1
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Prasad AK, Samajdar R, Panwar AS, Martin LL. Origin of Secondary Structure Transitions and Peptide Self-Assembly Propensity in Trifluoroethanol-Water Mixtures. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:7736-7749. [PMID: 39088441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02594] [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: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Membrane-peptide interactions are key to the formation of helical intermediates in the early stages of amyloidogenesis. Aqueous solutions of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) provide a membrane-mimetic environment capable of promoting and stabilizing local peptide interactions. Uperin 3.5 (U3.5), a 17-residue and amidated antimicrobial peptide, is unstructured in water but self-assembles into fibrils in the presence of salt. Secondary structure transitions linked to U3.5 self-assembly were investigated in TFE/water mixtures, in both the absence and presence of salt, to assess the role of membrane-peptide interactions on peptide self-assembly and amyloid formation. A 5-to-7-fold increase in fibril yield of U3.5 was observed at low TFE concentrations (10% TFE/water v/v) compared with physiological buffer but only in the presence of salt. No aggregation was observed in salt-free TFE/water mixtures. Circular dichroism spectra showed that partial helical structures, initially stabilized by TFE, transitioned to β-sheet-rich aggregates in a saline buffer. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that TFE and salt act synergistically to enhance peptide-peptide interactions, resulting in β-sheet-rich U3.5 oligomers at low TFE concentrations. Specifically, TFE stabilized amphipathic, helical intermediates, leading to increased peptide-peptide attraction through hydrophobic interactions. The presence of salt further enhanced the peptide-peptide interactions by screening positively charged residues. Thus, the study revealed the role of a membrane mimic in stabilizing helical intermediates on the pathway to amyloid formation in the antimicrobial U3.5 peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup Kumar Prasad
- IITB-Monash Research Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Rajarshi Samajdar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai 400019, India
| | - Ajay Singh Panwar
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Lisandra L Martin
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, VIC, Australia
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2
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John T, Rampioni A, Poger D, Mark AE. Molecular Insights into the Dynamics of Amyloid Fibril Growth: Elongation and Lateral Assembly of GNNQQNY Protofibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:716-723. [PMID: 38235697 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00754] [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: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of peptides and proteins into β-sheet rich amyloid fibrils is linked to both functional and pathological states. In this study, the growth of fibrillar structures of the short peptide GNNQQNY, a fragment from the yeast prion Sup35 protein, was examined. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study alternative mechanisms of fibril growth, including elongation through binding of monomers as well as fibril self-assembly into larger, more mature structures. It was found that after binding, monomers diffused along preformed fibrils toward the ends, supporting the mechanism of fibril growth via elongation. Lateral assembly of protofibrils was found to occur readily, suggesting that this could be the key to transitioning from isolated fibrils to mature multilayer structures. Overall, the work provides mechanistic insights into the competitive pathways that govern amyloid fibril growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten John
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Aldo Rampioni
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David Poger
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alan E Mark
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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3
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Ragonis-Bachar P, Axel G, Blau S, Ben-Tal N, Kolodny R, Landau M. What can AlphaFold do for antimicrobial amyloids? Proteins 2024; 92:265-281. [PMID: 37855235 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26618] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Amyloids, protein, and peptide assemblies in various organisms are crucial in physiological and pathological processes. Their intricate structures, however, present significant challenges, limiting our understanding of their functions, regulatory mechanisms, and potential applications in biomedicine and technology. This study evaluated the AlphaFold2 ColabFold method's structure predictions for antimicrobial amyloids, using eight antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including those with experimentally determined structures and AMPs known for their distinct amyloidogenic morphological features. Additionally, two well-known human amyloids, amyloid-β and islet amyloid polypeptide, were included in the analysis due to their disease relevance, short sequences, and antimicrobial properties. Amyloids typically exhibit tightly mated β-strand sheets forming a cross-β configuration. However, certain amphipathic α-helical subunits can also form amyloid fibrils adopting a cross-α structure. Some AMPs in the study exhibited a combination of cross-α and cross-β amyloid fibrils, adding complexity to structure prediction. The results showed that the AlphaFold2 ColabFold models favored α-helical structures in the tested amyloids, successfully predicting the presence of α-helical mated sheets and a hydrophobic core resembling the cross-α configuration. This implies that the AI-based algorithms prefer assemblies of the monomeric state, which was frequently predicted as helical, or capture an α-helical membrane-active form of toxic peptides, which is triggered upon interaction with lipid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel Axel
- George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shahar Blau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nir Ben-Tal
- George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rachel Kolodny
- Department of Computer Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Meytal Landau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- CSSB Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
- The Center for Experimental Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg, Germany
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4
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Buchanan JA, Varghese NR, Johnston CL, Sunde M. Functional Amyloids: Where Supramolecular Amyloid Assembly Controls Biological Activity or Generates New Functionality. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167919. [PMID: 37330295 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Functional amyloids are a rapidly expanding class of fibrillar protein structures, with a core cross-β scaffold, where novel and advantageous biological function is generated by the assembly of the amyloid. The growing number of amyloid structures determined at high resolution reveal how this supramolecular template both accommodates a wide variety of amino acid sequences and also imposes selectivity on the assembly process. The amyloid fibril can no longer be considered a generic aggregate, even when associated with disease and loss of function. In functional amyloids the polymeric β-sheet rich structure provides multiple different examples of unique control mechanisms and structures that are finely tuned to deliver assembly or disassembly in response to physiological or environmental cues. Here we review the range of mechanisms at play in natural, functional amyloids, where tight control of amyloidogenicity is achieved by environmental triggers of conformational change, proteolytic generation of amyloidogenic fragments, or heteromeric seeding and amyloid fibril stability. In the amyloid fibril form, activity can be regulated by pH, ligand binding and higher order protofilament or fibril architectures that impact the arrangement of associated domains and amyloid stability. The growing understanding of the molecular basis for the control of structure and functionality delivered by natural amyloids in nearly all life forms should inform the development of therapies for amyloid-associated diseases and guide the design of innovative biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Buchanan
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Nikhil R Varghese
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Caitlin L Johnston
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Margaret Sunde
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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5
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John T, Piantavigna S, Dealey TJA, Abel B, Risselada HJ, Martin LL. Lipid oxidation controls peptide self-assembly near membranes through a surface attraction mechanism. Chem Sci 2023; 14:3730-3741. [PMID: 37035708 PMCID: PMC10074436 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00159h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of peptides into supramolecular structures has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases but has also been observed in functional roles. Peptides are physiologically exposed to crowded environments of biomacromolecules, and particularly cellular membrane lipids. Previous research has shown that membranes can both accelerate and inhibit peptide self-assembly. Here, we studied the impact of membrane models that mimic cellular oxidative stress and compared this to mammalian and bacterial membranes. Using molecular dynamics simulations and experiments, we propose a model that explains how changes in peptide-membrane binding, electrostatics, and peptide secondary structure stabilization determine the nature of peptide self-assembly. We explored the influence of zwitterionic (POPC), anionic (POPG) and oxidized (PazePC) phospholipids, as well as cholesterol, and mixtures thereof, on the self-assembly kinetics of the amyloid β (1-40) peptide (Aβ40), linked to Alzheimer's disease, and the amyloid-forming antimicrobial peptide uperin 3.5 (U3.5). We show that the presence of an oxidized lipid had similar effects on peptide self-assembly as the bacterial mimetic membrane. While Aβ40 fibril formation was accelerated, U3.5 aggregation was inhibited by the same lipids at the same peptide-to-lipid ratio. We attribute these findings and peptide-specific effects to differences in peptide-membrane adsorption with U3.5 being more strongly bound to the membrane surface and stabilized in an α-helical conformation compared to Aβ40. Different peptide-to-lipid ratios resulted in different effects. We found that electrostatic interactions are a primary driving force for peptide-membrane interaction, enabling us to propose a model for predicting how cellular changes might impact peptide self-assembly in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten John
- School of Chemistry, Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Leipzig University Linnéstraße 3 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | | | - Tiara J A Dealey
- School of Chemistry, Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Bernd Abel
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Leipzig University Linnéstraße 3 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Herre Jelger Risselada
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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6
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Baltutis V, O'Leary PD, Martin LL. Self-Assembly of Linear, Natural Antimicrobial Peptides: An Evolutionary Perspective. Chempluschem 2022; 87:e202200240. [PMID: 36198638 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202200240] [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: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are an ancient and innate system of host defence against a wide range of microbial assailants. Mechanistically, unstructured peptides undergo a secondary structure transition into amphipathic α-helices, upon contact with membrane surfaces. This leads to peptide binding and removal of the membrane components in a detergent-like manner or via self-organisation into trans-membrane pores (either barrel-stave or toroidal pore) thereby destroying the microbe. Self-assembly of antimicrobial peptides into oligomers and ultimately amyloid has been mostly examined in parallel, however recent findings link diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease as an aberrant activity of a protective neuropeptide with antimicrobial activity. These self-assembled oligomers can also interact with membranes. Here, we review those antimicrobial peptides reported to self-assemble into amyloid, where supported by structural evidence. We consider their membrane activities as antimicrobial peptides and present evidence of consistent self-assembly patterns across major evolutionary groups. Trends are apparent across these groups, supporting the mounting data that self-assembly of antimicrobial peptides into amyloid should be considered as synergistic to the antimicrobial peptide response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verity Baltutis
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Vic, Australia
| | - Paul D O'Leary
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Vic, Australia
| | - Lisandra L Martin
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Vic, Australia
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7
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An D, Ban Q, Du H, Wang Q, Teng F, Li L, Xiao H. Nanofibrils of food-grade proteins: Formation mechanism, delivery systems, and application evaluation. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:4847-4871. [PMID: 36201382 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Due to the high aspect ratio, appealing mechanical characteristics, and various adjustable functional groups on the surface proteins, food-grade protein nanofibrils have attracted great research interest in the field of food science. Fibrillation, known as a process of peptide self-assembly, is recognized as a common attribute for food-grade proteins. Converting food-grade proteins into nanofibrils is a promising strategy to broaden their functionality and applications, such as improvement of the properties of gelling and emulsifying, especially for constructing various delivery systems for bioactive compounds. Protein source and processing conditions have a great impact on the size, structure, and morphology of nanofibrils, resulting in extreme differences in functionality. With this feature, it is possible to engineer nanofibrils into four different delivery systems, including gels, microcapsules, emulsions, and complexes. Construction of nanofibril-based gels via multiple cross-linking methods can endow gels with special network structures to efficiently capture bioactive compounds and extra mechanical behavior. The adsorption behavior of nanofibrils at the interface is highly complex due to the influence of several intrinsic factors, which makes it challenging to form stabilized nanofibril-based emulsion systems. Based on electrostatic interactions, microcapsules and complexes prepared using nanofibrils and polysaccharides have combined functional properties, resulting in adjustable release behavior and higher encapsulation efficiency. The bioactive compounds delivery system based on nanofibrils is a potential solution to enhance their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, improve their bioavailability, and deliver them to target organs. Although food-grade protein nanofibrils show unknown toxicity to humans, further research can contribute to broadening the application of nanofibrils in delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di An
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Qingfeng Ban
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.,Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hengjun Du
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fei Teng
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Liang Li
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Hang Xiao
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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The Extracellular Molecular Chaperone Clusterin Inhibits Amyloid Fibril Formation and Suppresses Cytotoxicity Associated with Semen-Derived Enhancer of Virus Infection (SEVI). Cells 2022; 11:cells11203259. [PMID: 36291126 PMCID: PMC9600718 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clusterin is a glycoprotein present at high concentrations in many extracellular fluids, including semen. Its increased expression accompanies disorders associated with extracellular amyloid fibril accumulation such as Alzheimer’s disease. Clusterin is an extracellular molecular chaperone which prevents the misfolding and amorphous and amyloid fibrillar aggregation of a wide variety of unfolding proteins. In semen, amyloid fibrils formed from a 39-amino acid fragment of prostatic acid phosphatase, termed Semen-derived Enhancer of Virus Infection (SEVI), potentiate HIV infectivity. In this study, clusterin potently inhibited the in vitro formation of SEVI fibrils, along with dissociating them. Furthermore, clusterin reduced the toxicity of SEVI to pheochromocytoma-12 cells. In semen, clusterin may play an important role in preventing SEVI amyloid fibril formation, in dissociating SEVI fibrils and in mitigating their enhancement of HIV infection.
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9
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John T, Adler J, Elsner C, Petzold J, Krueger M, Martin LL, Huster D, Risselada HJ, Abel B. Mechanistic insights into the size-dependent effects of nanoparticles on inhibiting and accelerating amyloid fibril formation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 622:804-818. [PMID: 35569410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.04.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of peptides into amyloid fibrils has been linked to ageing-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes. Interfaces, particularly those with large nanostructured surfaces, can affect the kinetics of peptide aggregation, which ranges from complete inhibition to strong acceleration. While a number of physiochemical parameters determine interfacial effects, we focus here on the role of nanoparticle (NP) size and curvature. We used thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assays to demonstrate the size-dependent effects of NPs on amyloid fibril formation for the peptides Aβ40, NNFGAIL, GNNQQNY and VQIYVK. While 5 nm gold NPs (AuNP-5) retarded or inhibited the aggregation of all peptides except NNFGAIL, larger 20 nm gold NPs (AuNP-20) tended to accelerate or not influence peptide aggregation. Differences in the NP effects for the peptides resulted from the different peptide properties (size, tendency to aggregate) and associated surface binding affinities. Additional dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments with the Aβ40 peptide confirmed size-dependent NP effects on peptide aggregation, and also suggested a structural influence on the formed fibrils. NPs can serve as a surface for the adsorption of peptide monomers and enable nucleation to oligomers and fibril formation. However, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that peptide oligomers were less stable at smaller NPs. High surface curvatures destabilized prefibrillar structures, which provides a possible explanation for inhibitory effects on fibril growth, provided that peptide-NP surface binding was relevant for fibril formation. These mechanistic insights can support the design of future nanostructured materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten John
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Juliane Adler
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Elsner
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Petzold
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Krueger
- Institute of Anatomy, Leipzig University, Liebigstraße 13, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisandra L Martin
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Herre Jelger Risselada
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Bernd Abel
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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10
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Ragonis-Bachar P, Rayan B, Barnea E, Engelberg Y, Upcher A, Landau M. Natural Antimicrobial Peptides Self-assemble as α/β Chameleon Amyloids. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:3713-3727. [PMID: 35947777 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid protein fibrils and some antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) share biophysical and structural properties. This observation suggests that ordered self-assembly can act as an AMP-regulating mechanism, and, vice versa, that human amyloids play a role in host defense against pathogens, as opposed to their common association with neurodegenerative and systemic diseases. Based on previous structural information on toxic amyloid peptides, we developed a sequence-based bioinformatics platform and, led by its predictions, experimentally identified 14 fibril-forming AMPs (ffAMPs) from living organisms, which demonstrated cross-β and cross-α amyloid properties. The results support the amyloid-antimicrobial link. The high prevalence of ffAMPs produced by amphibians and marine creatures among other species suggests that they confer unique advantageous properties in distinctive environments, potentially providing stability and adherence properties. Most of the newly identified 14 ffAMPs showed lipid-induced and/or time-dependent secondary structure transitions in the fibril form, indicating structural and functional cross-α/β chameleons. Specifically, ffAMP cytotoxicity against human cells correlated with the inherent or lipid-induced α-helical fibril structure. The findings raise hypotheses about the role of fibril secondary structure switching in regulation of processes, such as the transition between a stable storage conformation and an active state with toxicity against specific cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peleg Ragonis-Bachar
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Bader Rayan
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Eilon Barnea
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Yizhaq Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Alexander Upcher
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Meytal Landau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg 22607, Germany
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11
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Bücker R, Seuring C, Cazey C, Veith K, García-Alai M, Grünewald K, Landau M. The Cryo-EM structures of two amphibian antimicrobial cross-β amyloid fibrils. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4356. [PMID: 35896552 PMCID: PMC9329304 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid-antimicrobial link hypothesis is based on antimicrobial properties found in human amyloids involved in neurodegenerative and systemic diseases, along with amyloidal structural properties found in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Supporting this hypothesis, we here determined the fibril structure of two AMPs from amphibians, uperin 3.5 and aurein 3.3, by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), revealing amyloid cross-β fibrils of mated β-sheets at atomic resolution. Uperin 3.5 formed a 3-blade symmetrical propeller of nine peptides per fibril layer including tight β-sheet interfaces. This cross-β cryo-EM structure complements the cross-α fibril conformation previously determined by crystallography, substantiating a secondary structure switch mechanism of uperin 3.5. The aurein 3.3 arrangement consisted of six peptides per fibril layer, all showing kinked β-sheets allowing a rounded compactness of the fibril. The kinked β-sheets are similar to LARKS (Low-complexity, Amyloid-like, Reversible, Kinked Segments) found in human functional amyloids.
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Grants
- Joachim Herz Foundation (Add-on fellowship, R.B.).
- This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Research, Equalities and Districts of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (K.G., M.L., R.B.), Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 2111/20, M.L.), Israel Ministry of Science, Technology & Space (grant no. 3-15517, M.L.), U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) (grant no. 2017280, M.L.),
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Bücker
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Rigaku Europe SE, Neu-Isenburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Seuring
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Cazey
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Veith
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria García-Alai
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kay Grünewald
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Meytal Landau
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
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12
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Prasad AK, Tiwari C, Ray S, Holden S, Armstrong DA, Rosengren KJ, Rodger A, Panwar AS, Martin LL. Secondary Structure Transitions for a Family of Amyloidogenic, Antimicrobial Uperin 3 Peptides in Contact with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate. Chempluschem 2022; 87:e202100408. [DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anup K. Prasad
- IITB-Monash Research Academy Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
| | - Chandni Tiwari
- IITB-Monash Research Academy Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
- School of Chemistry Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Sourav Ray
- IITB-Monash Research Academy Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
| | - Stephanie Holden
- School of Chemistry Monash University Clayton VIC 3800 Australia
| | - David A. Armstrong
- School of Biomedical Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD, 4072 Australia
| | - K. Johan Rosengren
- School of Biomedical Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD, 4072 Australia
| | - Alison Rodger
- Department of Molecular Sciences Macquarie University Macquarie Park NSW, 2109 Australia
| | - Ajay S. Panwar
- Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai Mumbai 400076 India
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Kumar V, Viswanathan GKK, Ralhan K, Gazit E, Segal D. Amyloidogenic Properties of Peptides Derived from the VHL Tumor Suppressor Protein. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:3565-3568. [PMID: 34431623 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL) is involved in maintaining cellular oxygen homeostasis through the regulated degradation of HIF-α. The intrinsically disordered nature of pVHL makes it prone to aggregation that impairs its function, and this is further aggravated in mutant versions of the protein, thus promoting tumor development. By using in silico analysis, we predicted six peptide fragments from pVHL to be amyloidogenic. This was verified for two of the peptides by biophysical approaches, which demonstrated self-assembly and formation of β-sheet-rich aggregates, which, under transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, displayed typical fibrillar amyloid characteristics. These motifs may serve as proxies for exploring the nature of pVHL aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Dr. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
| | - Guru Krishna Kumar Viswanathan
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Dr. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
| | - Krittika Ralhan
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Dr. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Dr. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
| | - Daniel Segal
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Dr. George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978, Israel
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The amphibian antimicrobial peptide uperin 3.5 is a cross-α/cross-β chameleon functional amyloid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2014442118. [PMID: 33431675 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014442118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial activity is being increasingly linked to amyloid fibril formation, suggesting physiological roles for some human amyloids, which have historically been viewed as strictly pathological agents. This work reports on formation of functional cross-α amyloid fibrils of the amphibian antimicrobial peptide uperin 3.5 at atomic resolution, an architecture initially discovered in the bacterial PSMα3 cytotoxin. The fibrils of uperin 3.5 and PSMα3 comprised antiparallel and parallel helical sheets, respectively, recapitulating properties of β-sheets. Uperin 3.5 demonstrated chameleon properties of a secondary structure switch, forming mostly cross-β fibrils in the absence of lipids. Uperin 3.5 helical fibril formation was largely induced by, and formed on, bacterial cells or membrane mimetics, and led to membrane damage and cell death. These findings suggest a regulation mechanism, which includes storage of inactive peptides as well as environmentally induced activation of uperin 3.5, via chameleon cross-α/β amyloid fibrils.
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Juhl DW, Glattard E, Lointier M, Bampilis P, Bechinger B. The Reversible Non-covalent Aggregation Into Fibers of PGLa and Magainin 2 Preserves Their Antimicrobial Activity and Synergism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:526459. [PMID: 33102247 PMCID: PMC7554302 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.526459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Magainin 2 and PGLa are antimicrobial peptides found together in frog skin secretions. When added as a mixture they show an order of magnitude increase in antibacterial activity and in model membrane permeation assays. Here we demonstrate that both peptides can form fibers with beta-sheet/turn signature in ATR-FTIR- and CD-spectroscopic analyses, but with different morphologies in EM images. Whereas, fiber formation results in acute reduction of the antimicrobial activity of the individual peptides, the synergistic enhancement of activity remains for the equimolar mixture of PGLa and magainin 2 also after fibril formation. The biological significance and potential applications of such supramolecular aggregates are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Wilkens Juhl
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Elise Glattard
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Morane Lointier
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Panos Bampilis
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- University of Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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16
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John T, Bandak J, Sarveson N, Hackl C, Risselada HJ, Prager A, Elsner C, Abel B. Growth, Polymorphism, and Spatially Controlled Surface Immobilization of Biotinylated Variants of IAPP 21-27 Fibrils. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:783-792. [PMID: 31887030 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is a regulatory peptide that can aggregate into fibrillar structures associated with type 2 diabetes. In this study, the IAPP21-27 segment was modified with a biotin linker at the N-terminus (Btn-GNNFGAIL) to immobilize peptide fibrils on streptavidin-coated surfaces. Key residues for fibril formation of the N-terminal biotinylated IAPP21-27 segment were identified by using an alanine scanning approach combined with molecular dynamics simulations, thioflavin T fluorescence measurements, and scanning electron microscopy. Significant contributions of phenylalanine (F23), leucine (L27), and isoleucine (I26) for the fibrillation of the short peptide segment were identified. The fibril morphologies of the peptide variants differed depending on their primary sequence, ranging from flexible and semiflexible to stiff and crystal-like structures. These insights could advance the design of new functional hybrid bionanomaterials and fibril-engineered surface coatings using short peptide segments. To validate this concept, the biotinylated fibrils were immobilized on streptavidin-coated surfaces under spatial control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten John
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany.,Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry , Leipzig University , Linnéstraße 3 , 04103 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Juhaina Bandak
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Nilushiya Sarveson
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Claudia Hackl
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Herre Jelger Risselada
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany.,Institute for Theoretical Physics , Georg-August-Universität Göttingen , Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1 , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Andrea Prager
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Christian Elsner
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Bernd Abel
- Leibniz-Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany.,Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry , Leipzig University , Linnéstraße 3 , 04103 Leipzig , Germany
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17
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John T, Greene GW, Patil NA, Dealey TJA, Hossain MA, Abel B, Martin LL. Adsorption of Amyloidogenic Peptides to Functionalized Surfaces Is Biased by Charge and Hydrophilicity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:14522-14531. [PMID: 31537064 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Surfaces are abundant in living systems, such as in the form of cellular membranes, and govern many biological processes. In this study, the adsorption of the amyloidogenic model peptides GNNQQNY, NNFGAIL, and VQIVYK as well as the amyloid-forming antimicrobial peptide uperin 3.5 (U3.5) were studied at low concentrations (100 μM) to different surfaces. The technique of a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was applied as it enables the monitoring of mass binding to sensors at nanogram sensitivity. Gold-coated quartz sensors were used as unmodified gold surfaces or functionalized with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols (terminated as methyl, amino, carboxyl, and hydroxyl) resulting in different adsorption affinities of the peptides. Our objective was to evaluate the underlying role of the nature and feature of interfaces in biological systems which could concentrate peptides and impact or trigger peptide aggregation processes. In overall, the largely hydrophobic peptides adsorbed with preference to hydrophobic or countercharged surfaces. Further, the glycoprotein lubricin (LUB) was tested as an antiadhesive coating. Despite its hydrophilicity, the adsorption of peptides to LUB coated sensors was similar to the adsorption to unmodified gold surfaces, which indicates that some peptides diffused through the LUB layer to reach the underlying gold sensor surface. The LUB protein-antiadhesive is thus more effective as a biomaterial coating against larger biomolecules than small peptides under the conditions used here. This study provides directions toward a better understanding of amyloid peptide adsorption to biologically relevant interfaces, such as cellular membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten John
- School of Chemistry , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
- Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry , Leipzig University , Linnéstraße 3 , 04103 Leipzig , Germany
| | - George W Greene
- Institute for Frontier Materials , Deakin University , 75 Pigdons Road , Waurn Ponds , Victoria 3216 , Australia
| | - Nitin A Patil
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health , The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria 3010 , Australia
| | - Tiara J A Dealey
- School of Chemistry , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Mohammed A Hossain
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health , The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Victoria 3010 , Australia
| | - Bernd Abel
- Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) , Permoserstraße 15 , 04318 Leipzig , Germany
- Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry , Leipzig University , Linnéstraße 3 , 04103 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Lisandra L Martin
- School of Chemistry , Monash University , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia
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