1
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Basith S, Manavalan B, Lee G. Unveiling local and global conformational changes and allosteric communications in SOD1 systems using molecular dynamics simulation and network analyses. Comput Biol Med 2024; 168:107688. [PMID: 37988788 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious neurodegenerative disorder affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that is caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) enzyme. ALS-related mutations cause misfolding, dimerisation instability, and increased formation of aggregates. The underlying allosteric mechanisms, however, remain obscure as far as details of their fundamental atomistic structure are concerned. Hence, this gap in knowledge limits the development of novel SOD1 inhibitors and the understanding of how disease-associated mutations in distal sites affect enzyme activity. METHODS We combined microsecond-scale based unbiased molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with network analysis to elucidate the local and global conformational changes and allosteric communications in SOD1 Apo (unmetallated form), Holo, Apo_CallA (mutant and unmetallated form), and Holo_CallA (mutant form) systems. To identify hotspot residues involved in SOD1 signalling and allosteric communications, we performed network centrality, community network, and path analyses. RESULTS Structural analyses showed that unmetallated SOD1 systems and cysteine mutations displayed large structural variations in the catalytic sites, affecting structural stability. Inter- and intra H-bond analyses identified several important residues crucial for maintaining interfacial stability, structural stability, and enzyme catalysis. Dynamic motion analysis demonstrated more balanced atomic displacement and highly correlated motions in the Holo system. The rationale for structural disparity observed in the disulfide bond formation and R143 configuration in Apo and Holo systems were elucidated using distance and dihedral probability distribution analyses. CONCLUSION Our study highlights the efficiency of combining extensive MD simulations with network analyses to unravel the features of protein allostery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaherin Basith
- Department of Physiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
| | - Balachandran Manavalan
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Integrative Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang Lee
- Department of Physiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Mavadat E, Seyedalipour B, Hosseinkhani S, Colagar AH. Role of charged residues of the "electrostatic loop" of hSOD1 in promotion of aggregation: Implications for the mechanism of ALS-associated mutations under amyloidogenic conditions. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125289. [PMID: 37307969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125289] [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] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and amyloid formation are hallmarks of numerous diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in which hSOD1 aggregation is involved in pathogenesis. We used two point mutations in the electrostatic loop, G138E and T137R, to analyze charge distribution under destabilizing circumstances to gain more about how ALS-linked mutations affect SOD1 protein stability or net repulsive charge. We show that protein charge is important in the ALS disease process using bioinformatics and experiments. The MD simulation findings demonstrate that the mutant protein differs significantly from WT SOD1, which is consistent with the experimental evidence. The specific activity of the wild type was 1.61 and 1.48 times higher than that of the G138E and T137R mutants, respectively. Under amyloid induction conditions, the intensity of intrinsic and ANS fluorescence in both mutants reduced. Increasing the content of β-sheet structures in mutants can be attributed to aggregation propensity, which was confirmed using CD polarimetry and FTIR spectroscopy. Our findings show that two ALS-related mutations promote the formation of amyloid-like aggregates at near physiological pH under destabilizing conditions, which were detected using spectroscopic probes such as Congo red and ThT fluorescence, and also further confirmation of amyloid-like species by TEM. Overall, our results provide evidence supporting the notion that negative charge changes combined with other destabilizing factors play an important role in increasing protein aggregation by reducing repulsive negative charges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Mavadat
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
| | - Bagher Seyedalipour
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.
| | - Saman Hosseinkhani
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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3
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Paladino A, Vitagliano L, Graziano G. The Action of Chemical Denaturants: From Globular to Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050754. [PMID: 37237566 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Proteins perform their many functions by adopting either a minimal number of strictly similar conformations, the native state, or a vast ensemble of highly flexible conformations. In both cases, their structural features are highly influenced by the chemical environment. Even though a plethora of experimental studies have demonstrated the impact of chemical denaturants on protein structure, the molecular mechanism underlying their action is still debated. In the present review, after a brief recapitulation of the main experimental data on protein denaturants, we survey both classical and more recent interpretations of the molecular basis of their action. In particular, we highlight the differences and similarities of the impact that denaturants have on different structural classes of proteins, i.e., globular, intrinsically disordered (IDP), and amyloid-like assemblies. Particular attention has been given to the IDPs, as recent studies are unraveling their fundamental importance in many physiological processes. The role that computation techniques are expected to play in the near future is illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Paladino
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Graziano
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via Francesco de Sanctis snc, 82100 Benevento, Italy
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4
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Yulong B, Wang W, Yanan H, Jichun W, Lihua L, Biao J, Junlin C, Xin Z, Yu L. Tailoring the positive and negative solvatochromism for chalcone analogues to detect heterozygous protein co-aggregation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:4016-4019. [PMID: 36916442 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc00545c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
It is rare for one fluorophore scaffold to harbor both positive and negative solvatochromism. Herein, we tailor chalcone analogues to achieve both positive- and negative-polarity sensitivity of fluorescence intensity. We explore two chalcones of opposite solvatochromism to simultaneously detect the co-aggregation of wild-type and mutant superoxide dismutase that cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai Yulong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Wan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Huang Yanan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wu Jichun
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Liu Lihua
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jing Biao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China. .,The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Chen Junlin
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhang Xin
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Liu Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
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5
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Jensen KS, Nilsson M, Akke M, Malmendal A. Identification of Distinct Soluble States During Fibril Formation Using Multilinear Analysis of NMR Diffusion Data. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2551:461-479. [PMID: 36310220 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2597-2_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and self-assembling into amyloid structures are associated with a number of diseases. Characterization of protein amyloid formation reactions is a challenging task as transient populations of multiple species are involved. Here we outline a method for identification and characterization of the individual soluble states during protein amyloid formation. The method combines NMR translational diffusion measurements with multilinear data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Steen Jensen
- Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Mathias Nilsson
- School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Mikael Akke
- Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anders Malmendal
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
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6
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Weiffert T, Meisl G, Curk S, Cukalevski R, Šarić A, Knowles TPJ, Linse S. Influence of denaturants on amyloid β42 aggregation kinetics. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:943355. [PMID: 36203800 PMCID: PMC9531139 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.943355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid formation is linked to devastating neurodegenerative diseases, motivating detailed studies of the mechanisms of amyloid formation. For Aβ, the peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease, the mechanism and rate of aggregation have been established for a range of variants and conditions in vitro and in bodily fluids. A key outstanding question is how the relative stabilities of monomers, fibrils and intermediates affect each step in the fibril formation process. By monitoring the kinetics of aggregation of Aβ42, in the presence of urea or guanidinium hydrochloride (GuHCl), we here determine the rates of the underlying microscopic steps and establish the importance of changes in relative stability induced by the presence of denaturant for each individual step. Denaturants shift the equilibrium towards the unfolded state of each species. We find that a non-ionic denaturant, urea, reduces the overall aggregation rate, and that the effect on nucleation is stronger than the effect on elongation. Urea reduces the rate of secondary nucleation by decreasing the coverage of fibril surfaces and the rate of nucleus formation. It also reduces the rate of primary nucleation, increasing its reaction order. The ionic denaturant, GuHCl, accelerates the aggregation at low denaturant concentrations and decelerates the aggregation at high denaturant concentrations. Below approximately 0.25 M GuHCl, the screening of repulsive electrostatic interactions between peptides by the charged denaturant dominates, leading to an increased aggregation rate. At higher GuHCl concentrations, the electrostatic repulsion is completely screened, and the denaturing effect dominates. The results illustrate how the differential effects of denaturants on stability of monomer, oligomer and fibril translate to differential effects on microscopic steps, with the rate of nucleation being most strongly reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Weiffert
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Georg Meisl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samo Curk
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Risto Cukalevski
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anđela Šarić
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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7
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Sarkar A, Gasic AG, Cheung MS, Morrison G. Effects of Protein Crowders and Charge on the Folding of Superoxide Dismutase 1 Variants: A Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4458-4471. [PMID: 35686856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is associated with the misfolding and aggregation of the metalloenzyme protein superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) via mutations that destabilize the monomer-dimer interface. In a cellular environment, crowding and electrostatic screening play essential roles in the folding and aggregation of the SOD1 monomers. Despite numerous studies on the effects of mutations on SOD1 folding, a clear understanding of the interplay between crowding, folding, and aggregation in vivo remains lacking. Using a structure-based minimal model for molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the role of self-crowding and charge on the folding stability of SOD1 and the G41D mutant where experimentalists were intrigued by an alteration of the folding mechanism by a single point mutation from glycine to charged aspartic acid. We show that unfolded SOD1 configurations are significantly affected by charge and crowding, a finding that would be extremely costly to achieve with all-atom simulations, while the native state is not significantly altered. The mutation at residue 41 alters the interactions between proteins in the unfolded states instead of those within a protein. This paper suggests electrostatics may play an important role in the folding pathway of SOD1 and modifying the charge via mutation and ion concentration may change the dominant interactions between proteins, with potential impacts for aggregation of the mutants. This work provides a plausible reason for the alteration of the unfolded states to address why the mutant G41D causes the changes to the folding mechanism of SOD1 that have intrigued experimentalists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atrayee Sarkar
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Andrei G Gasic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Margaret S Cheung
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Seattle Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Greg Morrison
- Department of Physics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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8
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Wang LQ, Ma Y, Yuan HY, Zhao K, Zhang MY, Wang Q, Huang X, Xu WC, Dai B, Chen J, Li D, Zhang D, Wang Z, Zou L, Yin P, Liu C, Liang Y. Cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human SOD1 reveals its conformational conversion. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3491. [PMID: 35715417 PMCID: PMC9205981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. Misfolded Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. SOD1 fibrils formed in vitro share toxic properties with ALS inclusions. Here we produced cytotoxic amyloid fibrils from full-length apo human SOD1 under reducing conditions and determined the atomic structure using cryo-EM. The SOD1 fibril consists of a single protofilament with a left-handed helix. The fibril core exhibits a serpentine fold comprising N-terminal segment (residues 3–55) and C-terminal segment (residues 86–153) with an intrinsic disordered segment. The two segments are zipped up by three salt bridge pairs. By comparison with the structure of apo SOD1 dimer, we propose that eight β-strands (to form a β-barrel) and one α-helix in the subunit of apo SOD1 convert into thirteen β-strands stabilized by five hydrophobic cavities in the SOD1 fibril. Our data provide insights into how SOD1 converts between structurally and functionally distinct states. Misfolded SOD1 has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. Here the authors have determined the cryo-EM structure of SOD1 fibrils, providing insights into the conversion of SOD1 from its immature form into an aggregated form during pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yeyang Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Mu-Ya Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen-Chang Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Dai
- Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Delin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengzhi Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Liangyu Zou
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China. .,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China.
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9
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Hnath B, Dokholyan NV. Toxic SOD1 trimers are off-pathway in the formation of amyloid-like fibrils in ALS. Biophys J 2022; 121:2084-2095. [PMID: 35505609 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of insoluble amyloid fibrils is widely studied as a critical factor in the pathology of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Misfolded Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) was the first protein linked to ALS, and non-native SOD1 trimeric oligomers were recently linked to cytotoxicity, while larger oligomers were protective to cells. The balance between trimers and larger aggregates in the process of SOD1 aggregation is, thus, a critical determinant of potential therapeutic approaches to treat ALS. Yet, it is unknown whether these trimeric oligomers are a necessary intermediate for larger aggregate formation or a distinct off-pathway species competing with fibril formation. Depending on the on- or off-pathway scenario of trimer formation, we expect drastically different therapeutic approaches. Here, we show that the toxic SOD1 trimer is an off-pathway intermediate competing with protective fibril formation. We design mutant SOD1 constructs that remain in a trimeric state (super stable trimers) and show that stabilizing the trimeric SOD1 prevents formation of fibrils in vitro and in a motor neuron like cell model (NSC-34). Using size exclusion chromatography, we track the aggregation kinetics of purified SOD1 and show direct competition of trimeric SOD1 with larger oligomer and fibril formation. Finally, we show the trimer is structurally independent of both larger soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils using circular dichroism spectroscopy and limited proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Hnath
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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10
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Peggion C, Scalcon V, Massimino ML, Nies K, Lopreiato R, Rigobello MP, Bertoli A. SOD1 in ALS: Taking Stock in Pathogenic Mechanisms and the Role of Glial and Muscle Cells. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:614. [PMID: 35453299 PMCID: PMC9032988 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. While the exact causes of ALS are still unclear, the discovery that familial cases of ALS are related to mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a key antioxidant enzyme protecting cells from the deleterious effects of superoxide radicals, suggested that alterations in SOD1 functionality and/or aberrant SOD1 aggregation strongly contribute to ALS pathogenesis. A new scenario was opened in which, thanks to the generation of SOD1 related models, different mechanisms crucial for ALS progression were identified. These include excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions, and non-cell autonomous toxicity, also implicating altered Ca2+ metabolism. While most of the literature considers motor neurons as primary target of SOD1-mediated effects, here we mainly discuss the effects of SOD1 mutations in non-neuronal cells, such as glial and skeletal muscle cells, in ALS. Attention is given to the altered redox balance and Ca2+ homeostasis, two processes that are strictly related with each other. We also provide original data obtained in primary myocytes derived from hSOD1(G93A) transgenic mice, showing perturbed expression of Ca2+ transporters that may be responsible for altered mitochondrial Ca2+ fluxes. ALS-related SOD1 mutants are also responsible for early alterations of fundamental biological processes in skeletal myocytes that may impinge on skeletal muscle functions and the cross-talk between muscle cells and motor neurons during disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
| | - Valeria Scalcon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
| | | | - Kelly Nies
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
- Department of Radiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Raffaele Lopreiato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
| | - Maria Pia Rigobello
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.P.); (V.S.); (K.N.); (R.L.)
- CNR—Neuroscience Institute, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
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11
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Nguyen PH, Ramamoorthy A, Sahoo BR, Zheng J, Faller P, Straub JE, Dominguez L, Shea JE, Dokholyan NV, De Simone A, Ma B, Nussinov R, Najafi S, Ngo ST, Loquet A, Chiricotto M, Ganguly P, McCarty J, Li MS, Hall C, Wang Y, Miller Y, Melchionna S, Habenstein B, Timr S, Chen J, Hnath B, Strodel B, Kayed R, Lesné S, Wei G, Sterpone F, Doig AJ, Derreumaux P. Amyloid Oligomers: A Joint Experimental/Computational Perspective on Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Type II Diabetes, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Chem Rev 2021; 121:2545-2647. [PMID: 33543942 PMCID: PMC8836097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 128.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is observed in many amyloidogenic diseases affecting either the central nervous system or a variety of peripheral tissues. Structural and dynamic characterization of all species along the pathways from monomers to fibrils is challenging by experimental and computational means because they involve intrinsically disordered proteins in most diseases. Yet understanding how amyloid species become toxic is the challenge in developing a treatment for these diseases. Here we review what computer, in vitro, in vivo, and pharmacological experiments tell us about the accumulation and deposition of the oligomers of the (Aβ, tau), α-synuclein, IAPP, and superoxide dismutase 1 proteins, which have been the mainstream concept underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), type II diabetes (T2D), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, respectively, for many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong H Nguyen
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Bikash R Sahoo
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Peter Faller
- Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Laura Dominguez
- Facultad de Química, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
- Department of Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Saeed Najafi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Son Tung Ngo
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics & Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Mara Chiricotto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - James McCarty
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225, United States
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Carol Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry and The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | | | - Birgit Habenstein
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Stepan Timr
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Brianna Hnath
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Sylvain Lesné
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Andrew J Doig
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Philippe Derreumaux
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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12
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McAlary L, Chew YL, Lum JS, Geraghty NJ, Yerbury JJ, Cashman NR. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Proteins, Proteostasis, Prions, and Promises. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:581907. [PMID: 33328890 PMCID: PMC7671971 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.581907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons that innervate muscle, resulting in gradual paralysis and culminating in the inability to breathe or swallow. This neuronal degeneration occurs in a spatiotemporal manner from a point of onset in the central nervous system (CNS), suggesting that there is a molecule that spreads from cell-to-cell. There is strong evidence that the onset and progression of ALS pathology is a consequence of protein misfolding and aggregation. In line with this, a hallmark pathology of ALS is protein deposition and inclusion formation within motor neurons and surrounding glia of the proteins TAR DNA-binding protein 43, superoxide dismutase-1, or fused in sarcoma. Collectively, the observed protein aggregation, in conjunction with the spatiotemporal spread of symptoms, strongly suggests a prion-like propagation of protein aggregation occurs in ALS. In this review, we discuss the role of protein aggregation in ALS concerning protein homeostasis (proteostasis) mechanisms and prion-like propagation. Furthermore, we examine the experimental models used to investigate these processes, including in vitro assays, cultured cells, invertebrate models, and murine models. Finally, we evaluate the therapeutics that may best prevent the onset or spread of pathology in ALS and discuss what lies on the horizon for treating this currently incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke McAlary
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Yee Lian Chew
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeremy Stephen Lum
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas John Geraghty
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin John Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Neil R. Cashman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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13
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Timr S, Gnutt D, Ebbinghaus S, Sterpone F. The Unfolding Journey of Superoxide Dismutase 1 Barrels under Crowding: Atomistic Simulations Shed Light on Intermediate States and Their Interactions with Crowders. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:4206-4212. [PMID: 32364389 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The thermal stability of the superoxide dismutase 1 protein in a crowded solution is investigated by performing enhanced sampling molecular simulations. By complementing thermal unfolding experiments done close to physiological conditions (200 mg/mL), we provide evidence that the presence of the protein crowder bovine serum albumin in different packing states has only a minor, and essentially destabilizing, effect. The finding that quinary interactions counteract the pure stabilization contribution stemming from excluded volume is rationalized here by exploring the SOD1 unfolding mechanism in microscopic detail. In agreement with recent experiments, we unveil the importance of intermediate unfolded states as well as the correlation between protein conformations and local packing with the crowders. This link helps us to elucidate why certain SOD1 mutations involved in the ALS disease reverse the stability effect of the intracellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stepan Timr
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - David Gnutt
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Simon Ebbinghaus
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
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14
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Srinivasan E, Rajasekaran R. A Systematic and Comprehensive Review on Disease-Causing Genes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1742-1770. [PMID: 32415434 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01569-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by degeneration and axon loss from the upper motor neuron, that descends from the lower motor neuron in the brain. Over the period, assorted outcomes from medical findings, molecular pathogenesis, and structural and biophysical studies have abetted in providing thoughtful insights underlying the importance of disease-causing genes in ALS. Consequently, numerous mechanisms were proposed for the pathogenesis of ALS, considering protein mutations, aggregation, and misfolding. Besides, the answers to the majority of ALS cases that happen to be sporadic still remain obscure. The application in discovering susceptibility factors in ALS contemplating the genetic factors is to be further dissevered in the future years with innovation in research studies. Hence, this review targets in revisiting the breakthroughs on the disease-causing genes related with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Srinivasan
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (deemed to be university), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (deemed to be university), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
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15
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Jensen KS, Linse S, Nilsson M, Akke M, Malmendal A. Revealing Well-Defined Soluble States during Amyloid Fibril Formation by Multilinear Analysis of NMR Diffusion Data. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:18649-18652. [PMID: 31702142 PMCID: PMC7188332 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b07952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Amyloid fibril formation is a hallmark
of neurodegenerative disease
caused by protein aggregation. Oligomeric protein states that arise
during the process of fibril formation often coexist with mature fibrils
and are known to cause cell death in disease model systems. Progress
in this field depends critically on development of analytical methods
that can provide information about the mechanisms and species involved
in oligomerization and fibril formation. Here, we demonstrate how
the powerful combination of diffusion NMR and multilinear data analysis
can efficiently disentangle the number of involved species, their
kinetic rates of formation or disappearance, spectral contributions,
and diffusion coefficients, even without prior knowledge of the time
evolution of the process or chemical shift assignments of the various
species. Using this method we identify oligomeric species that form
transiently during aggregation of human superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1),
which is known to form misfolded aggregates in patients with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis. Specifically, over a time course of 42 days, during
which SOD1 fibrils form, we detect the disappearance of the native
monomeric species, formation of a partially unfolded intermediate
in the dimer to tetramer size range, subsequent formation of a distinct
similarly sized species that dominates the final spectrum detected
by solution NMR, and concomitant appearance of small peptide fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Steen Jensen
- Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Sara Linse
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Mathias Nilsson
- School of Chemistry , University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL , U.K
| | - Mikael Akke
- Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Anders Malmendal
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden.,Department of Science and Environment , Roskilde University , P.O. Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde , Denmark
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16
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Chowdhury S, Sen S, Banerjee A, Uversky VN, Maulik U, Chattopadhyay K. Network mapping of the conformational heterogeneity of SOD1 by deploying statistical cluster analysis of FTIR spectra. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4145-4154. [PMID: 31011770 PMCID: PMC11105373 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03108-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
A crucial contribution to the heterogeneity of the conformational landscape of a protein comes from the way an intermediate relates to another intermediate state in its journey from the unfolded to folded or misfolded form. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to decode this relatedness in a quantifiable manner. Here, we developed an application of statistical cluster analyses to explore the conformational heterogeneity of a metalloenzyme, human cytosolic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), using the inputs from infrared spectroscopy. This study provides a quantifiable picture of how conformational information at one particular site (for example, the copper-binding pocket) is related to the information at the second site (for example, the zinc-binding pocket), and how this relatedness is transferred to the global conformational information of the protein. The distance outputs were used to quantitatively generate a network capturing the folding sub-stages of SOD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Chowdhury
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Laboratory, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Sagnik Sen
- Department of Computer Science, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Amrita Banerjee
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Laboratory, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India
- Department of Chemistry, Hiralal Mazumdar Memorial College for Women, Dakshineswar, Kolkata, 700035, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. MDC07, Tampa, FL, USA
- Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, 142290, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Ujjwal Maulik
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Protein Folding and Dynamics Laboratory, Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, 700032, India.
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17
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Reductive Reprogramming: A Not-So-Radical Hypothesis of Neurodegeneration Linking Redox Perturbations to Neuroinflammation and Excitotoxicity. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 39:577-590. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00672-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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18
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Bille A, Jensen KS, Mohanty S, Akke M, Irbäck A. Stability and Local Unfolding of SOD1 in the Presence of Protein Crowders. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:1920-1930. [PMID: 30753785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b10774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Using NMR and Monte Carlo (MC) methods, we investigate the stability and dynamics of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in homogeneous crowding environments, where either bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) or the B1 domain of streptococcal protein G (PGB1) serves as a crowding agent. By NMR, we show that both crowders, and especially BPTI, cause a drastic loss in the overall stability of SOD1 in its apo monomeric form. Additionally, we determine chemical shift perturbations indicating that SOD1 interacts with the crowder proteins in a residue-specific manner that further depends on the identity of the crowding protein. Furthermore, the specificity of SOD1-crowder interactions is reciprocal: chemical shift perturbations on BPTI and PGB1 identify regions that interact preferentially with SOD1. By MC simulations, we investigate the local unfolding of SOD1 in the absence and presence of the crowders. We find that the crowders primarily interact with the long flexible loops of the folded SOD1 monomer. The basic mechanisms by which the SOD1 β-barrel core unfolds remain unchanged when adding the crowders. In particular, both with and without the crowders, the second β-sheet of the barrel is more dynamic and unfolding-prone than the first. Notably, the MC simulations (exploring the early stages of SOD1 unfolding) and the NMR experiments (under equilibrium conditions) identify largely the same set of PGB1 and BPTI residues as prone to form SOD1 contacts. Thus, contacts stabilizing the unfolded state of SOD1 in many cases appear to form early in the unfolding reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bille
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics , Lund University , Sölvegatan 14A , SE-223 62 Lund , Sweden
| | - Kristine Steen Jensen
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Sandipan Mohanty
- Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre , Forschungszentrum Jülich , D-52425 Jülich , Germany
| | - Mikael Akke
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science , Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund , Sweden
| | - Anders Irbäck
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics , Lund University , Sölvegatan 14A , SE-223 62 Lund , Sweden
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19
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Tryptophan 32 mediates SOD1 toxicity in a in vivo motor neuron model of ALS and is a promising target for small molecule therapeutics. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 124:297-310. [PMID: 30528257 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
SOD1 misfolding, toxic gain of function, and spread are proposed as a pathological basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the nature of SOD1 toxicity has been difficult to elucidate. Uniquely in SOD1 proteins from humans and other primates, and rarely in other species, a tryptophan residue at position 32 (W32) is predicted to be solvent exposed and to participate in SOD1 misfolding. We hypothesized that W32 is influential in SOD1 acquiring toxicity, as it is known to be important in template-directed misfolding. We tested if W32 contributes to SOD1 cytotoxicity and if it is an appropriate drug target to ameliorate ALS-like neuromuscular deficits in a zebrafish model of motor neuron axon morphology and function (swimming). Embryos injected with human SOD1 variant with W32 substituted for a serine (SOD1W32S) had reduced motor neuron axonopathy and motor deficits compared to those injected with wildtype or disease-associated SOD1. A library of FDA-approved small molecules was ranked with virtual screening based on predicted binding to W32, and subsequently filtered for analogues using a pharmacophore model based on molecular features of the uracil moiety of a small molecule previously predicted to interact with W32 (5'-fluorouridine or 5'-FUrd). Along with testing 5'-FUrd and uridine, a lead candidate from this list was selected based on its lower toxicity and improved blood brain barrier penetrance; telbivudine significantly rescued SOD1 toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanisms whereby the small molecules ameliorated motor neuron phenotypes were specifically mediated through human SOD1 and its residue W32, because these therapeutics had no measurable impact on the effects of UBQLN4D90A, EtOH, or tryptophan-deficient human SOD1W32S. By substituting W32 for a more evolutionarily conserved residue (serine), we confirmed the significant influence of W32 on human SOD1 toxicity to motor neuron morphology and function; further, we performed pharmaceutical targeting of the W32 residue for rescuing SOD1 toxicity. This unique residue offers future novel insights into SOD1 stability and toxic gain of function, and therefore poses an potential target for drug therapy.
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20
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Large SOD1 aggregates, unlike trimeric SOD1, do not impact cell viability in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:4661-4665. [PMID: 29666246 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800187115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant accumulation of misfolded Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a hallmark of SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disease. While recent discovery of nonnative trimeric SOD1-associated neurotoxicity has suggested a potential pathway for motor neuron impairment, it is yet unknown whether large, insoluble aggregates are cytotoxic. Here we designed SOD1 mutations that specifically stabilize either the fibrillar form or the trimeric state of SOD1. The designed mutants display elevated populations of fibrils or trimers correspondingly, as demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and electron microscopy. The trimer-stabilizing mutant, G147P, promoted cell death, even more potently in comparison with the aggressive ALS-associated mutants A4V and G93A. In contrast, the fibril-stabilizing mutants, N53I and D101I, positively impacted the survival of motor neuron-like cells. Hence, we conclude the SOD1 oligomer and not the mature form of aggregated fibril is critical for the neurotoxic effects in the model of ALS. The formation of large aggregates is in competition with trimer formation, suggesting that aggregation may be a protective mechanism against formation of toxic oligomeric intermediates.
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