1
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Ali A, Holman AP, Rodriguez A, Osborne L, Kurouski D. Elucidating the mechanisms of α-Synuclein-lipid interactions using site-directed mutagenesis. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 198:106553. [PMID: 38839022 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106553] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a small protein that is involved in cell vesicle trafficking in neuronal synapses. A progressive aggregation of this protein is the expected molecular cause of Parkinson's disease, a disease that affects millions of people around the world. A growing body of evidence indicates that phospholipids can strongly accelerate α-syn aggregation and alter the toxicity of α-syn oligomers and fibrils formed in the presence of lipid vesicles. This effect is attributed to the presence of high copies of lysines in the N-terminus of the protein. In this study, we performed site-directed mutagenesis and replaced one out of two lysines at each of the five sites located in the α-syn N-terminus. Using several biophysical and cellular approaches, we investigated the extent to which six negatively charged fatty acids (FAs) could alter the aggregation properties of K10A, K23A, K32A, K43A, and K58A α-syn. We found that FAs uniquely modified the aggregation properties of K43A, K58A, and WT α-syn, as well as changed morphology of amyloid fibrils formed by these mutants. At the same time, FAs failed to cause substantial changes in the aggregation rates of K10A, K23A, and K32A α-syn, as well as alter the morphology and toxicity of the corresponding amyloid fibrils. Based on these results, we can conclude that K10, K23, and K32 amino acid residues play a critical role in protein-lipid interactions since their replacement on non-polar alanines strongly suppressed α-syn-lipid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Axell Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Luke Osborne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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2
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Jothi D, Kulka LAM. Strategies for modeling aging and age-related diseases. NPJ AGING 2024; 10:32. [PMID: 38987252 PMCID: PMC11237002 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-024-00161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The ability to reprogram patient-derived-somatic cells to IPSCs (Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells) has led to a better understanding of aging and age-related diseases like Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. The established patient-derived disease models mimic disease pathology and can be used to design drugs for aging and age-related diseases. However, the age and genetic mutations of the donor cells, the employed reprogramming, and the differentiation protocol might often pose challenges in establishing an appropriate disease model. In this review, we will focus on the various strategies for the successful reprogramming and differentiation of patient-derived cells to disease models for aging and age-related diseases, emphasizing the accuracy in the recapitulation of disease pathology and ways to overcome the limitations of its potential application in cell replacement therapy and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Jothi
- Department of Biochemistry II, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
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3
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Zhou J, Assenza S, Tatli M, Tian J, Ilie IM, Starostin EL, Caflisch A, Knowles TPJ, Dietler G, Ruggeri FS, Stahlberg H, Sekatskii SK, Mezzenga R. Hierarchical Protofilament Intertwining Rules the Formation of Mixed-Curvature Amyloid Polymorphs. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402740. [PMID: 38899849 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid polymorphism is a hallmark of almost all amyloid species, yet the mechanisms underlying the formation of amyloid polymorphs and their complex architectures remain elusive. Commonly, two main mesoscopic topologies are found in amyloid polymorphs characterized by non-zero Gaussian and mean curvatures: twisted ribbons and helical fibrils, respectively. Here, a rich heterogeneity of configurations is demonstrated on insulin amyloid fibrils, where protofilament packing can occur, besides the common polymorphs, also in a combined mode forming mixed-curvature polymorphs. Through AFM statistical analysis, an extended array of heterogeneous architectures that are rationalized by mesoscopic theoretical arguments are identified. Notably, an unusual fibrillization pathway is also unraveled toward mixed-curvature polymorphs via the widespread recruitment and intertwining of protofilaments and protofibrils. The results present an original view of amyloid polymorphism and advance the fundamental understanding of the fibrillization mechanism from single protofilaments into mature amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Zhou
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Salvatore Assenza
- Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
- Instituto Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Meltem Tatli
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, SB, EPFL, and Dep. of Fund. Microbiol., Faculty of Biology and Medicine, UNIL, Rt. de la Sorge, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Jiawen Tian
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, SB, EPFL, and Dep. of Fund. Microbiol., Faculty of Biology and Medicine, UNIL, Rt. de la Sorge, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Ioana M Ilie
- van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, Amsterdam, 1090 GD, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, Amsterdam, 1090 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Eugene L Starostin
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, Zürich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Giovanni Dietler
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Francesco S Ruggeri
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, The Netherlands
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, SB, EPFL, and Dep. of Fund. Microbiol., Faculty of Biology and Medicine, UNIL, Rt. de la Sorge, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Sergey K Sekatskii
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, SB, EPFL, and Dep. of Fund. Microbiol., Faculty of Biology and Medicine, UNIL, Rt. de la Sorge, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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4
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Chitty C, Kuliga K, Xue WF. Atomic force microscopy 3D structural reconstruction of individual particles in the study of amyloid protein assemblies. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:761-771. [PMID: 38600027 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230857] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Recent developments in atomic force microscopy (AFM) image analysis have made three-dimensional (3D) structural reconstruction of individual particles observed on 2D AFM height images a reality. Here, we review the emerging contact point reconstruction AFM (CPR-AFM) methodology and its application in 3D reconstruction of individual helical amyloid filaments in the context of the challenges presented by the structural analysis of highly polymorphous and heterogeneous amyloid protein structures. How individual particle-level structural analysis can contribute to resolving the amyloid polymorph structure-function relationships, the environmental triggers leading to protein misfolding and aggregation into amyloid species, the influences by the conditions or minor fluctuations in the initial monomeric protein structure on the speed of amyloid fibril formation, and the extent of the different types of amyloid species that can be formed, are discussed. Future perspectives in the capabilities of AFM-based 3D structural reconstruction methodology exploiting synergies with other recent AFM technology advances are also discussed to highlight the potential of AFM as an emergent general, accessible and multimodal structural biology tool for the analysis of individual biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Chitty
- Division of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, U.K
| | - Kinga Kuliga
- Division of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, U.K
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- Division of Natural Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, U.K
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5
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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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6
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Ali A, Dou T, Holman AP, Hung A, Osborne L, Pickett D, Rodriguez A, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. The influence of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids on protein aggregation. Biophys Chem 2024; 306:107174. [PMID: 38211368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107174] [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: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The progressive aggregation of misfolded proteins is the underlying molecular cause of numerous pathologies including Parkinson's disease and injection and transthyretin amyloidosis. A growing body of evidence indicates that protein deposits detected in organs and tissues of patients diagnosed with such pathologies contain fragments of lipid membranes. In vitro experiments also showed that lipid membranes could strongly change the aggregation rate of amyloidogenic proteins, as well as alter the secondary structure and toxicity of oligomers and fibrils formed in their presence. In this review, the effect of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) composed of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids on the aggregation rate of insulin, lysozyme, transthyretin (TTR) and α- synuclein (α-syn) will be discussed. The manuscript will also critically review the most recent findings on the lipid-induced changes in the secondary structure of protein oligomers and fibrils, as well as reveal the extent to which lipids could alter the toxicity of protein aggregates formed in their presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Andrew Hung
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Luke Osborne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Davis Pickett
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Axell Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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7
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Röntgen A, Toprakcioglu Z, Tomkins JE, Vendruscolo M. Modulation of α-synuclein in vitro aggregation kinetics by its alternative splice isoforms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313465121. [PMID: 38324572 PMCID: PMC10873642 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313465121] [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: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein is linked to a family of neurodegenerative disorders known as synucleinopathies, the most prominent of which is Parkinson's disease (PD). Understanding the aggregation process of α-synuclein from a mechanistic point of view is thus of key importance. SNCA, the gene encoding α-synuclein, comprises six exons and produces various isoforms through alternative splicing. The most abundant isoform is expressed as a 140-amino acid protein (αSyn-140), while three other isoforms, αSyn-126, αSyn-112, and αSyn-98, are generated by skipping exon 3, exon 5, or both exons, respectively. In this study, we performed a detailed biophysical characterization of the aggregation of these four isoforms. We found that αSyn-112 and αSyn-98 exhibit accelerated aggregation kinetics compared to αSyn-140 and form distinct aggregate morphologies, as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, we observed that the presence of relatively small amounts of αSyn-112 accelerates the aggregation of αSyn-140, significantly reducing the aggregation half-time. These results indicate a potential role of alternative splicing in the pathological aggregation of α-synuclein and provide insights into how this process could be associated with the development of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Röntgen
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf HamiedDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf HamiedDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - James E. Tomkins
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf HamiedDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD20815
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf HamiedDepartment of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD20815
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8
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Miller A, Chia S, Klimont E, Knowles TPJ, Vendruscolo M, Ruggeri FS. Maturation-dependent changes in the size, structure and seeding capacity of Aβ42 amyloid fibrils. Commun Biol 2024; 7:153. [PMID: 38321144 PMCID: PMC10847148 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05858-7] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Many proteins self-assemble to form amyloid fibrils, which are highly organized structures stabilized by a characteristic cross-β network of hydrogen bonds. This process underlies a variety of human diseases and can be exploited to develop versatile functional biomaterials. Thus, protein self-assembly has been widely studied to shed light on the properties of fibrils and their intermediates. A still open question in the field concerns the microscopic processes that underlie the long-time behaviour and properties of amyloid fibrillar assemblies. Here, we use atomic force microscopy with angstrom-sensitivity to observe that amyloid fibrils undergo a maturation process, associated with an increase in both fibril length and thickness, leading to a decrease of their density, and to a change in their cross-β sheet content. These changes affect the ability of the fibrils to catalyse the formation of new aggregates. The identification of these changes helps us understand the fibril maturation processes, facilitate the targeting of amyloid fibrils in drug discovery, and offer insight into the development of biocompatible and sustainable protein-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Sean Chia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ewa Klimont
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK.
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, the Netherlands.
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, the Netherlands.
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9
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Galkin M, Priss A, Kyriukha Y, Shvadchak V. Navigating α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibition: Methods, Mechanisms, and Molecular Targets. CHEM REC 2024; 24:e202300282. [PMID: 37919046 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a yet incurable, age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the aggregation of small neuronal protein α-synuclein into amyloid fibrils. Inhibition of this process is a prospective strategy for developing a disease-modifying treatment. We overview here small molecule, peptide, and protein inhibitors of α-synuclein fibrillization reported to date. Special attention was paid to the specificity of inhibitors and critical analysis of their action mechanisms. Namely, the importance of oxidation of polyphenols and cross-linking of α-synuclein into inhibitory dimers was highlighted. We also compared strategies of targeting monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillar α-synuclein species, thoroughly discussed the strong and weak sides of different approaches to testing the inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Galkin
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anastasiia Priss
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yevhenii Kyriukha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
| | - Volodymyr Shvadchak
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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10
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Zhaliazka K, Ali A, Kurouski D. Phospholipids and Cholesterol Determine Molecular Mechanisms of Cytotoxicity of α-Synuclein Oligomers and Fibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:371-381. [PMID: 38166409 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00671] [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] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, hypothalamus, and thalamus is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. Neuronal death is linked to the abrupt aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a small membrane protein that regulates cell vesicle trafficking. α-Syn aggregation rate, as well as the secondary structure and toxicity of α-Syn fibrils, could be uniquely altered by lipids. However, molecular mechanisms that determine such a remarkable difference in the toxicity of α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of lipids remain unclear. In this study, we used a set of molecular assays to determine the molecular mechanism by which α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of phosphatidylcholine (PC), cardiolipin (CL), and cholesterol (Cho) exert cell toxicity. We found that rat dopaminergic cells exposed to α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of different lipids exert drastically different magnitudes and dynamics of unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria (MT). Specifically, α-Syn:CL were found to cause the strongest, whereas α-Syn fibrils formed in the absence of lipids had the lowest magnitude of the UPR cell response. We also found the opposite dynamics of the ER- and MT-UPR responses in rat dopaminergic cells exposed to protein aggregates. These results could suggest that facing severe ER stress, dopaminergic cells suppress MT-UPR response, enabling the maximal ATP production to restore their normal physiological function. These findings help to better understand complex mechanisms of cell toxicity of amyloid aggregates and ultimately find neuroprotective drug candidates that will be able to suppress the spread of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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11
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kumar R, Kurouski D. Secondary structure and toxicity of transthyretin fibrils can be altered by unsaturated fatty acids. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127241. [PMID: 37804888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127241] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin amyloidosis is a severe pathology characterized by the progressive accumulation of transthyretin (TTR) in various organs and tissues. This highly conserved through vertebrate evolution protein transports thyroid hormone thyroxine. In our bodies, TTR can interact with a large number of molecules, including ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are broadly used as food supplies. In this study, we investigated the effect of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs, as well as their fully saturated analog, on TTR aggregation. Our results showed that both ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs strongly decreased the rate of TTR aggregation. We also found that in the presence of PUFAs, TTR formed morphologically different fibrils compared to the lipid-free environment. Nano-Infrared imaging revealed that these fibrils had drastically different secondary structures compared to the secondary structure of TTR aggregates formed in the PUFAs-free environment. Furthermore, TTR fibrils formed in the presence of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared to the fibrils formed in the absence of fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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12
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Cholesterol and Sphingomyelin Uniquely Alter the Rate of Transthyretin Aggregation and Decrease the Toxicity of Amyloid Fibrils. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:10886-10893. [PMID: 38033106 PMCID: PMC10863059 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is a small tetrameric protein that aggregates, forming highly toxic oligomers and fibrils. In the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, TTR can interact with various biomolecules, phospho- and sphingolipids, and cholesterol on the red blood cell plasma membrane. However, the role of these molecules in TTR aggregation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the extent to which phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (Cho), important components of plasma membranes, could alter the rate of TTR aggregation. We found that PC and SM inhibited TTR aggregation whereas Cho strongly accelerated it. The presence of these lipids during the stage of protein aggregation uniquely altered the morphology and secondary structure of the TTR fibrils, which changed the toxicity of these protein aggregates. These results suggest that interactions of TTR with red blood cells, whose membranes are rich with these lipids, can trigger irreversible aggregation of TTR and cause transthyretin amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department
of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
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13
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kurouski D. The toxicities of A30P and A53T α-synuclein fibrils can be uniquely altered by the length and saturation of fatty acids in phosphatidylserine. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105383. [PMID: 37890776 PMCID: PMC10679493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105383] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuronal death is linked to the abrupt aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn), a small protein that regulates vesicle trafficking in synaptic clefts. Studies of families with a history of PD revealed several mutations in α-syn including A30P and A53T that are linked to the early onset of this pathology. Numerous pieces of evidence indicate that lipids can alter the rate of protein aggregation, as well as modify the secondary structure and toxicity of amyloid oligomers and fibrils. However, the role of lipids in the stability of α-syn mutants remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effect of phosphatidylserine (PS), an anionic lipid that plays an important role in the recognition of apoptotic cells by macrophages, in the stability of WT, A30P, and A53T α-syn. We found PS with different lengths and saturation of fatty acids accelerated the rate of WT and A30P aggregation. At the same time, the opposite effect was observed for most PS on A53T. We also found that PS with different lengths and saturation of fatty acids change the secondary structure and toxicities of WT, A30P, and A53T fibrils. These results indicate that lipids can play an important role in the onset and spread of familial PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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14
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Rodriguez A, Ali A, Holman AP, Dou T, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Nanoscale structural characterization of transthyretin aggregates formed at different time points of protein aggregation using atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4838. [PMID: 37967043 PMCID: PMC10683371 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4838] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is a progressive disease characterized by an abrupt aggregation of misfolded protein in multiple organs and tissues TTR is a tetrameric protein expressed in the liver and choroid plexus. Protein misfolding triggers monomerization of TTR tetramers. Next, monomers assemble forming oligomers and fibrils. Although the secondary structure of TTR fibrils is well understood, there is very little if anything is known about the structural organization of TTR oligomers. To end this, we used nano-infrared spectroscopy, also known as atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy. This emerging technique can be used to determine the secondary structure of individual amyloid oligomers and fibrils. Using AFM-IR, we examined the secondary structure of TTR oligomers formed at the early (3-6 h), middle (9-12 h), and late (28 h) of protein aggregation. We found that aggregating, TTR formed oligomers (Type 1) that were dominated by α-helix (40%) and β-sheet (~30%) together with unordered protein (30%). Our results showed that fibril formation was triggered by another type of TTR oligomers (Type 2) that appeared at 9 h. These new oligomers were primarily composed of parallel β-sheet (55%), with a small amount of antiparallel β-sheet, α-helix, and unordered protein. We also found that Type 1 oligomers were not toxic to cells, whereas TTR fibrils formed at the late stages of protein aggregation were highly cytotoxic. These results show the complexity of protein aggregation and highlight the drastic difference in the protein oligomers that can be formed during such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axell Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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15
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Kurouski D. Elucidating the Role of Lipids in the Aggregation of Amyloidogenic Proteins. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2898-2906. [PMID: 37824095 PMCID: PMC10862471 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is linked to the onset and spread of amyloidogenic diseases, including diabetes type 2, systemic amyloidosis, and Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's diseases (PD). Although the exact cause of these pathological processes is unknown, a growing body of evidence suggests that amyloid diseases are triggered by misfolded or unfolded proteins, forming highly toxic oligomers. These transient species exhibit high structural and morphological heterogeneity. Protein oligomers can also propagate into β-sheet-rich filaments that braid and coil with other filaments to form amyloid fibrils and supramolecular structures with both flat and twisted morphologies. Microscopic examination of protein deposits formed in the brains of both AD and PD patients revealed the presence of fragments of lipid membranes. Furthermore, nanoscale infrared analysis of ex vivo extracted fibrils revealed the presence of lipids in their structure (Zhaliazka, K.; Kurouski, D. Protein Sci. 2023, 32, e4598). These findings demonstrated that lipid bilayers could play an important role in the aggregation of misfolded proteins.Experimental findings summarized in this Account show that (i) lipids uniquely change the aggregation rate of amyloidogenic proteins. In this case, the observed changes in the rates directly depend on the net charge of the lipid and the length and saturation of lipid fatty acids (FAs). For instance, zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) with 14:0 FAs inhibited the aggregation of insulin, lysozyme, and α-synuclein (α-Syn), whereas anionic phosphatidylserine with the same FAs dramatically accelerated the aggregation rate of these proteins (Dou, T., et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2021, 12, 4407. Matveyenka, M., et al. FASEB J. 2022, 36, e22543. Rizevsky, S., et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 2467). Furthermore, (ii) lipids uniquely alter the secondary structure and morphology of protein oligomers and fibrils formed in their presence. Utilization of nano-infrared spectroscopy revealed that such aggregates, as well as ex vivo extracted fibrils, possessed lipids in their structure. These findings are significant because (iii) lipids uniquely alter the toxicity of amyloid oligomers and fibrils formed in their presence. Specifically, PC lowered the toxicity of insulin and lysozyme oligomers, whereas α-Syn oligomers formed in the presence of this phospholipid were found to be significantly more toxic to rat dopaminergic cells compared to α-Syn oligomers grown in the lipid-free environment. Thus, the toxicity of protein oligomers and fibrils is directly determined by the chemical structure of the lipid and the secondary structure of amyloidogenic proteins (Dou, T., et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2021, 12, 4407. Matveyenka, M., et al. FASEB J. 2022, 36, e22543. Rizevsky, S., et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 2467). Experimental results discussed in this Account also suggest that amyloidogenic diseases could be caused by pathological changes in the lipid composition of both plasma and organelle membranes, which, in turn, may trigger protein aggregation that results in the formation of highly toxic oligomers and fibrils. Finally, the Account discusses the effects of polyunsaturated FAs on the aggregation properties of amyloidogenic proteins. Experimental findings reported by the author's laboratory revealed that polyunsaturated FAs drastically accelerated the aggregation rate of both insulin and α-Syn as well as strongly changed the secondary structure of amyloid fibrils formed in their presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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16
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Joshi R, Zhaliazka K, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Elucidation of the Role of Lipids in Late Endosomes on the Aggregation of Insulin. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3551-3559. [PMID: 37682720 PMCID: PMC10862470 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is the underlying molecular cause of numerous pathologies including diabetes type 2 and injection amyloidosis. Although the exact cause of this process is unclear, a growing body of evidence suggests that protein aggregation is linked to a high protein concentration and the presence of lipid membranes. Endosomes are cell organelles that often possess high concentrations of proteins due to their uptake from the extracellular space. However, the role of endosomes in amyloid pathologies remains unclear. In this study, we used a set of biophysical methods to determine the role of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP), the major lipid constituent of late endosomes on the aggregation properties of insulin. We found that both saturated and unsaturated BMP accelerated protein aggregation. However, very little if any changes in the secondary structure of insulin fibrils grown in the presence of BMP were observed. Therefore, no changes in the toxicity of these aggregates compared to the fibrils formed in the lipid-free environment were observed. We also found that the toxicity of insulin oligomers formed in the presence of a 77:23 mol/mol ratio of BMP/PC, which represents the lipid composition of late endosomes, was slightly higher than the toxicity of insulin oligomers formed in the lipid-free environment. However, the toxicity of mature insulin fibrils formed in the presence of BMP/PC mixture was found to be lower or similar to the toxicity of insulin fibrils formed in the lipid-free environment. These results suggest that late endosomes are unlikely to be the source of highly toxic protein aggregates if amyloid proteins aggregate in them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Joshi
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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17
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Role of Saturation and Length of Fatty Acids of Phosphatidylserine in the Aggregation of Transthyretin. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3499-3506. [PMID: 37676231 PMCID: PMC10862486 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The progressive accumulation of transthyretin (TTR), a small protein that transports thyroxine, in various organs and tissues is observed upon transthyretin amyloidosis, a severe pathology that affects the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. Once expressed in the liver and choroid plexus, TTR is secreted into the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid. In addition to thyroxine, TTR interacts with a large number of molecules, including retinol-binding protein and lipids. In this study, we examined the extent to which phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid that is responsible for the recognition of apoptotic cells by macrophages, could alter the stability of TTR. Using thioflavin T assay, we investigated the rates of TTR aggregation in the presence of PS with different lengths and saturation of fatty acids (FAs). We found that all analyzed lipids decelerated the rate of TTR aggregation. We also used a set of biophysical methods to investigate the extent to which the presence of PS altered the morphology and secondary structure of TTR aggregates. Our results showed that the length and saturation of fatty acids in PS uniquely altered the morphology and secondary structure of TTR fibrils. As a result, TTR fibrils that were formed in the presence of PS with different lengths and saturation of FAs exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared with the TTR aggregates grown in the lipid-free environment. These findings help to reveal the role of PS in transthyretin amyloidosis and determine the role of the length and saturation of FAs in PS on the morphology and secondary structure of TTR fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department
of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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18
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Taneva SG, Todinova S, Andreeva T. Morphometric and Nanomechanical Screening of Peripheral Blood Cells with Atomic Force Microscopy for Label-Free Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14296. [PMID: 37762599 PMCID: PMC10531602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814296] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are complex, multifactorial disorders with significant social and economic impact in today's society. NDDs are predicted to become the second-most common cause of death in the next few decades due to an increase in life expectancy but also to a lack of early diagnosis and mainly symptomatic treatment. Despite recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, there are yet no reliable biomarkers identifying the complex pathways contributing to these pathologies. The development of new approaches for early diagnosis and new therapies, together with the identification of non-invasive and more cost-effective diagnostic biomarkers, is one of the main trends in NDD biomedical research. Here we summarize data on peripheral biomarkers, biofluids (cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma), and peripheral blood cells (platelets (PLTs) and red blood cells (RBCs)), reported so far for the three most common NDDs-Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). PLTs and RBCs, beyond their primary physiological functions, are increasingly recognized as valuable sources of biomarkers for NDDs. Special attention is given to the morphological and nanomechanical signatures of PLTs and RBCs as biophysical markers for the three pathologies. Modifications of the surface nanostructure and morphometric and nanomechanical signatures of PLTs and RBCs from patients with AD, PD, and ALS have been revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM is currently experiencing rapid and widespread adoption in biomedicine and clinical medicine, in particular for early diagnostics of various medical conditions. AFM is a unique instrument without an analog, allowing the generation of three-dimensional cell images with extremely high spatial resolution at near-atomic scale, which are complemented by insights into the mechanical properties of cells and subcellular structures. Data demonstrate that AFM can distinguish between the three pathologies and the normal, healthy state. The specific PLT and RBC signatures can serve as biomarkers in combination with the currently used diagnostic tools. We highlight the strong correlation of the morphological and nanomechanical signatures between RBCs and PLTs in PD, ALS, and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefka G. Taneva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
| | - Svetla Todinova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
| | - Tonya Andreeva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bontchev” Str. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.T.); (T.A.)
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Reutlingen University, Alteburgstraße 150, D-72762 Reutlingen, Germany
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19
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Dou T, Matveyenka M, Kurouski D. Elucidation of Secondary Structure and Toxicity of α-Synuclein Oligomers and Fibrils Grown in the Presence of Phosphatidylcholine and Phosphatidylserine. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3183-3191. [PMID: 37603792 PMCID: PMC10862479 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in the midbrain hypothalamus and thalamus is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), the fastest growing neurodegenerative pathology, projected to strike 12 million people by 2040 worldwide. In this study, we examine the effect of two phospholipids that are present in neuronal membranes, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS), on the rate of α-Syn aggregation. We found that PS accelerated α-Syn aggregation, whereas PC strongly inhibited α-Syn aggregation. We also utilized the nano-infrared imaging technique, also known as atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy, to investigate whether PC and PS only change the rates or also modify the secondary structure of α-Syn aggregates. We found that both phospholipids uniquely altered the secondary structure of α-Syn aggregates present at the lag and growth phase, as well as the late stage of protein aggregation. In addition, compared to the α-Syn aggregates formed in the lipid-free environment, α-Syn:PC and α-Syn:PS aggregates demonstrated higher cellular toxicity to N27 rat neurons. Interestingly, both α-Syn:PC and α-Syn:PS aggregates showed similar levels of oxidative stress, but α-Syn:PC aggregates exhibited a greater degree of mitochondrial dysfunction compared to α-Syn:PS aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Dou
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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20
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Massey RS, McConnell EM, Chan D, Holahan MR, DeRosa MC, Prakash R. Non-invasive Monitoring of α-Synuclein in Saliva for Parkinson's Disease Using Organic Electrolyte-Gated FET Aptasensor. ACS Sens 2023; 8:3116-3126. [PMID: 37506391 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c00757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) currently affects more than 1 million people in the US alone, with nearly 8.5 million suffering from the disease worldwide, as per the World Health Organization. However, there remains no fast, pain-free, and effective method of screening for the disease in the ageing population, which also happens to be the most susceptible to this neurodegenerative disease. αSynuclein (αSyn) is a promising PD biomarker, demonstrating clear delineations between levels of the αSyn monomer and the extent of αSyn aggregation in the saliva of PD patients and healthy controls. In this work, we have demonstrated a laboratory prototype of a soft fluidics integrated organic electrolyte-gated field-effect transistor (OEGFET) aptasensor platform capable of quantifying levels of αSyn aggregation in saliva. The aptasensor relies on a recently reported synthetic aptamer which selectively binds to αSyn monomer as the bio-recognition molecule within the integrated fluidic channel of the biosensor. The produced saliva sensor is label-free, fast, and reusable, demonstrating good selectivity only to the target molecule in its monomer form. The novelty of these devices is the fully isolated organic semiconductor, which extends the shelf life, and the novel fully integrated soft microfluidic channels, which simplify saliva loading and testing. The OEGFET aptasensor has a limit of detection of 10 fg/L for the αSyn monomer in spiked saliva supernatant solutions, with a linear range of 100 fg/L to 10 μg/L. The linear range covers the physiological range of the αSyn monomer in the saliva of PD patients. Our biosensors demonstrate a desirably low limit of detection, an extended linear range, and fully integrated microchannels for saliva sample handling, making them a promising platform for non-invasive point-of-care testing of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roslyn S Massey
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
| | - Erin M McConnell
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1T2S2, Canada
| | - Dennis Chan
- Dept of Neuroscience, Health Sciences Building, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1T2S2, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Dept of Neuroscience, Health Sciences Building, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1T2S2, Canada
| | - Maria C DeRosa
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1T2S2, Canada
| | - Ravi Prakash
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S5B6, Canada
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21
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Matveyenka M, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Unsaturated fatty acids uniquely alter aggregation rate of α-synuclein and insulin and change the secondary structure and toxicity of amyloid aggregates formed in their presence. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22972. [PMID: 37302013 PMCID: PMC10405295 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300003r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (ARA) are omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs). These molecules constitute a substantial portion of phospholipids in plasma membranes. Therefore, both DHA and ARA are essential diet components. Once consumed, DHA and ARA can interact with a large variety of biomolecules, including proteins such as insulin and α-synuclein (α-Syn). Under pathological conditions known as injection amyloidosis and Parkinson's disease, these proteins aggregate forming amyloid oligomers and fibrils, toxic species that exert high cell toxicity. In this study, we investigate the role of DHA and ARA in the aggregation properties of α-Syn and insulin. We found that the presence of both DHA and ARA at the equimolar concentrations strongly accelerated aggregation rates of α-Syn and insulin. Furthermore, LCPUFAs substantially altered the secondary structure of protein aggregates, whereas no noticeable changes in the fibril morphology were observed. Nanoscale Infrared analysis of α-Syn and insulin fibrils grown in the presence of both DHA and ARA revealed the presence of LCPUFAs in these aggregates. We also found that such LCPUFAs-rich α-Syn and insulin fibrils exerted significantly greater toxicities compared to the aggregates grown in the LCPUFAs-free environment. These findings show that interactions between amyloid-associated proteins and LCPUFAs can be the underlying molecular cause of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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22
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Elucidation of the Effect of Phospholipid Charge on the Rate of Insulin Aggregation and Structure and Toxicity of Amyloid Fibrils. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:12379-12386. [PMID: 37033844 PMCID: PMC10077570 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The plasma membrane is a dynamic structure that separates the cell interior from the extracellular space. The fluidity and plasticity of the membrane determines a large number of physiologically important processes ranging from cell division to signal transduction. In turn, membrane fluidity is determined by phospholipids that possess different charges, lengths, and saturation states of fatty acids. A growing body of evidence suggests that phospholipids may play an important role in the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which causes pathological conditions that lead to severe neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigate the role of the charge of the most abundant phospholipids in the plasma membrane: phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, zwitterions: phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylglycerol, lipids that possess a negative charge, and cardiolipin that has double negative charge on its polar head. Our results show that both zwitterions strongly inhibit insulin aggregation, whereas negatively charged lipids accelerate fibril formation. We also found that in the equimolar presence of zwitterions insulin yields oligomers that exert significantly lower cell toxicity compared to fibrils that were grown in the lipid-free environment. Such aggregates were not formed in the presence of negatively charged lipids. Instead, long insulin fibrils that had strong cell toxicity were grown in the presence of such negatively charged lipids. However, our results showed no correlation between the charge of the lipid and secondary structure and toxicity of the aggregates formed in its presence. These findings show that the secondary structure and toxicity are determined by the chemical structure of the lipid rather than by the charge of the phospholipid polar head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
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23
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Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Nanoscale imaging of individual amyloid aggregates extracted from brains of Alzheimer and Parkinson patients reveals presence of lipids in α-synuclein but not in amyloid β 1-42 fibrils. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4598. [PMID: 36823759 PMCID: PMC10019452 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is the underlying molecular cause of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD). Both AD and PD are severe pathologies that affect millions of people around the world. A small 42 amino acid long peptide, known as amyloid β (Aβ), aggregates in the frontal cortex of AD patients forming oligomers and fibrils, highly toxic protein aggregates that cause progressive neuron death. Similar aggregates of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a small protein that facilitates neurotransmitter release, are observed in the midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus of people with PD. In this study, we utilized the innovative nano-Infrared imaging technique to investigate the structural organization of individual Aβ and α-syn fibrils postmortem extracted from brains of AD and PD patients, respectively. We observed two morphologically different Aβ and α-Syn fibril polymorphs in each patient's brain. One had twisted topology, whereas another exhibited flat tape-like morphology. We found that both polymorphs shared the same parallel β-sheet-dominated secondary structure. These findings suggested that both fibril polymorphs were built from structurally similar if not identical filaments that coiled forming twisted fibrils or associated side-by-side in the case of straight Aβ and α-Syn fibrils. Nano-Infrared analysis of individual protein aggregates also revealed the presence of lipids in the structure of both twisted and tape-like α-Syn fibrils that were not observed in any of the Aβ fibril polymorphs. These findings demonstrate that lipid membranes can play a critically important role in the onset and progression of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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24
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Estaun-Panzano J, Arotcarena ML, Bezard E. Monitoring α-synuclein aggregation. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 176:105966. [PMID: 36527982 PMCID: PMC9875312 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), are characterized by the misfolding and subsequent aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) that accumulates in cytoplasmic inclusions bodies in the cells of affected brain regions. Since the seminal report of likely-aggregated α-syn presence within the Lewy bodies by Spillantini et al. in 1997, the keyword "synuclein aggregation" has appeared in over 6000 papers (Source: PubMed October 2022). Studying, observing, describing, and quantifying α-syn aggregation is therefore of paramount importance, whether it happens in tubo, in vitro, in post-mortem samples, or in vivo. The past few years have witnessed tremendous progress in understanding aggregation mechanisms and identifying various polymorphs. In this context of growing complexity, it is of utmost importance to understand what tools we possess, what exact information they provide, and in what context they may be applied. Nonetheless, it is also crucial to rationalize the relevance of the information and the limitations of these methods for gauging the final result. In this review, we present the main techniques that have shaped the current views about α-syn structure and dynamics, with particular emphasis on the recent breakthroughs that may change our understanding of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erwan Bezard
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; Motac Neuroscience Ltd, Manchester, United Kingdom.
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25
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Pellois JP, Kurouski D. Lipids uniquely alter rates of insulin aggregation and lower toxicity of amyloid aggregates. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2023; 1868:159247. [PMID: 36272517 PMCID: PMC10401553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2022.159247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid formation is a hallmark of many medical diseases including diabetes type 2, Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. Under these pathological conditions, misfolded proteins self-assemble forming oligomers and fibrils, structurally heterogeneous aggregates that exhibit a large variety of shapes and forms. A growing body of evidence points to drastic changes in the lipid profile in organs affected by amyloidogenic diseases. In this study, we investigated the extent to which individual phospho- and sphingolipids, as well as their mixtures can impact insulin aggregation. Our results show that lipids and their mixtures uniquely alter rates of insulin aggregation simultaneously changing the secondary structure of protein aggregates that are grown in their presence. These structurally different protein-lipid aggregates impact cell viability to different extent while using distinct mechanisms of toxicity. These findings suggest that irreversible changes in lipid profiles of organs may trigger formation of toxic protein species that in turn are responsible for the onset and progression of amyloidogenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Viet Nam
| | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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26
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Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Nanoscale Characterization of Parallel and Antiparallel β-Sheet Amyloid Beta 1-42 Aggregates. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2813-2820. [PMID: 36122250 PMCID: PMC10405294 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy-infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy to characterize the secondary structure of Aβ oligomers, protofibrils and fibrils formed at the early (4 h), middle (24 h), and late (72 h) stages of protein aggregation. This innovative spectroscopic approach allows for label-free nanoscale structural characterization of individual protein aggregates. Using AFM-IR, we found that at the early stage of protein aggregation, oligomers with parallel β-sheet dominated. However, these species exhibited slower rates of fibril formation compared to the oligomers with antiparallel β-sheet, which first appeared in the middle stage. These antiparallel β-sheet oligomers rapidly propagated into fibrils that were simultaneously observed together with parallel β-sheet fibrils at the late stage of protein aggregation. Our findings showed that aggregation of Aβ is a complex process that yields several distinctly different aggregates with dissimilar toxicities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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27
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Matveyenka M, Zhaliazka K, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Lipids uniquely alter secondary structure and toxicity of lysozyme aggregates. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22543. [PMID: 36094052 PMCID: PMC10427241 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202200841r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is a hallmark of the large group of amyloid pathologies that include diabetes type 2, Alzheimer and Parkinson's diseases. Protein aggregation yields oligomers and fibrils, β-sheet-rich structures that exert cell toxicity. Microscopic examination of amyloid deposits reveals the presence of lipids membranes, which suggests that lipids can be involved in the process of pathogenic protein assembly. In this study, we show that lipids can uniquely alter the aggregation rates of lysozyme, a protein that is associated with systemic amyloidosis. Specifically, cardiolipin (CL), ceramide (CER), and sphingomyelin (SM) accelerate, phosphatidylcholine (PC) strongly inhibits, whereas phosphatidylserine (PS) has no effect on the rate of protein aggregation. Furthermore, lipids uniquely alter the secondary structure of lysozyme aggregates. Furthermore, we found that lysozyme aggregates grown in the presence of CL, CER, SM, PS, and CL:PC mixtures exert significantly lower production of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction compared to lysozyme:PC aggregates and lysozyme fibrils grown in the lipid-free environment. These findings suggest that a change in the lipid composition of cell membranes, which is taken place upon neurodegeneration, may trigger the formation of toxic protein species that otherwise would not be formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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28
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Zhaliazka K, Rizevsky S, Matveyenka M, Serada V, Kurouski D. Charge of Phospholipids Determines the Rate of Lysozyme Aggregation but Not the Structure and Toxicity of Amyloid Aggregates. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:8833-8839. [PMID: 36111888 PMCID: PMC10405293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biophysical properties of plasma membranes are determined by a chemical structure of phospholipids, including saturation of fatty acids and charge of polar heads of these molecules. Phospholipids not only determine fluidity and plasticity of membranes but also play an important role in abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins. In this study, we investigate the role of the charge of the most abundant phospholipids in the plasma membrane on the aggregation properties of the lysozyme. We found that the charge of phospholipids determines the aggregation rate of lysozyme and the morphology of the protein aggregates. However, the secondary structure and toxicity of these protein specimens are determined by the chemical nature rather than the charge of phospholipids. These findings show that the charge of phospholipids can be a key factor that determines the stability and aggregation mechanism of amyloidogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Valeryia Serada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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29
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Small soluble α-synuclein aggregates are the toxic species in Parkinson's disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5512. [PMID: 36127374 PMCID: PMC9489799 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble α-synuclein aggregates varying in size, structure, and morphology have been closely linked to neuronal death in Parkinson's disease. However, the heterogeneity of different co-existing aggregate species makes it hard to isolate and study their individual toxic properties. Here, we show a reliable non-perturbative method to separate a heterogeneous mixture of protein aggregates by size. We find that aggregates of wild-type α-synuclein smaller than 200 nm in length, formed during an in vitro aggregation reaction, cause inflammation and permeabilization of single-liposome membranes and that larger aggregates are less toxic. Studying soluble aggregates extracted from post-mortem human brains also reveals that these aggregates are similar in size and structure to the smaller aggregates formed in aggregation reactions in the test tube. Furthermore, we find that the soluble aggregates present in Parkinson's disease brains are smaller, largely less than 100 nm, and more inflammatory compared to the larger aggregates present in control brains. This study suggests that the small non-fibrillar α-synuclein aggregates are the critical species driving neuroinflammation and disease progression.
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30
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Sen T, Thummer RP. CRISPR and iPSCs: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives in Neurodegenerative Disease Modelling, Research, and Therapeutics. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:1597-1623. [PMID: 36044181 PMCID: PMC9428373 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00564-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are prominent causes of pain, suffering, and death worldwide. Traditional approaches modelling neurodegenerative diseases are deficient, and therefore, improved strategies that effectively recapitulate the pathophysiological conditions of neurodegenerative diseases are the need of the hour. The generation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has transformed our ability to model neurodegenerative diseases in vitro and provide an unlimited source of cells (including desired neuronal cell types) for cell replacement therapy. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has also been gaining popularity because of the flexibility they provide to generate and ablate disease phenotypes. In addition, the recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9 technology enables researchers to seamlessly target and introduce precise modifications in the genomic DNA of different human cell lines, including iPSCs. CRISPR-iPSC-based disease modelling, therefore, allows scientists to recapitulate the pathological aspects of most neurodegenerative processes and investigate the role of pathological gene variants in healthy non-patient cell lines. This review outlines how iPSCs, CRISPR/Cas9, and CRISPR-iPSC-based approaches accelerate research on neurodegenerative diseases and take us closer to a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and so forth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tirthankar Sen
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati - 781039, Assam, India
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati - 781039, Assam, India.
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31
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Yao Y, Tang Y, Zhou Y, Yang Z, Wei G. Baicalein exhibits differential effects and mechanisms towards disruption of α-synuclein fibrils with different polymorphs. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 220:316-325. [PMID: 35981677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative diseases with no cure yet and its major hallmark is α-synuclein fibrillary aggregates. The crucial role of α-synuclein aggregation in PD makes it an attractive target for potential disease-modifying therapies. Disaggregation of α-synuclein fibrils is considered as one of the promising therapeutic strategies to treat PD. The wild type (WT) and mutant α-synuclein fibrils exhibit different polymorphs and provide therapeutic targets for PD. Recent experiments reported that a flavonoid baicalein can disrupt WT α-synuclein fibrils. However, the underlying disruptive mechanism remains largely elusive, and whether BAC is capable of disrupting mutant α-synuclein fibrils is also unknown. Herein, we performed microsecond molecular dynamics simulations on cryo-EM-determined WT and two familial PD-associated mutant (E46K and H50Q) α-synuclein fibrils with and without baicalein. We find that baicalein destructs WT fibril by disrupting E46-K80 salt-bridge and β-sheets, and by remodeling the inter-protofilament interface. And baicalein can also damage E46K and H50Q mutant fibrils, but to different extents and via different mechanisms. The E46K fibril disruption is initiated from E61-K80 salt-bridge and N-terminal β-sheet, while the H50Q fibril disruption starts from the inter-protofilament interface and N-terminal β-sheet. These results reveal that disruptive effects and modes of baicalein on α-synuclein fibrils are polymorphism-dependent. This study suggests that baicalein may be a potential drug candidate to disrupt both WT and E46K/H50Q mutant α-synuclein fibrils and alleviate the pathological process of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Yao
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiming Tang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongyuan Yang
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
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32
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Dou T, Kurouski D. Phosphatidylcholine and Phosphatidylserine Uniquely Modify the Secondary Structure of α-Synuclein Oligomers Formed in Their Presence at the Early Stages of Protein Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2380-2385. [PMID: 35904551 PMCID: PMC10405296 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) leads to a formation of highly toxic protein oligomers. These aggregates are the underlying molecular cause of an onset of the irreversible degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus, a pathology known as Parkinson's disease. The transient nature of oligomers, as well as their structural and morphological heterogeneity, limits the use of cryo-electron microscopy and solid-state NMR, classical tools of structural biology, for elucidation of their secondary structure. Despite this limitation, numerous pieces of experimental evidence suggest that phospholipids can uniquely alter the structure and toxicity of oligomers. In this study, we utilize an innovative nano-infrared imaging technique, also known as atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy, to examine the structure of individual α-Syn oligomers grown in the presence of phosphatidylcholine (α-Syn:PC) and phosphatidylserine (α-Syn:PS). We determined the amount of the parallel and the antiparallel β-sheets, as well as the amount the α-helix and the unordered protein, in the secondary structure of α-Syn:PC and α-Syn:PS formed at day 2 (D2), 8 (D8), and 15 (D15) after initiation of protein aggregation. We found a gradual decrease in the amount of the parallel β-sheet in both α-Syn:PC and α-Syn:PS from D2 to D15 together with an increase in the α-helix and the unordered protein secondary structure. We infer that this is due to the presence of lipids in the structure of oligomers that prevent an expansion of the parallel β-sheet upon interaction of the oligomers with monomeric α-Syn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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33
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Length and Unsaturation of Fatty Acids of Phosphatidic Acid Determines the Aggregation Rate of Insulin and Modifies the Structure and Toxicity of Insulin Aggregates. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2483-2489. [PMID: 35930674 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a unique plasma membrane lipid that contains fatty acids (FAs) with different lengths and degrees of unsaturation. Under physiological conditions, PA acts as a second messenger regulating a wide variety of cellular processes. At the same time, the role of PA under pathological conditions, which are caused by an abrupt aggregation of amyloid proteins, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PA with different lengths and unsaturation of FAs on insulin aggregation. We found that PA with C16:0 FAs strongly inhibited insulin aggregation, whereas PA with C18:0 FAs accelerated it. Furthermore, PA with unsaturated (C18:1) FAs made the insulin form extremely long and thick fibrils that were not observed for PAs with saturated FAs. We also found that the presence of PA with C16:0 FAs resulted in the formation of aggregates that exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared to the aggregates formed in the presence of PAs with C18:0 and C18:1 FAs. These results suggest that PA may play a key role in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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34
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Mehra S, Ahlawat S, Kumar H, Datta D, Navalkar A, Singh N, Patel K, Gadhe L, Kadu P, Kumar R, Jha NN, Sakunthala A, Sawner AS, Padinhateeri R, Udgaonkar JB, Agarwal V, Maji SK. α-Synuclein aggregation intermediates form fibril polymorphs with distinct prion-like properties. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167761. [PMID: 35907572 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-Syn) amyloids in synucleinopathies are suggested to be structurally and functionally diverse, reminiscent of prion-like strains. But how the aggregation of the same precursor protein results in the formation of fibril polymorphs remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate the structure-function relationship of two polymorphs, pre-matured fibrils (PMFs) and helix-matured fibrils (HMFs), based on α-Syn aggregation intermediates. These polymorphs display the structural differences as demonstrated by solid-state NMR and mass spectrometry studies and also possess different cellular activities such as seeding, internalization, and cell-to-cell transfer of aggregates. HMFs with a compact core structure exhibit low seeding potency but readily internalize and transfer from one cell to another. The less structured PMFs lack transcellular transfer ability but induce abundant α-Syn pathology and trigger the formation of aggresomes in cells. Overall, the study highlights that the conformational heterogeneity in the aggregation pathway may lead to fibril polymorphs with distinct prion-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Mehra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Sahil Ahlawat
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Sy. No. 36/P, Gopanpally, Hyderabad-500 046, India
| | - Harish Kumar
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune- 411 008, India; National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Debalina Datta
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Ambuja Navalkar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Nitu Singh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Komal Patel
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Laxmikant Gadhe
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Pradeep Kadu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Narendra N Jha
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Arunima Sakunthala
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Ajay S Sawner
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Ranjith Padinhateeri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India
| | - Jayant B Udgaonkar
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune- 411 008, India; National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Vipin Agarwal
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Sy. No. 36/P, Gopanpally, Hyderabad-500 046, India
| | - Samir K Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India.
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35
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Rickert CA, Lieleg O. Machine learning approaches for biomolecular, biophysical, and biomaterials research. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:021306. [PMID: 38505413 PMCID: PMC10914139 DOI: 10.1063/5.0082179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
A fluent conversation with a virtual assistant, person-tailored news feeds, and deep-fake images created within seconds-all those things that have been unthinkable for a long time are now a part of our everyday lives. What these examples have in common is that they are realized by different means of machine learning (ML), a technology that has fundamentally changed many aspects of the modern world. The possibility to process enormous amount of data in multi-hierarchical, digital constructs has paved the way not only for creating intelligent systems but also for obtaining surprising new insight into many scientific problems. However, in the different areas of biosciences, which typically rely heavily on the collection of time-consuming experimental data, applying ML methods is a bit more challenging: Here, difficulties can arise from small datasets and the inherent, broad variability, and complexity associated with studying biological objects and phenomena. In this Review, we give an overview of commonly used ML algorithms (which are often referred to as "machines") and learning strategies as well as their applications in different bio-disciplines such as molecular biology, drug development, biophysics, and biomaterials science. We highlight how selected research questions from those fields were successfully translated into machine readable formats, discuss typical problems that can arise in this context, and provide an overview of how to resolve those encountered difficulties.
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36
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Unsaturation in the Fatty Acids of Phospholipids Drastically Alters the Structure and Toxicity of Insulin Aggregates Grown in Their Presence. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4563-4569. [PMID: 35580189 PMCID: PMC9170185 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Lipid bilayers play an important role in the pathological assembly of amyloidogenic proteins and peptides. This assembly yields oligomers and fibrils, which are highly toxic protein aggregates. In this study, we investigated the role of saturation in fatty acids of two phospholipids that are present in cell membranes. We found that unsaturated cardiolipin (CL) drastically shortened the lag phase of insulin aggregation. Furthermore, structurally and morphologically different aggregates were formed in the presence of unsaturated CL vs saturated CL. These aggregates exerted drastically different cell toxicity. Both saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) were able to inhibit insulin aggregation equally efficiently. Similar to CL, structurally different aggregates were formed in the presence of saturated and unsaturated PC. These aggregates exerted different cell toxicities. These results show that unsaturated phospholipids catalyze the formation of more toxic amyloid aggregates comparing to those formed in the presence of saturated lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
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37
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. The Degree of Unsaturation of Fatty Acids in Phosphatidylserine Alters the Rate of Insulin Aggregation and the Structure and Toxicity of Amyloid Aggregates. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1424-1433. [PMID: 35510803 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylserine (PS) in the plasma membrane plays an important role in cell signaling and apoptosis. Cell degeneration is also linked to numerous amyloid diseases, pathologies that are associated with aggregation of misfolded proteins. In this work, we examine the effect of both saturated PS (DMPS) and unsaturated PS (DOPS and POPS) on the aggregation properties of insulin, as well as the structure and toxicity of insulin aggregates formed in the presence of these phospholipids. We found that the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids in PS alters the rate of insulin aggregation. We also found that toxicity of insulin-DMPS aggregates is significantly lower than the toxicity of DOPS- and POPS-insulin fibrils, whereas all these lipid-containing aggregates exert lower cell toxicity than insulin fibrils grown in a lipid-free environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States.,Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot, 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States
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38
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Synhaivska O, Bhattacharya S, Campioni S, Thompson D, Nirmalraj PN. Single-Particle Resolution of Copper-Associated Annular α-Synuclein Oligomers Reveals Potential Therapeutic Targets of Neurodegeneration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:1410-1421. [PMID: 35414168 PMCID: PMC9073932 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
Metal ions stabilize
protein–protein interactions and can
modulate protein aggregation. Here, using liquid-based atomic force
microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we study the concentration-dependent
effect of Cu2+ ions on the aggregation pathway of α-synuclein
(α-Syn) proteins, which play a key role in the pathology of
Parkinson’s disease. The full spectrum of α-Syn aggregates
in the presence and absence of Cu2+ ions from monomers
to mature fibrils was resolved and quantified at the gold–water
interface. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the atomic force microscopy
(AFM) findings on the heterogeneity in aggregated states of α-Syn.
The formation of annular oligomers was exclusively detected upon incubating
α-Syn with Cu2+ ions. Our findings emphasize the
importance of targeting annular α-Syn protein oligomers for
therapeutic intervention and their potential role as biomarkers for
early detection and monitoring progression of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Synhaivska
- Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Shayon Bhattacharya
- Department of Physics, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94T9PX, Ireland
| | - Silvia Campioni
- Functional Materials Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Damien Thompson
- Department of Physics, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94T9PX, Ireland
| | - Peter Niraj Nirmalraj
- Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
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39
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Sanami S, Purton TJ, Smith DP, Tuite MF, Xue WF. Comparative Analysis of the Relative Fragmentation Stabilities of Polymorphic Alpha-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils. Biomolecules 2022; 12:630. [PMID: 35625557 PMCID: PMC9138312 DOI: 10.3390/biom12050630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The division of amyloid fibril particles through fragmentation is implicated in the progression of human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Fragmentation of amyloid fibrils plays a crucial role in the propagation of the amyloid state encoded in their three-dimensional structures and may have an important role in the spreading of potentially pathological properties and phenotypes in amyloid-associated diseases. However, despite the mechanistic importance of fibril fragmentation, the relative stabilities of different types or different polymorphs of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation remain to be quantified. We have previously developed an approach to compare the relative stabilities of different types of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation. In this study, we show that controlled sonication, a widely used method of mechanical perturbation for amyloid seed generation, can be used as a form of mechanical perturbation for rapid comparative assessment of the relative fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril structures. This approach is applied to assess the relative fragmentation stabilities of amyloid formed in vitro from wild type (WT) α-synuclein and two familial mutant variants of α-synuclein (A30P and A53T) that generate morphologically different fibril structures. Our results demonstrate that the fibril fragmentation stabilities of these different α-synuclein fibril polymorphs are all highly length dependent but distinct, with both A30P and A53T α-synuclein fibrils displaying increased resistance towards sonication-induced fibril fragmentation compared with WT α-synuclein fibrils. These conclusions show that fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril polymorph structures can be diverse and suggest that the approach we report here will be useful in comparing the relative stabilities of amyloid fibril types or fibril polymorphs toward fragmentation under different biological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarina Sanami
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Tracey J Purton
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - David P Smith
- Biomolecular Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
| | - Mick F Tuite
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
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40
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Rizevsky S, Matveyenka M, Kurouski D. Nanoscale Structural Analysis of a Lipid-Driven Aggregation of Insulin. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:2467-2473. [PMID: 35266717 PMCID: PMC9169669 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c04012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is a hallmark of a large number of severe pathologies, including diabetes types 1 and 2, Alzheimer, and Parkinson diseases. A growing body of evidence suggests that lipids can uniquely change rates of amyloid-associated proteins as well as modify the structure of formed oligomers and fibrils. In this study, we utilize atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy, also known as nano-IR spectroscopy, to examine the structure of individual insulin oligomers, protofilaments, and fibrils grown in the presence of phospholipids. Our findings show that AFM-IR spectra of insulin oligomers have strong signals of C-H and PO2- vibrations, which points on the presence of lipids in the oligomer structure. Furthermore, substantial shifts in lipid vibrations in AFM-IR spectra of the oligomers relative to the corresponding bands of pure lipids have been observed. This points on strong interactions between a lipid and a protein that are developed at the stage of the oligomer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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41
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Rizevsky S, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Matveyenka M, Kurouski D. Characterization of Substrates and Surface-Enhancement in Atomic Force Microscopy Infrared Analysis of Amyloid Aggregates. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2022; 126:4157-4162. [PMID: 35719853 PMCID: PMC9205157 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c09643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy is an emerging analytical technique that can be used to probe the structural organization of specimens with nanometer spatial resolution. A growing body of evidence suggests that nanoscale structural analysis of very small (<10 nm) biological objects, such as viruses and amyloid aggregates, requires substrates that must fit strict criteria of low surface roughness and low IR background, simultaneously. In this study, we examine the suitability of a broad range of substrates commonly used in AFM and IR fields, and we determined that silicon, zinc sulfide, and calcium fluoride are the most ideal substrates for nanoscale imaging of amyloid oligomers, protein aggregates that are directly linked to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Our data show that these substrates provide the lowest roughness and the lowest background in the 800-1800 cm-1 spectral window from all examined AFM and IR substrates. We also investigate a contribution of surface enhancement in AFM-IR by the direct comparison of signal intensities from oligomers located on silicon and gold-coated silicon surfaces. We found that metallization of such substrates provides a factor of ~7 enhancements to the IR signal and induces an equivalent enhancement of the sample background in the 950-1250 cm-1 spectral region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States; Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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42
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Chen R, Gu X, Wang X. α-Synuclein in Parkinson's disease and advances in detection. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 529:76-86. [PMID: 35176268 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a threatening neurodegenerative disorder that seriously affects patients' life quality. Substantial evidence links the overexpression and abnormal aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) to PD. α-Syn has been identified as a characteristic biomarker of PD, which indicates its great value of diagnosis and designing effective therapeutic strategy. This article systematically summarizes the pathogenic process of α-Syn based on recent researches, outlines and compares commonly used analysis and detection technologies of α-Syn. Specifically, the detection of α-Syn by new electrochemical, photochemical, and crystal biosensors is mainly examined. Furthermore, the speculation of future study orientation is discussed, which provides reference for the further research and application of α-Syn as biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Chen
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xuan Gu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaoying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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43
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Dang H, Chen Z, Chen W, Luo X, Liu P, Wang L, Chen J, Tang X, Wang Z, Liang Y. The residues 4 to 6 at the N-terminus in particular modulate fibril propagation of β-microglobulin. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 54:187-198. [PMID: 35130623 PMCID: PMC9909321 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2021017] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ΔN6 truncation is the main posttranslational modification of β-microglobulin (βM) found in dialysis-related amyloid. Investigation of the interaction of wild-type (WT) βM with N-terminally truncated variants is therefore of medical relevance. However, it is unclear which residues among the six residues at the N-terminus are crucial to the interactions and the modulation of amyloid fibril propagation of βM. We herein analyzed homo- and heterotypic seeding of amyloid fibrils of WT human βM and its N-terminally-truncated variants ΔN1 to ΔN6, lacking up to six residues at the N-terminus. At acidic pH 2.5, we produced amyloid fibrils from recombinant, WT βM and its six truncated variants, and found that ΔN6 βM fibrils exhibit a significantly lower conformational stability than WT βM fibrils. Importantly, under more physiological conditions (pH 6.2), we assembled amyloid fibrils only from recombinant, ΔN4, ΔN5, and ΔN6 βM but not from WT βM and its three truncated variants ΔN1 to ΔN3. Notably, the removal of the six, five or four residues at the N-terminus leads to enhanced fibril formation, and homo- and heterotypic seeding of ΔN6 fibrils strongly promotes amyloid fibril formation of WT βM and its six truncated variants, including at more physiological pH 6.2. Collectively, these results demonstrated that the residues 4 to 6 at the N-terminus particularly modulate amyloid fibril propagation of βM and the interactions of WT βM with N-terminally truncated variants, potentially indicating the direct relevance to the involvement of the protein's aggregation in dialysis-related amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibin Dang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | - Zhixian Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | - Wang Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | - Xudong Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | | | - Liqiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China
| | | | | | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell HomeostasisCollege of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan 430072China2.Wuhan University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhen 518057Chinaand 3.School of Civil EngineeringWuhan UniversityWuhan430072China,Correspondence address. Tel: +86-27-68754902; E-mail:
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Lorentzon E, Horvath I, Kumar R, Rodrigues JI, Tamás MJ, Wittung-Stafshede P. Effects of the Toxic Metals Arsenite and Cadmium on α-Synuclein Aggregation In Vitro and in Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111455. [PMID: 34768886 PMCID: PMC8584132 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to heavy metals, including arsenic and cadmium, is associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. However, the mechanistic details of how these metals contribute to pathogenesis are not well understood. To search for underlying mechanisms involving α-synuclein, the protein that forms amyloids in Parkinson’s disease, we here assessed the effects of arsenic and cadmium on α-synuclein amyloid formation in vitro and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) cells. Atomic force microscopy experiments with acetylated human α-synuclein demonstrated that amyloid fibers formed in the presence of the metals have a different fiber pitch compared to those formed without metals. Both metal ions become incorporated into the amyloid fibers, and cadmium also accelerated the nucleation step in the amyloid formation process, likely via binding to intermediate species. Fluorescence microscopy analyses of yeast cells expressing fluorescently tagged α-synuclein demonstrated that arsenic and cadmium affected the distribution of α-synuclein aggregates within the cells, reduced aggregate clearance, and aggravated α-synuclein toxicity. Taken together, our in vitro data demonstrate that interactions between these two metals and α-synuclein modulate the resulting amyloid fiber structures, which, in turn, might relate to the observed effects in the yeast cells. Whilst our study advances our understanding of how these metals affect α-synuclein biophysics, further in vitro characterization as well as human cell studies are desired to fully appreciate their role in the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Lorentzon
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; (E.L.); (J.I.R.)
| | - Istvan Horvath
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden; (I.H.); (R.K.)
| | - Ranjeet Kumar
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden; (I.H.); (R.K.)
| | - Joana Isabel Rodrigues
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; (E.L.); (J.I.R.)
| | - Markus J. Tamás
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; (E.L.); (J.I.R.)
- Correspondence: (M.J.T.); (P.W.-S.)
| | - Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden; (I.H.); (R.K.)
- Correspondence: (M.J.T.); (P.W.-S.)
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45
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Mehra S, Gadhe L, Bera R, Sawner AS, Maji SK. Structural and Functional Insights into α-Synuclein Fibril Polymorphism. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1419. [PMID: 34680054 PMCID: PMC8533119 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (α-Syn) is seen in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), dementia with Lewy body (DLB), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), and even subsets of Alzheimer's disease (AD) showing Lewy-body-like pathology. These synucleinopathies exhibit differences in their clinical and pathological representations, reminiscent of prion disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that α-Syn self-assembles and polymerizes into conformationally diverse polymorphs in vitro and in vivo, similar to prions. These α-Syn polymorphs arising from the same precursor protein may exhibit strain-specific biochemical properties and the ability to induce distinct pathological phenotypes upon their inoculation in animal models. In this review, we discuss clinical and pathological variability in synucleinopathies and several aspects of α-Syn fibril polymorphism, including the existence of high-resolution molecular structures and brain-derived strains. The current review sheds light on the recent advances in delineating the structure-pathogenic relationship of α-Syn and how diverse α-Syn molecular polymorphs contribute to the existing clinical heterogeneity in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Mehra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India; (L.G.); (R.B.); (A.S.S.)
| | | | | | | | - Samir K. Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India; (L.G.); (R.B.); (A.S.S.)
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46
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Lutter L, Aubrey LD, Xue WF. On the Structural Diversity and Individuality of Polymorphic Amyloid Protein Assemblies. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167124. [PMID: 34224749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The prediction of highly ordered three-dimensional structures of amyloid protein fibrils from the amino acid sequences of their monomeric self-assembly precursors constitutes a challenging and unresolved aspect of the classical protein folding problem. Because of the polymorphic nature of amyloid assembly whereby polypeptide chains of identical amino acid sequences under identical conditions are capable of self-assembly into a spectrum of different fibril structures, the prediction of amyloid structures from an amino acid sequence requires a detailed and holistic understanding of its assembly free energy landscape. The full extent of the structure space accessible to the cross-β molecular architecture of amyloid must also be resolved. Here, we review the current understanding of the diversity and the individuality of amyloid structures, and how the polymorphic landscape of amyloid links to biology and disease phenotypes. We present a comprehensive review of structural models of amyloid fibrils derived by cryo-EM, ssNMR and AFM to date, and discuss the challenges ahead for resolving the structural basis and the biological consequences of polymorphic amyloid assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Lutter
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK
| | - Liam D Aubrey
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK.
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47
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Sideris DI, Danial JSH, Emin D, Ruggeri FS, Xia Z, Zhang YP, Lobanova E, Dakin H, De S, Miller A, Sang JC, Knowles TPJ, Vendruscolo M, Fraser G, Crowther D, Klenerman D. Soluble amyloid beta-containing aggregates are present throughout the brain at early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab147. [PMID: 34396107 PMCID: PMC8361392 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation likely plays a key role in the initiation and spreading of Alzheimer's disease pathology through the brain. Soluble aggregates of amyloid beta are believed to play a key role in this process. However, the aggregates present in humans are still poorly characterized due to a lack of suitable methods required for characterizing the low concentration of heterogeneous aggregates present. We have used a variety of biophysical methods to characterize the aggregates present in human Alzheimer's disease brains at Braak stage III. We find soluble amyloid beta-containing aggregates in all regions of the brain up to 200 nm in length, capable of causing an inflammatory response. Rather than aggregates spreading through the brain as disease progresses, it appears that aggregation occurs all over the brain and that different brain regions are at earlier or later stages of the same process, with the later stages causing increased inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios I Sideris
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Neuroscience, Research and Early Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Derya Emin
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Francesco S Ruggeri
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Laboratories of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6703 WE, Netherlands
| | - Zengjie Xia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Yu P Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Evgeniia Lobanova
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Helen Dakin
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Suman De
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Alyssa Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jason C Sang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0H3, UK
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Graham Fraser
- Neuroscience, Research and Early Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Damian Crowther
- Neuroscience, Research and Early Development, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
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48
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Dou T, Zhou L, Kurouski D. Unravelling the Structural Organization of Individual α-Synuclein Oligomers Grown in the Presence of Phospholipids. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:4407-4414. [PMID: 33945282 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a severe neurological disorder that affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. alone. A hallmark of PD is the formation of intracellular α-synuclein (α-Syn) protein aggregates called Lewy bodies (LBs). Although this protein does not have a particular localization in the central neural system, α-Syn aggregates are primarily found in certain areas of the midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus. Microscopic analysis of LBs reveals fragments of lipid-rich membranes, organelles, and vesicles. These and other pieces of experimental evidence suggest that α-Syn aggregation can be triggered by lipids. In this study, we used atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to investigate the structural organization of individual α-Syn oligomers grown in the presence of two different phospholipids vesicles. AFM-IR is a modern optical nanoscopy technique that has single-molecule sensitivity and subdiffraction spatial resolution. Our results show that α-Syn oligomers grown in the presence of phosphatidylcholine have a distinctly different structure than oligomers grown in the presence of phosphatidylserine. We infer that this occurs because of specific charges adopted by lipids, which in turn governs protein aggregation. We also found that the protein to phospholipid ratio has a substantial impact on the structure of α-Syn oligomers. These findings demonstrate that α-Syn is far more complex than expected from the perspective of the structural organization of oligomeric species.
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49
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Zhou J, Venturelli L, Keiser L, Sekatskii SK, Gallaire F, Kasas S, Longo G, Knowles TPJ, Ruggeri FS, Dietler G. Environmental Control of Amyloid Polymorphism by Modulation of Hydrodynamic Stress. ACS NANO 2021; 15:944-953. [PMID: 33348981 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The phenomenon of amyloid polymorphism is a key feature of protein aggregation. Unravelling this phenomenon is of great significance for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases and for the development of amyloid-based functional biomaterials. However, the understanding of the molecular origins and the physicochemical factors modulating amyloid polymorphs remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate an association between amyloid polymorphism and environmental stress in solution, induced by an air/water interface in motion. Our results reveal that low-stress environments produce heterogeneous amyloid polymorphs, including twisted, helical, and rod-like fibrils, whereas high-stress conditions generate only homogeneous rod-like fibrils. Moreover, high environmental stress converts twisted fibrils into rod-like fibrils both in-pathway and after the completion of mature amyloid formation. These results enrich our understanding of the environmental origin of polymorphism of pathological amyloids and shed light on the potential of environmentally controlled fabrication of homogeneous amyloid biomaterials for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Zhou
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Venturelli
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ludovic Keiser
- Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Instabilities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sergey K Sekatskii
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - François Gallaire
- Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Instabilities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandor Kasas
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Longo
- Istituto di Struttura della Materia, CNR, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Francesco S Ruggeri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Dietler
- Laboratory of Physics of Living Matter, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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50
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Torpey JH, Meade RM, Mistry R, Mason JM, Madine J. Insights Into Peptide Inhibition of Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:561462. [PMID: 33177976 PMCID: PMC7594713 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.561462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (aSyn) aggregation is an attractive target for therapeutic development for a range of neurodegenerative conditions, collectively termed synucleinopathies. Here, we probe the mechanism of action of a peptide 4554W, (KDGIVNGVKA), previously identified through intracellular library screening, to prevent aSyn aggregation and associated toxicity. We utilize NMR to probe association and identify that 4554W associates with a "partially aggregated" form of aSyn, with enhanced association occurring over time. We also report the ability of 4554W to undergo modification through deamidation of the central asparagine residue, occurring on the same timescale as aSyn aggregation in vitro, with peptide modification enhancing its association with aSyn. Additionally, we report that 4554W can act to reduce fibril formation of five Parkinson's disease associated aSyn mutants. Inhibitory peptide binding to partially aggregated forms of aSyn, as identified here, is particularly attractive from a therapeutic perspective, as it would eliminate the need to administer the therapy at pre-aggregation stages, which are difficult to diagnose. Taken together the data suggest that 4554W could be a suitable candidate for future therapeutic development against wild-type, and most mutant aSyn aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Torpey
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Meade
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Ravina Mistry
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jody M Mason
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jillian Madine
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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