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Kaur G, Mankoo OK, Kaur A, Goyal D, Goyal B. Insights into the baicalein-induced destabilization of LS-shaped Aβ 42 protofibrils using computer simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:16674-16686. [PMID: 38809059 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06006c] [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: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregate spontaneously into various aggregating species comprising oligomers, protofibrils, and mature fibrils in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disrupting β-sheet rich neurotoxic smaller soluble Aβ42 oligomers formed at early stages is considered a potent strategy to interfere with AD pathology. Previous experiments have demonstrated the inhibition of the early stages of Aβ aggregation by baicalein; however, the molecular mechanism behind inhibition remains largely unknown. Thus, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been employed to illuminate the molecular mechanism of baicalein-induced destabilization of preformed Aβ42 protofibrils. Baicalein binds to chain A of the Aβ42 protofibril through hydrogen bonds, π-π interactions, and hydrophobic contacts with the central hydrophobic core (CHC) residues of the Aβ42 protofibril. The binding of baicalein to the CHC region of the Aβ42 protofibril resulted in the elongation of the kink angle and disruption of K28-A42 salt bridges, which resulted in the distortion of the protofibril structure. Importantly, the β-sheet content was notably reduced in Aβ42 protofibrils upon incorporation of baicalein with a concomitant increase in the coil content, which is consistent with ThT fluorescence and AFM images depicting disaggregation of pre-existing Aβ42 fibrils on the incorporation of baicalein. Remarkably, the interchain binding affinity in Aβ42 protofibrils was notably reduced in the presence of baicalein leading to distortion in the overall structure, which agrees with the structural stability analyses and conformational snapshots. This work sheds light on the molecular mechanism of baicalein in disrupting the Aβ42 protofibril structure, which will be beneficial to the design of therapeutic candidates against disrupting β-sheet rich neurotoxic Aβ42 oligomers in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gagandeep Kaur
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib-140406, Punjab, India
| | - Opinder Kaur Mankoo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib-140406, Punjab, India
| | - Anupamjeet Kaur
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib-140406, Punjab, India
| | - Deepti Goyal
- Department of Chemistry, DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh-160011, India.
| | - Bhupesh Goyal
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala-147004, Punjab, India.
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Nie RZ, Zhang SS, Yan XK, Feng K, Lao YJ, Bao YR. Molecular insights into the structure destabilization effects of ECG and EC on the Aβ protofilament: An all-atom molecular dynamics simulation study. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127002. [PMID: 37729983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127002] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The formation of Aβ into amyloid fibrils was closely connected to AD, therefore, the Aβ aggregates were the primary therapeutic targets against AD. Previous studies demonstrated that epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), which possessed a gallate moiety, exhibited a greater ability to disrupt the preformed Aβ amyloid fibrils than epicatechin (EC), indicating that the gallate moiety was crucial. In the present study, the molecular mechanisms were investigated. Our results demonstrated that ECG had more potent disruptive impacts on the β-sheet structure and K28-A42 salt bridges than EC. We found that ECG significantly interfered the interactions between Peptide-4 and Peptide-5. However, EC could not. The disruption of K28-A42 salt bridges by ECG was mainly due to the interactions between ECG and the hydrophobic residues located at C-terminus. Interestingly, EC disrupted the K28-A42 salt bridges by the interactions with C-terminal hydrophobic residues and the cation-π interactions with K28. Moreover, our results indicated that hydrophobic interactions, H-bonds, π-π interactions and cation-π interactions between ECG and the bend of L-shaped region caused the disaggregation of interactions between Peptide-4 and Peptide-5. Significantly, gallate moiety in ECG had contributed tremendously to the disaggregation. We believed that our findings could be useful for designing prospective drug candidates targeting AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Zu Nie
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Food Quality and Safety Control, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Shan-Shuo Zhang
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xiao-Ke Yan
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Kun Feng
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Food Quality and Safety Control, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yan-Jing Lao
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Ya-Ru Bao
- Science and Technology Division, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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Han YL, Yin HH, Xiao C, Bernards MT, He Y, Guan YX. Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Polyphenol Inhibition of Amyloid β Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4051-4061. [PMID: 37890131 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00586] [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: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly associated with self-aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) proteins into fibrils. Inhibition of Aβ aggregation by polyphenols is one of the major therapeutic strategies for AD. Among them, four polyphenols (brazilin, resveratrol, hematoxylin, and rosmarinic acid) have been reported to be effective at inhibiting Aβ aggregation, but the inhibition mechanisms are still unclear. In this work, these four polyphenols were selected to explore their interactions with the Aβ17-42 pentamer by molecular dynamics simulation. All four polyphenols can bind to the pentamer tightly but prefer different binding sites. Conversion of the β-sheet to the random coil, fewer interchain hydrogen bonds, and weaker salt bridges were observed after binding. Interestingly, different Aβ17-42 pentamer destabilizing mechanisms for resveratrol and hematoxylin were found. Resveratrol inserts into the hydrophobic core of the pentamer by forming hydrogen bonds with Asp23 and Lys28, while hematoxylin prefers to bind beside chain A of the pentamer, which leads to β-sheet offset and dissociation of the β1 sheet of chain E. This work reveals the interactions between the Aβ17-42 pentamer and four polyphenols and discusses the relationship between inhibitor structures and their inhibition mechanisms, which also provides useful guidance for screening effective Aβ aggregation inhibitors and drug design against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Lei Han
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huan-Huan Yin
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chao Xiao
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Matthew T Bernards
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow 83844, Idaho, United States
| | - Yi He
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, Washington, United States
| | - Yi-Xin Guan
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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4
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Kaur A, Goyal B. Identification of new pentapeptides as potential inhibitors of amyloid-β 42 aggregation using virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Graph Model 2023; 124:108558. [PMID: 37390790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease mainly characterized by extracellular accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Previous studies reported pentapeptide RIIGL as an effective inhibitor of Aβ aggregation and neurotoxicity induced by Aβ aggregates. In this work, a library of 912 pentapeptides based on RIIGL has been designed and assessed for their efficacy to inhibit Aβ42 aggregation using computational techniques. The top hit pentapeptides revealed by molecular docking were further assessed for their binding affinity with Aβ42 monomer using MM-PBSA (molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area) method. The MM-PBSA analysis identified RLAPV, RVVPI, and RIAPA, which bind to Aβ42 monomer with a higher binding affinity -55.80, -46.32, and -44.26 kcal/mol, respectively, as compared to RIIGL (ΔGbinding = -41.29 kcal/mol). The residue-wise binding free energy predicted hydrophobic contacts between Aβ42 monomer and pentapeptides. The secondary structure analysis of the conformational ensembles generated by molecular dynamics (MD) depicted remarkably enhanced sampling of helical and no β-sheet conformations in Aβ42 monomer on the incorporation of RVVPI and RIAPA. Notably, RVVPI and RIAPA destabilized the D23-K28 salt bridge in Aβ42 monomer, which plays a crucial role in Aβ42 oligomer stability and fibril formation. The MD simulations highlighted that the incorporation of proline and arginine in pentapeptides contributed to their strong binding with Aβ42 monomer. Furthermore, RVVPI and RIAPA prevented conformational conversion of Aβ42 monomer to aggregation-prone structures, which, in turn, resulted in a lower aggregation tendency of Aβ42 monomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apneet Kaur
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, 147004, Punjab, India
| | - Bhupesh Goyal
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, 147004, Punjab, India.
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Xu W, Mei J, Wang C, Yang H, Ma X, Gao W, Ahmad S, Ai H. Origin of stronger binding of ionic pair (IP) inhibitor to Aβ42 than the equimolar neutral counterparts: synergy mechanism of IP in disrupting Aβ42 protofibril and inhibiting Aβ42 aggregation under two pH conditions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:21612-21630. [PMID: 37551434 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01683h] [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: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Fibrous aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several major strategies of drugs or inhibitors, including neutral molecules, positive or negative ions, and dual-inhibitor, are used to inhibit the misfolding or aggregation of Aβ42, among which a kind of dual-inhibitor composed of a pair of positive and negative ions is emerging as the most powerful candidate. This knowledge lacks the origin of the strong inhibitory effect and synergy mechanisms blocking the development and application of such inhibitors. To this end, we employed 1 : 1 ionic pairs (IP) of oppositely charged benzothiazole molecules (+)BAM1-EG6 (Pos) and (-)BAM1-EG6 (Neg) as well as equimolar neutral BAM1-EG6 (Neu) counterpart at two pH conditions (5.5 and 7.0) to bind Aβ42 targets, Aβ42 monomer (AβM), soluble pentamer (AβP), and pentameric protofibril (AβF) models, respectively, corresponding to the products of three toxic Aβ42 development pathways, lag, exponential and fibrillation phases. Simulated results illustrated the details of the inhibitory mechanisms of IP and Neu for the AβY (Y = M, P, or F) in the three different phases, characterizing the roles of Pos and Neg of IP as well as their charged, hydrophobic groups and linker playing in the synergistic interaction, and elucidated a previously unknown molecular mechanism governing the IP-Aβ42 interaction. Most importantly, we first revealed the origin of the stronger binding of IP inhibitors to Aβ42 than that of the equimolar neutral counterparts, observing a perplexing phenomenon that the physiological condition (pH = 7.0) than the acidic one (pH = 5.5) is more favorable to the enhancement of IP binding, and finally disclosed that solvation is responsible to the enhancement because at pH 7.0, AβP and AβF act as anionic membranes, where solvation plays a critical role in the chemoelectromechanics. The result not only provides a new dimension in dual-inhibitor/drug design and development but also a new perspective for uncovering charged protein disaggregation under IP-like inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Jinfei Mei
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Chuanbo Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Huijuan Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Wenqi Gao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
| | - Hongqi Ai
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China.
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6
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Wan J, Zou Y, Sun R, Xu Z, Tang J, Gong Y, Wei G, Zhang Q. Destabilization mechanism of R3-R4 tau protofilament by purpurin: a molecular dynamics study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023. [PMID: 37314291 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01039b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of tau protein aggregates is a common feature observed in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, the structural characteristics of tau aggregates can vary among different tauopathies. It has been established that the structure of the tau protofilament in Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is similar to that of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, a previous study found that purpurin, an anthraquinone, could inhibit and disassemble the pre-formed 306VQIVYK311 isoform of AD-tau protofilament. Herein, we used all-atom molecular dynamic (MD) simulation to investigate the distinctive features between CTE-tau and AD-tau protofilament and the influence of purpurin on CTE-tau protofilament. Our findings revealed notable differences at the atomic level between CTE-tau and AD-tau protofilaments, particularly in the β6-β7 angle and the solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) of the β4-β6 region. These structural disparities contributed to the distinct characteristics observed in the two types of tau protofilaments. Our simulations substantiated that purpurin could destabilize the CTE-tau protofilament and decrease β-sheet content. Purpurin molecules could insert the β4-β6 region and weaken the hydrophobic packing between β1 and β8 through π-π stacking. Interestingly, each of the three rings in purpurin exhibited unique binding preferences with the CTE-tau protofilament. Overall, our study sheds light on the structural distinctions between CTE-tau and AD-tau protofilaments, as well as the destabilizing mechanism of purpurin on CTE-tau protofilament, which may be helpful to the development of drugs to prevent CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiqing Sun
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhengdong Xu
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yehong Gong
- School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Gupta S, Dasmahapatra AK. Lycopene destabilizes preformed Aβ fibrils: Mechanistic insights from all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 105:107903. [PMID: 37320982 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107903] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The therapeutic strategy employing destabilization of the preformed Aβ fibril by various natural compounds, as studied by experimental and computational methods, has been reported significant in curing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, lycopene (a carotenoid), from terpenes family, needs investigation for its destabilization potential of Aβ fibril. The highest antioxidant potential and ability to cross blood brain barrier makes lycopene a preferred choice as drug lead for treating AD. The current study focuses on investigating the destabilization potential and underpinning mechanism of lycopene on different polymorphic forms of Aβ fibril via Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation. The key findings highlight binding of lycopene to the outer surface of the chain F of the fibril (2NAO). Herein G9, K16 and V18 residues were found to be involved in van der Waals with the methyl groups of the lycopene. Additionally, Y10 and F20 residues were observed to interact via π-π interactions with CC bonds of the lycopene. The surface mediated binding of lycopene to the fibril is attributed to the large size and structural rigidity of lycopene along with the bulky size of 2NAO and narrow space of fibrillar cavity. The destabilization of the fibril is evident by breakage of inherent H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions in the presence of one lycopene molecule. The lesser β-sheet content explains disorganization of the fibril and bars the higher order aggregation curbing neurotoxicity of the fibril. The higher concentration of the lycopene is not found to be linearly correlated with the extent of destabilization of the fibril. Lycopene is also observed to destabilize the other polymorphic form of Aβ fibril (2BEG), by accessing the fibrillar cavity and lowering the β-sheet content. The destabilization observed by lycopene on two major polymorphs of Aβ fibril explains its potency towards developing an effective therapeutic approach in treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Dasmahapatra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India; Center for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
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8
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Gupta S, Dasmahapatra AK. Enhanced stability of a disaggregated Aβ fibril on removal of ligand inhibits refibrillation: An all atom Molecular Dynamics simulation study. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 240:124481. [PMID: 37076062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
The extraneuronally deposited senile plaques, composed of neurotoxic aggregates of Aβ fibril, define Alzheimer's disease (AD). Natural compounds have been tested for their destabilization potential on Aβ fibril, thereby curing AD. However, the resultant destabilized Aβ fibril, needs to be checked for its irreversibility to the native organized state after removal of the ligand. Herein, we assessed the stability of a destabilized fibril after the ligand (ellagic acid represented as REF) is removed from the complex. The study has been conducted via Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation of 1 μs for both Aβ-Water (control) and Aβ-REF″ (test or REF removed) system. The increased value of RMSD, Rg, SASA, lower β-sheet content and reduced number of H-bonds explains enhanced destabilization observed in Aβ-REF″ system. The increased inter-chain distance demonstrates breaking of the residual contacts, testifying the drift of terminal chains from the pentamer. The increased SASA along with the ∆Gps(polar solvation energy) accounts for the reduced interaction amongst residues, and more with solvent molecules, governing irreversibility to native state. The higher Gibb's free energy of the misaligned structure of Aβ-REF″ ensures irreversibility to the organized structure due to its inability to cross such high energy barrier. The observed stability of the disaggregated structure, despite ligand elimination, establishes the effectiveness of the destabilization technique as a promising therapeutic approach towards treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Dasmahapatra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India; Center for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
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9
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Martins MM, Branco PS, Ferreira LM. Enhancing the Therapeutic Effect in Alzheimer's Disease Drugs: The role of Polypharmacology and Cholinesterase inhibitors. ChemistrySelect 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202300461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Margarida Martins
- Department of Chemistry NOVA School of Science and Technology Campus da Caparica 2825-149 Caparica Portugal
| | - Paula S. Branco
- Department of Chemistry NOVA School of Science and Technology Campus da Caparica 2825-149 Caparica Portugal
| | - Luísa M. Ferreira
- Department of Chemistry NOVA School of Science and Technology Campus da Caparica 2825-149 Caparica Portugal
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Li Q, Wen J, Yan Z, Sun H, Song E, Song Y. Mechanistic Insights of TiO 2 Nanoparticles with Different Surface Charges on Aβ 42 Peptide Early Aggregation: An In Vitro and In Silico Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:1997-2007. [PMID: 36706054 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Humans may intendedly or unintendedly be exposed to nanomaterials through food, water, and air. Upon exposure, nanomaterials can pierce the bloodstream and translocate to secondary organs, including the brain, which warrants increased concern for the potential health impacts of nanomaterials. Due to their large surface area and interaction energy, nanomaterials can adsorb surrounding proteins. The misfolding and self-aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) have been considered significant factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. We thus hypothesize that brain-targeted nanomaterials may modulate Aβ aggregation and cause related neurotoxicity. Here, we showed that TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and their aminated analogue (TiO2-NH2 NPs) adsorb the Aβ42 peptide and accelerate its early oligomerization. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the adsorption onto TiO2 NPs and TiO2-NH2 NPs surfaces can stabilize the β-sheet-rich conformations formed by the Aβ42 peptide. The binding sites between TiO2-NH2 NPs and the Aβ42 oligomer surface were mainly concentrated in the hydrophobic core region, and the β-sheet conformation spontaneously formed by Aβ42 oligomers can be better stabilized through a hydrogen bond, electrostatic attraction, and hydrophobic interaction. This study will further help in the understanding of nanomaterial-related neurotoxicities and the regulation of their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Li
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jing Wen
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Erqun Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yang Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
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11
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Roy R, Paul S. Illustrating the Effect of Small Molecules Derived from Natural Resources on Amyloid Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:600-615. [PMID: 36638829 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The onset of amyloidogenic diseases is associated with the misfolding and aggregation of proteins. Despite extensive research, no effective therapeutics are yet available to treat these chronic degenerative diseases. Targeting the aggregation of disease-specific proteins is regarded as a promising new approach to treat these diseases. In the past few years, rapid progress in this field has been made in vitro, in vivo, and in silico to generate potential drug candidates, ranging from small molecules to polymers to nanoparticles. Small molecular probes, mostly those derived from natural sources, have been of particular interest among amyloid inhibitors. Here, we summarize some of the most important natural small molecular probes which can inhibit the aggregation of Aβ, hIAPP, and α-syn peptides and discuss how their binding efficacy and preference for the peptides vary with their structure and conformation. This provides a comprehensive idea of the crucial factors which should be incorporated into the future design of novel drug candidates useful for the treatment of amyloid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rituparna Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Assam-781039, India
| | - Sandip Paul
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Assam-781039, India
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12
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Xu Z, Gong Y, Zou Y, Wan J, Tang J, Zhan C, Wei G, Zhang Q. Dissecting the Inhibitory Mechanism of the αB-Crystallin Domain against Aβ 42 Aggregation and Its Effect on Aβ 42 Protofibrils: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2842-2851. [PMID: 36153964 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is related to the misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein, and its major pathological hallmark is fibrillary β-amyloid plaques. Impeding the formation of Aβ β-structure-rich aggregates and dissociating Aβ fibrils are considered potent strategies to suppress the onset and progression of AD. As a molecular chaperone, human αB-crystallin has received extensive attention in the inhibition of protein aggregation. Previous experiments reported that the structured core region of αB-crystallin (αBC) exhibits a better preventive effect on Aβ aggregation and toxicity than the full-length protein. However, the molecular mechanism behind the effect of inhibition remains mostly unknown. Herein, we carried out six 500 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of αBC on Aβ42 aggregation. Our simulations show that αBC greatly impedes the formation of β-structure contents. We find that the binding of αBC to the Aβ42 monomer is driven by polar, hydrophobic, and H-bonding interactions. To explore whether αBC could destabilize Aβ42 protofibrils, we also carried out MD simulations of Aβ42 protofibrils with and without αBC. The results show that αBC interacts with three binding sites of the Aβ42 protofibril, and the binding is mainly driven by polar and H-bonding interactions. The binding of αBC at these three sites has a preferred dissociation effect on the β-structure content, kink angle, and K28-A42 salt bridges. Overall, this study not only discloses the molecular mechanism of αBC against Aβ42 aggregation but also demonstrates the disruption effects of αBC on Aβ42 protofibrils, which yields an avenue for designing anti-AD drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengdong Xu
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yehong Gong
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.,School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 148 Tianmenshan Road, Hangzhou 310007, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Chendi Zhan
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
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13
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Dehabadi MH, Caflisch A, Ilie IM, Firouzi R. Interactions of Curcumin's Degradation Products with the Aβ 42 Dimer: A Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7627-7637. [PMID: 36148988 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) dimers are the smallest toxic species along the amyloid-aggregation pathway and among the most populated oligomeric accumulations present in the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). A proposed therapeutic strategy to avoid the aggregation of Aβ into higher-order structures is to develop molecules that inhibit the early stages of aggregation, i.e., dimerization. Under physiological conditions, the Aβ dimer is highly dynamic and does not attain a single well-defined structure but is rather characterized by an ensemble of conformations. In a recent study, a highly heterogeneous library of conformers of the Aβ dimer was generated by an efficient sampling method with constraints based on ion mobility mass spectrometry data. Here, we make use of the Aβ dimer library to study the interaction with two curcumin degradation products, ferulic aldehyde and vanillin, by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Ensemble docking and MD simulations are used to provide atomistic detail of the interactions between the curcumin degradation products and the Aβ dimer. The simulations show that the aromatic residues of Aβ, and in particular 19FF20, interact with ferulic aldehyde and vanillin through π-π stacking. The binding of these small molecules induces significant changes on the 16KLVFF20 region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Haji Dehabadi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ioana M Ilie
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rohoullah Firouzi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
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14
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Nie RZ, Cai S, Yu B, Fan WY, Li HH, Tang SW, Huo YQ. Molecular insights into the very early steps of Aβ1-42 pentameric protofibril disassembly by PGG: A molecular dynamics simulation study. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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15
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Zou Y, Qi B, Tan J, Sun Y, Gong Y, Zhang Q. Mechanistic insight into the disruption of Tau R3-R4 protofibrils by curcumin and epinephrine: an all-atom molecular dynamics study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:20454-20465. [PMID: 35993190 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02353a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation of Tau protein aggregates is a pathological hallmark of tauopathy, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Inhibiting Tau aggregation or disrupting preformed Tau fibrils is considered one of the rational therapeutic strategies to combat tauopathy. Previous studies reported that curcumin (Cur, a molecule of a labile natural product) and epinephrine (EP, an important neurotransmitter) could effectively inhibit the formation of Tau fibrillar aggregates and disassociate preformed fibrils. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we performed multiple molecular dynamics simulations for 17.5 μs in total to investigate the influence of Cur and EP on the C-shaped Tau protofibril associated with CTE. Our simulations show that the protofibrillar pentamer is the smallest stable Tau R3-R4 protofibril. Taking the pentamer as a protofibril model, we found that both Cur and EP molecules could affect the shape of the Tau pentamer by changing the β2-β3 and β7-β8 angles, leading to a more extended structure. Cur and EP display a disruptive effect on the local β-sheets and the formation of hydrogen bonds, and thus destabilize the global protofibril structure. The contact number analysis shows that Cur has a higher binding affinity with the Tau pentamer than EP, especially in the nucleating segment PHF6. Hydrophobic, π-π and cation-π interactions together facilitate the binding of Cur and EP with the Tau pentamer. Cur exhibits stronger hydrophobic and π-π interactions with Tau than EP, and EP displays a stronger cation-π interaction. Our findings provide molecular insights into the disruptive mechanisms of the Tau R3-R4 protofibrils by curcumin and epinephrine, which may be useful for the design of effective drug candidates for the treatment of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
| | - Bote Qi
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
| | - Jingwang Tan
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
| | - Yunxiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.,Department of Physics, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Yehong Gong
- School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
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16
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Aaldijk E, Vermeiren Y. The role of serotonin within the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the development of Alzheimer's disease: A narrative review. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 75:101556. [PMID: 34990844 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for more than 50 million patients worldwide. Current evidence suggests the exact mechanism behind this devastating disease to be of multifactorial origin, which seriously complicates the quest for an effective disease-modifying therapy, as well as impedes the search for strategic preventative measures. Of interest, preclinical studies point to serotonergic alterations, either induced via selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin receptor (ant)agonists, in mitigating AD brain neuropathology next to its clinical symptoms, the latter being supported by a handful of human intervention trials. Additionally, a substantial amount of preclinical trials highlight the potential of diet, fecal microbiota transplantations, as well as pre- and probiotics in modulating the brain's serotonergic neurotransmitter system, starting from the gut. Whether such interventions could truly prevent, reverse or slow down AD progression likewise, should be initially tested in preclinical studies with AD mouse models, including sufficient analytical measurements both in gut and brain. Thereafter, its potential therapeutic effect could be confirmed in rigorously randomized controlled trials in humans, preferentially across the Alzheimer's continuum, but especially from the prodromal up to the mild stages, where both high adherence to such therapies, as well as sufficient room for noticeable enhancement are feasible still. In the end, such studies might aid in the development of a comprehensive approach to tackle this complex multifactorial disease, since serotonin and its derivatives across the microbiota-gut-brain axis might serve as possible biomarkers of disease progression, next to forming a valuable target in AD drug development. In this narrative review, the available evidence concerning the orchestrating role of serotonin within the microbiota-gut-brain axis in the development of AD is summarized and discussed, and general considerations for future studies are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Aaldijk
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Chair Group of Nutritional Biology, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Yannick Vermeiren
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Chair Group of Nutritional Biology, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, Netherlands; Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Translational Neurosciences, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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17
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Antioxidants in Alzheimer's Disease: Current Therapeutic Significance and Future Prospects. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020212. [PMID: 35205079 PMCID: PMC8869589 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) rate is accelerating with the increasing aging of the world's population. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated AD as a global health priority. According to the WHO report, around 82 million people in 2030 and 152 million in 2050 will develop dementia (AD contributes 60% to 70% of cases), considering the current scenario. AD is the most common neurodegenerative disease, intensifying impairments in cognition, behavior, and memory. Histopathological AD variations include extracellular senile plaques' formation, tangling of intracellular neurofibrils, and synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. Multiple evidence directly indicates that oxidative stress participates in an early phase of AD before cytopathology. Moreover, oxidative stress is induced by almost all misfolded protein lumps like α-synuclein, amyloid-β, and others. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in activating and causing various cell signaling pathways that result in lesion formations of toxic substances, which foster the development of the disease. Antioxidants are widely preferred to combat oxidative stress, and those derived from natural sources, which are often incorporated into dietary habits, can play an important role in delaying the onset as well as reducing the progression of AD. However, this approach has not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, there has been growing evidence that a combination of antioxidants in conjugation with a nutrient-rich diet might be more effective in tackling AD pathogenesis. Thus, considering the above-stated fact, this comprehensive review aims to elaborate the basics of AD and antioxidants, including the vitality of antioxidants in AD. Moreover, this review may help researchers to develop effectively and potentially improved antioxidant therapeutic strategies for this disease as it also deals with the clinical trials in the stated field.
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18
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Singh K, Kaur A, Goyal D, Goyal B. Mechanistic insights into the mitigation of Aβ aggregation and protofibril destabilization by a D–enantiomeric decapeptide rk10. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:21975-21994. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02601e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
According to clinical studies, the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is linked to the abnormal aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into toxic soluble oligomers, protofibrils as well as mature fibrils....
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19
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Gao D, Wan J, Zou Y, Gong Y, Dong X, Xu Z, Tang J, Wei G, Zhang Q. Destructive Mechanism of Aβ 1-42 Protofibril by Norepinephrine revealed via Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:19827-19836. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01754g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrillary plaques represent the main hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in addition to tau neurofibrillary tangles. Disrupting early-formed Aβ protofibril is considered as one of the primary therapeutic...
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20
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Chen Y, Li X, Zhan C, Lao Z, Li F, Dong X, Wei G. A Comprehensive Insight into the Mechanisms of Dopamine in Disrupting Aβ Protofibrils and Inhibiting Aβ Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:4007-4019. [PMID: 34472835 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrillary aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) are the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clearing Aβ deposition or inhibiting Aβ aggregation is a promising approach to treat AD. Experimental studies reported that dopamine (DA), an important neurotransmitter, can inhibit Aβ aggregation and disrupt Aβ fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain mostly elusive. Herein, we investigated the effect of DA on Aβ42 protofibrils at three different DA-to-Aβ molar ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 10:1) using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations demonstrate that protonated DA at a DA-to-Aβ ratio of 2:1 exhibits stronger Aβ protofibril disruptive capacity than that at a molar-ratio of 1:1 by mostly disrupting the F4-L34-V36 hydrophobic core. When the ratio of DA-to-Aβ increases to 10:1, DA has a high probability to bind to the outer surface of protofibril and has negligible effect on the protofibril structure. Interestingly, at the same DA-to-Aβ ratio (10:1), a mixture of protonated (DA+) and deprotonated (DA0) DA molecules significantly disrupts Aβ protofibrils by the binding of DA0 to the F4-L34-V36 hydrophobic core. Replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations of Aβ42 dimer show that DA+ inhibits the formation of β-sheets, K28-A42/K28-D23 salt-bridges, and interpeptide hydrophobic interactions and results in disordered coil-rich Aβ dimers, which would inhibit the subsequent fibrillization of Aβ. Further analyses reveal that DA disrupts Aβ protofibril and prevents Aβ dimerization mostly through π-π stacking interactions with residues F4, H6, and H13, hydrogen bonding interactions with negatively charged residues D7, E11, E22 and D23, and cation-π interactions with residues R5. This study provides a complete picture of the molecular mechanisms of DA in disrupting Aβ protofibril and inhibiting Aβ aggregation, which could be helpful for the design of potent drug candidates for the treatment/intervention of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chendi Zhan
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zenghui Lao
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangying Li
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuewei Dong
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
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21
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Zhu L, Gong Y, Lju H, Sun G, Zhang Q, Qian Z. Mechanisms of melatonin binding and destabilizing the protofilament and filament of tau R3-R4 domains revealed by molecular dynamics simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:20615-20626. [PMID: 34514491 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03142b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau protein is considered to be an important pathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Failure of medicine targeting Aβ has drawn more attention to the influence of tau protein and its fibrillization on neurodegeneration. Increasing evidence shows that melatonin (Mel) can effectively inhibit the formation of tau fibrils and disassemble preformed tau fibrils. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the kinetics of melatonin binding and destabilizing the tetrameric protofilament and octameric filament of tau R3-R4 domains by performing microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that Mel is able to disrupt the C-shaped structure of the tau protofilament and filament, and destabilizes the association between N- and C-termini. Mel predominantly binds to β1 and β6-β8 regions and favors contact with the elongation surface, which is dominantly driven by hydrogen bonding interactions and facilitated by other interactions. The strong π-π stacking interaction of Mel with Y310 impedes the intramolecular CH-π interaction between I308 and Y310, and the cation-π interaction of Mel with R379 interferes with the formation of the D348-R379 salt bridge. Moreover, Mel occupies the protofilament surface in the tetrameric protofilament and prevents the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between residues K331 and Q336 in the octameric filament. Our work provides molecular insights into Mel hindering tau fibrillization or destabilizing the protofilament and filament, and the revealed inhibitory mechanisms provide useful clues for the design of efficient anti-amyloid agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Yehong Gong
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hao Lju
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Gongwu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhenyu Qian
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
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22
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Kanchi PK, Dasmahapatra AK. Enhancing the binding of the β-sheet breaker peptide LPFFD to the amyloid-β fibrils by aromatic modifications: A molecular dynamics simulation study. Comput Biol Chem 2021; 92:107471. [PMID: 33706107 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's is a fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure at present. The disease is characterized by the presence of plaques in the brains of a patient, which are composed mainly of aggregates of the amyloid-β peptide in the form of β-sheet fibrils. Here, we investigated the possibility of exploiting the superior binding ability of aromatic amino acids to a particular model of the amyloid-β fibrils. which is a difficult target for drug design. The β-sheet breaker peptide LPFFD was modified with aromatic amino acids and its binding to these fibrils was studied. We found that the orientation and the electrostatic complementarity of the modified peptide with respect to the fibrils played a crucial role in determining whether its binding was improved by the aromatic amino acids. The modified LPFFD peptides were able to bind to those fibril residues. which are important in the aggregation of amyloid-β peptides and thus can potentially inhibit the further aggregation of the amyloid-beta peptides by blocking their interactions. We found that the tryptophan modified LPFFD peptides had the best binding affinities. In most cases, the aromatic amino acids in the N-terminus of the modified peptides made more contacts with the fibrils than those in the C-terminus. We also found that increasing the aromatic content did not significantly improve the binding of the LPFFD peptide to the fibrils. Our study can serve as a basis for the design of novel peptide-based drugs for Alzheimer's disease in which aromatic interactions play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Krishna Kanchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Dasmahapatra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India; Center for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, Assam, India.
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