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Moldovean-Cioroianu NS. Reviewing the Structure-Function Paradigm in Polyglutamine Disorders: A Synergistic Perspective on Theoretical and Experimental Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6789. [PMID: 38928495 PMCID: PMC11204371 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the excessive expansion of CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine) repeats within host proteins. The quest to unravel the complex diseases mechanism has led researchers to adopt both theoretical and experimental methods, each offering unique insights into the underlying pathogenesis. This review emphasizes the significance of combining multiple approaches in the study of polyQ disorders, focusing on the structure-function correlations and the relevance of polyQ-related protein dynamics in neurodegeneration. By integrating computational/theoretical predictions with experimental observations, one can establish robust structure-function correlations, aiding in the identification of key molecular targets for therapeutic interventions. PolyQ proteins' dynamics, influenced by their length and interactions with other molecular partners, play a pivotal role in the polyQ-related pathogenic cascade. Moreover, conformational dynamics of polyQ proteins can trigger aggregation, leading to toxic assembles that hinder proper cellular homeostasis. Understanding these intricacies offers new avenues for therapeutic strategies by fine-tuning polyQ kinetics, in order to prevent and control disease progression. Last but not least, this review highlights the importance of integrating multidisciplinary efforts to advancing research in this field, bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of finding effective treatments against polyQ disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastasia Sanda Moldovean-Cioroianu
- Institute of Materials Science, Bioinspired Materials and Biosensor Technologies, Kiel University, Kaiserstraße 2, 24143 Kiel, Germany;
- Faculty of Physics, Babeș-Bolyai University, Kogălniceanu 1, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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2
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Mohanty P, Phan TM, Mittal J. Transient interdomain interactions modulate the monomeric structural ensemble and oligomerization landscape of Huntingtin Exon 1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592468. [PMID: 38766024 PMCID: PMC11100600 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Polyglutamine expansion (≥ 36 residues) within the N-terminal exon-1 of Huntingtin (Httex1) leads to Huntington's disease, a neurogenerative condition marked by the presence of intranuclear Htt inclusions. Notably, the polyglutamine tract in Httex1 is flanked by an N-terminal coiled-coil domain - N17 (17 amino acids), which undergoes self-association to promote the formation of soluble Httex1 oligomers and brings the aggregation-prone polyQ tracts in close spatial proximity. However, the mechanisms underlying the subsequent conversion of soluble oligomers into insoluble β-rich aggregates with increasing polyQ length, remain unclear. Current knowledge suggests that expansion of the polyQ tract increases its helicity, and this favors its oligomerization and aggregation. In addition, studies utilizing conformation-specific antibodies and a stable coiled-coil heterotetrametric system fused to polyQ indicate that domain "cross-talk" (i.e., interdomain interactions) may be necessary to efficiently promote the emergence of toxic conformations (in monomers and oligomers) and fibrillar aggregation. Here, we performed extensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (aggregate time ∼ 0.7 ms) of N17-polyQ fragments to uncover the interplay between structural transformation and domain "cross-talk" on the monomeric structural ensemble and oligomerization landscape of Httex1. Our simulation ensembles of N17-polyQ monomers validated against 13 C NMR chemical shifts indicated that in addition to elevated α-helicity, polyQ expansion also favors transient, interdomain (N17-polyQ) interactions which result in the emergence of β-conformations. Further, interdomain interactions decreased the overall stability of N17-mediated dimers by counteracting the stabilizing effect of increased α-helicity and promoted a heterogenous oligomerization landscape on the sub-microsecond timescale. Overall, our study uncovers the significance of domain "cross-talk" in modulating the monomeric conformational ensemble and oligomerization landscape of Httex1 to favor the formation of amyloid aggregates.
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Amartumur S, Nguyen H, Huynh T, Kim TS, Woo RS, Oh E, Kim KK, Lee LP, Heo C. Neuropathogenesis-on-chips for neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2219. [PMID: 38472255 PMCID: PMC10933492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46554-8] [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: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing diagnostics and treatments for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is challenging due to multifactorial pathogenesis that progresses gradually. Advanced in vitro systems that recapitulate patient-like pathophysiology are emerging as alternatives to conventional animal-based models. In this review, we explore the interconnected pathogenic features of different types of ND, discuss the general strategy to modelling NDs using a microfluidic chip, and introduce the organoid-on-a-chip as the next advanced relevant model. Lastly, we overview how these models are being applied in academic and industrial drug development. The integration of microfluidic chips, stem cells, and biotechnological devices promises to provide valuable insights for biomedical research and developing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarnai Amartumur
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Huong Nguyen
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Thuy Huynh
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Testaverde S Kim
- Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Ran-Sook Woo
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon, 34824, Korea
| | - Eungseok Oh
- Department of Neurology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, 35015, Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Science (GSBMS), Institute for Anti-microbial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Luke P Lee
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
- Harvard Medical School, Division of Engineering in Medicine and Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Chaejeong Heo
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
- Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, 16419, Korea.
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4
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Farid N, Bux K, Ali K, Bashir A, Tahir R. Repurposing Amphotericin B: anti-microbial, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggest inhibition potential of Amphotericin B against MRSA. BMC Chem 2023; 17:67. [PMID: 37386581 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-023-00980-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphotericin B (AMPH) is an anti-fungal drug and this study, for the first time as best of our knowledge, reports the repurposing of the Amphotericin B. The drug was found to show significant antibacterial potential revealed by antimicrobial screening, molecular docking, and mode of action analysis targeting Penicillin Binding Protein 2a (PBP 2a protein) which is target of β-lactam drugs and is involved in cell wall synthesis. Mode of action analysis showed the drug to have hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions with both C-terminal, trans-peptidase and non-penicillin binding domain of the protein. Additionally, to evaluate the impact of ligand binding on the protein's conformational dynamics, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used. Comparative Dynamical flexibility (RMSF) and Dynamics Cross Correlation (DCCM) followed by MD simulations revealed the complex formation significantly effecting structural dynamics of the enzyme significantly in the non-penicillin binding domain (327-668) and slightly in trans peptidase domain. Radius of gyration assessment further showed ligand binding also decreasing over all compactness of protein. Secondary structure analysis indicated the complex formation changing the conformational integrity in non-penicillin binding domain. Hydrogen bond analysis and MMPBSA, free energy of calculations followed by MD simulations, also complemented the antimicrobial and molecular docking revelations suggesting Amphotericin B to have substantial antibacterial potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Farid
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Khair Bux
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Kashif Ali
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Asma Bashir
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rahima Tahir
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan
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5
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Elena-Real CA, Sagar A, Urbanek A, Popovic M, Morató A, Estaña A, Fournet A, Doucet C, Lund XL, Shi ZD, Costa L, Thureau A, Allemand F, Swenson RE, Milhiet PE, Crehuet R, Barducci A, Cortés J, Sinnaeve D, Sibille N, Bernadó P. The structure of pathogenic huntingtin exon 1 defines the bases of its aggregation propensity. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:309-320. [PMID: 36864173 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-00920-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the first exon of the HTT gene, resulting in an extended polyglutamine (poly-Q) tract in huntingtin (httex1). The structural changes occurring to the poly-Q when increasing its length remain poorly understood due to its intrinsic flexibility and the strong compositional bias. The systematic application of site-specific isotopic labeling has enabled residue-specific NMR investigations of the poly-Q tract of pathogenic httex1 variants with 46 and 66 consecutive glutamines. Integrative data analysis reveals that the poly-Q tract adopts long α-helical conformations propagated and stabilized by glutamine side chain to backbone hydrogen bonds. We show that α-helical stability is a stronger signature in defining aggregation kinetics and the structure of the resulting fibrils than the number of glutamines. Our observations provide a structural perspective of the pathogenicity of expanded httex1 and pave the way to a deeper understanding of poly-Q-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Elena-Real
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Amin Sagar
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Annika Urbanek
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Matija Popovic
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Anna Morató
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Alejandro Estaña
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- LAAS-CNRS, University of Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Aurélie Fournet
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Doucet
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Xamuel L Lund
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Institute of Laue Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Zhen-Dan Shi
- The Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Luca Costa
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Frédéric Allemand
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Rolf E Swenson
- The Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Ramon Crehuet
- Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessandro Barducci
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Juan Cortés
- LAAS-CNRS, University of Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Davy Sinnaeve
- Univ. Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS, EMR9002, Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Nathalie Sibille
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Pau Bernadó
- Centre for Structural Biology, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
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6
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V M DD, Sivaramakrishnan V, Arvind Kumar K. Structural systems biology approach delineate the functional implications of SNPs in exon junction complex interaction network. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11969-11986. [PMID: 36617892 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2164355] [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: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, transcripts that carry premature termination codons (PTC) leading to truncated proteins are degraded by the Nonsense Mediated Decay (NMD) machinery. Missense and nonsense Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in proteins belonging to Exon junction complex (EJC) and up-frameshift protein (UPF) will compromise NMD leading to the accumulation of truncated proteins in various diseases. The EJC and UPF which are involved in NMD is a good model system to study the effect of SNPs at a system level. Despite the availability of crystal structures, computational tools, and data on mutational and deletion studies, with functional implications, an integrated effort to understand the impact of SNPs at the systems level is lacking. To study the functional consequences of missense SNPs, sequence-based techniques like SIFT and PolyPhen which classify SNPs as deleterious or non-deleterious and structure-based methods like FoldX which calculate the Delta Delta G, (ddGs, ∆∆G) are used. Using FoldX, the ddG for mutations with experimentally validated functional effects is calculated and compared with those calculated for SNPs in the same protein-protein interaction interface. Further, a model is conceived to explain the functional implications of SNPs based on the effects observed for known mutants. The results are visualized in a network format. The effects of nonsense mutations are discerned by comparing with deletion mutation studies and loss of interaction in the crystal structure. The present work not only integrates genomics, proteomics, and classical genetics with 'Structural Biology' but also helps to integrate it into a 'systems-level functional network'.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Datta Darshan V M
- Disease Biology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Venketesh Sivaramakrishnan
- Disease Biology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - K Arvind Kumar
- Disease Biology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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7
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Khaled M, Strodel B, Sayyed-Ahmad A. Comparative molecular dynamics simulations of pathogenic and non-pathogenic huntingtin protein monomers and dimers. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1143353. [PMID: 37101557 PMCID: PMC10123271 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1143353] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine expansion at the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein exon 1 (Htt-ex1) is closely associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases, which result from the aggregation of the increased polyQ repeat. However, the underlying structures and aggregation mechanism are still poorly understood. We performed microsecond-long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the folding and dimerization of Htt-ex1 (about 100 residues) with non-pathogenic and pathogenic polyQ lengths, and uncovered substantial differences. The non-pathogenic monomer adopts a long α-helix that includes most of the polyQ residues, which forms the interaction interface for dimerization, and a PPII-turn-PPII motif in the proline-rich region. In the pathogenic monomer, the polyQ region is disordered, leading to compact structures with many intra-protein interactions and the formation of short β-sheets. Dimerization can proceed via different modes, where those involving the N-terminal headpiece bury more hydrophobic residues and are thus more stable. Moreover, in the pathogenic Htt-ex1 dimers the proline-rich region interacts with the polyQ region, which slows the formation of β-sheets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Khaled
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- *Correspondence: Birgit Strodel, ; Abdallah Sayyed-Ahmad,
| | - Abdallah Sayyed-Ahmad
- Department of Physics, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine
- *Correspondence: Birgit Strodel, ; Abdallah Sayyed-Ahmad,
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8
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Rahman A, Saikia B, Gogoi CR, Baruah A. Advances in the understanding of protein misfolding and aggregation through molecular dynamics simulation. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 175:31-48. [PMID: 36044970 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant protein folding known as protein misfolding is counted as one of the striking factors of neurodegenerative diseases. The extensive range of pathologies caused by protein misfolding, aggregation and subsequent accumulation are mainly classified into either gain of function diseases or loss of function diseases. In order to seek for novel strategies for treatment and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, insights into the mechanism of misfolding and aggregation is essential. A comprehensive knowledge on the factors influencing misfolding and aggregation is required as well. An extensive experimental study on protein aggregation is somewhat challenging due to the insoluble and noncrystalline nature of amyloid fibrils. Thus there has been a growing use of computational approaches including Monte Carlo simulation, docking simulation, molecular dynamics simulation in the study of protein misfolding and aggregation. The review presents a discussion on molecular dynamics simulation alone as to how it has emerged as a promising tool in the understanding of protein misfolding and aggregation in general, detailing upon three different aspects considering four misfold prone proteins in particular. It is noticeable that all four proteins considered in this review i.e prion, superoxide dismutase1, huntingtin and amyloid β are linked to chronic neurodegenerative diseases with debilitating effects. Initially the review elaborates on the factors influencing the misfolding and aggregation. Next, it addresses our current understanding of the amyloid structures and the associated aggregation mechanisms, finally, summarizing the contribution of this computational tool in the search for therapeutic strategies against the respective protein-deposition diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Bondeepa Saikia
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Chimi Rekha Gogoi
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Anupaul Baruah
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India.
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9
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Zhang L, Kang H, Perez-Aguilar JM, Zhou R. Possible Co-Evolution of Polyglutamine and Polyproline in Huntingtin Protein: Proline-Rich Domain as Transient Folding Chaperone. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6331-6341. [PMID: 35796410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the overduplication of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin gene. Recent findings revealed that among the orthologs, the expansion of CAG repeats (polyQ) in the Huntingtin gene occurs in tandem with the duplication of CCG repeats (polyP). However, the molecular mechanism of this possible co-evolution remains unknown. We examined the structures of Huntingtin exon 1 (HttEx1) from six species along with five designed mutants. We found that the polyP segments "chaperone" the rest of the HttEx1 by forming ad hoc polyP binding grooves. Such a process elongates the otherwise poorly solvated polyQ domain, while modulating its secondary structure propensity from β-strands to α-helices. This chaperoning effect is achieved mostly through transient hydrogen bond interactions between polyP and the rest of HttEx1, resulting in a striking golden ratio of ∼2:1 between the chain lengths of polyQ and polyP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leili Zhang
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Hongsuk Kang
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Jose Manuel Perez-Aguilar
- School of Chemical Sciences, Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), University City, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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10
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Kaur T, Brooks AF, Lapsys A, Desmond TJ, Stauff J, Arteaga J, Winton WP, Scott PJH. Synthesis and Evaluation of a Fluorine-18 Radioligand for Imaging Huntingtin Aggregates by Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:766176. [PMID: 34924935 PMCID: PMC8675899 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.766176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the huntingtin gene (HTT) triggers aggregation of huntingtin protein (mHTT), which is the hallmark pathology of neurodegenerative Huntington's disease (HD). Development of a high affinity 18F radiotracer would enable the study of Huntington's disease pathology using a non-invasive imaging modality, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Herein, we report the first synthesis of fluorine-18 imaging agent, 6-(5-((5-(2,2-difluoro-2-(fluoro-18F)ethoxy)pyridin-2-yl)methoxy)benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)-2-methylpyridazin-3(2H)-one ([18F]1), a radioligand for HD and its preclinical evaluation in vitro (autoradiography of post-mortem HD brains) and in vivo (rodent and non-human primate brain PET). [18F]1 was synthesized in a 4.1% RCY (decay corrected) and in an average molar activity of 16.5 ± 12.5 GBq/μmol (445 ± 339 Ci/mmol). [18F]1 penetrated the blood-brain barrier of both rodents and primates, and specific saturable binding in post-mortem brain slices was observed that correlated to mHTT aggregates identified by immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter J. H. Scott
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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11
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miR-302 Attenuates Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Cytotoxicity through Restoration of Autophagy and Insulin Sensitivity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168424. [PMID: 34445125 PMCID: PMC8395150 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant brain disorder caused by mutant huntingtin (mHtt). Although the detailed mechanisms remain unclear, the mutational expansion of polyglutamine in mHtt is proposed to induce protein aggregates and neuronal toxicity. Previous studies have shown that the decreased insulin sensitivity is closely related to mHtt-associated impairments in HD patients. However, how mHtt interferes with insulin signaling in neurons is still unknown. In the present study, we used a HD cell model to demonstrate that the miR-302 cluster, an embryonic stem cell-specific polycistronic miRNA, is significantly downregulated in mHtt-Q74-overexpressing neuronal cells. On the contrary, restoration of miR-302 cluster was shown to attenuate mHtt-induced cytotoxicity by improving insulin sensitivity, leading to a reduction of mHtt aggregates through the enhancement of autophagy. In addition, miR-302 also promoted mitophagy and stimulated Sirt1/AMPK-PGC1α pathway thereby preserving mitochondrial function. Taken together, these results highlight the potential role of miR-302 cluster in neuronal cells, and provide a novel mechanism for mHtt-impaired insulin signaling in the pathogenesis of HD.
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12
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Sabnis RW. Novel Substituted Benzothiazole Compounds for Treating Huntington's Disease. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:534-535. [PMID: 33859791 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ram W. Sabnis
- Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, 1230 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 3100, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
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13
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Sabnis RW. Novel Substituted Monocyclic Heteroaryl Compounds for Treating Huntington's Disease. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:5-6. [PMID: 33488955 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ram W. Sabnis
- Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, 1230 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 3100, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
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14
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Moldovean SN, Chiş V. Specific Key-Point Mutations along the Helical Conformation of Huntingtin-Exon 1 Protein Might Have an Antagonistic Effect on the Toxic Helical Content's Formation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:2881-2889. [PMID: 32786304 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The polyglutamine tract length represents a key regulator for the Huntington's disease toxicity level and its aggregation rates, often being related to helical structural conformations. In this study, we performed all-atom MD simulations on mutant Huntingtin-Exon1 protein with additional mutation spots, aiming to observe the corresponding structural and dynamical changes at the level of the helix. The simulated structures consist of three sets of Q residue mutations into P residues (4P, 7P, and 9P), with each set including different spots of mutations: random along the mutant sequence (R models), at the edges of the helix (E models), as well as at the edges and in the middle of the helix (EM models). At the helical level, our results predict less compactness profiles for a higher number of P mutations (7P and 9P models) with particular mutation spots at the edges and at the edges-middle of the helix. Moreover, the C-alpha atom distances decreased for 7P and 9P models in comparison to 4P models, and the RMSF values show the highest fluctuation rates for 9P models with point mutations at the edges and in the middle of the helix. The secondary structure analysis suggests greater structural transitions from α-helices to bends, turns, and random coils for 7P and 9P models, particularly for point mutations considered at the edges and in the middle of the helical content. The obtained results support our hypothesis that specific key-point mutations along the helical conformation might have an antagonistic effect on the toxic helical content's formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vasile Chiş
- Faculty of Physics, Babeş-Bolyai University, Kogălniceanu 1, RO-400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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