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Lee MB, Blue B, Muir M, Kaeberlein M. The million-molecule challenge: a moonshot project to rapidly advance longevity intervention discovery. GeroScience 2023; 45:3103-3113. [PMID: 37432607 PMCID: PMC10643437 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00867-6] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting aging is the future of twenty-first century preventative medicine. Small molecule interventions that promote healthy longevity are known, but few are well-developed and discovery of novel, robust interventions has stagnated. To accelerate longevity intervention discovery and development, high-throughput systems are needed that can perform unbiased drug screening and directly measure lifespan and healthspan metrics in whole animals. C. elegans is a powerful model system for this type of drug discovery. Combined with automated data capture and analysis technologies, truly high-throughput longevity drug discovery is possible. In this perspective, we propose the "million-molecule challenge", an effort to quantitatively assess 1,000,000 interventions for longevity within five years. The WormBot-AI, our best-in-class robotics and AI data analysis platform, provides a tool to achieve the million-molecule challenge for pennies per animal tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell B Lee
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA.
| | - Benjamin Blue
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
| | - Michael Muir
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Ora Biomedical, Inc., 12101 Tukwila International Blvd Suite 210, Seattle, WA, 98168, USA
- Optispan Geroscience, Seattle, WA, USA
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Mutational Analysis of the Structure and Function of the Chaperoning Domain of UNC-45B. Biophys J 2020; 119:780-791. [PMID: 32755562 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
UNC-45B is a multidomain molecular chaperone that is essential for the proper folding and assembly of myosin into muscle thick filaments in vivo. It has previously been demonstrated that the UCS domain is responsible for the chaperone-like properties of the UNC-45B. To better understand the chaperoning function of the UCS domain of the UNC-45B chaperone, we engineered mutations designed to 1) disrupt chaperone-client interactions by removing and altering the structure of a putative client-interacting loop and 2) disrupt chaperone-client interactions by changing highly conserved residues in a putative client-binding groove. We tested the effect of these mutations by using a, to our knowledge, novel combination of complementary biophysical assays (circular dichroism, chaperone activity, and small-angle x-ray scattering) and in vivo tools (Caenorhabditis elegans sarcomere structure). Removing the putative client-binding loop altered the secondary structure of the UCS domain (by decreasing the α-helix content), leading to a significant change in its solution conformation and a reduced chaperoning function. Additionally, we found that mutating several conserved residues in the putative client-binding groove did not alter the UCS domain secondary structure or structural stability but reduced its chaperoning activity. In vivo, these groove mutations were found to significantly alter the structure and organization of C. elegans sarcomeres. Furthermore, we tested the effect of R805W, a mutation distant from the putative client-binding region, which in humans, has been known to cause congenital and infantile cataracts. Our in vivo data show that, to our surprise, the R805W mutation appeared to have the most drastic detrimental effect on the structure and organization of the worm sarcomeres, indicating a crucial role of R805 in UCS-client interactions. Hence, our experimental approach combining biophysical and biological tools facilitates the study of myosin-chaperone interactions in mechanistic detail.
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Bujalowski PJ, Nicholls P, Garza E, Oberhauser AF. The central domain of UNC-45 chaperone inhibits the myosin power stroke. FEBS Open Bio 2018; 8:41-48. [PMID: 29321955 PMCID: PMC5757175 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The multidomain UNC-45B chaperone is crucial for the proper folding and function of sarcomeric myosin. We recently found that UNC-45B inhibits the translocation of actin by myosin. The main functions of the UCS and TPR domains are known but the role of the central domain remains obscure. Here, we show-using in vitro myosin motility and ATPase assays-that the central domain alone acts as an inhibitor of the myosin power stroke through a mechanism that allows ATP turnover. Hence, UNC-45B is a unique chaperone in which the TPR domain recruits Hsp90; the UCS domain possesses chaperone-like activities; and the central domain interacts with myosin and inhibits the actin translocation function of myosin. We hypothesize that the inhibitory function plays a critical role during the assembly of myofibrils under stress and during the sarcomere development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Bujalowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA
| | - Paul Nicholls
- Baylor College of Medicine The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA
| | - Eleno Garza
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA
| | - Andres F Oberhauser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA.,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston TX USA
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Qadota H, Matsunaga Y, Nguyen KCQ, Mattheyses A, Hall DH, Benian GM. High-resolution imaging of muscle attachment structures in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2017; 74:426-442. [PMID: 28921913 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We used structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to obtain super-resolution images of muscle attachment structures in Caenorhabditis elegans striated muscle. SIM imaging of M-line components revealed two patterns: PAT-3 (β-integrin) and proteins that interact in a complex with the cytoplasmic tail of β-integrin and localize to the basal muscle cell membrane [UNC-112 (kindlin), PAT-4 (ILK), UNC-97 (PINCH), PAT-6 (α-parvin), and UNC-95], are found in discrete, angled segments with gaps. In contrast, proteins localized throughout the depth of the M-line (UNC-89 (obscurin) and UNC-98) are imaged as continuous lines. Systematic immunostaining of muscle cell boundaries revealed that dense body components close to the basal muscle cell membrane also localize at cell boundaries. SIM imaging of muscle cell boundaries reveal "zipper-like" structures. Electron micrographs reveal electron dense material similar in appearance to dense bodies located adjacent to the basolateral cell membranes of adjacent muscle cells separated by ECM. Moreover, by EM, there are a variety of features of the muscle cell boundaries that help explain the zipper-like pattern of muscle protein localization observed by SIM. Short dense bodies in atn-1 mutants that are null for α-actinin and lack the deeper extensions of dense bodies, showed "zipper-like" structures by SIM similar to cell boundary structures, further indicating that the surface-proximal components of dense bodies form the "zipper-like" structures at cell boundaries. Moreover, mutants in thin and thick filament components do not have "dot-like" dense bodies, suggesting that myofilament tension is required for assembly or maintenance of proper dense body shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Yohei Matsunaga
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Ken C Q Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Alexa Mattheyses
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - David H Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
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Teshiba E, Miyahara K, Takeya H. Glucose-induced abnormal egg-laying rate in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2016; 80:1436-9. [DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2016.1158634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
High glucose reduced the egg-laying rate of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and was dependent on serotonergic signaling. Antidiabetic drugs of the biguanide and thiazolidine classes ameliorated the detrimental effect of glucose on egg-laying rate, suggesting the possibility that this quick and easy assay system may be applicable to whole-animal screening for novel antidiabetic drugs, at least, of these classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Teshiba
- Department of Applied Life Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kohji Miyahara
- Department of Applied Life Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takeya
- Department of Applied Life Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
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Jilani Y, Lu S, Lei H, Karnitz LM, Chadli A. UNC45A localizes to centrosomes and regulates cancer cell proliferation through ChK1 activation. Cancer Lett 2014; 357:114-120. [PMID: 25444911 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The UCS family of proteins regulates cellular functions through their interactions with myosin. Here we show that one member of this family, UNC45A, is also a novel centrosomal protein. UNC45A is required for cellular proliferation of cancer cell in vitro and for tumor growth in vivo through its ability to bind and regulate ChK1 nuclear-cytoplasmic localization in an Hsp90-independent manner. Immunocytochemical and biochemical fractionation studies revealed that UNC45A and ChK1 co-localize to the centrosome. Inhibition of UNC45A expression reduced ChK1 activation and its tethering to the centrosome, events required for proper centrosome function. Lack of UNC45A caused the accumulation of multi-nucleated cells, consistent with a defect in Chk1 regulation of centrosomes. These findings identify a novel centrosomal function for UNC45A and its role in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmeen Jilani
- Molecular Oncology and Biomarkers Program, GRU Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, CN-3151, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Su Lu
- Molecular Oncology and Biomarkers Program, GRU Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, CN-3151, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Huang Lei
- Cancer Immunology, Inflammation, and Tolerance Program, Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Larry M Karnitz
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Ahmed Chadli
- Molecular Oncology and Biomarkers Program, GRU Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd, CN-3151, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
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Nicholls P, Bujalowski PJ, Epstein HF, Boehning DF, Barral JM, Oberhauser AF. Chaperone-mediated reversible inhibition of the sarcomeric myosin power stroke. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:3977-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Qadota H, Benian GM. An approach for exploring interaction between two proteins in vivo. Front Physiol 2014; 5:162. [PMID: 24808865 PMCID: PMC4010775 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a strategy for exploring the function of protein-protein interactions in striated muscle in vivo. We describe our experience using this strategy to study the interaction of UNC-112 (kindlin) with PAT-4 (integrin linked kinase). Random mutagenesis is used to generate a collection of mutants that are screened for lack of binding or gain of binding using a yeast 2-hybrid assay. The mutant proteins are then expressed in transgenic C. elegans to determine their ability to localize in the sarcomere. We emphasize two advantages of this strategy: (1) for studying the interaction of protein A with protein B, when protein A can interact with multiple proteins, and (2) it explores the function of an interaction rather than the absence of, or reduced level of, a protein as can be obtained with null mutants or knockdown by RNAi. We propose that this method can be generalized for studying the meaning of a protein-protein interaction in muscle for any system in which transgenic animals can be generated and their muscles can be imaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Qadota
- Department of Pathology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Guy M Benian
- Department of Pathology, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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Sandri M, Robbins J. Proteotoxicity: an underappreciated pathology in cardiac disease. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2013; 71:3-10. [PMID: 24380730 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2013.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In general, in most organ systems, intracellular protein homeostasis is the sum of many factors, including chromosomal state, protein synthesis, post-translational processing and transport, folding, assembly and disassembly into macromolecular complexes, protein stability and clearance. In the heart, there has been a focus on the gene programs that are activated during pathogenic processes, but the removal of damaged proteins and organelles has been underappreciated as playing an important role in the pathogenesis of heart disease. Proteotoxicity refers to the adverse effects of damaged or misfolded proteins and even organelles on the cell. At the cellular level, the ultimate outcome of uncontrolled or severe proteotoxicity is cell death; hence, the pathogenic impact of proteotoxicity is maximally manifested in organs with no or very poor regenerative capability such as the brain and the heart. Evidence for increased cardiac proteotoxicity is rapidly mounting for a large subset of congenital and acquired human heart disease. Studies carried out in animal models and in cell culture have begun to establish both sufficiency and, in some cases, the necessity of proteotoxicity as a major pathogenic factor in the heart. This dictates rigorous testing for the efficacy of proteotoxic attenuation as a new strategy to treat heart disease. This review article highlights some recent advances in our understanding of how misfolded proteins can injure and are handled in the cell, examining the emerging evidence for targeting proteotoxicity as a new therapeutic strategy for heart disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Protein Quality Control, the Ubiquitin Proteasome System, and Autophagy."
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Sandri
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Padova, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jeffrey Robbins
- The Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics, The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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