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Vieira TCRG, Barros CA, Domingues R, Outeiro TF. PrP meets alpha-synuclein: Molecular mechanisms and implications for disease. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1625-1639. [PMID: 37855859 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of prions has challenged dogmas and has revolutionized our understanding of protein-misfolding diseases. The concept of self-propagation via protein conformational changes, originally discovered for the prion protein (PrP), also applies to other proteins that exhibit similar behavior, such as alpha-synuclein (aSyn), a central player in Parkinson's disease and in other synucleinopathies. aSyn pathology appears to spread from one cell to another during disease progression, and involves the misfolding and aggregation of aSyn. How the transfer of aSyn between cells occurs is still being studied, but one important hypothesis involves receptor-mediated transport. Interestingly, recent studies indicate that the cellular prion protein (PrPC) may play a crucial role in this process. PrPC has been shown to act as a receptor/sensor for protein aggregates in different neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the interaction between aSyn and PrPC and discuss its role in synucleinopathies. We examine the properties of PrP and aSyn, including their structure, function, and aggregation. Additionally, we discuss the current understanding of PrPC's role as a receptor/sensor for aSyn aggregates and identify remaining unanswered questions in this area of research. Ultimately, we posit that exploring the interaction between aSyn and PrPC may offer potential treatment options for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuane C R G Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis and National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caroline A Barros
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis and National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renato Domingues
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Scientific Employee with an Honorary Contract at Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Adam L, Kumar R, Arroyo‐Garcia LE, Molenkamp WH, Nowak JS, Klute H, Farzadfard A, Alkenayeh R, Nielsen J, Biverstål H, Otzen DE, Johansson J, Abelein A. Specific inhibition of α-synuclein oligomer generation and toxicity by the chaperone domain Bri2 BRICHOS. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5091. [PMID: 38980078 PMCID: PMC11232276 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5091] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation are involved in several neurodegenerative disorders, such as α-synuclein (αSyn) implicated in Parkinson's disease, where new therapeutic approaches remain essential to combat these devastating diseases. Elucidating the microscopic nucleation mechanisms has opened new opportunities to develop therapeutics against toxic mechanisms and species. Here, we show that naturally occurring molecular chaperones, represented by the anti-amyloid Bri2 BRICHOS domain, can be used to target αSyn-associated nucleation processes and structural species related to neurotoxicity. Our findings revealed that BRICHOS predominantly suppresses the formation of new nucleation units on the fibrils surface (secondary nucleation), decreasing the oligomer generation rate. Further, BRICHOS directly binds to oligomeric αSyn species and effectively diminishes αSyn fibril-related toxicity. Hence, our studies show that molecular chaperones can be utilized as tools to target molecular processes and structural species related to αSyn neurotoxicity and have the potential as protein-based treatments against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurène Adam
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Luis Enrique Arroyo‐Garcia
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of NeurogeriatricsKarolinska InstitutetSolnaSweden
| | | | - Jan Stanislaw Nowak
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Hannah Klute
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Azad Farzadfard
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Department of Biotechnology and BiomedicineTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
| | - Rami Alkenayeh
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Janni Nielsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Henrik Biverstål
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Daniel E. Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO)Aarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
| | - Axel Abelein
- Department of Biosciences and NutritionKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
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3
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Singh SL, Bhat R. Cyclic-NDGA Effectively Inhibits Human γ-Synuclein Fibrillation, Forms Nontoxic Off-Pathway Species, and Disintegrates Preformed Mature Fibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1770-1786. [PMID: 38637513 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00793] [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: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease arises from protein misfolding, aggregation, and fibrillation and is characterized by LB (Lewy body) deposits, which contain the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) as their major component. Another synuclein, γ-synuclein (γ-syn), coexists with α-syn in Lewy bodies and is also implicated in various types of cancers, especially breast cancer. It is known to seed α-syn fibrillation after its oxidation at methionine residue, thereby contributing in synucleinopathy. Despite its involvement in synucleinopathy, the search for small molecule inhibitors and modulators of γ-syn fibrillation remains largely unexplored. This work reveals the modulatory properties of cyclic-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (cNDGA), a natural polyphenol, on the structural and aggregational properties of human γ-syn employing various biophysical and structural tools, namely, thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, Rayleigh light scattering, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid binding, far-UV circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, ITC, molecular docking, and MTT-toxicity assay. cNDGA was observed to modulate the fibrillation of γ-syn to form off-pathway amorphous species that are nontoxic in nature at as low as 75 μM concentration. The modulation is dependent on oxidizing conditions, with cNDGA weakly interacting (Kd ∼10-5 M) with the residues at the N-terminal of γ-syn protein as investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking, respectively. Increasing cNDGA concentration results in an increased recovery of monomeric γ-syn as shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate and native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The retention of native structural properties of γ-syn in the presence of cNDGA was further confirmed by far-UV CD and FTIR. In addition, cNDGA is most effective in suppression of fibrillation when added at the beginning of the fibrillation kinetics and is also capable of disintegrating the preformed mature fibrils. These findings could, therefore, pave the ways for further exploring cNDGA as a potential therapeutic against γ-synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneh Lata Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Rajiv Bhat
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
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4
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Semenyuk PI. Alpha-synuclein phosphorylation induces amyloid conversion via enhanced electrostatic bridging: Insights from molecular modeling of the full-length protein. Biophys Chem 2024; 307:107196. [PMID: 38335809 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fibril formation from alpha-synuclein is a key point in Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and other synucleinopathies. The mechanism of the amyloid-like conversion followed by the formation of pre-fibrillar soluble oligomers and fibrils is not completely clear; furthermore, it is unclear how the Parkinson's disease-related point mutations located in the pre-NAC region enhance fibrillation. In the present paper, atomistic replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of the full-length alpha-synuclein and its two mutants, A53T and E46K, elucidated amyloid conversion intermediates. Both mutants demonstrated an enhanced tendency for the conversion but in different manners; the main intermediate conformations populated in the WT alpha-synuclein conformational ensemble disappeared due to mutations, indicating a different conversion pathway. Analysis of the preferable beta-hairpin positions and intermediate conformations seems to reflect a tendency to form a particular amyloid fibril polymorph. A strong elevation of amyloid transformation level was shown also for Ser129-phosphorylated alpha-synuclein. Altered intermediate conformations, the most preferable beta-hairpin positions in the NAC region, and prevalent salt bridges propose the formation of so-called polymorph 2 or even a novel type of fibrils. A better understanding of the detailed mechanism of the amyloid conversion sheds light on the effect of Lewy body-related phosphorylation and might help in the development of new therapeutics for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel I Semenyuk
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Leninskie gory 1/40, Russia.
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5
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Gupta A, Lu C, Wang F, Chou T, Shan S. An ankyrin repeat chaperone targets toxic oligomers during amyloidogenesis. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4728. [PMID: 37433015 PMCID: PMC10367600 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Numerous age-linked diseases are rooted in protein misfolding; this has motivated the development of small molecules and therapeutic antibodies that target the aggregation of disease-linked proteins. Here we explore another approach: molecular chaperones with engineerable protein scaffolds such as the ankyrin repeat domain (ARD). We tested the ability of cpSRP43, a small, robust, ATP- and cofactor-independent plant chaperone built from an ARD, to antagonize disease-linked protein aggregation. cpSRP43 delays the aggregation of multiple proteins including the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) associated with Alzheimer's disease and α-synuclein associated with Parkinson's disease. Kinetic modeling and biochemical analyses show that cpSRP43 targets early oligomers during Aβ aggregation, preventing their transition to a self-propagating nucleus on the fibril surface. Accordingly, cpSRP43 rescued neuronal cells from the toxicity of extracellular Aβ42 aggregates. The substrate-binding domain of cpSRP43, composed primarily of the ARD, is necessary and sufficient to prevent Aβ42 aggregation and protect cells against Aβ42 toxicity. This work provides an example in which an ARD chaperone non-native to mammalian cells harbors anti-amyloidal activity, which may be exploited for bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpit Gupta
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chuqi Lu
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Feng Wang
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tsui‐Fen Chou
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Shu‐ou Shan
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
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6
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de Bruyn E, Dorn AE, Zimmermann O, Rossetti G. SPEADI: Accelerated Analysis of IDP-Ion Interactions from MD-Trajectories. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12040581. [PMID: 37106781 PMCID: PMC10135740 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The disordered nature of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) makes their structural ensembles particularly susceptible to changes in chemical environmental conditions, often leading to an alteration of their normal functions. A Radial Distribution Function (RDF) is considered a standard method for characterizing the chemical environment surrounding particles during atomistic simulations, commonly averaged over an entire or part of a trajectory. Given their high structural variability, such averaged information might not be reliable for IDPs. We introduce the Time-Resolved Radial Distribution Function (TRRDF), implemented in our open-source Python package SPEADI, which is able to characterize dynamic environments around IDPs. We use SPEADI to characterize the dynamic distribution of ions around the IDPs Alpha-Synuclein (AS) and Humanin (HN) from Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, and some of their selected mutants, showing that local ion-residue interactions play an important role in the structures and behaviors of IDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emile de Bruyn
- Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Anton Emil Dorn
- Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Olav Zimmermann
- Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Giulia Rossetti
- Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Computational Biomedicine, Institute for Advanced Simulation IAS-5 and Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
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7
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Anderson FL, Biggs KE, Rankin BE, Havrda MC. NLRP3 inflammasome in neurodegenerative disease. Transl Res 2023; 252:21-33. [PMID: 35952982 PMCID: PMC10614656 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a dysregulated neuro-glial microenvironment, culminating in functional deficits resulting from neuronal cell death. Inflammation is a hallmark of the neurodegenerative microenvironment and despite a critical role in tissue homeostasis, increasing evidence suggests that chronic inflammatory insult can contribute to progressive neuronal loss. Inflammation has been studied in the context of neurodegenerative disorders for decades but few anti-inflammatory treatments have advanced to clinical use. This is likely due to the related challenges of predicting and mitigating off-target effects impacting the normal immune response while detecting inflammatory signatures that are specific to the progression of neurological disorders. Inflammasomes are pro-inflammatory cytosolic pattern recognition receptors functioning in the innate immune system. Compelling pre-clinical data has prompted an intense interest in the role of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in neurodegenerative disease. NLRP3 is typically inactive but can respond to sterile triggers commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders including protein misfolding and aggregation, mitochondrial and oxidative stress, and exposure to disease-associated environmental toxicants. Clear evidence of enhanced NLRP3 inflammasome activity in common neurodegenerative diseases has coincided with rapid advancement of novel small molecule therapeutics making the NLRP3 inflammasome an attractive target for near-term interventional studies. In this review, we highlight evidence from model systems and patients indicating inflammasome activity in neurodegenerative disease associated with the NLRP3 inflammasome's ability to recognize pathologic forms of amyloid-β, tau, and α-synuclein. We discuss inflammasome-driven pyroptotic processes highlighting the potential utility of evaluating extracellular inflammasome-related proteins in the context of biomarker discovery. We complete the report by pointing out gaps in our understanding of intracellular modifiers of inflammasome activity and mechanisms regulating the resolution of inflammasome activation. The literature review and perspectives provide a conceptual platform for continued analysis of inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases through the study of inflammasomes and pyroptosis, mechanisms of inflammation and cell death now recognized to function in multiple highly prevalent neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith L Anderson
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Karl E Biggs
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Brynn E Rankin
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Matthew C Havrda
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
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8
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Matsuo T, Peters J. Sub-Nanosecond Dynamics of Pathologically Relevant Bio-Macromolecules Observed by Incoherent Neutron Scattering. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12081259. [PMID: 36013438 PMCID: PMC9410404 DOI: 10.3390/life12081259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Incoherent neutron scattering (iNS) is one of the most powerful techniques to study the dynamical behavior of bio-macromolecules such as proteins and lipid molecules or whole cells. This technique has widely been used to elucidate the fundamental aspects of molecular motions that manifest in the bio-macromolecules in relation to their intrinsic molecular properties and biological functions. Furthermore, in the last decade, iNS studies focusing on a possible relationship between molecular dynamics and biological malfunctions, i.e., human diseases and disorders, have gained importance. In this review, we summarize recent iNS studies on pathologically relevant proteins and lipids and discuss how the findings are of importance to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of human diseases and disorders that each study targets. Since some diseases such as amyloidosis have become more relevant in the aging society, research in this field will continue to develop further and be more important in the current increasing trend for longevity worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuhito Matsuo
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai 319-1106, Ibaraki, Japan
- Dept. of Physics, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CEDEX 9, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Correspondence: (T.M.); (J.P.)
| | - Judith Peters
- Dept. of Physics, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CEDEX 9, 38042 Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75231 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (T.M.); (J.P.)
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9
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Fujiwara S. Dynamical Behavior of Disordered Regions in Disease-Related Proteins Revealed by Quasielastic Neutron Scattering. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2022; 58:795. [PMID: 35744058 PMCID: PMC9230977 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58060795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and proteins containing intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are known to be involved in various human diseases. Since the IDPs/IDRs are fluctuating between many structural substrates, the dynamical behavior of the disease-related IDPs/IDRs needs to be characterized to elucidate the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of the diseases. As protein motions have a hierarchy ranging from local side-chain motions, through segmental motions of loops or disordered regions, to diffusive motions of entire molecules, segmental motions, as well as local motions, need to be characterized. Materials and Methods: Combined analysis of quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) spectra with the structural data provides information on both the segmental motions and the local motions of the IDPs/IDRs. Here, this method is applied to re-analyze the QENS spectra of the troponin core domain (Tn-CD), various mutants of which cause the pathogenesis of familial cardiomyopathy (FCM), and α-synuclein (αSyn), amyloid fibril formation of which is closely related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, collected in the previous studies. The dynamical behavior of wild-type Tn-CD, FCM-related mutant Tn-CD, and αSyn in the different propensity states for fibril formation is characterized. Results: In the Tn-CD, the behavior of the segmental motions is shown to be different between the wild type and the mutant. This difference is likely to arise from changes in the intramolecular interactions, which are suggested to be related to the functional aberration of the mutant Tn-CD. In αSyn, concerted enhancement of the segmental motions and the local motions is observed with an increased propensity for fibril formation, suggesting the importance of these motions in fibril formation. Conclusions: Characterization of the segmental motions as well as the local motions is thus useful for discussing how the changes in dynamical behavior caused by the disease-related mutations and/or environmental changes could be related to the functional and/or behavioral aberrations of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Fujiwara
- Institute for Quantum Biology, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 2-4 Shirakata, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan
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10
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Tominaga T, Nakagawa H, Sahara M, Oda T, Inoue R, Sugiyama M. Data Collection for Dilute Protein Solutions via a Neutron Backscattering Spectrometer. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12050675. [PMID: 35629343 PMCID: PMC9145923 DOI: 10.3390/life12050675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding protein functions requires not only static but also dynamic structural information. Incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), which utilizes the highly incoherent scattering ability of hydrogen, is a powerful technique for revealing the dynamics of proteins in deuterium oxide (D2O) buffer solutions. The background scattering of sample cells suitable for aqueous protein solution samples, conducted with a neutron backscattering spectrometer, was evaluated. It was found that the scattering intensity of an aluminum sample cell coated with boehmite using D2O was lower than that of a sample cell coated with regular water (H2O). The D2O-Boehmite coated cell was used for the QENS measurement of a 0.8 wt.% aqueous solution of an intrinsically disordered protein in an intrinsically disordered region of a helicase-associated endonuclease for a fork-structured type of DNA. The cell was inert against aqueous samples at 283–363 K. In addition, meticulous attention to cells with small individual weight differences and the positional reproducibility of the sample cell relative to the spectrometer neutron beam position enabled the accurate subtraction of the scattering profiles of the D2O buffer and the sample container. Consequently, high-quality information on protein dynamics could be extracted from dilute protein solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Tominaga
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), 162-1 Shirakata, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan;
- Correspondence:
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan;
- J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
| | - Masae Sahara
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), 162-1 Shirakata, Ibaraki 319-1106, Japan;
| | - Takashi Oda
- Department of Life Science, Rikkyo University, Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan;
| | - Rintaro Inoue
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan; (R.I.); (M.S.)
| | - Masaaki Sugiyama
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan; (R.I.); (M.S.)
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11
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Saraiva MA, Florêncio MH. Buffering capacity is determinant for restoring early α-synuclein aggregation. Biophys Chem 2022; 282:106760. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Ramis R, Ortega-Castro J, Vilanova B, Adrover M, Frau J. Unraveling the NaCl Concentration Effect on the First Stages of α-Synuclein Aggregation. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:5200-5212. [PMID: 33140640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intraneuronal aggregation of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein is at the core of Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Several reports show that the concentration of salts in the medium heavily affects its aggregation rate and fibril morphology, but a characterization of the individual monomeric conformations underlying these effects is still lacking. In this work, we have applied our α-synuclein-optimized coarse-grained molecular dynamics approach to decipher the structural features of the protein monomer under a range of NaCl concentrations (0.0-1.0 M). The results show that key intramolecular contacts between the terminal domains are lost at intermediate concentrations (leading to extended conformations likely to fibrillate), but recovered at high concentrations (leading to compact conformations likely to evolve toward amorphous aggregates). The pattern of direct interactions of the terminal α-synuclein domains with Na+ and Cl- ions plays a key role in explaining this effect. Our results are consistent with a recent study reporting a fibrillation enhancement at moderate NaCl concentrations but an inhibition at higher concentrations. The present work will contribute to improving our understanding of the structural features of monomeric α-synuclein, determining its NaCl-induced fibrillation propensity and the molecular basis of synucleinopathies, necessary for the future development of disease-halting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Ramis
- Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Departament de Química, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07020 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Joaquín Ortega-Castro
- Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Departament de Química, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07020 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Bartolomé Vilanova
- Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Departament de Química, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07020 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Miquel Adrover
- Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Departament de Química, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07020 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Juan Frau
- Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Departament de Química, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07020 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Ebersberger L, Schindler T, Kirsch SA, Pluhackova K, Schambony A, Seydel T, Böckmann RA, Unruh T. Lipid Dynamics in Membranes Slowed Down by Transmembrane Proteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:579388. [PMID: 33195218 PMCID: PMC7649217 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.579388] [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: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids and proteins, as essential components of biological cell membranes, exhibit a significant degree of freedom for different kinds of motions including lateral long-range mobility. Due to their interactions, they not only preserve the cellular membrane but also contribute to many important cellular functions as e.g., signal transport or molecular exchange of the cell with its surrounding. Many of these processes take place on a short time (up to some nanoseconds) and length scale (up to some nanometers) which is perfectly accessible by quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In order to probe the influence of a peptide, a transmembrane sequence of the transferrin receptor (TFRC) protein, on the dynamics of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) on a nanosecond time scale, high-resolution QENS experiments and complementary MD simulations have been utilized. By using different scattering contrasts in the experiment (chain-deuterated lipids and protonated lipids, respectively), a model could be developed which allows to examine the lipid and peptide dynamics separately. The experimental results revealed a restricted lipid lateral mobility in the presence of the TFRC transmembrane peptides. Also the apparent self-diffusion coefficient of the lateral movement of the peptide molecules could be determined quantitatively for the probed short-time regime. The findings could be confirmed very precisely by MD simulations. Furthermore, the article presents an estimation for the radius of influence of the peptides on the lipid long-range dynamics which could be determined by consistently combining results from experiment and simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Ebersberger
- Physics Department, Institute for Crystallography and Structural Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Torben Schindler
- Physics Department, Institute for Crystallography and Structural Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sonja A Kirsch
- Computational Biology, Department Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kristyna Pluhackova
- Computational Biology, Department Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schambony
- Department Biology, Chair of Developmental Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tilo Seydel
- Science Division, Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Rainer A Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Unruh
- Physics Department, Institute for Crystallography and Structural Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Physics Department, Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM) and Interdisciplinary Center for Nanostructured Films (IZNF), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Anomalous Salt Dependence Reveals an Interplay of Attractive and Repulsive Electrostatic Interactions in α-synuclein Fibril Formation. QRB DISCOVERY 2020. [PMID: 37528959 PMCID: PMC10392692 DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2020.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstractα-Synuclein (α-syn) is an intrinsically disordered protein with a highly asymmetric charge distribution, whose aggregation is linked to Parkinson’s disease. The effect of ionic strength was investigated at mildly acidic pH (5.5) in the presence of catalytic surfaces in the form of α-syn seeds or anionic lipid vesicles using thioflavin T fluorescence measurements. Similar trends were observed with both surfaces: increasing ionic strength reduced the rate of α-syn aggregation although the surfaces as well as α-syn have a net negative charge at pH 5.5. This anomalous salt dependence implies that short-range attractive electrostatic interactions are critical for secondary nucleation as well as heterogeneous primary nucleation. Such interactions were confirmed in Monte Carlo simulations of α-syn monomers interacting with surface-grafted C-terminal tails, and found to be weakened in the presence of salt. Thus, nucleation of α-syn aggregation depends critically on an attractive electrostatic component that is screened by salt to the extent that it outweighs the screening of the long-range repulsion between negatively charged monomers and negative surfaces. Interactions between the positively charged N-termini of α-syn monomers on the one hand, and the negatively C-termini of α-syn on fibrils or vesicles surfaces on the other hand, are thus critical for nucleation.
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Naturally occurring cinnamic acid derivatives prevent amyloid transformation of alpha-synuclein. Biochimie 2020; 170:128-139. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Fujiwara S, Matsuo T, Sugimoto Y, Shibata K. Segmental Motions of Proteins under Non-native States Evaluated Using Quasielastic Neutron Scattering. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:7505-7509. [PMID: 31743029 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of the dynamics of disordered polypeptide chains is required to elucidate the behavior of intrinsically disordered proteins and proteins under non-native states related to the folding process. Here we develop a method using quasielastic neutron scattering, combined with small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering, to evaluate segmental motions of proteins as well as diffusion of the entire molecules and local side-chain motions. We apply this method to RNase A under the unfolded and molten-globule (MG) states. The diffusion coefficients arising from the segmental motions are evaluated and found to be different between the unfolded and MG states. The values obtained here are consistent with those obtained using the fluorescence-based techniques. These results demonstrate not only feasibility of this method but also usefulness to characterize the behavior of proteins under various disordered states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Fujiwara
- Institute for Quantum Life Science , National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology , 2-4 Shirakata , Tokai , Ibaraki 319-1106 , Japan
| | - Tatsuhito Matsuo
- Institute for Quantum Life Science , National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology , 2-4 Shirakata , Tokai , Ibaraki 319-1106 , Japan
| | - Yasunobu Sugimoto
- Nagoya University Synchrotron Radiation Research Center , Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya , Aichi 464-8603 , Japan
| | - Kaoru Shibata
- Neutron Science Section, Materials and Life Science Division, J-PARC Center , Japan Atomic Energy Agency , 2-4 Shirakata , Tokai , Ibaraki 319-1195 , Japan
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