in non-human primates challenge however the hypothesis of a transmission of α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology through the vagus nerve. Would the hypothesis whereby the bloodstream acts as a route for long-distance transmission of pathological α-syn hold true, an inter-individual transmission of synucleinopathy could occur via blood contact. Here, we used a parabiosis approach to join the circulatory systems of wild type and GFP transgenic C57BL/6 J mice, for which one of the partners parabiont received a stereotaxic intranigral injection of patient-derived α-syn aggregates. While the Lewy Body-receiving mice exhibited a loss of dopamine neurons and an increase in nigral S129 phosphorylated α-syn immunoreactivity, their parabiotic bloodstream-sharing partners did not show any trend for a lesion or change in S129 phosphorylated-α-syn levels. Altogether, our study suggests that, in the patient-derived α-synuclein aggregates-injected mouse model and within the selected time frame, the disease is not "transmitted" through the bloodstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | | | - Ling Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Sun Xiuping
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Xianglei Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Gao Ran
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | | | - Sandra Dovero
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Gregory Porras
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Benjamin Dehay
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Erwan Bezard
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China; Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Chuan Qin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) & Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Beijing, China.
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35
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Soto P, Claflin IA, Bursott AL, Schwab-McCoy AD, Bartz JC. Cellular prion protein gene polymorphisms linked to differential scrapie susceptibility correlate with distinct residue connectivity between secondary structure elements. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 39:129-139. [PMID: 31900058 PMCID: PMC7340567 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1708794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) to the misfolded and aggregated isoform, termed scrapie prion protein (PrPSc), is key to the development of a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Although the conversion mechanism is not fully understood, the role of gene polymorphisms in varying susceptibilities to prion diseases is well established. In ovine, specific gene polymorphisms in PrPC alter prion disease susceptibility: the Valine136-Glutamine171 variant (Susceptible structure) displays high susceptibility to classical scrapie while the Alanine136-Arginine171 variant (Resistant structure) displays reduced susceptibility. The opposite trend has been reported in atypical scrapie. Despite the differentiation between classical and atypical scrapie, a complete understanding of the effect of polymorphisms on the structural dynamics of PrPC is lacking. From our structural bioinformatics study, we propose that polymorphisms locally modulate the network of residue interactions in the globular C-terminus of the ovine recombinant prion protein while maintaining the overall fold. Although the two variants we examined exhibit a densely connected group of residues that includes both β-sheets, the β2-α2 loop and the N-terminus of α-helix 2, only in the Resistant structure do most residues of α-helix 2 belong to this group. We identify the structural role of Valine136Alanine and Glutamine171Arginine: modulation of residue interaction networks that affect the connectivity between α-helix 2 and α-helix 3. We propose blocking interactions of residue 171 as a potential target for the design of therapeutics to prevent efficient PrPC misfolding. We discuss our results in the context of initial PrPC conversion and extrapolate to recently proposed PrPSc structures.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Soto
- Department of Physics, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, 68178,Corresponding author: Patricia Soto, Creighton University – Department of Physics, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, Phone number: 402.280.3361, Fax: 402.280.2140,
| | - India A. Claflin
- Department of Biology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, 68178
| | | | | | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, 68178
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36
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Le Guerroué F, Youle RJ. Ubiquitin signaling in neurodegenerative diseases: an autophagy and proteasome perspective. Cell Death Differ 2020; 28:439-454. [PMID: 33208890 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-020-00667-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin signaling is a sequence of events driving the fate of a protein based on the type of ubiquitin modifications attached. In the case of neurodegenerative diseases, ubiquitin signaling is mainly associated with degradation signals to process aberrant proteins, which form aggregates often fatal for the brain cells. This signaling is often perturbed by the aggregates themselves and leads to the accumulation of toxic aggregates and inclusion bodies that are deleterious due to a toxic gain of function. Decrease in quality control pathways is often seen with age and is a critical onset for the development of neurodegeneration. Many aggregates are now thought to propagate in a prion-like manner, where mutated proteins acting like seeds are transitioning from cell to cell, converting normal proteins to toxic aggregates. Modulation of ubiquitin signaling, by stimulating ubiquitin ligase activation, is a potential therapeutic strategy to treat patients with neurodegeneration diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Le Guerroué
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Richard J Youle
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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37
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Joseph J, Maji SK, Padinhateeri R. Computational Model for Studying Breakage-Dependent Amyloid Growth. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3615-3622. [PMID: 33050701 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are typically associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have suggested that, similar to prions, many amyloid proteins are infectious in nature and may cause spreading and dissemination of diseases. Typical amyloid infection propagates by recruiting functional proteins into amyloidogenic form and multiplying by breaking the existing fibril. In this study, we model the kinetics of fibril growth through breakage and the subsequent elongation process, similar to the prion infection process. Using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations as well as mathematical counting methods, we show how the measurable quantities like the 50% aggregation time (T50) and the maximum growth rate (Vmax) scale with various parameters in the problem. This study has a direct application where it can be used to understand experiments that amplify the minute amount of amyloid seeds present in biological fluid for early detection of human disease. Using the knowledge from our simulations, we can predict the initial seed concentration, known as the filament kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Joseph
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India
| | - Samir K. Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India
| | - Ranjith Padinhateeri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076, India
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Ghemrawi R, Khair M. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6127. [PMID: 32854418 PMCID: PMC7503386 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important organelle involved in protein quality control and cellular homeostasis. The accumulation of unfolded proteins leads to an ER stress, followed by an adaptive response via the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1α (IRE1α) and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) pathways. However, prolonged cell stress activates apoptosis signaling leading to cell death. Neuronal cells are particularly sensitive to protein misfolding, consequently ER and UPR dysfunctions were found to be involved in many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and prions diseases, among others characterized by the accumulation and aggregation of misfolded proteins. Pharmacological UPR modulation in affected tissues may contribute to the treatment and prevention of neurodegeneration. The association between ER stress, UPR and neuropathology is well established. In this review, we provide up-to-date evidence of UPR activation in neurodegenerative disorders followed by therapeutic strategies targeting the UPR and ameliorating the toxic effects of protein unfolding and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Ghemrawi
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, UAE
| | - Mostafa Khair
- Core Technology Platforms, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, UAE;
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Does wild-type Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase have pathogenic roles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis? Transl Neurodegener 2020; 9:33. [PMID: 32811540 PMCID: PMC7437001 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-020-00209-y] [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: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by adult-onset progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. Increasing numbers of genes are found to be associated with ALS; among those, the first identified gene, SOD1 coding a Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase protein (SOD1), has been regarded as the gold standard in the research on a pathomechanism of ALS. Abnormal accumulation of misfolded SOD1 in affected spinal motor neurons has been established as a pathological hallmark of ALS caused by mutations in SOD1 (SOD1-ALS). Nonetheless, involvement of wild-type SOD1 remains quite controversial in the pathology of ALS with no SOD1 mutations (non-SOD1 ALS), which occupies more than 90% of total ALS cases. In vitro studies have revealed post-translationally controlled misfolding and aggregation of wild-type as well as of mutant SOD1 proteins; therefore, SOD1 proteins could be a therapeutic target not only in SOD1-ALS but also in more prevailing cases, non-SOD1 ALS. In order to search for evidence on misfolding and aggregation of wild-type SOD1 in vivo, we reviewed pathological studies using mouse models and patients and then summarized arguments for and against possible involvement of wild-type SOD1 in non-SOD1 ALS as well as in SOD1-ALS.
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Nil Z, Hervás R, Gerbich T, Leal P, Yu Z, Saraf A, Sardiu M, Lange JJ, Yi K, Unruh J, Slaughter B, Si K. Amyloid-like Assembly Activates a Phosphatase in the Developing Drosophila Embryo. Cell 2020; 178:1403-1420.e21. [PMID: 31491385 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion-like proteins can assume distinct conformational and physical states in the same cell. Sequence analysis suggests that prion-like proteins are prevalent in various species; however, it remains unclear what functional space they occupy in multicellular organisms. Here, we report the identification of a prion-like protein, Herzog (CG5830), through a multimodal screen in Drosophila melanogaster. Herzog functions as a membrane-associated phosphatase and controls embryonic patterning, likely being involved in TGF-β/BMP and FGF/EGF signaling pathways. Remarkably, monomeric Herzog is enzymatically inactive and becomes active upon amyloid-like assembly. The prion-like domain of Herzog is necessary for both its assembly and membrane targeting. Removal of the prion-like domain impairs activity, while restoring assembly on the membrane using a heterologous prion-like domain and membrane-targeting motif can restore phosphatase activity. This study provides an example of a prion-like domain that allows an enzyme to gain essential functionality via amyloid-like assembly to control animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelha Nil
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Rubén Hervás
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Therese Gerbich
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Paulo Leal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Mihaela Sardiu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Kexi Yi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Brian Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Kausik Si
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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41
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Uddin MS, Tewari D, Sharma G, Kabir MT, Barreto GE, Bin-Jumah MN, Perveen A, Abdel-Daim MM, Ashraf GM. Molecular Mechanisms of ER Stress and UPR in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:2902-2919. [PMID: 32430843 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-01929-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving aggregation of misfolded proteins inside the neuron causing prolonged cellular stress. The neuropathological hallmarks of AD include the formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in specific brain regions that lead to synaptic loss and neuronal death. The exact mechanism of neuron dysfunction in AD remains obscure. In recent years, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction has been implicated in neuronal degeneration seen in AD. Apart from AD, many other diseases also involve misfolded proteins aggregations in the ER, a condition referred to as ER stress. The response of the cell to ER stress is to activate a group of signaling pathways called unfolded protein response (UPR) that stimulates a particular transcriptional program to restore ER function and ensure cell survival. ER stress also involves the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that, together with mitochondrial ROS and decreased effectiveness of antioxidant mechanisms, producing a condition of chronic oxidative stress. The unfolded proteins may not always produce a response that leads to the restoration of cellular functions, but they may also lead to inflammation by a set of different pathways with deleterious consequences. In this review, we extensively discuss the role of ER stress and how to target it using different pharmacological approaches in AD development and onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sahab Uddin
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Devesh Tewari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Physiology, AIIMS Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India
| | | | - George E Barreto
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - May N Bin-Jumah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11474, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Perveen
- Glocal School of Life Sciences, Glocal University, Saharanpur, India
| | - Mohamed M Abdel-Daim
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Intercellular Transmission of a Synthetic Bacterial Cytotoxic Prion-Like Protein in Mammalian Cells. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02937-19. [PMID: 32291306 PMCID: PMC7157824 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02937-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteotoxic amyloid seeds can be transmitted between mammalian cells, arguing that the intercellular exchange of prion-like protein aggregates can be a common phenomenon. RepA-WH1 is derived from a bacterial intracellular functional amyloid protein, engineered to become cytotoxic in Escherichia coli. Here, we have studied if such bacterial aggregates can also be transmitted to, and become cytotoxic to, mammalian cells. We demonstrate that RepA-WH1 is capable of entering naive cells, thereby inducing the cytotoxic aggregation of a soluble RepA-WH1 variant expressed in the cytosol, following the same trend that had been described in bacteria. These findings highlight the universality of one of the central principles underlying prion biology: No matter the biological origin of a given prion-like protein, it can be transmitted to a phylogenetically unrelated recipient cell, provided that the latter expresses a soluble protein onto which the incoming protein can readily template its amyloid conformation. RepA is a bacterial protein that builds intracellular amyloid oligomers acting as inhibitory complexes of plasmid DNA replication. When carrying a mutation enhancing its amyloidogenesis (A31V), the N-terminal domain (WH1) generates cytosolic amyloid particles that are inheritable within a bacterial lineage. Such amyloids trigger in bacteria a lethal cascade reminiscent of mitochondrial impairment in human cells affected by neurodegeneration. To fulfill all the criteria to qualify as a prion-like protein, horizontal (intercellular) transmissibility remains to be demonstrated for RepA-WH1. Since this is experimentally intractable in bacteria, here we transiently expressed in a murine neuroblastoma cell line the soluble, barely cytotoxic RepA-WH1 wild type [RepA-WH1(WT)] and assayed its response to exposure to in vitro-assembled RepA-WH1(A31V) amyloid fibers. In parallel, murine cells releasing RepA-WH1(A31V) aggregates were cocultured with human neuroblastoma cells expressing RepA-WH1(WT). Both the assembled fibers and donor-derived RepA-WH1(A31V) aggregates induced, in the cytosol of recipient cells, the formation of cytotoxic amyloid particles. Mass spectrometry analyses of the proteomes of both types of injured cells pointed to alterations in mitochondria, protein quality triage, signaling, and intracellular traffic. Thus, a synthetic prion-like protein can be propagated to, and become cytotoxic to, cells of organisms placed at such distant branches of the tree of life as bacteria and mammalia, suggesting that mechanisms of protein aggregate spreading and toxicity follow default pathways.
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Escobar LE, Pritzkow S, Winter SN, Grear DA, Kirchgessner MS, Dominguez-Villegas E, Machado G, Peterson AT, Soto C. The ecology of chronic wasting disease in wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:393-408. [PMID: 31750623 PMCID: PMC7085120 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prions are misfolded infectious proteins responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion diseases. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is the prion disease with the highest spillover potential, affecting at least seven Cervidae (deer) species. The zoonotic potential of CWD is inconclusive and cannot be ruled out. A risk of infection for other domestic and wildlife species is also plausible. Here, we review the current status of the knowledge with respect to CWD ecology in wildlife. Our current understanding of the geographic distribution of CWD lacks spatial and temporal detail, does not consider the biogeography of infectious diseases, and is largely biased by sampling based on hunters' cooperation and funding available for each region. Limitations of the methods used for data collection suggest that the extent and prevalence of CWD in wildlife is underestimated. If the zoonotic potential of CWD is confirmed in the short term, as suggested by recent results obtained in experimental animal models, there will be limited accurate epidemiological data to inform public health. Research gaps in CWD prion ecology include the need to identify specific biological characteristics of potential CWD reservoir species that better explain susceptibility to spillover, landscape and climate configurations that are suitable for CWD transmission, and the magnitude of sampling bias in our current understanding of CWD distribution and risk. Addressing these research gaps will help anticipate novel areas and species where CWD spillover is expected, which will inform control strategies. From an ecological perspective, control strategies could include assessing restoration of natural predators of CWD reservoirs, ultrasensitive CWD detection in biotic and abiotic reservoirs, and deer density and landscape modification to reduce CWD spread and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
| | - Steven N. Winter
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Daniel A. Grear
- US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, 59711, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Gustavo Machado
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, U.S.A
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, U.S.A
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, U.S.A
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Abstract
A hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies is the misfolding, aggregation and cerebral accumulation of tau deposits. Compelling evidence indicates that misfolded tau aggregates are neurotoxic, producing synaptic loss and neuronal damage. Misfolded tau aggregates are able to spread the pathology from cell-to-cell by a prion like seeding mechanism. The factors implicated in the initiation and progression of tau misfolding and aggregation are largely unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of DNA extracted from diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells in tau misfolding and aggregation. Our results show that DNA from various, unrelated gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria results in a more pronounced tau misfolding compared to eukaryotic DNA. Interestingly, a higher effect in promoting tau aggregation was observed for DNA extracted from certain bacterial species previously detected in the brain, CSF or oral cavity of patients with AD. Our findings indicate that microbial DNA may play a previously overlooked role in the propagation of tau protein misfolding and AD pathogenesis, providing a new conceptual framework that positions the compromised blood-brain and intestinal barriers as important sources of microbial DNA in the CNS, opening novel opportunities for therapeutic interventions.
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45
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Luo C, Hu N, Xiao Y, Zhang W, Gong Q, Lui S. Comparison of Gray Matter Atrophy in Behavioral Variant Frontal Temporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:14. [PMID: 32116647 PMCID: PMC7026505 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: There is growing evidence supporting behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as extreme points of a disease spectrum. The aim of this study was to delineate the common and different patterns of gray matter atrophy associated with bvFTD and with ALS by pooling together the results of previous voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies. Methods: We retrieved VBM studies that investigated gray matter atrophy in bvFTD patients vs. controls and in ALS patients vs. controls. Stereotactic data were extracted from those studies and subsequently tested for convergence and differences using activation likelihood estimation (ALE). A behavioral analysis using the BrainMap database was performed to assess the functional roles of the regions affected by bvFTD and/or ALS. Results: Our study demonstrated a convergence of gray matter atrophy in the frontolimbic structures that involve the bilateral anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex. Comparing the pattern of GM atrophy in bvFTD and ALS patients revealed greater atrophy in the frontomedial cortex, bilateral caudate, left anterior insula, and right thalamus in those with bvFTD and a higher degree of atrophy in the right motor cortex of those with ALS. Behavioral analysis revealed that the pattern of the affected regions contributed to the dysfunction of emotional and cognitive processing in bvFTD patients and the dysfunction of motor execution in ALS patients. Conclusion: Our results revealed a shared neural basis between bvFTD and ALS subjects, as well as a specific and distinct neural signature that underpinned the clinical manifestations of those two diseases. Those findings outlined the role of the frontomedial-caudate circuit in the development of bvFTD-like deficits in ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Luo
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Na Hu
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuan Xiao
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Su Lui
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2018RU011), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Elvira R, Cha SJ, Noh GM, Kim K, Han J. PERK-Mediated eIF2α Phosphorylation Contributes to The Protection of Dopaminergic Neurons from Chronic Heat Stress in Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030845. [PMID: 32013014 PMCID: PMC7037073 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental high-temperature heat exposure is linked to physiological stress such as disturbed protein homeostasis caused by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Abnormal proteostasis in neuronal cells is a common pathological factor of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Chronic heat stress is thought to induce neuronal cell death during the onset and progression of PD, but the exact role and mechanism of ER stress and the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) remains unclear. Here, we showed that chronic heat exposure induces ER stress mediated by the PKR-like eukaryotic initiation factor 2α kinase (PERK)/eIF2α phosphorylation signaling pathway in Drosophila neurons. Chronic heat-induced eIF2α phosphorylation was regulated by PERK activation and required for neuroprotection from chronic heat stress. Moreover, the attenuated protein synthesis by eIF2α phosphorylation was a critical factor for neuronal cell survival during chronic heat stress. We further showed that genetic downregulation of PERK, specifically in dopaminergic (DA) neurons, impaired motor activity and led to DA neuron loss. Therefore, our findings provide in vivo evidence demonstrating that chronic heat exposure may be a critical risk factor in the onset of PD, and eIF2α phosphorylation mediated by PERK may contribute to the protection of DA neurons against chronic heat stress in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalie Elvira
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do 31151, Korea; (R.E.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Sun Joo Cha
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do 31151, Korea; (R.E.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Gyeong-Mu Noh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungcheongnam-do 31538, Korea;
| | - Kiyoung Kim
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Chungcheongnam-do 31538, Korea;
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (J.H.); Tel.: +82-41-413-5024 (K.K.); +82-41-413-5027 (J.H.); Fax: +82-41-413-5006 (K.K. & J.H.)
| | - Jaeseok Han
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do 31151, Korea; (R.E.); (S.J.C.)
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (J.H.); Tel.: +82-41-413-5024 (K.K.); +82-41-413-5027 (J.H.); Fax: +82-41-413-5006 (K.K. & J.H.)
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47
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Abstract
Complex diseases involve dynamic perturbations of pathophysiological processes during disease progression. Transcriptional programs underlying such perturbations are unknown in many diseases. Here, we present core transcriptional regulatory circuits underlying early and late perturbations in prion disease. We first identified cellular processes perturbed early and late using time-course gene expression data from three prion-infected mouse strains. We then built a transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) describing regulation of early and late processes. We found over-represented feed-forward loops (FFLs) comprising transcription factor (TF) pairs and target genes in the TRN. Using gene expression data of brain cell types, we further selected active FFLs where TF pairs and target genes were expressed in the same cell type and showed correlated temporal expression changes in the brain. We finally determined core transcriptional regulatory circuits by combining these active FFLs. These circuits provide insights into transcriptional programs for early and late pathophysiological processes in prion disease.
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48
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Theoretical and computational advances in protein misfolding. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2020; 118:1-31. [PMID: 31928722 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Misfolded proteins escape the cellular quality control mechanism and fail to fold properly or remain correctly folded leading to a loss in their functional specificity. Thus misfolding of proteins cause a large number of very different diseases ranging from errors in metabolism to various types of complex neurodegenerative diseases. A theoretical and computational perspective of protein misfolding is presented with a special emphasis on its salient features, mechanism and consequences. These insights quantitatively analyze different determinants of misfolding, that may be applied to design disease specific molecular targets.
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49
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Hudák A, Kusz E, Domonkos I, Jósvay K, Kodamullil AT, Szilák L, Hofmann-Apitius M, Letoha T. Contribution of syndecans to cellular uptake and fibrillation of α-synuclein and tau. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16543. [PMID: 31719623 PMCID: PMC6851098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53038-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific evidence suggests that α-synuclein and tau have prion-like properties and that prion-like spreading and seeding of misfolded protein aggregates constitutes a central mechanism for neurodegeneration. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in the plasma membrane support this process by attaching misfolded protein fibrils. Despite of intense studies, contribution of specific HSPGs to seeding and spreading of α-synuclein and tau has not been explored yet. Here we report that members of the syndecan family of HSPGs mediate cellular uptake of α-synuclein and tau fibrils via a lipid-raft dependent and clathrin-independent endocytic route. Among syndecans, the neuron predominant syndecan-3 exhibits the highest affinity for both α-synuclein and tau. Syndecan-mediated internalization of α-synuclein and tau depends heavily on conformation as uptake via syndecans start to dominate once fibrils are formed. Overexpression of syndecans, on the other hand, reduces cellular uptake of monomeric α-synuclein and tau, yet exerts a fibril forming effect on both proteins. Data obtained from syndecan overexpressing cellular models presents syndecans, especially the neuron predominant syndecan-3, as important mediators of seeding and spreading of α-synuclein and tau and reveal how syndecans contribute to fundamental molecular events of α-synuclein and tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ildikó Domonkos
- Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, H-6726, Hungary
| | - Katalin Jósvay
- Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, H-6726, Hungary
| | - Alpha Tom Kodamullil
- Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, 53754, Germany
| | - László Szilák
- Szilak Laboratories, Bioinformatics and Molecule-Design, Szeged, H-6723, Hungary
| | - Martin Hofmann-Apitius
- Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, 53754, Germany
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Du Z, Valtierra S, Cardona LR, Dunne SF, Luan CH, Li L. Identifying Anti-prion Chemical Compounds Using a Newly Established Yeast High-Throughput Screening System. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1664-1680.e4. [PMID: 31668517 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prion-like protein aggregation underlies the pathology of a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. At present, few high-throughput screening (HTS) systems are available for anti-prion small-molecule identification. Here we describe an innovative phenotypic HTS system in yeast that allows for efficient identification of chemical compounds that eliminate the yeast prion [SWI+]. We show that some identified anti-[SWI+] compounds can destabilize other non-[SWI+] prions, and their antagonizing effects can be prion- and/or variant specific. Intriguingly, among the identified hits are several previously identified anti-PrPSc compounds and a couple of US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for AD treatment, validating the efficacy of this HTS system. Moreover, a few hits can reduce proteotoxicity induced by expression of several pathogenic mammalian proteins. Thus, we have established a useful HTS system for identifying compounds that can potentially antagonize prionization and human proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Stephanie Valtierra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Luzivette Robles Cardona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sara Fernandez Dunne
- High Throughput Analysis Laboratory and Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA
| | - Chi-Hao Luan
- High Throughput Analysis Laboratory and Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA
| | - Liming Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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