1
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Hou K, Pan H, Shahpasand-Kroner H, Hu C, Abskharon R, Seidler P, Mekkittikul M, Balbirnie M, Lantz C, Sawaya MR, Dolinsky JL, Jones M, Zuo X, Loo JA, Frautschy S, Cole G, Eisenberg DS. D-peptide-magnetic nanoparticles fragment tau fibrils and rescue behavioral deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl2991. [PMID: 38691615 PMCID: PMC11062580 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils of tau are increasingly accepted as a cause of neuronal death and brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Diminishing tau aggregation is a promising strategy in the search for efficacious AD therapeutics. Previously, our laboratory designed a six-residue, nonnatural amino acid inhibitor D-TLKIVW peptide (6-DP), which can prevent tau aggregation in vitro. However, it cannot block cell-to-cell transmission of tau aggregation. Here, we find D-TLKIVWC (7-DP), a d-cysteine extension of 6-DP, not only prevents tau aggregation but also fragments tau fibrils extracted from AD brains to neutralize their seeding ability and protect neuronal cells from tau-induced toxicity. To facilitate the transport of 7-DP across the blood-brain barrier, we conjugated it to magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The MNPs-DP complex retains the inhibition and fragmentation properties of 7-DP alone. Ten weeks of MNPs-DP treatment appear to reverse neurological deficits in the PS19 mouse model of AD. This work offers a direction for development of therapies to target tau fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Hou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hope Pan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedieh Shahpasand-Kroner
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Romany Abskharon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul Seidler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marisa Mekkittikul
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melinda Balbirnie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carter Lantz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R. Sawaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua L. Dolinsky
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mychica Jones
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Zuo
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A. Loo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sally Frautschy
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Greg Cole
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Abiose O, Rutledge J, Moran‐Losada P, Belloy ME, Wilson EN, He Z, Trelle AN, Channappa D, Romero A, Park J, Yutsis MV, Sha SJ, Andreasson KI, Poston KL, Henderson VW, Wagner AD, Wyss‐Coray T, Mormino EC. Post-translational modifications linked to preclinical Alzheimer's disease-related pathological and cognitive changes. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:1851-1867. [PMID: 38146099 PMCID: PMC10984434 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13576] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In this study, we leverage proteomic techniques to identify communities of proteins underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk among clinically unimpaired (CU) older adults. METHODS We constructed a protein co-expression network using 3869 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins quantified by SomaLogic, Inc., in a cohort of participants along the AD clinical spectrum. We then replicated this network in an independent cohort of CU older adults and related these modules to clinically-relevant outcomes. RESULTS We discovered modules enriched for phosphorylation and ubiquitination that were associated with abnormal amyloid status, as well as p-tau181 (M4: β = 2.44, p < 0.001, M7: β = 2.57, p < 0.001) and executive function performance (M4: β = -2.00, p = 0.005, M7: β = -2.39, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION In leveraging CSF proteomic data from individuals spanning the clinical spectrum of AD, we highlight the importance of post-translational modifications for early cognitive and pathological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olamide Abiose
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jarod Rutledge
- The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain ResilienceStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of GeneticsStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Patricia Moran‐Losada
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain ResilienceStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael E. Belloy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Edward N. Wilson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Zihuai He
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Center for Biomedical Informatics ResearchStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alexandra N. Trelle
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Divya Channappa
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - America Romero
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jennifer Park
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Maya V. Yutsis
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sharon J. Sha
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Katrin I. Andreasson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Chan Zuckerberg BiohubSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kathleen L. Poston
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain ResilienceStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Victor W. Henderson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Epidemiology & Population HealthStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anthony D. Wagner
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PsychologyStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tony Wyss‐Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain ResilienceStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Elizabeth C. Mormino
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCaliforniaUSA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Scheres SHW, Ryskeldi-Falcon B, Goedert M. Molecular pathology of neurodegenerative diseases by cryo-EM of amyloids. Nature 2023; 621:701-710. [PMID: 37758888 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06437-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal assembly of tau, α-synuclein, TDP-43 and amyloid-β proteins into amyloid filaments defines most human neurodegenerative diseases. Genetics provides a direct link between filament formation and the causes of disease. Developments in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have made it possible to determine the atomic structures of amyloids from postmortem human brains. Here we review the structures of brain-derived amyloid filaments that have been determined so far and discuss their impact on research into neurodegeneration. Whereas a given protein can adopt many different filament structures, specific amyloid folds define distinct diseases. Amyloid structures thus provide a description of neuropathology at the atomic level and a basis for studying disease. Future research should focus on model systems that replicate the structures observed in disease to better understand the molecular mechanisms of disease and develop improved diagnostics and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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4
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Celauro L, Burato A, Zattoni M, De Cecco E, Fantuz M, Cazzaniga FA, Bistaffa E, Moda F, Legname G. Different tau fibril types reduce prion level in chronically and de novo infected cells. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105054. [PMID: 37454740 PMCID: PMC10432985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are often characterized by the codeposition of different amyloidogenic proteins, normally defining distinct proteinopathies. An example is represented by prion diseases, where the classical deposition of the aberrant conformational isoform of the prion protein (PrPSc) can be associated with tau insoluble species, which are usually involved in another class of diseases called tauopathies. How this copresence of amyloidogenic proteins can influence the progression of prion diseases is still a matter of debate. Recently, the cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, has been investigated as a possible receptor of amyloidogenic proteins, since its binding activity with Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein has been reported, and it has been linked to several neurotoxic behaviors exerted by these proteins. We have previously shown that the treatment of chronically prion-infected cells with tau K18 fibrils reduced PrPSc levels. In this work, we further explored this mechanism by using another tau construct that includes the sequence that forms the core of Alzheimer's disease tau filaments in vivo to obtain a distinct fibril type. Despite a difference of six amino acids, these two constructs form fibrils characterized by distinct biochemical and biological features. However, their effects on PrPSc reduction were comparable and probably based on the binding to PrPC at the plasma membrane, inhibiting the pathological conversion event. Our results suggest PrPC as receptor for different types of tau fibrils and point out a role of tau amyloid fibrils in preventing the pathological PrPC to PrPSc conformational change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Celauro
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Anna Burato
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Zattoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Elena De Cecco
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Fantuz
- Fondazione per la Ricerca Biomedica Avanzata VIMM, Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Federico Angelo Cazzaniga
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Bistaffa
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Moda
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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5
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Zeng Z, Vijayan V, Tsay K, Frost MP, Quddus A, Albert A, Vigers M, Woerman AL, Han S. CBD and PSP cell-passaged Tau Seeds Generate Heterogeneous Fibrils with A sub-population Adopting Disease Folds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.19.549721. [PMID: 37502998 PMCID: PMC10370138 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.19.549721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery by cryo-electron microscopy that the neuropatho-logical hallmarks of different tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), are caused by unique misfolded conformations of the protein tau is among the most profound developments in neurodegenerative disease research. To capitalize on these discoveries for therapeutic development, one must achieve in vitro replication of tau fibrils that adopt the rep-resentative tauopathy disease folds - a grand challenge. To understand whether the commonly used, but imperfect, fragment of the tau pro-tein, K18, is capable of inducing specific protein folds, fibril seeds derived from CBD- and PSP-infected biosensor cells expressing K18, were used to achieve cell-free assembly of naïve, recombinant 4R tau into fibrils without the addition of any cofactors. Using Double Electron Electron Resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, we discovered that cell-passaged patho-logical seeds generate heterogeneous fibrils that are distinct between the CBD and PSP lysate-seeded fibrils, and are also unique from heparin-induced tau fibril populations. Moreover, the lysate-seeded fibrils contain a characteristic sub-population that resembles either the CBD or PSP disease fold, corresponding with the respective starting patient sam-ple. These findings indicate that CBD and PSP patient-derived fibrils retain strain properties after passaging through K18 reporter cells.
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6
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Peña-Bautista C, Kumar R, Baquero M, Johansson J, Cháfer-Pericás C, Abelein A, Ferreira D. Misfolded alpha-synuclein detection by RT-QuIC in dementia with lewy bodies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1193458. [PMID: 37266333 PMCID: PMC10229818 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1193458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the field is still lacking a specific biomarker for its core pathology: alpha synuclein (α-syn). Realtime quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has recently emerged as a strong biomarker candidate to detect misfolded α-syn in DLB. However, the variability in the parameters of the technique and the heterogeneity of DLB patients make the reproducibility of the results difficult. Here, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art research of α-syn RT-QuIC in DLB focused on: (1) the capacity of α-syn RT-QuIC to discriminate DLB from controls, Parkinson's disease (PD) and AD; (2) the capacity of α-syn RT-QuIC to identify prodromal stages of DLB; and (3) the influence of co-pathologies on α-syn RT-QuIC's performance. We also assessed the influence of different factors, such as technical conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, shaking-rest cycles), sample type, and clinical diagnosis versus autopsy confirmation. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines in August 2022, without any limits in publication dates. Search terms were combinations of "RT-QuIC" and "Lewy Bodies," "DLB" or "LBD". Results: Our meta-analysis shows that α-syn RT-QuIC reaches very high diagnostic performance in discriminating DLB from both controls (pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.94 and 0.96, respectively) and AD (pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.95 and 0.88) and is promising for prodromal phases of DLB. However, the performance of α-syn RT-QuIC to discriminate DLB from PD is currently low due to low specificity (pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.94 and 0.11). Our analysis showed that α-syn RT-QuIC's performance is not substantially influenced by sample type or clinical diagnosis versus autopsy confirmation. Co-pathologies did not influence the performance of α-syn RT-QuIC, but the number of such studies is currently limited. We observed technical variability across published articles. However, we could not find a clear effect of technical variability on the reported results. Conclusion: There is currently enough evidence to test misfolded α-syn by RT-QuIC for clinical use. We anticipate that harmonization of protocols across centres and advances in standardization will facilitate the clinical establishment of misfolded α-syn detection by RT-QuIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Peña-Bautista
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Avda de Fernando Abril Martorell, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Miguel Baquero
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Avda de Fernando Abril Martorell, Valencia, Spain
- Neurology Unit, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Consuelo Cháfer-Pericás
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Group, Health Research Institute La Fe, Avda de Fernando Abril Martorell, Valencia, Spain
| | - Axel Abelein
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Ferreira
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Hebisch M, Klostermeier S, Wolf K, Boccaccini AR, Wolf SE, Tanzi RE, Kim DY. The Impact of the Cellular Environment and Aging on Modeling Alzheimer's Disease in 3D Cell Culture Models. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2205037. [PMID: 36642841 PMCID: PMC10015857 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Creating a cellular model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that accurately recapitulates disease pathology has been a longstanding challenge. Recent studies showed that human AD neural cells, integrated into three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel matrix, display key features of AD neuropathology. Like in the human brain, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in determining the rate of neuropathogenesis in hydrogel-based 3D cellular models. Aging, the greatest risk factor for AD, significantly alters brain ECM properties. Therefore, it is important to understand how age-associated changes in ECM affect accumulation of pathogenic molecules, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration in AD patients and in vitro models. In this review, mechanistic hypotheses is presented to address the impact of the ECM properties and their changes with aging on AD and AD-related dementias. Altered ECM characteristics in aged brains, including matrix stiffness, pore size, and composition, will contribute to disease pathogenesis by modulating the accumulation, propagation, and spreading of pathogenic molecules of AD. Emerging hydrogel-based disease models with differing ECM properties provide an exciting opportunity to study the impact of brain ECM aging on AD pathogenesis, providing novel mechanistic insights. Understanding the role of ECM aging in AD pathogenesis should also improve modeling AD in 3D hydrogel systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hebisch
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
| | - Stefanie Klostermeier
- Institute of Medical PhysicsFriedrich‐Alexander Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91052ErlangenGermany
- Max‐Planck‐Zentrum für Physik und Medizin91054ErlangenGermany
| | - Katharina Wolf
- Department of Medicine 1Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91054ErlangenGermany
| | - Aldo R. Boccaccini
- Institute of BiomaterialsDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91058ErlangenGermany
| | - Stephan E. Wolf
- Institute of Glass and CeramicsDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91058ErlangenGermany
| | - Rudolph E. Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
| | - Doo Yeon Kim
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
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8
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Bryan L, Awasthi S, Li Y, Nirmalraj PN, Balog S, Yang J, Mayer M. Site-Specific C-Terminal Fluorescent Labeling of Tau Protein. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:47009-47014. [PMID: 36570287 PMCID: PMC9773802 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Formation of Tau protein aggregates in neurons is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Fluorescently labeled Tau protein is therefore useful to study the aggregation of these pathological proteins and to identify potential therapeutic targets. Conventionally, cysteine residues are used for labeling Tau proteins; however, the full-length Tau isoform contains two cysteine residues in the microtubule-binding region, which are implicated in Tau aggregation by forming intermolecular disulfide bonds. To prevent the fluorescent label from disturbing the microtubule binding region, we developed a strategy to fluorescently label Tau at its C-terminus while leaving cysteine residues unperturbed. We took advantage of a Sortase A-mediated transpeptidation approach to bind a short peptide (GGGH6-Alexa647) with a His-tag and a covalently attached Alexa 647 fluorophore to the C-terminus of Tau. This reaction relies on the presence of a Sortase recognition motif (LPXTG), which we attached to the C-terminus of recombinantly expressed Tau. We demonstrate that C-terminal modification of Tau protein results in no significant differences between the native and C-terminally labeled Tau monomer with regard to aggregation kinetics, secondary structure, and fibril morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bryan
- Adolphe
Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Saurabh Awasthi
- Adolphe
Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Yuanjie Li
- Adolphe
Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Peter Niraj Nirmalraj
- Transport
at Nanoscale Interfaces Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for
Materials Science and Technology, DübendorfCH-8600, Switzerland
| | - Sandor Balog
- Adolphe
Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jerry Yang
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California San Diego, La Jolla, California92093-0358United States
| | - Michael Mayer
- Adolphe
Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Chemin des Verdiers 4, CH-1700Fribourg, Switzerland
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9
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Song L, Oseid DE, Wells EA, Robinson AS. The Interplay between GSK3β and Tau Ser262 Phosphorylation during the Progression of Tau Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911610. [PMID: 36232909 PMCID: PMC9569960 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation has been linked directly to the formation of toxic neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in tauopathies, however, prior to NFT formation, the sequence of pathological events involving tau phosphorylation remains unclear. Here, the effect of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) on tau pathology was examined independently for each step of transcellular propagation; namely, tau intracellular aggregation, release, cellular uptake and seeding activity. We find that overexpression of GSK3β-induced phosphorylated 0N4R tau led to a higher level of tau oligomerization in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells than wild type 0N4R, as determined by several orthogonal assays. Interestingly, the presence of GSK3β also enhanced tau release. Further, we demonstrated that cells endocytosed more monomeric tau protein when pre-phosphorylated by GSK3β. Using an extracellular vesicle (EVs)-assisted tau neuronal delivery system, we show that exosomal GSK3β-phosphorylated tau, when added to differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, induced more efficient tau transfer, showing much higher total tau levels and increased tau aggregate formation as compared to wild type exosomal tau. The role of a primary tau phosphorylation site targeted by microtubule-affinity regulating kinases (MARKs), Ser262, was tested by pseudo-phosphorylation using site-directed mutagenesis to aspartate (S262D). S262D tau overexpression significantly enhanced tau release and intracellular tau accumulation, which were concurrent with the increase of pathological states of tau, as determined by immunodetection. Importantly, phosphorylation-induced tau accumulation was augmented by co-transfecting S262D tau with GSK3β, suggesting a possible interplay between Ser262 phosphorylation and GSK3β activity in tau pathology. Lastly, we found that pre-treatment of cells with amyloid-β (Aβ) further tau phosphorylation and accumulation when Ser262 pre-phosphorylation was present, suggesting that S262 may be a primary mediator of Aβ-induced tau toxicity. These findings provide a potential therapeutic target for treating tau-related disorders by targeting specific phospho-tau isoforms and further elucidate the GSK3β-mediated pathological seeding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqing Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Daniel E. Oseid
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Evan A. Wells
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Anne Skaja Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-412-268-7673
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10
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Zeng Z, Fichou Y, Vigers M, Tsay K, Han S. Illuminating the Structural Basis of Tau Aggregation by Intramolecular Distance Tracking: A Perspective on Methods. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6384-6395. [PMID: 35994024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of the tau protein is central to several neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies. High-resolution views of tau tangles accumulated under pathological conditions in post-mortem brains have been revealed recently by cryogenic electron microscopy. One of the striking discoveries was that fibril folds are unique to and homogeneous within one disease family, but typically different between different tauopathies. It is widely believed that seeded aggregation can achieve structural propagation of tau fibrils and generate pathological fibril structures. However, direct molecular level measurement of structural evolution during aggregation is missing. Here, we discuss our perspective on the biophysical approaches that can contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the prion-like propagation of tau and the role of cofactors. We discuss the unique potential of double electron-electron resonance (DEER)-based intramolecular distance measurement, sensitive to two to several nanometers distances. DEER can track the structural evolution of tau along the course of aggregation from the completely disordered state, to partially ordered and highly ordered fibril states, and has the potential to be a key tool to elucidate the disease-specific tau aggregation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Zeng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS, Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nanoobjects (CBMN) UMR 5348, Institut Europeen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), University of Bordeaux, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Michael Vigers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Karen Tsay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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11
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Han ZZ, Kang SG, Arce L, Westaway D. Prion-like strain effects in tauopathies. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:179-199. [PMID: 35460367 PMCID: PMC9034081 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03620-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that plays crucial roles in physiology and pathophysiology. In the realm of dementia, tau protein misfolding is associated with a wide spectrum of clinicopathologically diverse neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies. As proposed by the tau strain hypothesis, the intrinsic heterogeneity of tauopathies may be explained by the existence of structurally distinct tau conformers, “strains”. Tau strains can differ in their associated clinical features, neuropathological profiles, and biochemical signatures. Although prior research into infectious prion proteins offers valuable lessons for studying how a protein-only pathogen can encompass strain diversity, the underlying mechanism by which tau subtypes are generated remains poorly understood. Here we summarize recent advances in understanding different tau conformers through in vivo and in vitro experimental paradigms, and the implications of heterogeneity of pathological tau species for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Zhuang Han
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sang-Gyun Kang
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Luis Arce
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2M8, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, 204 Brain and Aging Research Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2M8, Canada. .,Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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12
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Song L, Oseid DE, Wells EA, Coaston T, Robinson AS. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) Serve as the Mediator Between Monomeric Tau and Its Subsequent Intracellular ERK1/2 Pathway Activation. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:772-791. [PMID: 35040015 PMCID: PMC8763444 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01943-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of soluble tau protein to insoluble, hyperphosphorylated neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) is a major hallmark leading to neuronal death observed in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Unlike NFTs, the involvement of monomeric tau in the progression of tau pathology has been less investigated. Using live-cell confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, we demonstrate that soluble 0N4R monomers were rapidly endocytosed by SH-SY5Y and C6 glioma cells via actin-dependent macropinocytosis. Further, cellular endocytosis of monomeric tau has been demonstrated to be HSPG-dependent, as shown in C6 glial cells with genetic knockouts of xylosyltransferase-1-a key enzyme in HSPG synthesis-with a reduced level of tau uptake. Tau internalization subsequently triggers ERK1/2 activation and therefore, the upregulation of IL-6 and IL-1β. The role of ERK1/2 in regulating the levels of pro-inflammatory gene transcripts was confirmed by inhibiting the MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which led to the attenuated IL-6 and IL-1β expressions but not that of TNF-α. Moreover, as a key regulator of tau internalization, LRP1 (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1) levels were downregulated in response to monomeric tau added to C6 cells, while it was upregulated in HSPG-deficient cells, suggesting that the involvement of LRP1 in tau uptake depends on the presence of HSPGs on the cell surface. The subsequent LRP1 knockdown experiment we performed shows that LRP1 deficiency leads to an attenuated propensity for tau uptake and further elevated IL-6 gene expression. Collectively, our data suggest that tau has multiple extracellular binding partners that mediate its internalization through distinct mechanisms. Additionally, this study demonstrates the important role of both HSPGs and LRP1 in regulating cellular immune responses to tau protein monomers, providing a novel target for alleviating the neuroinflammatory environment before the formation of neurofibrillary tangles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqing Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Daniel E Oseid
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Evan A Wells
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Troy Coaston
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Anne S Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
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13
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Zhang G, Meng L, Wang Z, Peng Q, Chen G, Xiong J, Zhang Z. Islet amyloid polypeptide cross-seeds tau and drives the neurofibrillary pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:12. [PMID: 35093145 PMCID: PMC8800231 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00518-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The pathologic accumulation and aggregation of tau is a hallmark of tauopathies including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms mediating tau aggregation in AD remain elusive. The incidence of AD is increased in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which is characterized by the amyloid deposition of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) in the pancreas. However, the molecular mechanisms bridging AD and T2DM remain unknown. Methods We first examined the presence of IAPP in the neurofibrillary tangles of AD patients. Then we tested the effect of IAPP on tau aggregation. The biochemical and biological characteristics of the IAPP-tau fibrils were tested in vitro. The seeding activity and neurotoxicity of the IAPP-tau fibrils were confirmed in cultured neurons. Lastly, the effect of IAPP on tau pathology and cognitive impairments was determined by injecting the IAPP-tau fibrils and IAPP fibrils into the hippocampus of tau P301S mice. Results We found that IAPP interacts with tau and accelerates the formation of a more toxic strain, which shows distinct morphology with enhanced seeding activity and neurotoxicity in vitro. Intrahippocampal injection of the IAPP-tau strain into the tau P301S transgenic mice substantially promoted the spreading of tau pathology and induced more severe synapse loss and cognitive deficits, when compared with tau fibrils. Furthermore, intracerebral injection of synthetic IAPP fibrils initiated tauopathy in the brain of tau P301S transgenic mice. Conclusions These observations indicate that IAPP acts as a crucial mediator of tau pathology in AD, and provide a mechanistic explanation for the higher risk of AD in individuals with T2DM. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13024-022-00518-y.
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14
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Murray KA, Hughes MP, Hu CJ, Sawaya MR, Salwinski L, Pan H, French SW, Seidler PM, Eisenberg DS. Identifying amyloid-related diseases by mapping mutations in low-complexity protein domains to pathologies. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:529-536. [PMID: 35637421 PMCID: PMC9205782 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00774-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Proteins including FUS, hnRNPA2, and TDP-43 reversibly aggregate into amyloid-like fibrils through interactions of their low-complexity domains (LCDs). Mutations in LCDs can promote irreversible amyloid aggregation and disease. We introduce a computational approach to identify mutations in LCDs of disease-associated proteins predicted to increase propensity for amyloid aggregation. We identify several disease-related mutations in the intermediate filament protein keratin-8 (KRT8). Atomic structures of wild-type and mutant KRT8 segments confirm the transition to a pleated strand capable of amyloid formation. Biochemical analysis reveals KRT8 forms amyloid aggregates, and the identified mutations promote aggregation. Aggregated KRT8 is found in Mallory-Denk bodies, observed in hepatocytes of livers with alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). We demonstrate that ethanol promotes KRT8 aggregation, and KRT8 amyloids co-crystallize with alcohol. Lastly, KRT8 aggregation can be seeded by liver extract from people with ASH, consistent with the amyloid nature of KRT8 aggregates and the classification of ASH as an amyloid-related condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A. Murray
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Michael P. Hughes
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Carolyn J. Hu
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Michael R. Sawaya
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Lukasz Salwinski
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Hope Pan
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Samuel W. French
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Paul M. Seidler
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA USA
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15
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Sprunger ML, Jackrel ME. Prion-Like Proteins in Phase Separation and Their Link to Disease. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11071014. [PMID: 34356638 PMCID: PMC8301953 DOI: 10.3390/biom11071014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant protein folding underpins many neurodegenerative diseases as well as certain myopathies and cancers. Protein misfolding can be driven by the presence of distinctive prion and prion-like regions within certain proteins. These prion and prion-like regions have also been found to drive liquid-liquid phase separation. Liquid-liquid phase separation is thought to be an important physiological process, but one that is prone to malfunction. Thus, aberrant liquid-to-solid phase transitions may drive protein aggregation and fibrillization, which could give rise to pathological inclusions. Here, we review prions and prion-like proteins, their roles in phase separation and disease, as well as potential therapeutic approaches to counter aberrant phase transitions.
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16
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Dregni AJ, Wang HK, Wu H, Duan P, Jin J, DeGrado WF, Hong M. Inclusion of the C-Terminal Domain in the β-Sheet Core of Heparin-Fibrillized Three-Repeat Tau Protein Revealed by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:7839-7851. [PMID: 33983722 PMCID: PMC8283780 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are characterized by pathological β-sheet filaments of the tau protein, which spread in a prion-like manner in patient brains. To date, high-resolution structures of tau filaments obtained from patient brains show that the β-sheet core only includes portions of the microtubule-binding repeat domains and excludes the C-terminal residues, indicating that the C-terminus is dynamically disordered. Here, we use solid-state NMR spectroscopy to identify the β-sheet core of full-length 0N3R tau fibrillized using heparin. Assignment of 13C and 15N chemical shifts of the rigid core of the protein revealed a single predominant β-sheet conformation, which spans not only the R3, R4, R' repeats but also the entire C-terminal domain (CT) of the protein. This massive β-sheet core qualitatively differs from all other tau fibril structures known to date. Using long-range correlation NMR experiments, we found that the R3 and R4 repeats form a β-arch, similar to that seen in some of the brain-derived tau fibrils, but the R1 and R3 domains additionally stack against the CT, reminiscent of previously reported transient interactions of the CT with the microtubule-binding repeats. This expanded β-sheet core structure suggests that the CT may have a protective effect against the formation of pathological tau fibrils by shielding the amyloidogenic R3 and R4 domains, preventing side-on nucleation. Truncation and post-translational modification of the CT in vivo may thus play an important role in the progression of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio J. Dregni
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Harrison K. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Haifan Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 555 Mission Bay Blvd. South, CVRB, Room 452V, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jia Jin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 555 Mission Bay Blvd. South, CVRB, Room 452V, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - William F. DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 555 Mission Bay Blvd. South, CVRB, Room 452V, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-9001
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
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17
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Wu R, Gu J, Zhou D, Tung YC, Jin N, Chu D, Hu W, Wegiel J, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Seeding-Competent Tau in Gray Matter Versus White Matter of Alzheimer's Disease Brain. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 79:1647-1659. [PMID: 33459649 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurofibrillary pathology of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau spreads along neuroanatomical connections, underlying the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The propagation of tau pathology to axonally connected brain regions inevitably involves trafficking of seeding-competent tau within the axonal compartment of the neuron. OBJECTIVE To determine the seeding activity of tau in cerebral gray and white matters of AD. METHODS Levels of total tau, hyperphosphorylation of tau, and SDS- and β-mercaptoethanol-resistant high molecular weight tau (HMW-tau) in crude extracts from gray and white matters of AD frontal lobes were analyzed by immuno-blots. Tau seeding activity was quantitatively assessed by measuring RIPA buffer-insoluble tau in HEK-293FT/tau151-391 cells treated with brain extracts. RESULTS We found a comparable level of soluble tau in gray matter versus white matter of control brains, but a higher level of soluble tau in gray matter than white matter of AD brains. In AD brains, tau is hyperphosphorylated in both gray and white matters, with a higher level in the former. The extracts of both gray and white matters of AD brains seeded tau aggregation in HEK-293FT/tau151-391 cells but the white matter showed less potency. Seeding activity of tau in brain extracts was positively correlated with the levels of tau hyperphosphorylation and HMW-tau. RIPA-insoluble tau, but not RIPA-soluble tau, was hyperphosphorylated tau at multiple sites. CONCLUSION Both gray and white matters of AD brain contain seeding-competent tau that can template aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau, but the seeding potency is markedly higher in gray matter than in white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruozhen Wu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianlan Gu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dingwei Zhou
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Nana Jin
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Chu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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18
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Chidambaram H, Chinnathambi S. Role of cysteines in accelerating Tau filament formation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:4366-4375. [PMID: 33317395 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1856720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is majorly associated with intracellular accumulation of Tau into paired helical filaments and tangles. The self-aggregated dimeric and oligomeric species of Tau formed are more toxic to neuronal cells and acts as seeds for filament formation. The two cysteine residues and the two hexapeptide regions of full-length Tau play a key role in initialization and filament formation during Tau aggregation. The role of cysteine residues in Tau aggregation has been studied by in-vitro aggregation assay that was measured by Thioflavin S fluorescence to observe the kinetics of aggregation. In this study, we have performed in-vitro aggregation assay with recombinant full-length Tau and the cysteine mutants to understand the mechanism of cysteine independent Tau aggregation. Here, we report that cysteine mutant full-length Tau can aggregate to form filaments under in-vitro conditions. To visualize the polymorphisms of Tau and cysteine mutants under different aggregation conditions anionic cofactor, heparin was employed. Wild-type Tau showed rapid aggregation to form oligomers and filaments. On the other hand, the cysteine mutant delayed the initial Tau aggregation. This indicates the importance of cysteine residues in accelerating initial Tau nucleation for its aggregation. The filament morphology of wild-type and cysteine mutant Tau has been characterized using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hariharakrishnan Chidambaram
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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19
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Oakley SS, Maina MB, Marshall KE, Al-Hilaly YK, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Tau Filament Self-Assembly and Structure: Tau as a Therapeutic Target. Front Neurol 2020; 11:590754. [PMID: 33281730 PMCID: PMC7688747 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau plays an important pathological role in a group of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and corticobasal degeneration. In each disease, tau self-assembles abnormally to form filaments that deposit in the brain. Tau is a natively unfolded protein that can adopt distinct structures in different pathological disorders. Cryo-electron microscopy has recently provided a series of structures for the core of the filaments purified from brain tissue from patients with different tauopathies and revealed that they share a common core region, while differing in their specific conformation. This structurally resolvable part of the core is contained within a proteolytically stable core region from the repeat domain initially isolated from AD tau filaments. Tau has recently become an important target for therapy. Recent work has suggested that the prevention of tau self-assembly may be effective in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Here we review the work that explores the importance of tau filament structures and tau self-assembly mechanisms, as well as examining model systems that permit the exploration of the mode of action of potential inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian S. Oakley
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Mahmoud B. Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Youssra K. Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Charlie R. Harrington
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Claude M. Wischik
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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20
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21
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Alyenbaawi H, Allison WT, Mok SA. Prion-Like Propagation Mechanisms in Tauopathies and Traumatic Brain Injury: Challenges and Prospects. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1487. [PMID: 33121065 PMCID: PMC7692808 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of tau protein in the form of filamentous aggregates is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). These dementias share traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a prominent risk factor. Tau aggregates can transfer between cells and tissues in a "prion-like" manner, where they initiate the templated misfolding of normal tau molecules. This enables the spread of tau pathology to distinct parts of the brain. The evidence that tauopathies spread via prion-like mechanisms is considerable, but work detailing the mechanisms of spread has mostly used in vitro platforms that cannot fully reveal the tissue-level vectors or etiology of progression. We review these issues and then briefly use TBI and CTE as a case study to illustrate aspects of tauopathy that warrant further attention in vivo. These include seizures and sleep/wake disturbances, emphasizing the urgent need for improved animal models. Dissecting these mechanisms of tauopathy progression continues to provide fresh inspiration for the design of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeel Alyenbaawi
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Laboratories, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - W. Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
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22
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Goedert M. Tau proteinopathies and the prion concept. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:239-259. [PMID: 32958235 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ordered assembly of a small number of proteins into amyloid filaments is central to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Tau is the most commonly affected of these proteins. In sporadic diseases, assemblies of tau form in a stochastic manner in certain brain regions, from where they appear to spread in a deterministic way, giving rise to disease symptoms. Over the past decade, multiple lines of evidence have shown that assembled tau behaves like a prion. More recently, electron cryo-microscopy of tau filaments has shown that distinct conformers are present in different diseases, with no inter-individual variation for a given disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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23
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Shimonaka S, Matsumoto SE, Elahi M, Ishiguro K, Hasegawa M, Hattori N, Motoi Y. Asparagine residue 368 is involved in Alzheimer's disease tau strain-specific aggregation. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13996-14014. [PMID: 32759167 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In tauopathies, tau forms pathogenic fibrils with distinct conformations (termed "tau strains") and acts as an aggregation "seed" templating the conversion of normal tau into isomorphic fibrils. Previous research showed that the aggregation core of tau fibril covers the C-terminal region (243-406 amino acids (aa)) and differs among the diseases. However, the mechanisms by which distinct fibrous structures are formed and inherited via templated aggregation are still unknown. Here, we sought to identify the key sequences of seed-dependent aggregation. To identify sequences for which deletion reduces tau aggregation, SH-SY5Y cells expressing a series of 10 partial deletion (Del 1-10, covering 244-400 aa) mutants of tau-CTF24 (243-441 aa) were treated with tau seeds prepared from a different tauopathy patient's brain (Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration) or recombinant tau, and then seed-dependent tau aggregation was assessed biochemically. We found that the Del 8 mutant lacking 353-368 aa showed significantly decreased aggregation in both cellular and in vitro models. Furthermore, to identify the minimum sequence responsible for tau aggregation, we systematically repeated cellular tau aggregation assays for the delineation of shorter deletion sites and revealed that Asn-368 mutation suppressed tau aggregation triggered by an AD tau seed, but not using other tauopathy seeds. Our study suggested that 353-368 aa is a novel aggregation-responsible sequence other than PHF6 and PHF6*, and within this sequence, the Asn-368 residue plays a role in strain-specific tau aggregation in different tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shotaro Shimonaka
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ei Matsumoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Montasir Elahi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Ishiguro
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumiko Motoi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan .,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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24
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Lucas MJ, Pan HS, Verbeke EJ, Webb LJ, Taylor DW, Keitz BK. Functionalized Mesoporous Silicas Direct Structural Polymorphism of Amyloid-β Fibrils. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:7345-7355. [PMID: 32482072 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) is associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and involves a complex kinetic pathway as monomers self-assemble into fibrils. A central feature of amyloid fibrils is the existence of multiple structural polymorphs, which complicates the development of disease-relevant structure-function relationships. Developing these relationships requires new methods to control fibril structure. In this work, we evaluated the effect that mesoporous silicas (SBA-15) functionalized with hydrophobic (SBA-PFDTS) and hydrophilic groups (SBA-PEG) have on the aggregation kinetics and resulting structure of Aβ1-40 fibrils. The hydrophilic SBA-PEG had little effect on amyloid kinetics, while as-synthesized and hydrophobic SBA-PFDTS accelerated aggregation kinetics. Subsequently, we quantified the relative population of fibril structures formed in the presence of each material using electron microscopy. Fibrils formed from Aβ1-40 exposed to SBA-PEG were structurally similar to control fibrils. In contrast, Aβ1-40 incubated with SBA-15 or SBA-PFDTS formed fibrils with shorter crossover distances that were more structurally representative of fibrils found in AD patient derived samples. Overall, our results suggest that mesoporous silicas and other exogenous materials are promising scaffolds for the de novo production of specific fibril polymorphs of Aβ1-40 and other amyloidogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lucas
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Henry S Pan
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Eric J Verbeke
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - David W Taylor
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Benjamin K Keitz
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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25
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Dregni AJ, Duan P, Hong M. Hydration and Dynamics of Full-Length Tau Amyloid Fibrils Investigated by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Biochemistry 2020; 59:2237-2248. [PMID: 32453948 PMCID: PMC7720860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates into distinct neurofibrillary tangles in brains afflicted with multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). The mechanism of tau misfolding and aggregation is poorly understood. Determining the structure, dynamics, and water accessibility of tau filaments may provide insight into the pathway of tau misfolding. Here, we investigate the hydration and dynamics of the β-sheet core of heparin-fibrillized 0N4R tau using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This β-sheet core consists of the second and third microtubule-binding repeats, R2 and R3, respectively, which form a hairpin. Water-edited two-dimensional (2D) 13C-13C and 15N-13C correlation spectra show that most residues in R2 and R3 domains have low water accessibility, indicating that this hairpin is surrounded by other proteinaceous segments. However, a small number of residues, especially S285 and S316, are well hydrated compared to other Ser and Thr residues, suggesting that there is a small water channel in the middle of the hairpin. To probe whether water accessibility correlates with protein dynamics, we measured the backbone N-H dipolar couplings of the β-sheet core. Interestingly, residues in the fourth microtubule-binding repeat, R4, show rigid-limit N-H dipolar couplings, even though this domain exhibits weaker intensities in the 2D 15N-13C correlation spectra. These results suggest that the R4 domain participates in cross-β hydrogen bonding in some of the subunits but exhibits dynamic disorder in other subunits. Taken together, these hydration and dynamics data indicate that the R2-R3 hairpin of 0N4R tau is shielded from water by other proteinaceous segments on the exterior but contains a small water pore in the interior. This structural topology has various similarities with the CBD tau fibril structure but also shows specific differences. The disorder of the R4 domain and the presence of a small water channel in the heparin-fibrillized 4R tau have implications for the structure of tau fibrils in diseased brains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
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26
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Yoshinaga S, Yamanaka T, Miyazaki H, Okuzumi A, Hiyama A, Murayama S, Nukina N. Preserved proteinase K-resistant core after amplification of alpha-synuclein aggregates: Implication to disease-related structural study. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 522:655-661. [PMID: 31785806 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.11.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many pathological proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases are misfolded, aggregating to form amyloid fibrils during pathogenesis. One of the pathological proteins, alpha-synuclein (α-syn), accumulates in the brains of Parkinson disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), which are designated as synucleinopathies. Recently, structural properties of abnormal accumulated proteins are suggested to determine the disease phenotype. However, the biochemical and structural characteristics of those accumulated proteins are still poorly understood. We previously reported the sequence and seed-structure-dependent polymorphic fibrils of α-syn and the polymorphism was identified by proteinase K-resistant cores determined by mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. In this study, we applied this method to analyze α-syn aggregates of MSA and DLB. To perform MS analysis on proteinase K-resistant cores, we first performed amplification of α-syn aggregates by seeding reaction and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) to obtain a sufficient amount of aggregates. Using SDS insoluble fraction of the disease brain, we successfully amplified enough α-syn aggregates for MS analysis. We differentiated between mouse and human α-syn aggregates by MS analysis on proteinase K-resistant cores of the aggregates before and after amplification. The results suggest that structural properties of amplified α-syn fibrils are preserved after PMCA and these methods can be applicable in the study of pathological proteins of the neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saki Yoshinaga
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yamanaka
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan.
| | - Haruko Miyazaki
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Ayami Okuzumi
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan; Department of Neurology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Akiko Hiyama
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neurology and Neuropathology (the Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, 35-2, Sakae-chou, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Nukina
- Laboratory of Structural Neuropathology, Doshisha University Graduate School of Brain Science, 1-3 Miyakodanitatara, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan.
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27
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Jonnalagadda SVR, Gerace AJ, Thai K, Johnson J, Tsimenidis K, Jakubowski JM, Shen C, Henderson KJ, Tamamis P, Gkikas M. Amyloid Peptide Scaffolds Coordinate with Alzheimer’s Disease Drugs. J Phys Chem B 2019; 124:487-503. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b10368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew James Gerace
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Kathleen Thai
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Jonathan Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Kostas Tsimenidis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Joseph M. Jakubowski
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Christina Shen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Kendal J. Henderson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Manos Gkikas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
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28
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Seidler PM, Boyer DR, Murray KA, Yang TP, Bentzel M, Sawaya MR, Rosenberg G, Cascio D, Williams CK, Newell KL, Ghetti B, DeTure MA, Dickson DW, Vinters HV, Eisenberg DS. Structure-based inhibitors halt prion-like seeding by Alzheimer's disease-and tauopathy-derived brain tissue samples. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:16451-16464. [PMID: 31537646 PMCID: PMC6827308 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and tauopathies, tau aggregation accompanies progressive neurodegeneration. Aggregated tau appears to spread between adjacent neurons and adjacent brain regions by prion-like seeding. Hence, inhibitors of this seeding offer a possible route to managing tauopathies. Here, we report the 1.0 Å resolution micro-electron diffraction structure of an aggregation-prone segment of tau with the sequence SVQIVY, present in the cores of patient-derived fibrils from AD and tauopathies. This structure illuminates how distinct interfaces of the parent segment, containing the sequence VQIVYK, foster the formation of distinct structures. Peptide-based fibril-capping inhibitors designed to target the two VQIVYK interfaces blocked proteopathic seeding by patient-derived fibrils. These VQIVYK inhibitors add to a panel of tau-capping inhibitors that targets specific polymorphs of recombinant and patient-derived tau fibrils. Inhibition of seeding initiated by brain tissue extracts differed among donors with different tauopathies, suggesting that particular fibril polymorphs of tau are associated with certain tauopathies. Donors with progressive supranuclear palsy exhibited more variation in inhibitor sensitivity, suggesting that fibrils from these donors were more polymorphic and potentially vary within individual donor brains. Our results suggest that a subset of inhibitors from our panel could be specific for particular disease-associated polymorphs, whereas inhibitors that blocked seeding by extracts from all of the tauopathies tested could be used to broadly inhibit seeding by multiple disease-specific tau polymorphs. Moreover, we show that tau-capping inhibitors can be transiently expressed in HEK293 tau biosensor cells, indicating that nucleic acid-based vectors can be used for inhibitor delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Matthew Seidler
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - David R Boyer
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Kevin A Murray
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Tianxiao P Yang
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Megan Bentzel
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Michael R Sawaya
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Gregory Rosenberg
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Duilio Cascio
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Christopher Kazu Williams
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Kathy L Newell
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | | | - Michael A DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Harry V Vinters
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - David S Eisenberg
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute, Molecular Biology Institute, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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29
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Mroczko B, Groblewska M, Litman-Zawadzka A. The Role of Protein Misfolding and Tau Oligomers (TauOs) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4661. [PMID: 31547024 PMCID: PMC6802364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the causative role of the accumulation of amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ42) deposits in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been under debate for many years, it is supposed that the toxicity soluble oligomers of Tau protein (TauOs) might be also the pathogenic factor acting on the initial stages of this disease. Therefore, we performed a thorough search for literature pertaining to our investigation via the MEDLINE/PubMed database. It was shown that soluble TauOs, especially granular forms, may be the most toxic form of this protein. Hyperphosphorylated TauOs can reduce the number of synapses by missorting into axonal compartments of neurons other than axon. Furthermore, soluble TauOs may be also responsible for seeding Tau pathology within AD brains, with probable link to AβOs toxicity. Additionally, the concentrations of TauOs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of AD patients were higher than in non-demented controls, and revealed a negative correlation with mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. It was postulated that adding the measurements of TauOs to the panel of CSF biomarkers could improve the diagnosis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Mroczko
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok, 15-269 Białystok, Poland.
- Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, University Hospital of Białystok, 15-269 Białystok, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Groblewska
- Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, University Hospital of Białystok, 15-269 Białystok, Poland.
| | - Ala Litman-Zawadzka
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok, 15-269 Białystok, Poland.
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30
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In vitro 0N4R tau fibrils contain a monomorphic β-sheet core enclosed by dynamically heterogeneous fuzzy coat segments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16357-16366. [PMID: 31358628 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1906839116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolding of the microtubule-binding protein tau into filamentous aggregates is characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Determining the structures and dynamics of these tau fibrils is important for designing inhibitors against tau aggregation. Tau fibrils obtained from patient brains have been found by cryo-electron microscopy to adopt disease-specific molecular conformations. However, in vitro heparin-fibrillized 2N4R tau, which contains all four microtubule-binding repeats (4R), was recently found to adopt polymorphic structures. Here we use solid-state NMR spectroscopy to investigate the global fold and dynamics of heparin-fibrillized 0N4R tau. A single set of 13C and 15N chemical shifts was observed for residues in the four repeats, indicating a single β-sheet conformation for the fibril core. This rigid core spans the R2 and R3 repeats and adopts a hairpin-like fold that has similarities to but also clear differences from any of the polymorphic 2N4R folds. Obtaining a homogeneous fibril sample required careful purification of the protein and removal of any proteolytic fragments. A variety of experiments and polarization transfer from water and mobile side chains indicate that 0N4R tau fibrils exhibit heterogeneous dynamics: Outside the rigid R2-R3 core, the R1 and R4 repeats are semirigid even though they exhibit β-strand character and the proline-rich domains undergo large-amplitude anisotropic motions, whereas the two termini are nearly isotropically flexible. These results have significant implications for the structure and dynamics of 4R tau fibrils in vivo.
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31
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Ryan P, Xu M, Davey AK, Danon JJ, Mellick GD, Kassiou M, Rudrawar S. O-GlcNAc Modification Protects against Protein Misfolding and Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:2209-2221. [PMID: 30985105 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins are becoming the focus of intense research due to their implications in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Various PTMs have been identified to alter the toxic profiles of proteins which play critical roles in disease etiology. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), dysregulated phosphorylation is reported to promote pathogenic processing of the microtubule-associated tau protein. Among the PTMs, the enzymatic addition of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) residues to Ser/Thr residues is reported to deliver protective effects against the pathogenic processing of both amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tau. Modification of tau with as few as one single O-GlcNAc residue inhibits its toxic self-assembly. This modification also has the same effect on the assembly of the Parkinson's disease (PD) associated α-synuclein (ASyn) protein. In fact, O-GlcNAcylation ( O-linked GlcNAc modification) affects the processing of numerous proteins implicated in AD, PD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's disease (HD) in a similar manner. As such, manipulation of a protein's O-GlcNAcylation status has been proposed to offer therapeutic routes toward addressing multiple neurodegenerative pathologies. Here we review the various effects that O-GlcNAc modification, and its modulated expression, have on pathogenically significant proteins involved in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Ryan
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
| | - Mingming Xu
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Australia
| | - Andrew K. Davey
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
| | | | - George D. Mellick
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
| | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Santosh Rudrawar
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Australia
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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32
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Kraus A, Saijo E, Metrick MA, Newell K, Sigurdson CJ, Zanusso G, Ghetti B, Caughey B. Seeding selectivity and ultrasensitive detection of tau aggregate conformers of Alzheimer disease. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 137:585-598. [PMID: 30570675 PMCID: PMC6426988 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) involve the abnormal accumulation in the brain of filaments composed of both three-repeat (3R) and four-repeat (4R) (3R/4R) tau isoforms. To probe the molecular basis for AD's tau filament propagation and to improve detection of tau aggregates as potential biomarkers, we have exploited the seeded polymerization growth mechanism of tau filaments to develop a highly selective and ultrasensitive cell-free tau seed amplification assay optimized for AD (AD real-time quaking-induced conversion or AD RT-QuIC). The reaction is based on the ability of AD tau aggregates to seed the formation of amyloid fibrils made of certain recombinant tau fragments. AD RT-QuIC detected seeding activity in AD (n = 16) brains at dilutions as extreme as 107-1010-fold, but was 102-106-fold less responsive when seeded with brain from most cases of other types of tauopathy with comparable loads of predominant 3R or 4R tau aggregates. For example, AD brains had average seeding activities that were orders of magnitude higher than Pick disease brains with predominant 3R tau deposits, but the opposite was true using our previously described Pick-optimized tau RT-QuIC assay. CTE brains (n = 2) had seed concentrations comparable to the weakest of the AD specimens, and higher than 3 of 4 specimens with 3R/4R primary age-related tauopathy. AD seeds shared properties with the tau filaments found in AD brains, as AD seeds were sarkosyl-insoluble, protease resistant, and reactive with tau antibodies. Moreover, AD RT-QuIC detected as little as 16 fg of pure synthetic tau fibrils. The distinctive seeding activity exhibited by AD and CTE tau filaments compared to other types of tauopathies in these seeded polymerization reactions provides a mechanistic basis for their consistent propagation as specific conformers in patients with 3R/4R tau diseases. Importantly, AD RT-QuIC also provides rapid ultrasensitive quantitation of 3R/4R tau-seeding activity as a biomarker.
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Abstract
Most common neurodegenerative diseases feature deposition of protein amyloids and degeneration of brain networks. Amyloids are ordered protein assemblies that can act as templates for their own replication through monomer addition. Evidence suggests that this characteristic may underlie the progression of pathology in neurodegenerative diseases. Many different amyloid proteins, including Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein, exhibit properties similar to those of infectious prion protein in experimental systems: discrete and self-replicating amyloid structures, transcellular propagation of aggregation, and transmissible neuropathology. This review discusses the contribution of prion phenomena and transcellular propagation to the progression of pathology in common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It reviews fundamental events such as cell entry, amplification, and transcellular movement. It also discusses amyloid strains, which produce distinct patterns of neuropathology and spread through the nervous system. These concepts may impact the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Vaquer-Alicea
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA;
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA;
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Macdonald JA, Bronner IF, Drynan L, Fan J, Curry A, Fraser G, Lavenir I, Goedert M. Assembly of transgenic human P301S Tau is necessary for neurodegeneration in murine spinal cord. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:44. [PMID: 30885267 PMCID: PMC6421678 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A pathological pathway leading from soluble monomeric to insoluble filamentous Tau is characteristic of many human neurodegenerative diseases, which also exhibit dysfunction and death of brain cells. However, it is unknown how the assembly of Tau into filaments relates to cell loss. To study this, we first used a mouse line transgenic for full-length human mutant P301S Tau to investigate the temporal relationship between Tau assembly into filaments, assessed using anti-Tau antibody AT100, and motor neuron numbers, in the lumbar spinal cord. AT100 immunoreactivity preceded nerve cell loss. Murine Tau did not contribute significantly to either Tau aggregation or neurodegeneration. To further study the relevance of filament formation for neurodegeneration, we deleted hexapeptides 275VQIINK280 and 306VQIVYK311, either singly or in combination, from human 0N4R Tau with the P301S mutation. These hexapeptides are essential for the assembly of Tau into filaments. Homozygous mice transgenic for P301S Tau with the hexapeptide deletions, which expressed Tau at a similar level to the heterozygous line transgenic for P301S Tau, had a normal lifespan, unlike mice from the P301S Tau line. The latter had significant levels of sarkosyl-insoluble Tau in brain and spinal cord, and exhibited neurodegeneration. Mice transgenic for P301S Tau with the hexapeptide deletions failed to show significant levels of sarkosyl-insoluble Tau or neurodegeneration. Recombinant P301S Tau with the hexapeptide deletions failed to form β-sheet structure and filaments following incubation with heparin. Taken together, we conclude that β-sheet assembly of human P301S Tau is necessary for neurodegeneration in transgenic mice.
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Zhang W, Falcon B, Murzin AG, Fan J, Crowther RA, Goedert M, Scheres SH. Heparin-induced tau filaments are polymorphic and differ from those in Alzheimer's and Pick's diseases. eLife 2019; 8:43584. [PMID: 30720432 PMCID: PMC6375701 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of microtubule-associated protein tau into filamentous inclusions underlies a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Tau filaments adopt different conformations in Alzheimer’s and Pick’s diseases. Here, we used cryo- and immuno- electron microscopy to characterise filaments that were assembled from recombinant full-length human tau with four (2N4R) or three (2N3R) microtubule-binding repeats in the presence of heparin. 2N4R tau assembles into multiple types of filaments, and the structures of three types reveal similar ‘kinked hairpin’ folds, in which the second and third repeats pack against each other. 2N3R tau filaments are structurally homogeneous, and adopt a dimeric core, where the third repeats of two tau molecules pack in a parallel manner. The heparin-induced tau filaments differ from those of Alzheimer’s or Pick’s disease, which have larger cores with different repeat compositions. Our results illustrate the structural versatility of amyloid filaments, and raise questions about the relevance of in vitro assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhang
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Falcon
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexey G Murzin
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Fan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Cofactors are essential constituents of stable and seeding-active tau fibrils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:13234-13239. [PMID: 30538196 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1810058115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are cross-β-rich aggregates that are exceptionally stable forms of protein assembly. Accumulation of tau amyloid fibrils is involved in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Heparin-induced aggregates have been widely used and assumed to be a good tau amyloid fibril model for most biophysical studies. Here we show that mature fibrils made of 4R tau variants, prepared with heparin or RNA, spontaneously depolymerize and release monomers when their cofactors are removed. We demonstrate that the cross-β-sheet assembly formed in vitro with polyanion addition is unstable at room temperature. We furthermore demonstrate high seeding capacity with transgenic AD mouse brain-extracted tau fibrils in vitro that, however, is exhausted after one generation, while supplementation with RNA cofactors resulted in sustained seeding over multiple generations. We suggest that tau fibrils formed in brains are supported by unknown cofactors and inhere higher-quality packing, as reflected in a more distinct conformational arrangement in the mouse fibril-seeded, compared with heparin-induced, tau fibrils. Our study suggests that the role of cofactors in tauopathies is a worthy focus of future studies, as they may be viable targets for diagnosis and therapeutics.
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Ghag G, Bhatt N, Cantu DV, Guerrero‐Munoz MJ, Ellsworth A, Sengupta U, Kayed R. Soluble tau aggregates, not large fibrils, are the toxic species that display seeding and cross-seeding behavior. Protein Sci 2018; 27:1901-1909. [PMID: 30125425 PMCID: PMC6201727 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have proposed that fibrillary aggregates of tau and other amyloidogenic proteins are neurotoxic and result in numerous neurodegenerative diseases. However, these studies usually involve sonication or extrusion through needles before experimentation. As a consequence, these methods may fragment large aggregates producing a mixture of aggregated species rather than intact fibrils. Therefore, the results of these experiments may be reflective of other amyloidogenic species, such as oligomers and/or protofibrils/short fibrils. To investigate the effects of sonication on the aggregation of tau and other amyloidogenic proteins, fibrils were prepared and well characterized, then sonicated and evaluated by various biochemical and biophysical methods to identify the aggregated species present. We found that indeed a mixture of aggregated species was present along with short fibrils indicating that sonication leads to impure fibril samples and should be analyzed with caution. Our results corroborate the previous studies showing that sonication of prion and Aβ fibrils leads to the formation of toxic, soluble aggregates. We also show that the oligomeric forms are the most toxic species although it is unclear how sonication causes oligomer formation. Recent results suggest that these small toxic oligomers produced by sonication, rather than the stable fibrillar structures, are prion-like in nature displaying seeding and cross-seeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Ghag
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Nemil Bhatt
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Daniel V. Cantu
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Marcos J. Guerrero‐Munoz
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Anna Ellsworth
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexas 77555
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38
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Castillo-Carranza DL, Guerrero-Muñoz MJ, Sengupta U, Gerson JE, Kayed R. α-Synuclein Oligomers Induce a Unique Toxic Tau Strain. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:499-508. [PMID: 29478699 PMCID: PMC6201292 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coexistence of α-synuclein and tau aggregates in several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, raises the possibility that a seeding mechanism is involved in disease progression. METHODS To further investigate the role of α-synuclein in the tau aggregation pathway, we performed a set of experiments using both recombinant and brain-derived tau and α-synuclein oligomers to seed monomeric tau aggregation in vitro and in vivo. Brain-derived tau oligomers were isolated from well-characterized cases of progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 4) and complexes of brain-derived α-synuclein/tau oligomers isolated from patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 4). The isolated structures were purified and characterized by standard biochemical methods, then injected into Htau mice (n = 24) to assess their toxicity and role in tau aggregation. RESULTS We found that α-synuclein induced a distinct toxic tau oligomeric strain that avoids fibril formation. In vivo, Parkinson's disease brain-derived α-synuclein/tau oligomers administered into Htau mouse brains accelerated endogenous tau oligomer formation concurrent with increasing cell loss. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide evidence, for the first time, that α-synuclein enhances the harmful effects of tau, thus contributing to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
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39
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Nizynski B, Nieznanska H, Dec R, Boyko S, Dzwolak W, Nieznanski K. Amyloidogenic cross-seeding of Tau protein: Transient emergence of structural variants of fibrils. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201182. [PMID: 30024984 PMCID: PMC6053212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid aggregates of Tau protein have been implicated in etiology of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). When amyloid growth is induced by seeding with preformed fibrils assembled from the same protein, structural characteristics of the seed are usually imprinted in daughter generations of fibrils. This so-called conformational memory effect may be compromised when the seeding involves proteins with non-identical sequences leading to the emergence of distinct structural variants of fibrils (amyloid ‘strains’). Here, we investigate cross-seeding of full-length human Tau (FL Tau) with fibrils assembled from K18 and K18ΔK280 fragments of Tau in the presence of poly-L-glutamate (poly-Glu) as an enhancer of Tau aggregation. To study cross-seeding between Tau polypeptides and the role of the conformational memory effect in induction of Tau amyloid polymorphism, kinetic assays, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and limited proteolysis have been employed. The fastest fibrillization was observed for FL Tau monomers seeded with preformed K18 amyloid yielding daughter fibrils with unique trypsin digestion patterns. Morphological features of daughter FL Tau fibrils induced by K18 and K18ΔK280 seeds were reminiscent of the mother fibrils (i.e. straight paired fibrils and paired helical filaments (PHFs), respectively) but disappeared in the following generations which became similar to unpaired FL Tau amyloid fibrils formed de novo. The structural evolution observed in our study was accompanied by disappearance of the unique proteolysis profile originated from K18. Our findings may have implications for understanding molecular mechanisms of the emergence and stability of Tau amyloid strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Nizynski
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, Warsaw, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hanna Nieznanska
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Robert Dec
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Solomiia Boyko
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wojciech Dzwolak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Nieznanski
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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40
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Ryan P, Patel B, Makwana V, Jadhav HR, Kiefel M, Davey A, Reekie TA, Rudrawar S, Kassiou M. Peptides, Peptidomimetics, and Carbohydrate-Peptide Conjugates as Amyloidogenic Aggregation Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1530-1551. [PMID: 29782794 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. For many years, AD causality was attributed to amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregated species. Recently, multiple therapies that target Aβ aggregation have failed in clinical trials, since Aβ aggregation is found in AD and healthy patients. Attention has therefore shifted toward the aggregation of the tau protein as a major driver of AD. Numerous inhibitors of tau-based pathology have recently been developed. Diagnosis of AD has shifted from measuring late stage senile plaques to early stage biomarkers, amyloid-β and tau monomers and oligomeric assemblies. Synthetic peptides and some derivative structures are being explored for use as theranostic tools as they possess the capacity both to bind the biomarkers and to inhibit their pathological self-assembly. Several studies have demonstrated that O-linked glycoside addition can significantly alter amyloid aggregation kinetics. Furthermore, natural O-glycosylation of amyloid-forming proteins, including amyloid precursor protein (APP), tau, and α-synuclein, promotes alternative nonamyloidogenic processing pathways. As such, glycopeptides and related peptidomimetics are being investigated within the AD field. Here we review advancements made in the last 5 years, as well as the arrival of sugar-based derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Ryan
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
| | - Bhautikkumar Patel
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
| | - Vivek Makwana
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
| | - Hemant R. Jadhav
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Pilani-333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Milton Kiefel
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
| | - Andrew Davey
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
| | | | - Santosh Rudrawar
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- Quality Use of Medicines Network, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Mirbaha H, Chen D, Morazova OA, Ruff KM, Sharma AM, Liu X, Goodarzi M, Pappu RV, Colby DW, Mirzaei H, Joachimiak LA, Diamond MI. Inert and seed-competent tau monomers suggest structural origins of aggregation. eLife 2018; 7:36584. [PMID: 29988016 PMCID: PMC6039173 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies feature progressive accumulation of tau amyloids. Pathology may begin when these amplify from a protein template, or seed, whose structure is unknown. We have purified and characterized distinct forms of tau monomer—inert (Mi) and seed-competent (Ms). Recombinant Ms triggered intracellular tau aggregation, induced tau fibrillization in vitro, and self-assembled. Ms from Alzheimer’s disease also seeded aggregation and self-assembled in vitro to form seed-competent multimers. We used crosslinking with mass spectrometry to probe structural differences in Mi vs. Ms. Crosslinks informed models of local peptide structure within the repeat domain which suggest relative inaccessibility of residues that drive aggregation (VQIINK/VQIVYK) in Mi, and exposure in Ms. Limited proteolysis supported this idea. Although tau monomer has been considered to be natively unstructured, our findings belie this assumption and suggest that initiation of pathological aggregation could begin with conversion of tau monomer from an inert to a seed-competent form. When doctors perform autopsies to look at the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer’s disease, they find toxic buildups of certain proteins – in particular, a protein called tau – in structures called ‘aggregates’. People with more severe dementia have more tau aggregates in their brain. Aggregates form when individual proteins stick together in repetitive patterns, much like the way a single Lego block might attach to another identical one. Like all proteins, tau is built from a string of amino acids that folds into a specific shape. Normally folded tau proteins do not form aggregates. It was not clear that an individual tau protein had two distinct forms—structures associated with health (“good”) or disease (“bad”). Mirbaha et al. have now studied the folding pattern of purified tau proteins with a sophisticated technology called mass spectrometry. This technique can measure changes in tiny amounts of protein. Some of the purified proteins had been extracted from human brains (from people with and without Alzheimer’s). To detect which of the proteins were toxic, Mirbaha et al. also grew simple human cells in a dish that were designed to react specifically to the bad forms of tau. This allowed the good and bad forms of tau to be isolated. Mirbaha et al. discovered that in the good form of tau the parts of the protein that allow it to stick to itself are hidden, folded inside. By contrast, the bad form of tau exposes the parts that allow it to aggregate, enabling the protein to build upon itself to form a large, toxic assembly. The shape-shifting concept established by Mirbaha et al. might apply to other proteins that form toxic aggregates. This could help us to better understand how many other neurodegenerative diseases develop and progress. Recognizing that the shapes that tau forms can be categorized as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ may also help to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs could be designed to stabilize the good form of tau, or to help remove the bad form from the brain. Furthermore, if the shape-shift described by Mirbaha et al. can be measured early enough in patients, it may allow treatments for Alzheimer’s before people have developed any detectable symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilda Mirbaha
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Dailu Chen
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Olga A Morazova
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, United States
| | - Kiersten M Ruff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - Apurwa M Sharma
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Xiaohua Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Mohammad Goodarzi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, United States
| | - David W Colby
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, United States
| | - Hamid Mirzaei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Lukasz A Joachimiak
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
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42
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Zhang J, Sandberg A, Konsmo A, Wu X, Nyström S, Nilsson KPR, Konradsson P, LeVine H, Lindgren M, Hammarström P. Detection and Imaging of Aβ1-42 and Tau Fibrils by Redesigned Fluorescent X-34 Analogues. Chemistry 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201800501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Alexander Sandberg
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Audun Konsmo
- Department of Physics; The Norwegian University of Science and Technology; 7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Xiongyu Wu
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Sofie Nyström
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - K. Peter R. Nilsson
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Peter Konradsson
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
| | - Harry LeVine
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging; University of Kentucky; Lexington KY 40536-0230 USA
| | - Mikael Lindgren
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
- Department of Physics; The Norwegian University of Science and Technology; 7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Per Hammarström
- Division of chemistry; Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Linköping University; 581 83 Linköping Sweden
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Abstract
A pathway from the natively unfolded microtubule-associated protein Tau to a highly structured amyloid fibril underlies human Tauopathies. This ordered assembly causes disease and represents the gain of toxic function. In recent years, evidence has accumulated to suggest that Tau inclusions form first in a small number of brain cells, from where they propagate to other regions, resulting in neurodegeneration and disease. Propagation of pathology is often called prion-like, which refers to the capacity of an assembled protein to induce the same abnormal conformation in a protein of the same kind, initiating a self-amplifying cascade. In addition, prion-like encompasses the release of protein aggregates from brain cells and their uptake by neighboring cells. In mice, the intracerebral injection of Tau inclusions induces the ordered assembly of monomeric Tau, followed by its spreading to distant brain regions. Conformational differences between Tau aggregates from transgenic mouse brain and in vitro assembled recombinant protein account for the greater seeding potency of brain aggregates. Short fibrils constitute the major species of seed-competent Tau in the brains of transgenic mice. The existence of multiple human Tauopathies with distinct fibril morphologies has led to the suggestion that different molecular conformers (or strains) of aggregated Tau exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom;
| | - David S Eisenberg
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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44
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Sandberg A, Nyström S. Purification and Fibrillation of Recombinant Human Amyloid-β, Prion Protein, and Tau Under Native Conditions. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1779:147-166. [PMID: 29886532 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7816-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding, aggregation, and amyloid formation is involved in a large number of diseases. Recombinantly expressed proteins to study the amyloid fibril formation process are important for mechanistic studies. We here report protocols for production, purification, and fibrillation of three different proteins commonly found in cerebral amyloid; Aβ and Tau found in Alzheimer's disease, Chronic traumatic brain injury, Corticobasal degeneration, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and human prion protein found in Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease. The three protocols have in common that the protein is in a pH-neutral phosphate saline buffer during fibrillation to mimic their endogenous near physiological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Sandberg
- Chemistry, IFM-Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sofie Nyström
- Chemistry, IFM-Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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45
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Wang X, Noroozian Z, Lynch M, Armstrong N, Schneider R, Liu M, Ghodrati F, Zhang AB, Yang YJ, Hall AC, Solarski M, Killackey SA, Watts JC. Strains of Pathological Protein Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Discoveries (Craiova) 2017; 5:e78. [PMID: 32309596 PMCID: PMC7159837 DOI: 10.15190/d.2017.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of protein aggregates in the brain is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Considerable evidence has revealed that the pathological protein aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases are able to self-propagate, which may enable pathology to spread from cell-to-cell within the brain. This property is reminiscent of what occurs in prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A widely recognized feature of prion disorders is the existence of distinct strains of prions, which are thought to represent unique protein aggregate structures. A number of recent studies have pointed to the existence of strains of protein aggregates in other, more common neurodegenerative illnesses such as AD, PD, and related disorders. In this review, we outline the pathobiology of prion strains and discuss how the concept of protein aggregate strains may help to explain the heterogeneity inherent to many human neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zeinab Noroozian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Madelaine Lynch
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Armstrong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Raphael Schneider
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mingzhe Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Farinaz Ghodrati
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley B Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yoo Jeong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda C Hall
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Solarski
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samuel A Killackey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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46
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Nizynski B, Dzwolak W, Nieznanski K. Amyloidogenesis of Tau protein. Protein Sci 2017; 26:2126-2150. [PMID: 28833749 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The role of microtubule-associated protein Tau in neurodegeneration has been extensively investigated since the discovery of Tau amyloid aggregates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The process of formation of amyloid fibrils is known as amyloidogenesis and attracts much attention as a potential target in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions linked to protein aggregation. Cerebral deposition of amyloid aggregates of Tau is observed not only in AD but also in numerous other tauopathies and prion diseases. Amyloidogenesis of intrinsically unstructured monomers of Tau can be triggered by mutations in the Tau gene, post-translational modifications, or interactions with polyanionic molecules and aggregation-prone proteins/peptides. The self-assembly of amyloid fibrils of Tau shares a number of characteristic features with amyloidogenesis of other proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases. For example, in vitro experiments have demonstrated that the nucleation phase, which is the rate-limiting stage of Tau amyloidogenesis, is shortened in the presence of fragmented preformed Tau fibrils acting as aggregation templates ("seeds"). Accordingly, Tau aggregates released by tauopathy-affected neurons can spread the neurodegenerative process in the brain through a prion-like mechanism, originally described for the pathogenic form of prion protein. Moreover, Tau has been shown to form amyloid strains-structurally diverse self-propagating aggregates of potentially various pathological effects, resembling in this respect prion strains. Here, we review the current literature on Tau aggregation and discuss mechanisms of propagation of Tau amyloid in the light of the prion-like paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Nizynski
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, 2C Banacha Str, Warsaw, 02-097, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Str, Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Wojciech Dzwolak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Str, Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Nieznanski
- Department of Biochemistry, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Str, Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
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47
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Abstract
Amyloid fiber-forming proteins are predominantly intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). The protein tau, present mostly in neurons, is no exception. There is a significant interest in the study of tau protein aggregation mechanisms, given the direct correlation between the deposit of β-sheet structured neurofibrillary tangles made of tau and pathology in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Among the core unresolved questions is the nature of the initial step triggering aggregation, with increasing attention placed on the question whether a conformational change of the IDPs plays a key role in the early stages of aggregation. Specifically, there is growing evidence that a shift in the conformation ensemble of tau is involved in its aggregation pathway, and might even dictate structural and pathological properties of mature fibers. Yet, because IDPs lack a well-defined 3D structure and continuously exchange between different conformers, it has been technically challenging to characterize their structural changes on-pathway to aggregation. Here, we make a case that double spin labeling of the β-sheet stacking region of tau combined with pulsed double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy is a powerful method to assay conformational changes occurring during the course of tau aggregation, by probing intramolecular distances around aggregation-prone domains. We specifically demonstrate the potential of this approach by presenting recent results on conformation rearrangement of the β-sheet stacking segment VQIINK (known as PHF6*) of tau. We highlight a canonical shift of the conformation ensemble, on-pathway and occurring at the earliest stage of aggregation, toward an opening of PHF6*. We expect this method to be applicable to other critical segments of tau and other IDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Fichou
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Neil A Eschmann
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Timothy J Keller
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Songi Han
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
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48
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Identification of the Tau phosphorylation pattern that drives its aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9080-9085. [PMID: 28784767 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708448114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the functional relationship between Tau phosphorylation and aggregation has proven a challenge owing to the multiple potential phosphorylation sites and their clustering in the Tau sequence. We use here in vitro kinase assays combined with NMR spectroscopy as an analytical tool to generate well-characterized phosphorylated Tau samples and show that the combined phosphorylation at the Ser202/Thr205/Ser208 sites, together with absence of phosphorylation at the Ser262 site, yields a Tau sample that readily forms fibers, as observed by thioflavin T fluorescence and electron microscopy. On the basis of conformational analysis of synthetic phosphorylated peptides, we show that aggregation of the samples correlates with destabilization of the turn-like structure defined by phosphorylation of Ser202/Thr205.
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49
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Chiti F, Dobson CM. Protein Misfolding, Amyloid Formation, and Human Disease: A Summary of Progress Over the Last Decade. Annu Rev Biochem 2017; 86:27-68. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-061516-045115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1669] [Impact Index Per Article: 238.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/30/2023]
Abstract
Peptides and proteins have been found to possess an inherent tendency to convert from their native functional states into intractable amyloid aggregates. This phenomenon is associated with a range of increasingly common human disorders, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, type II diabetes, and a number of systemic amyloidoses. In this review, we describe this field of science with particular reference to the advances that have been made over the last decade in our understanding of its fundamental nature and consequences. We list the proteins that are known to be deposited as amyloid or other types of aggregates in human tissues and the disorders with which they are associated, as well as the proteins that exploit the amyloid motif to play specific functional roles in humans. In addition, we summarize the genetic factors that have provided insight into the mechanisms of disease onset. We describe recent advances in our knowledge of the structures of amyloid fibrils and their oligomeric precursors and of the mechanisms by which they are formed and proliferate to generate cellular dysfunction. We show evidence that a complex proteostasis network actively combats protein aggregation and that such an efficient system can fail in some circumstances and give rise to disease. Finally, we anticipate the development of novel therapeutic strategies with which to prevent or treat these highly debilitating and currently incurable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio,” Section of Biochemistry, Università di Firenze, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Misfolding Diseases, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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50
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Pickhardt M, Biernat J, Hübschmann S, Dennissen FJA, Timm T, Aho A, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E. Time course of Tau toxicity and pharmacologic prevention in a cell model of Tauopathy. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 57:47-63. [PMID: 28600952 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of Tau protein is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Previously, we generated a cell model of tauopathy based on the 4-repeat domain with the FTDP-17 mutation ΔK280 (Tau4RDΔK) which is expressed in a regulatable fashion (tet-on). The deletion variant ΔK280 is highly amyloidogenic and forms fibrous aggregates in neuroblastoma N2a cells staining with the reporter dye Thioflavin S. The aggregation of Tau4RDΔK is toxic, contrary to wildtype or anti-aggregant variants of the protein. Using a novel approach for monitoring in situ Tau aggregation and toxicity by combination of microscopic analysis with FACS and biochemical analysis of cells enabled the dissection of the aggregating species which cause a time-dependent increase of toxicity. The dominant initiating step is the dimerization of Tau4RDΔK which leads to further aggregation and induces a strong increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytoplasmic Ca2+ which damage the membranes and cause cell death. Tau-based treatments using Tau aggregation inhibitors reduce both soluble oligomeric and fully aggregated Tau species and decrease their toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Pickhardt
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Sabrina Hübschmann
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank J A Dennissen
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany.
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