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Ruan K, Bai G, Fang Y, Li D, Li T, Liu X, Lu B, Lu Q, Songyang Z, Sun S, Wang Z, Zhang X, Zhou W, Zhang H. Biomolecular condensates and disease pathogenesis. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1792-1832. [PMID: 39037698 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-024-2661-3] [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: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates or membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) divide intracellular spaces into discrete compartments for specific functions. Dysregulation of LLPS or aberrant phase transition that disturbs the formation or material states of MLOs is closely correlated with neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis, and many other pathological processes. Herein, we summarize the recent progress in development of methods to monitor phase separation and we discuss the biogenesis and function of MLOs formed through phase separation. We then present emerging proof-of-concept examples regarding the disruption of phase separation homeostasis in a diverse array of clinical conditions including neurodegenerative disorders, hearing loss, cancers, and immunological diseases. Finally, we describe the emerging discovery of chemical modulators of phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ruan
- The First Affiliated Hospital & School of Life Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Research Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Microscale, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
| | - Ge Bai
- Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, 311100, China.
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Yanshan Fang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Xingguo Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Boxun Lu
- Neurology Department at Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Zhou Songyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Shuguo Sun
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Zheng Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Xin Zhang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Wen Zhou
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Hong Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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2
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Wei Y, Gao X, Fang J, Xiao Y, Liu J, Liu Y, Zhang X, Shen B. Tailoring the p Ka of Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Probes to Visualize Aggrephagy and Resolve Its Microenvironmental Viscosity. Anal Chem 2024. [PMID: 39169631 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Aggrephagy describes lysosomal transport and degradation of protein aggregates via cellular macroautophagy, a key mechanism to prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we develop a dual-probe method to visualize the aggrephagy process and resolve its viscosity heterogeneity using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). The dual-probe system consists of (1) a near-infrared lysosomal targeting FLIM probe (Lyso-P1) that is derived from a rhodamine scaffold with a tailored pKa value to accommodate an acidic lysosomal environment and (2) a green BODIPY-based FLIM probe (Agg-P2) that reports on degradation of cellular aggregates via HaloTag. Both probes exhibit acid-resistant, viscosity-dependent fluorescence intensity and lifetime (τ) responses, which are ready for intensity- and FLIM-based imaging. Photochemical, theoretical, and biochemical characterizations reveal the probes' mechanism-of-actions. In cells, we exploit Lyso-P1 and Agg-P2 to simultaneously quantify both lysosomal and protein aggegates' viscosity changes upon the aggrephagy process via FLIM. We reveal orthogonal changes in microenvironmental viscosities and morphological heterogeneity upon various cellular stresses. Overall, we provide an imaging toolset to quantitatively study aggrephay, which may benefit screening of aggrephay modulators for disease intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wei
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Xiaochen Gao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Jiabao Fang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Jiachen Liu
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Baoxing Shen
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
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3
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Boulos A, Maroun D, Ciechanover A, Ziv NE. Peripheral sequestration of huntingtin delays neuronal death and depends on N-terminal ubiquitination. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1014. [PMID: 39155290 PMCID: PMC11330980 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06733-1] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a glutamine repeat expansion in the protein huntingtin. Mutated huntingtin (mHtt) forms aggregates whose impacts on neuronal survival are still debated. Using weeks-long, continual imaging of cortical neurons, we find that mHtt is gradually sequestrated into peripheral, mainly axonal aggregates, concomitant with dramatic reductions in cytosolic mHtt levels and enhanced neuronal survival. in-situ pulse-chase imaging reveals that aggregates continually gain and lose mHtt, in line with these acting as mHtt sinks at equilibrium with cytosolic pools. Mutating two N-terminal lysines found to be ubiquitinated in HD animal models suppresses peripheral aggregate formation and reductions in cytosolic mHtt, promotes nuclear aggregate formation, stabilizes aggregates and leads to pervasive neuronal death. These findings demonstrate the capacity of aggregates formed at peripheral locations to sequester away cytosolic, presumably toxic mHtt forms and support a crucial role for N-terminal ubiquitination in promoting these processes and delaying neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayub Boulos
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Dunia Maroun
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aaron Ciechanover
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Rappaport Technion Integrated Cancer Center (RTICC), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noam E Ziv
- Technion Faculty of Medicine, Rappaport Institute and Network Biology Research Laboratories, Fishbach Building, Technion City, Haifa, Israel.
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4
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Skeens A, Markle JM, Petipas G, Frey SL, Legleiter J. Divalent cations promote huntingtin fibril formation on endoplasmic reticulum derived and model membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184339. [PMID: 38763270 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2024.184339] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is caused by an abnormal expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) domain within the first exon of the huntingtin protein (htt). This expansion promotes disease-related htt aggregation into amyloid fibrils and the formation of proteinaceous inclusion bodies within neurons. Fibril formation is a complex heterogenous process involving an array of aggregate species such as oligomers, protofibrils, and fibrils. In HD, structural abnormalities of membranes of several organelles develop. In particular, the accumulation of htt fibrils near the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) impinges upon the membrane, resulting in ER damage, altered dynamics, and leakage of Ca2+. Here, the aggregation of htt at a bilayer interface assembled from ER-derived liposomes was investigated, and fibril formation directly on these membranes was enhanced. Based on these observations, simplified model systems were used to investigate mechanisms associated with htt aggregation on ER membranes. As the ER-derived liposome fractions contained residual Ca2+, the role of divalent cations was also investigated. In the absence of lipids, divalent cations had minimal impact on htt structure and aggregation. However, the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ played a key role in promoting fibril formation on lipid membranes despite reduced htt insertion into and association with lipid interfaces, suggesting that the ability of divalent cations to promote fibril formation on membranes is mediated by induced changes to the lipid membrane physicochemical properties. With enhanced concentrations of intracellular calcium being a hallmark of HD, the ability of divalent cations to influence htt aggregation at lipid membranes may play a role in aggregation events that lead to organelle abnormalities associated with disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Skeens
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Jordyn M Markle
- The Department of Chemistry, Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA
| | - Gabriella Petipas
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Shelli L Frey
- The Department of Chemistry, Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA.
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
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5
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Hipp MS, Hartl FU. Interplay of Proteostasis Capacity and Protein Aggregation: Implications for Cellular Function and Disease. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168615. [PMID: 38759929 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168615] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are equipped with an intricate proteostasis network (PN), comprising nearly 3,000 components dedicated to preserving proteome integrity and sustaining protein homeostasis. This protective system is particularly important under conditions of external and intrinsic cell stress, where inherently dynamic proteins may unfold and lose functionality. A decline in proteostasis capacity is associated with the aging process, resulting in a reduced folding efficiency of newly synthesized proteins and a deficit in the cellular capacity to degrade misfolded proteins. A critical consequence of PN insufficiency is the accumulation of cytotoxic protein aggregates that underlie various age-related neurodegenerative conditions and other pathologies. By interfering with specific proteostasis components, toxic aggregates place an excessive burden on the PN's ability to maintain proteome integrity. This initiates a feed-forward loop, wherein the generation of misfolded and aggregated proteins ultimately leads to proteostasis collapse and cellular demise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Hipp
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan, 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands; Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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6
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Moldovean-Cioroianu NS. Reviewing the Structure-Function Paradigm in Polyglutamine Disorders: A Synergistic Perspective on Theoretical and Experimental Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6789. [PMID: 38928495 PMCID: PMC11204371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126789] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the excessive expansion of CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine) repeats within host proteins. The quest to unravel the complex diseases mechanism has led researchers to adopt both theoretical and experimental methods, each offering unique insights into the underlying pathogenesis. This review emphasizes the significance of combining multiple approaches in the study of polyQ disorders, focusing on the structure-function correlations and the relevance of polyQ-related protein dynamics in neurodegeneration. By integrating computational/theoretical predictions with experimental observations, one can establish robust structure-function correlations, aiding in the identification of key molecular targets for therapeutic interventions. PolyQ proteins' dynamics, influenced by their length and interactions with other molecular partners, play a pivotal role in the polyQ-related pathogenic cascade. Moreover, conformational dynamics of polyQ proteins can trigger aggregation, leading to toxic assembles that hinder proper cellular homeostasis. Understanding these intricacies offers new avenues for therapeutic strategies by fine-tuning polyQ kinetics, in order to prevent and control disease progression. Last but not least, this review highlights the importance of integrating multidisciplinary efforts to advancing research in this field, bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of finding effective treatments against polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastasia Sanda Moldovean-Cioroianu
- Institute of Materials Science, Bioinspired Materials and Biosensor Technologies, Kiel University, Kaiserstraße 2, 24143 Kiel, Germany;
- Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Kogălniceanu 1, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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7
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Gouliaev F, Jonsson N, Gersing S, Lisby M, Lindorff-Larsen K, Hartmann-Petersen R. Destabilization and Degradation of a Disease-Linked PGM1 Protein Variant. Biochemistry 2024; 63:1423-1433. [PMID: 38743592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00042] [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: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
PGM1-linked congenital disorder of glycosylation (PGM1-CDG) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by several phenotypes, some of which are life-threatening. Research focusing on the disease-related variants of the α-D-phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) protein has shown that several are insoluble in vitro and expressed at low levels in patient fibroblasts. Due to these observations, we hypothesized that some disease-linked PGM1 protein variants are structurally destabilized and subject to protein quality control (PQC) and rapid intracellular degradation. Employing yeast-based assays, we show that a disease-associated human variant, PGM1 L516P, is insoluble, inactive, and highly susceptible to ubiquitylation and rapid degradation by the proteasome. In addition, we show that PGM1 L516P forms aggregates in S. cerevisiae and that both the aggregation pattern and the abundance of PGM1 L516P are chaperone-dependent. Finally, using computational methods, we perform saturation mutagenesis to assess the impact of all possible single residue substitutions in the PGM1 protein. These analyses identify numerous missense variants with predicted detrimental effects on protein function and stability. We suggest that many disease-linked PGM1 variants are subject to PQC-linked degradation and that our in silico site-saturated data set may assist in the mechanistic interpretation of PGM1 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Gouliaev
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicolas Jonsson
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarah Gersing
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Lisby
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maalo̷es Vej 5, DK2200N Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Aviner R, Lee TT, Masto VB, Li KH, Andino R, Frydman J. Polyglutamine-mediated ribotoxicity disrupts proteostasis and stress responses in Huntington's disease. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:892-902. [PMID: 38741019 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01414-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene, encoding a homopolymeric polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Although mutant HTT (mHTT) protein is known to aggregate, the links between aggregation and neurotoxicity remain unclear. Here we show that both translation and aggregation of wild-type HTT and mHTT are regulated by a stress-responsive upstream open reading frame and that polyQ expansions cause abortive translation termination and release of truncated, aggregation-prone mHTT fragments. Notably, we find that mHTT depletes translation elongation factor eIF5A in brains of symptomatic HD mice and cultured HD cells, leading to pervasive ribosome pausing and collisions. Loss of eIF5A disrupts homeostatic controls and impairs recovery from acute stress. Importantly, drugs that inhibit translation initiation reduce premature termination and mitigate this escalating cascade of ribotoxic stress and dysfunction in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranen Aviner
- Department of Biology and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ting-Ting Lee
- Department of Biology and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vincent B Masto
- Department of Biology and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kathy H Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raul Andino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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9
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Lumpkin CJ, Patel H, Potts GK, Chaurasia S, Gibilisco L, Srivastava GP, Lee JY, Brown NJ, Amarante P, Williams JD, Karran E, Townsend M, Woods D, Ravikumar B. Broad proteomics analysis of seeding-induced aggregation of α-synuclein in M83 neurons reveals remodeling of proteostasis mechanisms that might contribute to Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. Mol Brain 2024; 17:26. [PMID: 38778381 PMCID: PMC11110445 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-024-01099-1] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) is a key characteristic feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies. The nature of these aggregates and their contribution to cellular dysfunction is still not clearly elucidated. We employed mass spectrometry-based total and phospho-proteomics to characterize the underlying molecular and biological changes due to α-syn aggregation using the M83 mouse primary neuronal model of PD. We identified gross changes in the proteome that coincided with the formation of large Lewy body-like α-syn aggregates in these neurons. We used protein-protein interaction (PPI)-based network analysis to identify key protein clusters modulating specific biological pathways that may be dysregulated and identified several mechanisms that regulate protein homeostasis (proteostasis). The observed changes in the proteome may include both homeostatic compensation and dysregulation due to α-syn aggregation and a greater understanding of both processes and their role in α-syn-related proteostasis may lead to improved therapeutic options for patients with PD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey J Lumpkin
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Laboratory of Aging and Infertility Research, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hiral Patel
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gregory K Potts
- Discovery Research, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Rd, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Shilpi Chaurasia
- Excelra Knowledge Solutions Pvt Ltd, Uppal, Hyderabad, India, 500039
| | - Lauren Gibilisco
- Genomics Research Center, Computational Biology Neuroscience, AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gyan P Srivastava
- Data & Statistical Sciences, AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Janice Y Lee
- Discovery Research, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Rd, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Nathan J Brown
- Biotherapeutics, AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Drive, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Patricia Amarante
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jon D Williams
- Discovery Research, AbbVie Inc, 1 North Waukegan Rd, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Eric Karran
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Matthew Townsend
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Dori Woods
- Laboratory of Aging and Infertility Research, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Brinda Ravikumar
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, 200 Sidney Street Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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10
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Zhao DY, Bäuerlein FJB, Saha I, Hartl FU, Baumeister W, Wilfling F. Autophagy preferentially degrades non-fibrillar polyQ aggregates. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1980-1994.e8. [PMID: 38759629 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Aggregation of proteins containing expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats is the cytopathologic hallmark of a group of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). Huntingtin (Htt), the disease protein of HD, forms amyloid-like fibrils by liquid-to-solid phase transition. Macroautophagy has been proposed to clear polyQ aggregates, but the efficiency of aggrephagy is limited. Here, we used cryo-electron tomography to visualize the interactions of autophagosomes with polyQ aggregates in cultured cells in situ. We found that an amorphous aggregate phase exists next to the radially organized polyQ fibrils. Autophagosomes preferentially engulfed this amorphous material, mediated by interactions between the autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1 and the non-fibrillar aggregate surface. In contrast, amyloid fibrils excluded p62 and evaded clearance, resulting in trapping of autophagic structures. These results suggest that the limited efficiency of autophagy in clearing polyQ aggregates is due to the inability of autophagosomes to interact productively with the non-deformable, fibrillar disease aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Y Zhao
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Machines and Signaling, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Structural Biology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Mechanisms of Cellular Quality Control, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| | - Felix J B Bäuerlein
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Structural Biology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute of Neuropathology, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Itika Saha
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Cellular Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Cellular Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Structural Biology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| | - Florian Wilfling
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Machines and Signaling, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Structural Biology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Mechanisms of Cellular Quality Control, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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11
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Huang Y, Chang M, Gao X, Fang J, Ding W, Liu J, Shen B, Zhang X. NRhFluors: Quantitative Revealing the Interaction between Protein Homeostasis and Mitochondria Dysfunction via Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:842-851. [PMID: 38680572 PMCID: PMC11046461 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c01532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Degenerative diseases are closely related to the changes of protein conformation beyond the steady state. The development of feasible tools for quantitative detection of changes in the cellular environment is crucial for investigating the process of protein conformational variations. Here, we have developed a near-infrared AIE probe based on the rhodamine fluorophore, which exhibits dual responses of fluorescence intensity and lifetime to local viscosity changes. Notably, computational analysis reveals that NRhFluors fluorescence activation is due to inhibition of the RACI mechanism in viscous environment. In the chemical regulation of rhodamine fluorophores, we found that variations of electron density distribution can effectively regulate CI states and achieve fluorescence sensitivity of NRhFluors. In addition, combined with the AggTag method, the lifetime of probe A9-Halo exhibits a positive correlation with viscosity changes. This analytical capacity allows us to quantitatively monitor protein conformational changes using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction leads to reduced protein expression in HEK293 cells. In summary, this work developed a set of near-infrared AIE probes activated by the RACI mechanism, which can quantitatively detect cell viscosity and protein aggregation formation, providing a versatile tool for exploring disease-related biological processes and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubo Huang
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Meiyi Chang
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaochen Gao
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jiabao Fang
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wenjing Ding
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jiachen Liu
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Baoxing Shen
- School
of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang China
- Westlake
Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang China
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12
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Tong H, Yang T, Xu S, Li X, Liu L, Zhou G, Yang S, Yin S, Li XJ, Li S. Huntington's Disease: Complex Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3845. [PMID: 38612657 PMCID: PMC11011923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073845] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) arises from the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT), resulting in the production of the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with a polyglutamine stretch in its N-terminus. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying HD are complex and not yet fully elucidated. However, mHTT forms aggregates and accumulates abnormally in neuronal nuclei and processes, leading to disruptions in multiple cellular functions. Although there is currently no effective curative treatment for HD, significant progress has been made in developing various therapeutic strategies to treat HD. In addition to drugs targeting the neuronal toxicity of mHTT, gene therapy approaches that aim to reduce the expression of the mutant HTT gene hold great promise for effective HD therapy. This review provides an overview of current HD treatments, discusses different therapeutic strategies, and aims to facilitate future therapeutic advancements in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (H.T.); (T.Y.); (S.X.); (X.L.); (L.L.); (G.Z.); (S.Y.); (S.Y.)
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13
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Jurcau A, Simion A, Jurcau MC. Emerging antibody-based therapies for Huntington's disease: current status and perspectives for future development. Expert Rev Neurother 2024; 24:299-312. [PMID: 38324338 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2024.2314183] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Being an inherited neurodegenerative disease with an identifiable genetic defect, Huntington's disease (HD) is a suitable candidate for early intervention, possibly even in the pre-symptomatic stage. Our recent advances in elucidating the pathogenesis of HD have revealed a series of novel potential therapeutic targets, among which immunotherapies are actively pursued in preclinical experiments. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on the potential of antibody-based treatments targeting various epitopes (of mutant huntingtin as well as phosphorylated tau) that are currently evaluated in vitro and in animal experiments. The references used in this review were retrieved from the PubMed database, searching for immunotherapies in HD, and clinical trial registries were reviewed for molecules already evaluated in clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION Antibody-based therapies have raised considerable interest in a series of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by deposition of aggregated of aberrantly folded proteins, HD included. Intrabodies and nanobodies can interact with mutant huntingtin inside the nervous cells. However, the conflicting results obtained with some of these intrabodies highlight the need for proper choice of epitopes and for developing animal models more closely mimicking human disease. Approval of these strategies will require a considerable financial and logistic effort on behalf of healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamaria Jurcau
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
| | - Aurel Simion
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
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14
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Yagita K, Sadashima S, Koyama S, Noguchi H, Hamasaki H, Sasagasako N, Honda H. Ribosomal protein SA is a common component of neuronal intranuclear inclusions in polyglutamine diseases and Marinesco bodies. Neuropathology 2024; 44:31-40. [PMID: 37340992 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12927] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal intranuclear inclusions (NIIs) are common key structures in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases such as Huntington disease (HD), spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), and SCA3. Marinesco bodies (MBs) of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra are also intranuclear structures and are frequently seen in normal elderly people. Ribosomal dysfunction is closely related to two differential processes; therefore, we aimed to identify the pathological characteristics of ribosomal protein SA (RPSA), a ribosomal protein, in both states. To this end, we evaluated the autopsy findings in four patients with HD, two SCA3, and five normal elderly cases (NCs). Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that both NIIs and MBs contain RPSA. In polyQ diseases, RPSA was co-localized with polyQ aggregations, and 3D-reconstructed images revealed their mosaic-like distribution. Assessments of the organization of RPSA and p62 in NIIs showed that RPSA was more localized toward the center than p62 and that this unique organization was more evident in the MBs. Immunoblotting of the temporal cortices revealed that the nuclear fraction of HD patients contained more RPSA than that of NCs. In conclusion, our study revealed that RPSA is a common component of both NIIs and MBs, indicating that a similar mechanism contributes to the formation of polyQ NIIs and MBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Yagita
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shoko Sadashima
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Sachiko Koyama
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideko Noguchi
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideomi Hamasaki
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Naokazu Sasagasako
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Omuta National Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Neuropathology Center, National Hospital Organization, Omuta National Hospital, Omuta, Japan
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15
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Ganser C, Staples MI, Dowell M, Frazer C, Dainis J, Sircaik S, Bennett RJ. Filamentation and biofilm formation are regulated by the phase-separation capacity of network transcription factors in Candida albicans. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011833. [PMID: 38091321 PMCID: PMC10718430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of the fungus Candida albicans to filament and form biofilms contributes to its burden as a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Biofilm development involves an interconnected transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) consisting of nine transcription factors (TFs) that bind both to their own regulatory regions and to those of the other network TFs. Here, we show that seven of the nine TFs in the C. albicans biofilm network contain prion-like domains (PrLDs) that have been linked to the ability to form phase-separated condensates. Construction of PrLD mutants in four biofilm TFs reveals that these domains are essential for filamentation and biofilm formation in C. albicans. Moreover, biofilm PrLDs promote the formation of phase-separated condensates in the nuclei of live cells, and PrLD mutations that abolish phase separation (such as the removal of aromatic residues) also prevent biofilm formation. Biofilm TF condensates can selectively recruit other TFs through PrLD-PrLD interactions and can co-recruit RNA polymerase II, implicating condensate formation in the assembly of active transcriptional complexes. Finally, we show that PrLD mutations that block the phase separation of biofilm TFs also prevent filamentation in an in vivo model of gastrointestinal colonization. Together, these studies associate transcriptional condensates with the regulation of filamentation and biofilm formation in C. albicans, and highlight how targeting of PrLD-PrLD interactions could prevent pathogenesis by this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin Ganser
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Mae I. Staples
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Maureen Dowell
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Corey Frazer
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Joseph Dainis
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Shabnam Sircaik
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
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16
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Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken BT, Von Schulze A, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh JR, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box AC, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. eLife 2023; 12:RP86939. [PMID: 37921648 PMCID: PMC10624427 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86939] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- The Open UniversityMilton KeynesUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jay R Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Andrew C Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
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17
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Llamas E, Koyuncu S, Lee HJ, Wehrmann M, Gutierrez-Garcia R, Dunken N, Charura N, Torres-Montilla S, Schlimgen E, Mandel AM, Theile EB, Grossbach J, Wagle P, Lackmann JW, Schermer B, Benzing T, Beyer A, Pulido P, Rodriguez-Concepcion M, Zuccaro A, Vilchez D. In planta expression of human polyQ-expanded huntingtin fragment reveals mechanisms to prevent disease-related protein aggregation. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1345-1357. [PMID: 37783816 PMCID: PMC10645592 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00502-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
In humans, aggregation of polyglutamine repeat (polyQ) proteins causes disorders such as Huntington's disease. Although plants express hundreds of polyQ-containing proteins, no pathologies arising from polyQ aggregation have been reported. To investigate this phenomenon, we expressed an aggregation-prone fragment of human huntingtin (HTT) with an expanded polyQ stretch (Q69) in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. In contrast to animal models, we find that Arabidopsis sp. suppresses Q69 aggregation through chloroplast proteostasis. Inhibition of chloroplast proteostasis diminishes the capacity of plants to prevent cytosolic Q69 aggregation. Moreover, endogenous polyQ-containing proteins also aggregate on chloroplast dysfunction. We find that Q69 interacts with the chloroplast stromal processing peptidase (SPP). Synthetic Arabidopsis SPP prevents polyQ-expanded HTT aggregation in human cells. Likewise, ectopic SPP expression in Caenorhabditis elegans reduces neuronal Q67 aggregation and subsequent neurotoxicity. Our findings suggest that synthetic plant proteins, such as SPP, hold therapeutic potential for polyQ disorders and other age-related diseases involving protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Llamas
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Seda Koyuncu
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Wehrmann
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ricardo Gutierrez-Garcia
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nick Dunken
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nyasha Charura
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Elena Schlimgen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amrei M Mandel
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Erik Boelen Theile
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Grossbach
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Prerana Wagle
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan-Wilm Lackmann
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schermer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Benzing
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department II of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pablo Pulido
- Department of Plant Molecular Genetics, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alga Zuccaro
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - David Vilchez
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Integrated Stress Response Signaling, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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18
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Mei L, Chen X, Wei F, Huang X, Liu L, Yao J, Chen J, Luo X, Wang Z, Yang A. Tethering ATG16L1 or LC3 induces targeted autophagic degradation of protein aggregates and mitochondria. Autophagy 2023; 19:2997-3013. [PMID: 37424101 PMCID: PMC10549199 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2234797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) based on the ubiquitin-proteasome system have made great progress in the field of drug discovery. There is mounting evidence that the accumulation of aggregation-prone proteins or malfunctioning organelles is associated with the occurrence of various age-related neurodegenerative disorders and cancers. However, PROTACs are inefficient for the degradation of such large targets due to the narrow entrance channel of the proteasome. Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) is known as a self-degradative process involved in the degradation of bulk cytoplasmic components or specific cargoes that are sequestered into autophagosomes. In the present study, we report the development of a generalizable strategy for the targeted degradation of large targets. Our results suggested that tethering large target models to phagophore-associated ATG16L1 or LC3 induced targeted autophagic degradation of the large target models. Furthermore, we successfully applied this autophagy-targeting degradation strategy to the targeted degradation of HTT65Q aggregates and mitochondria. Specifically, chimeras consisting of polyQ-binding peptide 1 (QBP) and ATG16L1-binding peptide (ABP) or LC3-interacting region (LIR) induced targeted autophagic degradation of pathogenic HTT65Q aggregates; and the chimeras consisting of mitochondria-targeting sequence (MTS) and ABP or LIR promoted targeted autophagic degradation of dysfunctional mitochondria, hence ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction in a Parkinson disease cell model and protecting cells from apoptosis induced by the mitochondrial stress agent FCCP. Therefore, this study provides a new strategy for the selective proteolysis of large targets and enrich the toolkit for autophagy-targeting degradation.Abbreviations: ABP: ATG16L1-binding peptide; ATG16L1: autophagy related 16 like 1; ATTEC: autophagy-tethering compound; AUTAC: autophagy-targeting chimera; AUTOTAC: autophagy-targeting chimera; Baf A1: bafilomycin A1; BCL2: BCL2 apoptosis regulator; CALCOCO2/NDP52: calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2; CASP3: caspase 3; CPP: cell-penetrating peptide; CQ: chloroquine phosphate; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; DCM: dichloromethane; DMF: N,N-dimethylformamide; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; FCCP: carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone; FITC: fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GFP: green fluorescent protein; HEK293: human embryonic kidney 293; HEK293T: human embryonic kidney 293T; HPLC: high-performance liquid chromatography; HRP: horseradish peroxidase; HTT: huntingtin; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MFF: mitochondrial fission factor; MTS: mitochondria-targeting sequence; NBR1: NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor; NLRX1: NLR family member X1; OPTN: optineurin; P2A: self-cleaving 2A peptide; PB1: Phox and Bem1p; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; PINK1: PTEN induced kinase 1; PRKN: parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase; PROTACs: proteolysis-targeting chimeras; QBP: polyQ-binding peptide 1; SBP: streptavidin-binding peptide; SDS-PAGE: sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; SPATA33: spermatogenesis associated 33; TIMM23: translocase of inner mitochondrial membrane 23; TMEM59: transmembrane protein 59; TOMM20: translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20; UBA: ubiquitin-associated; WT: wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligang Mei
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaorong Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fujing Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xue Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia Yao
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xunguang Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhuolin Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Aimin Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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19
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Ratovitski T, Kamath SV, O'Meally RN, Gosala K, Holland CD, Jiang M, Cole RN, Ross CA. Arginine methylation of RNA-binding proteins is impaired in Huntington's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:3006-3025. [PMID: 37535888 PMCID: PMC10549789 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene, coding for huntingtin protein (HTT). Mechanisms of HD cellular pathogenesis remain undefined and likely involve disruptions in many cellular processes and functions presumably mediated by abnormal protein interactions of mutant HTT. We previously found HTT interaction with several protein arginine methyl-transferase (PRMT) enzymes. Protein arginine methylation mediated by PRMT enzymes is an important post-translational modification with an emerging role in neurodegeneration. We found that normal (but not mutant) HTT can facilitate the activity of PRMTs in vitro and the formation of arginine methylation complexes. These interactions appear to be disrupted in HD neurons. This suggests an additional functional role for HTT/PRMT interactions, not limited to substrate/enzyme relationship, which may result in global changes in arginine protein methylation in HD. Our quantitative analysis of striatal precursor neuron proteome indicated that arginine protein methylation is significantly altered in HD. We identified a cluster highly enriched in RNA-binding proteins with reduced arginine methylation, which is essential to their function in RNA processing and splicing. We found that several of these proteins interact with HTT, and their RNA-binding and localization are affected in HD cells likely due to a compromised arginine methylation and/or abnormal interactions with mutant HTT. These studies reveal a potential new mechanism for disruption of RNA processing in HD, involving a direct interaction of HTT with methyl-transferase enzymes and modulation of their activity and highlighting methylation of arginine as potential new therapeutic target for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Ratovitski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Siddhi V Kamath
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Robert N O'Meally
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Keerthana Gosala
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Chloe D Holland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Mali Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Robert N Cole
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Neurobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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20
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Babazadeh R, Schneider KL, Fischbach A, Hao X, Liu B, Nystrom T. The yeast guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sec7 is a bottleneck in spatial protein quality control and detoxifies neurological disease proteins. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14068. [PMID: 37640758 PMCID: PMC10462735 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41188-0] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
ER-to-Golgi trafficking partakes in the sorting of misfolded cytoplasmic proteins to reduce their cytological toxicity. We show here that yeast Sec7, a protein involved in proliferation of the Golgi, is part of this pathway and participates in an Hsp70-dependent formation of insoluble protein deposits (IPOD). Sec7 associates with the disaggregase Hsp104 during a mild heat shock and increases the rate of Hsp104 diffusion in an Hsp70-dependent manner when overproduced. Sec7 overproduction increased formation of IPODs from smaller aggregates and mitigated the toxicity of Huntingtin exon-1 upon heat stress while Sec7 depletion increased sensitivity to aẞ42 of the Alzheimer's disease and α-synuclein of the Parkinson's disease, suggesting a role of Sec7 in mitigating proteotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roja Babazadeh
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health - AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kara L Schneider
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health - AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Arthur Fischbach
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health - AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xinxin Hao
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health - AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Beidong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9 C, 413 90, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Nystrom
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health - AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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21
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Folger A, Chen C, Kabbaj MH, Frey K, Wang Y. Neurodegenerative disease-associated inclusion bodies are cleared by selective autophagy in budding yeast. AUTOPHAGY REPORTS 2023; 2:2236407. [PMID: 37680383 PMCID: PMC10482306 DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2023.2236407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding, aggregation, and accumulation cause neurodegenerative disorders. One such disorder, Huntington's disease, is caused by an increased number of glutamine-encoding trinucleotide repeats CAG in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Mutant proteins of Htt exon 1 with polyglutamine expansion are prone to aggregation and form pathological inclusion bodies in neurons. Extensive studies have shown that misfolded proteins are cleared by the ubiquitin-proteasome system or autophagy to alleviate their cytotoxicity. Misfolded proteins can form small soluble aggregates or large insoluble inclusion bodies. Previous works have elucidated the role of autophagy in the clearance of misfolded protein aggregates, but autophagic clearance of inclusion bodies remains poorly characterized. Here we use mutant Htt exon 1 with 103 polyglutamine (Htt103QP) as a model substrate to study the autophagic clearance of inclusion bodies in budding yeast. We found that the core autophagy-related proteins were required for Htt103QP inclusion body autophagy. Moreover, our evidence indicates that the autophagy of Htt103QP inclusion bodies is selective. Interestingly, Cue5/Tollip, a known autophagy receptor for aggrephagy, is dispensable for this inclusion body autophagy. From the known selective autophagy receptors in budding yeast, we identified three that are essential for inclusion body autophagy. Amyloid beta peptide (Aβ42) is a major component of amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease brains. Interestingly, a similar selective autophagy pathway contributes to the clearance of Aβ42 inclusion bodies in budding yeast. Therefore, our results reveal a novel autophagic pathway specific for inclusion bodies associated with neurodegenerative diseases, which we have termed IBophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Folger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
| | - Chuan Chen
- College of Biological Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Marie-Helene Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
| | - Karina Frey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University (undergraduate student)
| | - Yanchang Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
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22
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Miguez A, Gomis C, Vila C, Monguió-Tortajada M, Fernández-García S, Bombau G, Galofré M, García-Bravo M, Sanders P, Fernández-Medina H, Poquet B, Salado-Manzano C, Roura S, Alberch J, Segovia JC, Allen ND, Borràs FE, Canals JM. Soluble mutant huntingtin drives early human pathogenesis in Huntington's disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:238. [PMID: 37535170 PMCID: PMC10400696 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04882-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable inherited brain disorder characterised by massive degeneration of striatal neurons, which correlates with abnormal accumulation of misfolded mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Research on HD has been hampered by the inability to study early dysfunction and progressive degeneration of human striatal neurons in vivo. To investigate human pathogenesis in a physiologically relevant context, we transplanted human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) from control and HD patients into the striatum of new-born mice. Most hNPCs differentiated into striatal neurons that projected to their target areas and established synaptic connexions within the host basal ganglia circuitry. Remarkably, HD human striatal neurons first developed soluble forms of mHTT, which primarily targeted endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and nuclear membrane to cause structural alterations. Furthermore, HD human cells secreted extracellular vesicles containing mHTT monomers and oligomers, which were internalised by non-mutated mouse striatal neurons triggering cell death. We conclude that interaction of mHTT soluble forms with key cellular organelles initially drives disease progression in HD patients and their transmission through exosomes contributes to spread the disease in a non-cell autonomous manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Miguez
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Neurology-Neuroimmunology Department, Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalunya (Cemcat), Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cinta Gomis
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Vila
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Monguió-Tortajada
- REMAR-IVECAT Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, Badalona, Spain
| | - Sara Fernández-García
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Pathophysiology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Georgina Bombau
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mireia Galofré
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - María García-Bravo
- Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Phil Sanders
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Helena Fernández-Medina
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Poquet
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Salado-Manzano
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Roura
- ICREC Research Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, Badalona, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Pathophysiology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Carlos Segovia
- Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicholas D Allen
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Francesc E Borràs
- REMAR-IVECAT Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Science Research Institute, Can Ruti Campus, Badalona, Spain
- Nephrology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Universitary Hospital, Badalona, Spain
| | - Josep M Canals
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Creatio, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Networked Biomedical Research Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
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23
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Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken B, Schulze AV, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh J, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box A, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.20.533418. [PMID: 36993401 PMCID: PMC10055281 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.20.533418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keyes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | - Alex Von Schulze
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jillian F Blanck
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Andrew Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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24
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Fischbach A, Johns A, Schneider KL, Hao X, Tessarz P, Nyström T. Artificial Hsp104-mediated systems for re-localizing protein aggregates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2663. [PMID: 37160881 PMCID: PMC10169802 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37706-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial Protein Quality Control (sPQC) sequesters misfolded proteins into specific, organelle-associated inclusions within the cell to control their toxicity. To approach the role of sPQC in cellular fitness, neurodegenerative diseases and aging, we report on the construction of Hsp100-based systems in budding yeast cells, which can artificially target protein aggregates to non-canonical locations. We demonstrate that aggregates of mutant huntingtin (mHtt), the disease-causing agent of Huntington's disease can be artificially targeted to daughter cells as well as to eisosomes and endosomes with this approach. We find that the artificial removal of mHtt inclusions from mother cells protects them from cell death suggesting that even large mHtt inclusions may be cytotoxic, a trait that has been widely debated. In contrast, removing inclusions of endogenous age-associated misfolded proteins does not significantly affect the lifespan of mother cells. We demonstrate also that this approach is able to manipulate mHtt inclusion formation in human cells and has the potential to be useful as an alternative, complementary approach to study the role of sPQC, for example in aging and neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Fischbach
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health-AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Max-Planck Research Group Chromatin and Ageing, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Angela Johns
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health-AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kara L Schneider
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health-AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xinxin Hao
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health-AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Peter Tessarz
- Max-Planck Research Group Chromatin and Ageing, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Nyström
- Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Centre for Ageing and Health-AgeCap, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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25
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Storkebaum E, Rosenblum K, Sonenberg N. Messenger RNA Translation Defects in Neurodegenerative Diseases. N Engl J Med 2023; 388:1015-1030. [PMID: 36920757 DOI: 10.1056/nejmra2215795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Storkebaum
- From the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, and the Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (E.S.); the Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Center for Genetic Manipulation in the Brain, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel (K.R.); and the Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal (N.S.)
| | - Kobi Rosenblum
- From the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, and the Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (E.S.); the Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Center for Genetic Manipulation in the Brain, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel (K.R.); and the Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal (N.S.)
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- From the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, and the Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (E.S.); the Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Center for Genetic Manipulation in the Brain, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel (K.R.); and the Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal (N.S.)
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26
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Bravo-Arredondo JM, Venkataraman R, Varkey J, Isas JM, Situ AJ, Xu H, Chen J, Ulmer TS, Langen R. Molecular basis of Q-length selectivity for the MW1 antibody-huntingtin interaction. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104616. [PMID: 36931390 PMCID: PMC10124945 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104616] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the huntingtin protein. Huntingtin exon 1 (Httex1), as well as other naturally occurring N-terminal huntingtin fragments with expanded polyQ are prone to aggregation, forming potentially cytotoxic oligomers and fibrils. Antibodies and other N-terminal huntingtin binders are widely explored as biomarkers and possible aggregation-inhibiting therapeutics. A monoclonal antibody, MW1, is known to preferentially bind to huntingtin fragments with expanded polyQ lengths, but the molecular basis of the polyQ length specificity remains poorly understood. Using solution NMR, EPR, and other biophysical methods, we investigated the structural features of the Httex1-MW1 interaction. Rather than recognizing residual α-helical structure, which is promoted by expanded Q-lengths, MW1 caused the formation of a new, non-native, conformation in which the entire polyQ is largely extended. This non-native polyQ structure allowed the formation of large mixed Httex1-MW1 multimers (600-2900 kD), when Httex1 with pathogenic Q-length (Q46) was used. We propose that these multivalent, entropically favored interactions, are available only to proteins with longer Q-lengths and represent a major factor governing the Q-length preference of MW1. The present study reveals that it is possible to target proteins with longer Q-lengths without having to stabilize a natively favored conformation. Such mechanisms could be exploited in the design of other Q-length specific binders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Bravo-Arredondo
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rajashree Venkataraman
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jobin Varkey
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jose Mario Isas
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alan J Situ
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Hui Xu
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tobias S Ulmer
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ralf Langen
- Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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27
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Sturchio A, Duker AP, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Espay AJ. Subtyping monogenic disorders: Huntington disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 193:171-184. [PMID: 36803810 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85555-6.00003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease is a highly disabling neurodegenerative disease characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and motor deficits. The causal genetic mutation in huntingtin (Htt, also known as IT15), located on chromosome 4p16.3, leads to an expansion of a triplet coding for polyglutamine. The expansion is invariably associated with the disease when >39 repeats. Htt encodes for the protein huntingtin (HTT), which carries out many essential biological functions in the cell, in particular in the nervous system. The precise mechanism of toxicity is not known. Based on a one-gene-one-disease framework, the prevailing hypothesis ascribes toxicity to the universal aggregation of HTT. However, the aggregation process into mutant huntingtin (mHTT) is associated with a reduction of the levels of wild-type HTT. A loss of wild-type HTT may plausibly be pathogenic, contributing to the disease onset and progressive neurodegeneration. Moreover, many other biological pathways are altered in Huntington disease, such as in the autophagic system, mitochondria, and essential proteins beyond HTT, potentially explaining biological and clinical differences among affected individuals. As one gene does not mean one disease, future efforts at identifying specific Huntington subtypes are important to design biologically tailored therapeutic approaches that correct the corresponding biological pathways-rather than continuing to exclusively target the common denominator of HTT aggregation for elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Sturchio
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro Svenningsson, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Andrew P Duker
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | | | - Alberto J Espay
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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28
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Castro E Costa AR, Mysore S, Paruchuri P, Chen KY, Liu AY. PolyQ-Expanded Mutant Huntingtin Forms Inclusion Body Following Transient Cold Shock in a Two-Step Aggregation Mechanism. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:277-288. [PMID: 36574489 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00585] [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: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-dependent formation of insoluble protein aggregates is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. We are interested in the cell chemistry that drives the aggregation of polyQ-expanded mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) protein into insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs). Using an inducible cell model of Huntington's disease, we show that a transient cold shock (CS) at 4 °C followed by recovery incubation at temperatures of 25-37 °C strongly and rapidly induces the compaction of diffuse polyQ-expanded HuntingtinExon1-enhanced green fluorescent protein chimera protein (mHtt) into round, micron size, cytosolic IBs. This transient CS-induced mHtt IB formation is independent of microtubule integrity or de novo protein synthesis. The addition of millimolar concentrations of sodium chloride accelerates, whereas urea suppresses this transient CS-induced mHtt IB formation. These results suggest that the low temperature of CS constrains the conformation dynamics of the intrinsically disordered mHtt into labile intermediate structures to facilitate de-solvation and hydrophobic interaction for IB formation at the higher recovery temperature. This work, along with our previous observation of the effects of heat shock protein chaperones and osmolytes in driving mHtt IB formation, underscores the primacy of mHtt structuring and rigidification for H-bond-mediated cross-linking in a two-step mechanism of mHtt IB formation in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Castro E Costa
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Nelson Biology Laboratory, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Sachin Mysore
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Nelson Biology Laboratory, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Praneet Paruchuri
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Nelson Biology Laboratory, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Kuang Yu Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Wright-Rieman Chemistry Laboratory, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Alice Y Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Nelson Biology Laboratory, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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Faragó A, Zsindely N, Farkas A, Neller A, Siági F, Szabó MR, Csont T, Bodai L. Acetylation State of Lysine 14 of Histone H3.3 Affects Mutant Huntingtin Induced Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:15173. [PMID: 36499499 PMCID: PMC9738228 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine-coding CAG repeat in the Huntingtin gene. One of the main causes of neurodegeneration in HD is transcriptional dysregulation that, in part, is caused by the inhibition of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) enzymes. HD pathology can be alleviated by increasing the activity of specific HATs or by inhibiting histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes. To determine which histone's post-translational modifications (PTMs) might play crucial roles in HD pathology, we investigated the phenotype-modifying effects of PTM mimetic mutations of variant histone H3.3 in a Drosophila model of HD. Specifically, we studied the mutations (K→Q: acetylated; K→R: non-modified; and K→M: methylated) of lysine residues K9, K14, and K27 of transgenic H3.3. In the case of H3.3K14Q modification, we observed the amelioration of all tested phenotypes (viability, longevity, neurodegeneration, motor activity, and circadian rhythm defects), while H3.3K14R had the opposite effect. H3.3K14Q expression prevented the negative effects of reduced Gcn5 (a HAT acting on H3K14) on HD pathology, while it only partially hindered the positive effects of heterozygous Sirt1 (an HDAC acting on H3K14). Thus, we conclude that the Gcn5-dependent acetylation of H3.3K14 might be an important epigenetic contributor to HD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anikó Faragó
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School in Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Nóra Zsindely
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anita Farkas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School in Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Alexandra Neller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Fruzsina Siági
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School in Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Márton Richárd Szabó
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Csont
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Bodai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
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30
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Fluorogenic toolbox for visualizing protein aggregation: From designing principles to biological application. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Hu R, Qian B, Li A, Fang Y. Role of Proteostasis Regulation in the Turnover of Stress Granules. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314565. [PMID: 36498892 PMCID: PMC9741362 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and RNAs can form dynamic, liquid droplet-like cytoplasmic condensates, known as stress granules (SGs), in response to a variety of cellular stresses. This process is driven by liquid-liquid phase separation, mediated by multivalent interactions between RBPs and RNAs. The formation of SGs allows a temporary suspension of certain cellular activities such as translation of unnecessary proteins. Meanwhile, non-translating mRNAs may also be sequestered and stalled. Upon stress removal, SGs are disassembled to resume the suspended biological processes and restore the normal cell functions. Prolonged stress and disease-causal mutations in SG-associated RBPs can cause the formation of aberrant SGs and/or impair SG disassembly, consequently raising the risk of pathological protein aggregation. The machinery maintaining protein homeostasis (proteostasis) includes molecular chaperones and co-chaperones, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy, and other components, and participates in the regulation of SG metabolism. Recently, proteostasis has been identified as a major regulator of SG turnover. Here, we summarize new findings on the specific functions of the proteostasis machinery in regulating SG disassembly and clearance, discuss the pathological and clinical implications of SG turnover in neurodegenerative disorders, and point to the unresolved issues that warrant future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rirong Hu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Beituo Qian
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ang Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
- Correspondence: (A.L.); (Y.F.); Tel.: +86-21-6858-2510 (Y.F.)
| | - Yanshan Fang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (A.L.); (Y.F.); Tel.: +86-21-6858-2510 (Y.F.)
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32
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Gropp MHM, Klaips CL, Hartl FU. Formation of toxic oligomers of polyQ-expanded Huntingtin by prion-mediated cross-seeding. Mol Cell 2022; 82:4290-4306.e11. [PMID: 36272412 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Manifestation of aggregate pathology in Huntington's disease is thought to be facilitated by a preferential vulnerability of affected brain cells to age-dependent proteostatic decline. To understand how specific cellular backgrounds may facilitate pathologic aggregation, we utilized the yeast model in which polyQ-expanded Huntingtin forms aggregates only when the endogenous prion-forming protein Rnq1 is in its amyloid-like prion [PIN+] conformation. We employed optogenetic clustering of polyQ protein as an orthogonal method to induce polyQ aggregation in prion-free [pin-] cells. Optogenetic aggregation circumvented the prion requirement for the formation of detergent-resistant polyQ inclusions but bypassed the formation of toxic polyQ oligomers, which accumulated specifically in [PIN+] cells. Reconstitution of aggregation in vitro suggested that these polyQ oligomers formed through direct templating on Rnq1 prions. These findings shed light on the mechanism of prion-mediated formation of oligomers, which may play a role in triggering polyQ pathology in the patient brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H M Gropp
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Courtney L Klaips
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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33
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Rai S, Tapadia MG. Hsc70-4 aggravates PolyQ-mediated neurodegeneration by modulating NF-κB mediated immune response in Drosophila. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:857257. [PMID: 36425218 PMCID: PMC9678916 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.857257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease occurs when the stretch of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (htt) gene crosses the permissible limit, causing the mutated protein (mHtt) to form insoluble aggregates or inclusion bodies. These aggregates are non-typically associated with various essential proteins in the cells, thus disrupting cellular homeostasis. The cells try to bring back normalcy by synthesizing evolutionary conserved cellular chaperones, and Hsp70 is one of the families of heat shock proteins that has a significant part in this, which comprises of heat-inducible and cognate forms. Here, we demonstrate that the heat shock cognate (Hsc70) isoform, Hsc70-4/HSPA8, has a distinct role in polyglutamate (PolyQ)-mediated pathogenicity, and its expression is enhanced in the polyQ conditions in Drosophila. Downregulation of hsc70-4 rescues PolyQ pathogenicity with a notable improvement in the ommatidia arrangement and near-normal restoration of optic neurons leading to improvement in phototaxis response. Reduced hsc70-4 also attenuates the augmented immune response by decreasing the expression of NF-κB and the antimicrobial peptides, along with that JNK overactivation is also restored. These lead to the rescue of the photoreceptor cells, indicating a decrease in the caspase activity, thus reverting the PolyQ pathogenicity. At the molecular level, we show the interaction between Hsc70-4, Polyglutamine aggregates, and NF-κB, which may be responsible for the dysregulation of signaling molecules in polyQ conditions. Thus, the present data provides a functional link between Hsc70-4 and NF-κB under polyQ conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Madhu G. Tapadia
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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34
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Hung CY, Zhu C, Kittur FS, He M, Arning E, Zhang J, Johnson AJ, Jawa GS, Thomas MD, Ding TT, Xie J. A plant-based mutant huntingtin model-driven discovery of impaired expression of GTPCH and DHFR. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:553. [PMID: 36251090 PMCID: PMC9576654 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04587-6] [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: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathophysiology associated with Huntington's disease (HD) has been studied extensively in various cell and animal models since the 1993 discovery of the mutant huntingtin (mHtt) with abnormally expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts as the causative factor. However, the sequence of early pathophysiological events leading to HD still remains elusive. To gain new insights into the early polyQ-induced pathogenic events, we expressed Htt exon1 (Httex1) with a normal (21), or an extended (42 or 63) number of polyQ in tobacco plants. Here, we show that transgenic plants accumulated Httex1 proteins with corresponding polyQ tracts, and mHttex1 induced protein aggregation and affected plant growth, especially root and root hair development, in a polyQ length-dependent manner. Quantitative proteomic analysis of young roots from severely affected Httex1Q63 and unaffected Httex1Q21 plants showed that the most reduced protein by polyQ63 is a GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) along with many of its related one-carbon (C1) metabolic pathway enzymes. GTPCH is a key enzyme involved in folate biosynthesis in plants and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis in mammals. Validating studies in 4-week-old R6/2 HD mice expressing a mHttex1 showed reduced levels of GTPCH and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR, a key folate utilization/alternate BH4 biosynthesis enzyme), and impaired C1 and BH4 metabolism. Our findings from mHttex1 plants and mice reveal impaired expressions of GTPCH and DHFR and may contribute to a better understanding of mHtt-altered C1 and BH4 metabolism, and their roles in the pathogenesis of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiu-Yueh Hung
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Chuanshu Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.,College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Farooqahmed S Kittur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Maotao He
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.,Department of Pathology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, China
| | - Erland Arning
- Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Institute of Metabolic Disease, Dallas, TX, 75204, USA
| | - Jianhui Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Asia J Johnson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Gurpreet S Jawa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.,DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, West Chester, PA, 19380, USA
| | - Michelle D Thomas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.,University of North Carolina, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Tomas T Ding
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.
| | - Jiahua Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA.
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35
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Chia K, Klingseisen A, Sieger D, Priller J. Zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:940484. [PMID: 36311026 PMCID: PMC9606821 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.940484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly recognized as a model organism for translational research into human neuropathology. The zebrafish brain exhibits fundamental resemblance with human neuroanatomical and neurochemical pathways, and hallmarks of human brain pathology such as protein aggregation, neuronal degeneration and activation of glial cells, for example, can be modeled and recapitulated in the fish central nervous system. Genetic manipulation, imaging, and drug screening are areas where zebrafish excel with the ease of introducing mutations and transgenes, the expression of fluorescent markers that can be detected in vivo in the transparent larval stages overtime, and simple treatment of large numbers of fish larvae at once followed by automated screening and imaging. In this review, we summarize how zebrafish have successfully been employed to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of choosing zebrafish as a model for these neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelda Chia
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Klingseisen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Sieger
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Dirk Sieger,
| | - Josef Priller
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, DZNE, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Josef Priller,
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36
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Long J, Luo X, Fang D, Song H, Fang W, Shan H, Liu P, Lu B, Yin XM, Hong L, Li M. Discovery of an autophagy inducer J3 to lower mutant huntingtin and alleviate Huntington's disease-related phenotype. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:167. [PMID: 36209136 PMCID: PMC9548129 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00906-3] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by aggregation of the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein encoded from extra tracts of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the HTT gene. mHTT proteins are neurotoxic to render the death of neurons and a series of disease-associated phenotypes. The mHTT is degraded through autophagy pathway and ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). This study identified a small molecule, J3, as an autophagy inducer by high-content screening. The results revealed that J3 could inhibit mTOR, thus promoting autophagic flux and long-lived protein degradation. Further, J3 selectively lowered the soluble and insoluble mHTT but not wild type HTT levels in cell models. The HdhQ140 mice showed reduced HD-associated activity and loss of motor functions. However, administration of J3 showed increased activity and a slight improvement in the motor function in the open-field test, balance beam test, and rotarod tests. Furthermore, in vivo studies revealed that J3 decreased T-HTT and misfolded protein levels in the striatum and increased the levels of the medium spiny neuron marker DARPP-32. In addition, J3 showed good permeability across the brain-blood barrier efficiently, suggesting that J3 was a promising candidate for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Long
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Xia Luo
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Dongmei Fang
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Haikun Song
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), Fudan University, Guangzhou, 511458 Guangdong China
| | - Weibin Fang
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Hao Shan
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Peiqing Liu
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Boxun Lu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438 China
| | - Xiao-Ming Yin
- grid.265219.b0000 0001 2217 8588Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA
| | - Liang Hong
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
| | - Min Li
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Guangdong Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006 Guangdong China
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37
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van der Bent ML, Evers MM, Vallès A. Emerging Therapies for Huntington's Disease - Focus on N-Terminal Huntingtin and Huntingtin Exon 1. Biologics 2022; 16:141-160. [PMID: 36213816 PMCID: PMC9532260 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s270657] [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: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a devastating heritable neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the presence of a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene, leading to a polyglutamine tract in the protein. Various mechanisms lead to the production of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments, which are reportedly more toxic than the full-length protein. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the production and toxicity of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments. Further, we expand on various therapeutic strategies targeting N-terminal Huntingtin on the protein, RNA and DNA level. Finally, we compare the therapeutic approaches that are clinically most advanced, including those that do not target N-terminal Huntingtin, discussing differences in mode of action and translational applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melvin M Evers
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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38
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Peng SI, Leong LI, Sun JKL, Chen ZS, Chow HM, Chan HYE. A peptide inhibitor that rescues polyglutamine-induced synaptic defects and cell death through suppressing RNA and protein toxicities. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 29:102-115. [PMID: 35795484 PMCID: PMC9240964 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington's disease, are progressive neurodegenerative disorders caused by CAG triplet-repeat expansion in the coding regions of disease-associated genes. In this study, we found that neurotoxic small CAG (sCAG) RNA species, microscopic Ataxin-2 CAG RNA foci, and protein aggregates exist as independent entities in cells. Synaptic defects and neurite outgrowth abnormalities were observed in mutant Ataxin-2-expressing mouse primary cortical neurons. We examined the suppression effects of the CAG RNA-binding peptide beta-structured inhibitor for neurodegenerative diseases (BIND) in mutant Ataxin-2-expressing mouse primary cortical neurons and found that both impaired synaptic phenotypes and neurite outgrowth defects were rescued. We further demonstrated that BIND rescued cell death through inhibiting sCAG RNA production, Ataxin-2 CAG RNA foci formation, and mutant Ataxin-2 protein translation. Interestingly, when the expanded CAG repeats in the mutant Ataxin-2 transcript was interrupted with the alternative glutamine codon CAA, BIND's inhibitory effect on mutant protein aggregation was lost. We previously demonstrated that BIND interacts physically and directly with expanded CAG RNA sequences. Our data provide evidence that the BIND peptide associates with transcribed mutant CAG RNA to inhibit the formation of toxic species, including sCAG RNA, RNA foci, and polyQ protein translation and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohong Isaac Peng
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lok I. Leong
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jacquelyne Ka-Li Sun
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhefan Stephen Chen
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hei-Man Chow
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
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39
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Donnelly KM, Coleman CM, Fuller ML, Reed VL, Smerina D, Tomlinson DS, Pearce MMP. Hunting for the cause: Evidence for prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:946822. [PMID: 36090278 PMCID: PMC9448931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.946822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis that pathogenic protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases spread from cell-to-cell in the brain in a manner akin to infectious prions has gained substantial momentum due to an explosion of research in the past 10–15 years. Here, we review current evidence supporting the existence of prion-like mechanisms in Huntington’s disease (HD), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a CAG repeat tract in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. We summarize information gained from human studies and in vivo and in vitro models of HD that strongly support prion-like features of the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, including potential involvement of molecular features of mHTT seeds, synaptic structures and connectivity, endocytic and exocytic mechanisms, tunneling nanotubes, and nonneuronal cells in mHTT propagation in the brain. We discuss mechanisms by which mHTT aggregate spreading and neurotoxicity could be causally linked and the potential benefits of targeting prion-like mechanisms in the search for new disease-modifying therapies for HD and other fatal neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirby M. Donnelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cevannah M. Coleman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Madison L. Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Victoria L. Reed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dayna Smerina
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David S. Tomlinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Margaret M. Panning Pearce
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Margaret M. Panning Pearce,
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40
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Adegbuyiro A, Stonebraker AR, Sedighi F, Fan CK, Hodges B, Li P, Valentine SJ, Legleiter J. Oxidation Promotes Distinct Huntingtin Aggregates in the Presence and Absence of Membranes. Biochemistry 2022; 61:1517-1530. [PMID: 35759798 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain within the first exon of the huntingtin (htt) protein is the underlying cause of Huntington's disease, a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. PolyQ expansion triggers htt aggregation into oligomers, fibrils, and inclusions. The 17 N-terminal amino acids (Nt17) of htt-exon1, which directly precede the polyQ domain enhances polyQ fibrillization and functions as a lipid-binding domain. A variety of post-translational modifications occur within Nt17, including oxidation of two methionine residues. Here, the impact of oxidation within Nt17 on htt aggregation both in the presence and absence of lipid membranes was investigated. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduced fibril formation in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in shorter fibrils and an increased oligomer population. With excessive H2O2 treatments, fibrils developed a unique morphological feature around their periphery. In the presence of total brain lipid vesicles, H2O2 impacted fibrillization in a similar manner. That is, oligomerization was promoted at the expense of fibril elongation. The interaction of unoxidized and oxidized htt with supported lipid bilayers was directly observed using in situ atomic force microscopy. Without oxidation, granular htt aggregates developed on the bilayer surface. However, in the presence of H2O2, distinct plateau-like regions initially developed on the bilayer surface that gave way to rougher patches containing granular aggregates. Collectively, these observations suggest that oxidation of methionine residues within Nt17 plays a crucial role in both the aggregation of htt and its ability to interact with lipid surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Adegbuyiro
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Alyssa R Stonebraker
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Faezeh Sedighi
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Caleb K Fan
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Breanna Hodges
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Peng Li
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Stephen J Valentine
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Dr., P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
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41
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Siu HW, Hauser K. Observation of Oligomeric States Indicates a High Structural Flexibility Required for the Onset of Polyglutamine Fibrillization. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4543-4548. [PMID: 35580015 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are caused by misfolding and aggregation of expanded polyQ tracts in the affected protein. PolyQ fibrils have been studied in detail; however, less is known about oligomeric precursor states. By a combination of time-resolved temperature-jump (T-jump) infrared (IR) spectroscopy and an appropriately tailored polyQ model peptide, we succeeded in disentangling conformational dynamics in the heterogeneous ensemble of states evolving during aggregation. Individual structural elements could be differentiated by IR-specific signatures, i.e., hairpin monomers, β-structured oligomers, and disordered structure. Submillisecond dynamics were observed for early oligomeric states in contrast to the slow dynamics of fibril growth. We propose that a high structural flexibility of oligomers is required to initiate fibril formation, but not after a fibrillar structure has consolidated and the fibril just grows. Our study reveals that structural flexibility changes at different stages in the aggregation process, from fibril initiation to fibril growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Wah Siu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Karin Hauser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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42
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Beasley M, Frazee N, Groover S, Valentine SJ, Mertz B, Legleiter J. Physicochemical Properties Altered by the Tail Group of Lipid Membranes Influence Huntingtin Aggregation and Lipid Binding. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3067-3081. [PMID: 35439000 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) domain within the huntingtin protein (htt) that initiates toxic protein aggregation. Htt directly interacts with membranes, influencing aggregation and spurring membrane abnormalities. These interactions are facilitated by the 17 N-terminal residues (Nt17) that form an amphipathic α-helix implicated in both lipid binding and aggregation. Here, the impact of unsaturation in phospholipid tails on htt-lipid interaction and htt aggregation was determined. There was no correlation between the degree of htt-lipid complexation and the degree of htt aggregation in the presence of each lipid system, indicating that lipid systems with different properties uniquely alter the membrane-mediated aggregation mechanisms. Also, the association between Nt17 and membrane surfaces is determined by complementarity between hydrophobic residues and membrane defects and how easily the peptide can partition into the bilayer. Our results provide critical insights into how membrane physical properties influence downstream htt aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryssa Beasley
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Nicolas Frazee
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Sharon Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Stephen J Valentine
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Blake Mertz
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,WVU Cancer Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
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43
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Ma X, Lu C, Chen Y, Li S, Ma N, Tao X, Li Y, Wang J, Zhou M, Yan YB, Li P, Heydari K, Deng H, Zhang M, Yi C, Ge L. CCT2 is an aggrephagy receptor for clearance of solid protein aggregates. Cell 2022; 185:1325-1345.e22. [PMID: 35366418 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregation is a hallmark of multiple human pathologies. Autophagy selectively degrades protein aggregates via aggrephagy. How selectivity is achieved has been elusive. Here, we identify the chaperonin subunit CCT2 as an autophagy receptor regulating the clearance of aggregation-prone proteins in the cell and the mouse brain. CCT2 associates with aggregation-prone proteins independent of cargo ubiquitination and interacts with autophagosome marker ATG8s through a non-classical VLIR motif. In addition, CCT2 regulates aggrephagy independently of the ubiquitin-binding receptors (P62, NBR1, and TAX1BP1) or chaperone-mediated autophagy. Unlike P62, NBR1, and TAX1BP1, which facilitate the clearance of protein condensates with liquidity, CCT2 specifically promotes the autophagic degradation of protein aggregates with little liquidity (solid aggregates). Furthermore, aggregation-prone protein accumulation induces the functional switch of CCT2 from a chaperone subunit to an autophagy receptor by promoting CCT2 monomer formation, which exposes the VLIR to ATG8s interaction and, therefore, enables the autophagic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Caijing Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuting Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shulin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ningjia Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xuan Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yong-Bin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pilong Li
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kartoosh Heydari
- Cancer Research Laboratory FACS Core Facility, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Haiteng Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Beijing 100084, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Beijing, China
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Cong Yi
- Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Liang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China; School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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44
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Gray ALH, Sawaya MR, Acharyya D, Lou J, Edington EM, Best MD, Prosser RA, Eisenberg DS, Do TD. Atomic view of an amyloid dodecamer exhibiting selective cellular toxic vulnerability in acute brain slices. Protein Sci 2022; 31:716-727. [PMID: 34954854 PMCID: PMC8862425 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Atomic structures of amyloid oligomers that capture the neurodegenerative disease pathology are essential to understand disease-state causes and finding cures. Here we investigate the G6W mutation of the cytotoxic, hexameric amyloid model KV11. The mutation results into an asymmetric dodecamer composed of a pair of 30° twisted antiparallel β-sheets. The complete break between adjacent β-strands is unprecedented among amyloid fibril crystal structures and supports that our structure is an oligomer. The poor shape complementarity between mated sheets reveals an interior channel for binding lipids, suggesting that the toxicity may be due to a perturbation of lipid transport rather than a direct disruption of membrane integrity. Viability assays on mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus, anterior hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex demonstrated selective regional vulnerability consistent with Alzheimer's disease. Neuropeptides released from the brain slices may provide clues to how G6W initiates cellular injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L. H. Gray
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Michael R. Sawaya
- HHMIUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and ProteomicsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Debalina Acharyya
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Jinchao Lou
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | | | - Michael D. Best
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Rebecca A. Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- HHMIUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and ProteomicsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Thanh D. Do
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
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45
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Greco TM, Secker C, Ramos ES, Federspiel JD, Liu JP, Perez AM, Al-Ramahi I, Cantle JP, Carroll JB, Botas J, Zeitlin SO, Wanker EE, Cristea IM. Dynamics of huntingtin protein interactions in the striatum identifies candidate modifiers of Huntington disease. Cell Syst 2022; 13:304-320.e5. [PMID: 35148841 PMCID: PMC9317655 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder with one causative gene, huntingtin (HTT). Yet, HD pathobiology is multifactorial, suggesting that cellular factors influence disease progression. Here, we define HTT protein-protein interactions (PPIs) perturbed by the mutant protein with expanded polyglutamine in the mouse striatum, a brain region with selective HD vulnerability. Using metabolically labeled tissues and immunoaffinity purification-mass spectrometry, we establish that polyglutamine-dependent modulation of HTT PPI abundances and relative stability starts at an early stage of pathogenesis in a Q140 HD mouse model. We identify direct and indirect PPIs that are also genetic disease modifiers using in-cell two-hybrid and behavioral assays in HD human cell and Drosophila models, respectively. Validated, disease-relevant mHTT-dependent interactions encompass mediators of synaptic neurotransmission (SNAREs and glutamate receptors) and lysosomal acidification (V-ATPase). Our study provides a resource for understanding mHTT-dependent dysfunction in cortico-striatal cellular networks, partly through impaired synaptic communication and endosomal-lysosomal system. A record of this paper's Transparent Peer Review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M Greco
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher Secker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eduardo Silva Ramos
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joel D Federspiel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jeh-Ping Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Alma M Perez
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Scott O Zeitlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ileana M Cristea
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Road, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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46
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Kolkwitz PE, Mohrlüder J, Willbold D. Inhibition of Polyglutamine Misfolding with D-Enantiomeric Peptides Identified by Mirror Image Phage Display Selection. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020157. [PMID: 35204656 PMCID: PMC8961585 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nine heritable diseases are known that are caused by unphysiologically elongated polyglutamine tracts in human proteins leading to misfolding, aggregation and neurodegeneration. Current therapeutic strategies include efforts to inhibit the expression of the respective gene coding for the polyglutamine-containing proteins. There are, however, concerns that this may interfere with the physiological function of the respective protein. We aim to stabilize the protein’s native conformation by D-enantiomeric peptide ligands to prevent misfolding and aggregation, shift the equilibrium between aggregates and monomers towards monomers and dissolve already existing aggregates into non-toxic and functional monomers. Here, we performed a mirror image phage display selection on the polyglutamine containing a fragment of the androgen receptor. An elongated polyglutamine tract in the androgen receptor causes spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The selected D-enantiomeric peptides were tested for their ability to inhibit polyglutamine-induced androgen receptor aggregation. We identified D-enantiomeric peptide QF2D-2 (sqsqwstpqGkwshwprrr) as the most promising candidate. It binds to an androgen receptor fragment with 46 consecutive glutamine residues and decelerates its aggregation, even in seeded experiments. Therefore, QF2D-2 may be a promising drug candidate for SBMA treatment or even for all nine heritable polyglutamine diseases, since its aggregation-inhibiting property was shown also for a more general polyglutamine target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Elisabeth Kolkwitz
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (P.E.K.); (J.M.)
| | - Jeannine Mohrlüder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (P.E.K.); (J.M.)
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; (P.E.K.); (J.M.)
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Correspondence:
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47
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Maity S, Komal P, Kumar V, Saxena A, Tungekar A, Chandrasekar V. Impact of ER Stress and ER-Mitochondrial Crosstalk in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:780. [PMID: 35054963 PMCID: PMC8775980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [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: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded proteins is a common phenomenon of several neurodegenerative diseases. The misfolding of proteins due to abnormal polyglutamine (PolyQ) expansions are linked to the development of PolyQ diseases including Huntington's disease (HD). Though the genetic basis of PolyQ repeats in HD remains prominent, the primary molecular basis mediated by PolyQ toxicity remains elusive. Accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER or disruption of ER homeostasis causes ER stress and activates an evolutionarily conserved pathway called Unfolded protein response (UPR). Protein homeostasis disruption at organelle level involving UPR or ER stress response pathways are found to be linked to HD. Due to dynamic intricate connections between ER and mitochondria, proteins at ER-mitochondria contact sites (mitochondria associated ER membranes or MAMs) play a significant role in HD development. The current review aims at highlighting the most updated information about different UPR pathways and their involvement in HD disease progression. Moreover, the role of MAMs in HD progression has also been discussed. In the end, the review has focused on the therapeutic interventions responsible for ameliorating diseased states via modulating either ER stress response proteins or modulating the expression of ER-mitochondrial contact proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuvadeep Maity
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS)-Pilani (Hyderabad Campus), Shameerpet-Mandal, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India; (P.K.); (V.K.); (A.S.); (A.T.); (V.C.)
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48
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Sui X, Radwan M, Cox D, Hatters DM. Probing Protein Solubility Patterns with Proteomics for Insight into Network Dynamics. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2428:261-275. [PMID: 35171485 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1975-9_16] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proteome solubility contains latent information on the nature of protein interaction networks in cells and changes in solubility can provide information on rewiring of networks. Here, we report a simple one-step ultracentrifugation method to separate the soluble and insoluble fraction of the proteome. The method involves quantitative proteomics and a bioinformatics strategy to analyze the changes that arise. Because protein solubility changes are also associated with protein misfolding and aggregation in neurodegenerative disease, we also include a protocol for isolating disease-associated protein aggregates with pulse shape analysis (PulSA) by flow cytometry as a complementary approach that can be used alongside the more general measure of solubility or as a stand-alone approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Sui
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Mona Radwan
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dezerae Cox
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Danny M Hatters
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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49
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Andrews B, Murphy AE, Stofella M, Maslen S, Almeida-Souza L, Skehel JM, Skene NG, Sobott F, Frank RAW. Multidimensional dynamics of the proteome in the neurodegenerative and aging mammalian brain. Mol Cell Proteomics 2021; 21:100192. [PMID: 34979241 PMCID: PMC8816717 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2021.100192] [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: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The amount of any given protein in the brain is determined by the rates of its synthesis and destruction, which are regulated by different cellular mechanisms. Here, we combine metabolic labeling in live mice with global proteomic profiling to simultaneously quantify both the flux and amount of proteins in mouse models of neurodegeneration. In multiple models, protein turnover increases were associated with increasing pathology. This method distinguishes changes in protein expression mediated by synthesis from those mediated by degradation. In the AppNL-F knockin mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, increased turnover resulted from imbalances in both synthesis and degradation, converging on proteins associated with synaptic vesicle recycling (Dnm1, Cltc, Rims1) and mitochondria (Fis1, Ndufv1). In contrast to disease models, aging in wild-type mice caused a widespread decrease in protein recycling associated with a decrease in autophagic flux. Overall, this simple multidimensional approach enables a comprehensive mapping of proteome dynamics and identifies affected proteins in mouse models of disease and other live animal test settings. Multidimensional proteomic screen to detect imbalances in mouse models of disease. Increased proteome turnover in multiple symptomatic neurodegeneration mouse models. Healthy aging is associated with a global decrease in protein turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Andrews
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Alan E Murphy
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Michele Stofella
- Astbury Centre of Molecular Structural Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sarah Maslen
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Leonardo Almeida-Souza
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK; Helsinki Institute of Life Science - HiLIFE, Institute of Biotechnology and Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Mark Skehel
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Nathan G Skene
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Frank Sobott
- Astbury Centre of Molecular Structural Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - René A W Frank
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK; Astbury Centre of Molecular Structural Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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Riera-Tur I, Schäfer T, Hornburg D, Mishra A, da Silva Padilha M, Fernández-Mosquera L, Feigenbutz D, Auer P, Mann M, Baumeister W, Klein R, Meissner F, Raimundo N, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Dudanova I. Amyloid-like aggregating proteins cause lysosomal defects in neurons via gain-of-function toxicity. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 5:5/3/e202101185. [PMID: 34933920 PMCID: PMC8711852 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Using cryo-ET, cell biology, and proteomics, this study shows that aggregating proteins impair the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in neurons by sequestering a subunit of the AP-3 adaptor complex. The autophagy-lysosomal pathway is impaired in many neurodegenerative diseases characterized by protein aggregation, but the link between aggregation and lysosomal dysfunction remains poorly understood. Here, we combine cryo-electron tomography, proteomics, and cell biology studies to investigate the effects of protein aggregates in primary neurons. We use artificial amyloid-like β-sheet proteins (β proteins) to focus on the gain-of-function aspect of aggregation. These proteins form fibrillar aggregates and cause neurotoxicity. We show that late stages of autophagy are impaired by the aggregates, resulting in lysosomal alterations reminiscent of lysosomal storage disorders. Mechanistically, β proteins interact with and sequester AP-3 μ1, a subunit of the AP-3 adaptor complex involved in protein trafficking to lysosomal organelles. This leads to destabilization of the AP-3 complex, missorting of AP-3 cargo, and lysosomal defects. Restoring AP-3μ1 expression ameliorates neurotoxicity caused by β proteins. Altogether, our results highlight the link between protein aggregation, lysosomal impairments, and neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Riera-Tur
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tillman Schäfer
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Daniel Hornburg
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Experimental Systems Immunology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Archana Mishra
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Miguel da Silva Padilha
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Lorena Fernández-Mosquera
- The William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Dennis Feigenbutz
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Patrick Auer
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.,Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Felix Meissner
- Experimental Systems Immunology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Systems Immunology and Proteomics, Institute of Innate Immunity, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nuno Raimundo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany .,Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany .,Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
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