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Li W, Cao P, Xu P, Sun F, Wang C, Zhang J, Dong S, Wilson JR, Xu D, Fan H, Feng Z, Zhang X, Zhu Q, Fan Y, Brown N, Justin N, Gamblin SJ, Li H, Zhang Y, He J. Rapid reconstitution of ubiquitinated nucleosome using a non-denatured histone octamer ubiquitylation approach. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:81. [PMID: 38886783 PMCID: PMC11184750 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01265-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone ubiquitination modification is emerging as a critical epigenetic mechanism involved in a range of biological processes. In vitro reconstitution of ubiquitinated nucleosomes is pivotal for elucidating the influence of histone ubiquitination on chromatin dynamics. RESULTS In this study, we introduce a Non-Denatured Histone Octamer Ubiquitylation (NDHOU) approach for generating ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like modified histone octamers. The method entails the co-expression and purification of histone octamers, followed by their chemical cross-linking to ubiquitin using 1,3-dibromoacetone. We demonstrate that nucleosomes reconstituted with these octamers display a high degree of homogeneity, rendering them highly compatible with in vitro biochemical assays. These ubiquitinated nucleosomes mimic physiological substrates in function and structure. Additionally, we have extended this method to cross-linking various histone octamers and three types of ubiquitin-like proteins. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings offer an efficient strategy for producing ubiquitinated nucleosomes, advancing biochemical and biophysical studies in the field of chromatin biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Li
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Peirong Cao
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pengqi Xu
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Fahui Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Chi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Jiale Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuqi Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jon R Wilson
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Difei Xu
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Hengxin Fan
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Zhenhuan Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
| | - Qingjun Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Yingzhi Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Nick Brown
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Neil Justin
- Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - He Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Tomas Lindahl Nobel Laureate Laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Jun He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China.
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2
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Tang J, Sun R, Wan J, Zou Y, Zhang Q. Molecular mechanisms involved in the destabilization of two types of R3-R4 tau fibrils associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy by Fisetin. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:3322-3334. [PMID: 38197437 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05427f] [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: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative tauopathy pathologically characterized by fibrillary tau aggregates in the depth of sulci. Clearing fibrous tau aggregates is considered a promising strategy in the treatment of CTE. Fisetin (FS), a natural polyphenolic small molecule, was confirmed to disassociate the tau filaments in vitro. However, the molecular mechanisms of FS in destabilizing the CTE-related R3-R4 tau fibrils remain largely unknown. In this study, we compared the atomic-level structural differences of the two types of CTE-related R3-R4 tau fibrils and explored the influence and molecular mechanisms of FS on the two types of fibrils by conducting multiple molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results reveal that the type 1 fibril displays higher structural stability than the type 2 fibril, with a lower root-mean-square-fluctuation value and higher β-sheet structure probability. FS can destabilize both types of fibrils by decreasing the β-sheet structure content, interrupting the mainchain H-bond network, and increasing the solvent accessible surface area and β7-β8 angle of the fibrils. H-bonding, π-π stacking and cation-π are the common interactions driving FS molecules binding on the two types of fibrils, while the hydrophobic interaction occurs only in the type 2 fibril. Due to the relatively short simulation time, our study captures the early molecular mechanisms. However, it does provide beneficial information for the design of drugs to prevent or treat CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, 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.
| | - 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, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, 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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3
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Zhang T, Kim BM, Lee TH. Death-associated protein kinase 1 as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:4. [PMID: 38195518 PMCID: PMC10775678 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00395-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly and represents a major clinical challenge in the ageing society. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD include neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, senile plaques derived from the deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, brain atrophy induced by neuronal loss, and synaptic dysfunctions. Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) is ubiquitously expressed in the central nervous system. Dysregulation of DAPK1 has been shown to contribute to various neurological diseases including AD, ischemic stroke and Parkinson's disease (PD). We have established an upstream effect of DAPK1 on Aβ and tau pathologies and neuronal apoptosis through kinase-mediated protein phosphorylation, supporting a causal role of DAPK1 in the pathophysiology of AD. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about how DAPK1 is involved in various AD pathological changes including tau hyperphosphorylation, Aβ deposition, neuronal cell death and synaptic degeneration. The underlying molecular mechanisms of DAPK1 dysregulation in AD are discussed. We also review the recent progress regarding the development of novel DAPK1 modulators and their potential applications in AD intervention. These findings substantiate DAPK1 as a novel therapeutic target for the development of multifunctional disease-modifying treatments for AD and other neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Basic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xuefu North Road, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian, China
| | - Byeong Mo Kim
- Research Center for New Drug Development, AgingTarget Inc., 10F Ace Cheonggye Tower, 53, Seonggogae-Ro, Uiwang-Si, 16006, Gyeonggi-Do, Korea.
| | - Tae Ho Lee
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Basic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 1 Xuefu North Road, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian, China.
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4
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Du P, Zhang X, Lian X, Hölscher C, Xue G. O-GlcNAcylation and Its Roles in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1051-1068. [PMID: 38250776 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230955] [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: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
As a non-classical post-translational modification, O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) is widely found in human organ systems, particularly in our brains, and is indispensable for healthy cell biology. With the increasing age of the global population, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, too. The common characteristic of these disorders is the aggregation of abnormal proteins in the brain. Current research has found that O-GlcNAcylation dysregulation is involved in misfolding or aggregation of these abnormal proteins to mediate disease progression, but the specific mechanism has not been defined. This paper reviews recent studies on O-GlcNAcylation's roles in several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Machado-Joseph's disease, and giant axonal neuropathy, and shows that O-GlcNAcylation, as glucose metabolism sensor, mediating synaptic function, participating in oxidative stress response and signaling pathway conduction, directly or indirectly regulates characteristic pathological protein toxicity and affects disease progression. The existing results suggest that targeting O-GlcNAcylation will provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyang Du
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xia Lian
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Christian Hölscher
- Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guofang Xue
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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5
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Kalyaanamoorthy S, Opare SK, Xu X, Ganesan A, Rao PPN. Post-Translational Modifications in Tau and Their Roles in Alzheimer's Pathology. Curr Alzheimer Res 2024; 21:24-49. [PMID: 38623984 DOI: 10.2174/0115672050301407240408033046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau (also known as tau) has been shown to accumulate into paired helical filaments and neurofibrillary tangles, which are known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Decades of research have shown that tau protein undergoes extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can alter the protein's structure, function, and dynamics and impact the various properties such as solubility, aggregation, localization, and homeostasis. There is a vast amount of information describing the impact and role of different PTMs in AD pathology and neuroprotection. However, the complex interplay between these PTMs remains elusive. Therefore, in this review, we aim to comprehend the key post-translational modifications occurring in tau and summarize potential connections to clarify their impact on the physiology and pathophysiology of tau. Further, we describe how different computational modeling methods have helped in understanding the impact of PTMs on the structure and functions of the tau protein. Finally, we highlight the tau PTM-related therapeutics strategies that are explored for the development of AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanley Kojo Opare
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoxiao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aravindhan Ganesan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Praveen P N Rao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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6
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Pezzotti G, Adachi T, Imamura H, Bristol DR, Adachi K, Yamamoto T, Kanamura N, Marin E, Zhu W, Kawai T, Mazda O, Kariu T, Waku T, Nichols FC, Riello P, Rizzolio F, Limongi T, Okuma K. In Situ Raman Study of Neurodegenerated Human Neuroblastoma Cells Exposed to Outer-Membrane Vesicles Isolated from Porphyromonas gingivalis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13351. [PMID: 37686157 PMCID: PMC10488263 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to elucidate the chemistry of cellular degeneration in human neuroblastoma cells upon exposure to outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) oral bacteria by monitoring their metabolomic evolution using in situ Raman spectroscopy. Pg-OMVs are a key factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, as they act as efficient vectors for the delivery of toxins promoting neuronal damage. However, the chemical mechanisms underlying the direct impact of Pg-OMVs on cell metabolites at the molecular scale still remain conspicuously unclear. A widely used in vitro model employing neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells (a sub-line of the SK-N-SH cell line) was spectroscopically analyzed in situ before and 6 h after Pg-OMV contamination. Concurrently, Raman characterizations were also performed on isolated Pg-OMVs, which included phosphorylated dihydroceramide (PDHC) lipids and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the latter in turn being contaminated with a highly pathogenic class of cysteine proteases, a key factor in neuronal cell degradation. Raman characterizations located lipopolysaccharide fingerprints in the vesicle structure and unveiled so far unproved aspects of the chemistry behind protein degradation induced by Pg-OMV contamination of SH-SY5Y cells. The observed alterations of cells' Raman profiles were then discussed in view of key factors including the formation of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated Tau neurofibrillary tangles, and the formation of cholesterol agglomerates that exacerbate AD pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pezzotti
- Ceramic Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (H.I.)
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (T.A.); (O.M.)
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy;
- Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (P.R.); (F.R.)
| | - Tetsuya Adachi
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (T.A.); (O.M.)
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Hayata Imamura
- Ceramic Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (H.I.)
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Davide Redolfi Bristol
- Ceramic Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (H.I.)
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (T.A.); (O.M.)
- Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (P.R.); (F.R.)
| | - Keiji Adachi
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Toshiro Yamamoto
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Narisato Kanamura
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Elia Marin
- Ceramic Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (H.I.)
- Department of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (K.A.); (T.Y.); (N.K.)
| | - Wenliang Zhu
- Ceramic Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (H.I.)
| | - Toshihisa Kawai
- Department of Oral Science and Translational Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA;
| | - Osam Mazda
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan; (T.A.); (O.M.)
| | - Toru Kariu
- Department of Life Science, Shokei University, Chuo-ku, Kuhonji, Kumamoto 862-8678, Japan;
| | - Tomonori Waku
- Faculty of Molecular Chemistry and Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan;
| | - Frank C. Nichols
- Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut, 263 Farmington Avenue, Storrs, CT 06030, USA;
| | - Pietro Riello
- Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (P.R.); (F.R.)
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (P.R.); (F.R.)
| | - Tania Limongi
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy;
| | - Kazu Okuma
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
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7
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Das B, Mathew AT, Baidya ATK, Devi B, Salmon RR, Kumar R. Artificial intelligence assisted identification of potential tau aggregation inhibitors: ligand- and structure-based virtual screening, in silico ADME, and molecular dynamics study. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10645-3. [PMID: 37022608 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10645-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe, growing, multifactorial disorder affecting millions of people worldwide characterized by cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. The accumulation of tau protein into paired helical filaments is one of the major pathological hallmarks of AD and has gained the interest of researchers as a potential drug target to treat AD. Lately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the drug discovery process by speeding it up and reducing the overall cost. As a part of our continuous effort to identify potential tau aggregation inhibitors, and leveraging the power of AI, in this study, we used a fully automated AI-assisted ligand-based virtual screening tool, PyRMD to screen a library of 12 million compounds from the ZINC database to identify potential tau aggregation inhibitors. The preliminary hits from virtual screening were filtered for similar compounds and pan-assay interference compounds (the compounds containing reactive functional groups which can interfere with the assays) using RDKit. Further, the selected compounds were prioritized based on their molecular docking score with the binding pocket of tau where the binding pockets were identified using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation. Thirty-three compounds showing good docking scores for all the tau clusters were selected and were further subjected to in silico pharmacokinetic prediction. Finally, top 10 compounds were selected for molecular dynamics simulation and MMPBSA binding free energy calculations resulting in the identification of UNK_175, UNK_1027, UNK_1172, UNK_1173, UNK_1237, UNK_1518, and UNK_2181 as potential tau aggregation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhanuranjan Das
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Alen T Mathew
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Anurag T K Baidya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Bharti Devi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Rahul Rampa Salmon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.), Varanasi, 221005, UP, India.
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8
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Liu JF, Peng WJ, Wu Y, Yang YH, Wu SF, Liu DP, Liu JN, Yang JT. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic characteristics of the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, lung, and kidney in COVID-19-infected female K18-hACE2 mice. EBioMedicine 2023; 90:104518. [PMID: 36933413 PMCID: PMC10017276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104518] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological damage caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted increasing attention. Recently, through autopsies of patients with COVID-19, the direct identification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in their central nervous system (CNS) has been reported, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 might directly attack the CNS. The need to prevent COVID-19-induced severe injuries and potential sequelae is urgent, requiring the elucidation of large-scale molecular mechanisms in vivo. METHODS In this study, we performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, lungs, and kidneys of SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 female mice. We then performed comprehensive bioinformatic analyses, including differential analyses, functional enrichment, and kinase prediction, to identify key molecules involved in COVID-19. FINDINGS We found that the cortex had higher viral loads than did the lungs, and the kidneys did not have SARS-COV-2. After SARS-CoV-2 infection, RIG-I-associated virus recognition, antigen processing and presentation, and complement and coagulation cascades were activated to different degrees in all five organs, especially the lungs. The infected cortex exhibited disorders of multiple organelles and biological processes, including dysregulated spliceosome, ribosome, peroxisome, proteasome, endosome, and mitochondrial oxidative respiratory chain. The hippocampus and thalamus had fewer disorders than did the cortex; however, hyperphosphorylation of Mapt/Tau, which may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, was found in all three brain regions. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-induced elevation of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) was observed in the lungs and kidneys, but not in the three brain regions. Although the virus was not detected, the kidneys expressed high levels of hACE2 and exhibited obvious functional dysregulation after infection. This indicates that SARS-CoV-2 can cause tissue infections or damage via complicated routes. Thus, the treatment of COVID-19 requires a multipronged approach. INTERPRETATION This study provides observations and in vivo datasets for COVID-19-associated proteomic and phosphoproteomic alterations in multiple organs, especially cerebral tissues, of K18-hACE2 mice. In mature drug databases, the differentially expressed proteins and predicted kinases in this study can be used as baits to identify candidate therapeutic drugs for COVID-19. This study can serve as a solid resource for the scientific community. The data in this manuscript will serve as a starting point for future research on COVID-19-associated encephalopathy. FUNDING This study was supported by grants from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Wan-Jun Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, CAMS and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yue Wu
- School of Statistics and Data Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ye-Hong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Song-Feng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - De-Pei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
| | - Jiang-Ning Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, CAMS and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Jun-Tao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
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9
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Tang J, Zou Y, Gong Y, Xu Z, Wan J, Wei G, Zhang Q. Molecular Mechanism in the Disruption of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy-Related R3-R4 Tau Protofibril by Quercetin and Gallic Acid: Similarities and Differences. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:897-908. [PMID: 36749931 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a unique progressive neurodegenerative tauopathy pathologically related to the aggregation of the tau protein to neurofibrillary tangles. Disrupting tau oligomers (protofibril) is a promising strategy to prevent CTE. Quercetin (QE) and gallic acid (GA), two polyphenol small molecules abundant in natural crops, were proved to inhibit recombinant tau and the R3 fragment of human full-length tau in vitro. However, their disruptive effect on CTE-related protofibril and the underlying molecular mechanism remain elusive. Cryo-electron microscopy resolution reveals that the R3-R4 fragment of tau forms the core of the CTE-related tau protofibril. In this study, we conducted extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on CTE-related R3-R4 tau protofibril with and without QE/GA molecules. The results disclose that both QE and GA can disrupt the global structure of the protofibril, while GA shows a relatively strong effect. The binding sites, exact binding patterns, and disruptive modes for the two molecules show similarities and differences. Strikingly, both QE and GA can insert into the hydrophobic cavity of the protofibril, indicating they have the potential to compete for the space in the cavity with aggregation cofactors unique to CTE-related protofibril and thus impede the further aggregation of the tau protein. Due to relatively short time scale, our study captures the early disruptive mechanism of CTE-related R3-R4 tau protofibril by QE/GA. However, our research does provide valuable knowledge for the design of supplements or drugs to prevent or delay the development of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- 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, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yehong Gong
- School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, 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
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, 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 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
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10
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Sahayaraj AE, Viswanathan R, Pinhero F, Abdul Vahid A, Vijayan V. Sequence-Dependent Conformational Properties of PGGG Motif in Tau Repeats: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Narrow Pick Filament. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:136-147. [PMID: 36512636 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases correlated with the presence of pathological Tau fibrils as a diagnostic marker. The microtubule-binding repeat region of Tau protein, which includes R1, R2, R3, and R4 repeats, constitutes the core of these fibrils. Each repeat consists of a semiconserved C-terminal hexapeptide flanked by KxGS and PGGG motifs. Previous studies have shown the influence of these peptides on protein aggregation, yet their repeat-specific properties are less explored. Using molecular dynamics, we probed the sequence-specific influence of the C-terminal hexapeptide (264ENLKHQ269) in determining the compact local conformation of the R1 repeat of the narrow Pick filament (NPF) with a homologous E264G mutation. In addition to that, we also studied the influence of 262S phosphorylation on this conformation as the phosphorylation is proposed to alleviate the pathogenesis of Pick's disease. Interestingly, we determined that E264G mutation induces a conformational shift of 270PGGG273 from a turn to a random coil. This conformational dependence is experimentally verified with the R1R3-E264G mutant construct, which displayed accelerated aggregation compared with the R1R3 wild-type construct. A significant delay in aggregation of the R1R3-G326E mutant further demonstrates the importance of 326G in determining the conformation of the R3 repeat. Thus, we conclude that the conformational properties of the PGGG motif in Tau repeats are strongly dependent on the repeat-specific sequence of the C-terminal hexapeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Renjith Viswanathan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Faina Pinhero
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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11
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Interpretable Classification of Tauopathies with a Convolutional Neural Network Pipeline Using Transfer Learning and Validation against Post-Mortem Clinical Cases of Alzheimer's Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:5963-5985. [PMID: 36547067 PMCID: PMC9776567 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44120406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, tauopathies, constitute a serious global health problem. The etiology of these diseases is unclear and an increase in their incidence has been projected in the next 30 years. Therefore, the study of the molecular mechanisms that might stop these neurodegenerative processes is very relevant. Classification of neurodegenerative diseases using Machine and Deep Learning algorithms has been widely studied for medical imaging such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging. However, post-mortem immunofluorescence imaging studies of the brains of patients have not yet been used for this purpose. These studies may represent a valuable tool for monitoring aberrant chemical changes or pathological post-translational modifications of the Tau polypeptide. We propose a Convolutional Neural Network pipeline for the classification of Tau pathology of Alzheimer's disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy by analyzing post-mortem immunofluorescence images with different Tau biomarkers performed with models generated with the architecture ResNet-IFT using Transfer Learning. These models' outputs were interpreted with interpretability algorithms such as Guided Grad-CAM and Occlusion Analysis. To determine the best classifier, four different architectures were tested. We demonstrated that our design was able to classify diseases with an accuracy of 98.41% on average whilst providing an interpretation concerning the proper classification involving different structural patterns in the immunoreactivity of the Tau protein in NFTs present in the brains of patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Alzheimer's disease.
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12
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Chowdhury UD, Paul A, Bhargava BL. The effect of lipid composition on the dynamics of tau fibrils. Proteins 2022; 90:2103-2115. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Unmesh Dutta Chowdhury
- School of Chemical Sciences National Institute of Science Education & Research‐Bhubaneswar, OCC of Homi Bhabha National Institute Khurda Odisha India
| | - Arnav Paul
- School of Chemical Sciences National Institute of Science Education & Research‐Bhubaneswar, OCC of Homi Bhabha National Institute Khurda Odisha India
| | - B. L. Bhargava
- School of Chemical Sciences National Institute of Science Education & Research‐Bhubaneswar, OCC of Homi Bhabha National Institute Khurda Odisha India
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13
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Campero-Garcia LA, Cantoral-Ceballos JA, Martinez-Maldonado A, Luna-Muñoz J, Ontiveros-Torres MA, Gutierrez-Rodriguez AE. A Novel Automatic Quantification Protocol for Biomarkers of Tauopathies in the Hippocampus and Entorhinal Cortex of Post-Mortem Samples Using an Extended Semi-Siamese U-Net. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081131. [PMID: 36009757 PMCID: PMC9404816 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Tauopathies is a term coined to describe an umbrella of disorders characterized by abnormal Tau polypeptide deposits in neurons, glial cells, and extracellular space. In this work, we propose a novel quantification protocol for the study of tauopathies based on the U-Net neural network architecture. We also compare the proposed method against other state of the art variations of the U-Net to test its efficacy. Abstract Efforts have been made to diagnose and predict the course of different neurodegenerative diseases through various imaging techniques. Particularly tauopathies, where the tau polypeptide is a key participant in molecular pathogenesis, have significantly increased their morbidity and mortality in the human population over the years. However, the standard approach to exploring the phenomenon of neurodegeneration in tauopathies has not been directed at understanding the molecular mechanism that causes the aberrant polymeric and fibrillar behavior of the tau protein, which forms neurofibrillary tangles that replace neuronal populations in the hippocampal and cortical regions. The main objective of this work is to implement a novel quantification protocol for different biomarkers based on pathological post-translational modifications undergone by tau in the brains of patients with tauopathies. The quantification protocol consists of an adaptation of the U-Net neural network architecture. We used the resulting segmentation masks for the quantification of combined fluorescent signals of the different molecular changes tau underwent in neurofibrillary tangles. The quantification considers the neurofibrillary tangles as an individual study structure separated from the rest of the quadrant present in the images. This allows us to detect unconventional interaction signals between the different biomarkers. Our algorithm provides information that will be fundamental to understanding the pathogenesis of dementias with another computational analysis approach in subsequent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Campero-Garcia
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (L.A.C.-G.); (J.A.C.-C.)
| | - Jose A. Cantoral-Ceballos
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (L.A.C.-G.); (J.A.C.-C.)
| | | | - Jose Luna-Muñoz
- Faculty of Higher Studies Cuautitlan, Biological Sciences, National Dementia BioBank, UNAM, Mexico City 04510, Mexico;
- National Brain Bank-UNPHU, Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Santo Domingo 1423, Dominican Republic
| | - Miguel A. Ontiveros-Torres
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (L.A.C.-G.); (J.A.C.-C.)
- Correspondence: (M.A.O.-T.); (A.E.G.-R.)
| | - Andres E. Gutierrez-Rodriguez
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (L.A.C.-G.); (J.A.C.-C.)
- Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
- Correspondence: (M.A.O.-T.); (A.E.G.-R.)
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14
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Meng JX, Zhang Y, Saman D, Haider AM, De S, Sang JC, Brown K, Jiang K, Humphrey J, Julian L, Hidari E, Lee SF, Balmus G, Floto RA, Bryant CE, Benesch JLP, Ye Y, Klenerman D. Hyperphosphorylated tau self-assembles into amorphous aggregates eliciting TLR4-dependent responses. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2692. [PMID: 35577786 PMCID: PMC9110413 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau have been challenging to assemble and characterize, despite their important role in the development of tauopathies. We found that sequential hyperphosphorylation by protein kinase A in conjugation with either glycogen synthase kinase 3β or stress activated protein kinase 4 enabled recombinant wild-type tau of isoform 0N4R to spontaneously polymerize into small amorphous aggregates in vitro. We employed tandem mass spectrometry to determine the phosphorylation sites, high-resolution native mass spectrometry to measure the degree of phosphorylation, and super-resolution microscopy and electron microscopy to characterize the morphology of aggregates formed. Functionally, compared with the unmodified aggregates, which require heparin induction to assemble, these self-assembled hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates more efficiently disrupt membrane bilayers and induce Toll-like receptor 4-dependent responses in human macrophages. Together, our results demonstrate that hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates are potentially damaging to cells, suggesting a mechanism for how hyperphosphorylation could drive neuroinflammation in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan X Meng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dominik Saman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Arshad M Haider
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Suman De
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Neuroscience Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jason C Sang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen Brown
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jane Humphrey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Linda Julian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eric Hidari
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Steven F Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gabriel Balmus
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R Andres Floto
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Clare E Bryant
- Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Yu Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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15
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Ye H, Han Y, Li P, Su Z, Huang Y. The Role of Post-Translational Modifications on the Structure and Function of Tau Protein. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:1557-1571. [PMID: 35325356 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-022-02002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Involving addition of chemical groups or protein units to specific residues of the target protein, post-translational modifications (PTMs) alter the charge, hydrophobicity, and conformation of a protein, which in tune influences protein function, protein - protein interaction, and protein aggregation. While the occurrence of PTMs is dynamic and subject to regulations, conformational disorder of the target protein facilitates PTMs. The microtubule-associated protein tau is a typical intrinsically disordered protein that undergoes a variety of PTMs including phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, methylation, and oxidation. Accumulated evidence shows that these PTMs play a critical role in regulating tau-microtubule interaction, tau localization, tau degradation and aggregation, and reinforces the correlation between tau PTMs and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we review tau PTMs with an emphasis on their influence on tau structure. With available biophysical characterization results, we describe how PTMs induce conformational changes in tau monomer and regulate tau aggregation. Compared to functional analysis of tau PTMs, biophysical characterization of tau PTMs is lagging. While it is challenging, characterizing the specific effects of PTMs on tau conformation and interaction is indispensable to unravel the tau PTM code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqiong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Yue Han
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.
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16
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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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17
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Huo MZ, Hu ZL, Ying YL, Long YT. Enhanced identification of Tau acetylation and phosphorylation with an engineered aerolysin nanopore. Proteomics 2021; 22:e2100041. [PMID: 34545670 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202100041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) affect protein function/dysfunction, playing important roles in the occurrence and development of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. PTM detection is significant and still challenging due to the requirements of high sensitivity to identify the subtle structural differences between modifications. Herein, in terms of the unique geometry of the aerolysin (AeL) nanopore, we elaborately engineered a T232K AeL nanopore to detect the acetylation and phosphorylation of Tau segment (Pep). By replacing neutral threonine (T) with positively charged lysine (K) at the 232 sites, the T232K and K238 rings of this engineered T232K AeL nanopore corporately work together to enhance electrostatic trapping of the acetylated and phosphorylated Tau peptides. Translocation speed of the monophosphorylated Pep-P was decelerated by up to 46 folds compared to the wild-type (WT) AeL nanopore. The prolonged residences within the T232K AeL nanopore enabled to simultaneously identify the monoacetylated Pep-Ac, monophosphorylated Pep-P, di-modified Pep-P-Ac and non-modified Pep. The tremendous potential is demonstrated for PTM sensing by manipulating non-covalent interactions between nanopores and single analytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Zhu Huo
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Zheng-Li Hu
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, P. R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Lun Ying
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China.,Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Tao Long
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, P. R. China
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