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Żukowska J, Moss SJ, Subramanian V, Acharya KR. Molecular basis of selective amyloid-β degrading enzymes in Alzheimer's disease. FEBS J 2024; 291:2999-3029. [PMID: 37622248 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of the small 42-residue long peptide amyloid-β (Aβ) has been proposed as a major trigger for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Within the brain, the concentration of Aβ peptide is tightly controlled through production and clearance mechanisms. Substantial experimental evidence now shows that reduced levels of Aβ clearance are present in individuals living with AD. This accumulation of Aβ can lead to the formation of large aggregated amyloid plaques-one of two detectable hallmarks of the disease. Aβ-degrading enzymes (ADEs) are major players in the clearance of Aβ. Stimulating ADE activity or expression, in order to compensate for the decreased clearance in the AD phenotype, provides a promising therapeutic target. It has been reported in mice that upregulation of ADEs can reduce the levels of Aβ peptide and amyloid plaques-in some cases, this led to improved cognitive function. Among several known ADEs, neprilysin (NEP), endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) and angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE) from the zinc metalloprotease family have been identified as important. These ADEs have the capacity to digest soluble Aβ which, in turn, cannot form the toxic oligomeric species. While they are known for their amyloid degradation, they exhibit complexity through promiscuous nature and a broad range of substrates that they can degrade. This review highlights current structural and functional understanding of these key ADEs, giving some insight into the molecular interactions that leads to the hydrolysis of peptide substrates, the crucial tasks performed by them and the potential for therapeutic use in the future.
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Rofo F, Metzendorf NG, Saubi C, Suominen L, Godec A, Sehlin D, Syvänen S, Hultqvist G. Blood-brain barrier penetrating neprilysin degrades monomeric amyloid-beta in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:180. [PMID: 36471433 PMCID: PMC9720954 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01132-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggregation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain is one of the key pathological events in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reducing Aβ levels in the brain by enhancing its degradation is one possible strategy to develop new therapies for AD. Neprilysin (NEP) is a membrane-bound metallopeptidase and one of the major Aβ-degrading enzymes. The secreted soluble form of NEP (sNEP) has been previously suggested as a potential protein-therapy degrading Aβ in AD. However, similar to other large molecules, peripherally administered sNEP is unable to reach the brain due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). METHODS To provide transcytosis across the BBB, we recombinantly fused the TfR binding moiety (scFv8D3) to either sNEP or a previously described variant of NEP (muNEP) suggested to have higher degradation efficiency of Aβ compared to other NEP substrates, but not per se to degrade Aβ more efficiently. To provide long blood half-life, an Fc-based antibody fragment (scFc) was added to the designs, forming sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 and muNEP-scFc-scFv8D3. The ability of the mentioned recombinant proteins to degrade Aβ was first evaluated in vitro using synthetic Aβ peptides followed by sandwich ELISA. For the in vivo studies, a single injection of 125-iodine-labelled sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 and muNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 was intravenously administered to a tg-ArcSwe mouse model of AD, using scFc-scFv8D3 protein that lacks NEP as a negative control. Different ELISA setups were applied to quantify Aβ concentration of different conformations, both in brain tissues and blood samples. RESULTS When tested in vitro, sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 retained sNEP enzymatic activity in degrading Aβ and both constructs efficiently degraded arctic Aβ. When intravenously injected, sNEP-scFc-scFv8D3 demonstrated 20 times higher brain uptake compared to sNEP. Both scFv8D3-fused NEP proteins significantly reduced aggregated Aβ levels in the blood of tg-ArcSwe mice, a transgenic mouse model of AD, following a single intravenous injection. In the brain, monomeric and oligomeric Aβ were significantly reduced. Both scFv8D3-fused NEP proteins displayed a fast clearance from the brain. CONCLUSION A one-time injection of a BBB-penetrating NEP shows the potential to reduce, the likely most toxic, Aβ oligomers in the brain in addition to monomers. Also, Aβ aggregates in the blood were reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Rofo
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole G Metzendorf
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cristina Saubi
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Suominen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Godec
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Greta Hultqvist
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Biomedicinskt Centrum BMC, Husargatan 3, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Serafim LF, Jayasinghe-Arachchige VM, Wang L, Prabhakar R. Promiscuous Catalytic Activity of a Binuclear Metallohydrolase: Peptide and Phosphoester Hydrolyses. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:2466-2480. [PMID: 35451306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00214] [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
In this study, chemical promiscuity of a binuclear metallohydrolase Streptomyces griseus aminopeptidase (SgAP) has been investigated using DFT calculations. SgAP catalyzes two diverse reactions, peptide and phosphoester hydrolyses, using its binuclear (Zn-Zn) core. On the basis of the experimental information, mechanisms of these reactions have been investigated utilizing leucine p-nitro aniline (Leu-pNA) and bis(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) as the substrates. The computed barriers of 16.5 and 16.8 kcal/mol for the most plausible mechanisms proposed by the DFT calculations are in good agreement with the measured values of 13.9 and 18.3 kcal/mol for the Leu-pNA and BNPP hydrolyses, respectively. The former was found to occur through the transfer of two protons, while the latter with only one proton transfer. They are in line with the experimental observations. The cleavage of the peptide bond was the rate-determining process for the Leu-pNA hydrolysis. However, the creation of the nucleophile and its attack on the electrophile phosphorus atom was the rate-determining step for the BNPP hydrolysis. These calculations showed that the chemical nature of the substrate and its binding mode influence the nucleophilicity of the metal bound hydroxyl nucleophile. Additionally, the nucleophilicity was found to be critical for the Leu-pNA hydrolysis, whereas double Lewis acid activation was needed for the BNPP hydrolysis. That could be one of the reasons why peptide hydrolysis can be catalyzed by both mononuclear and binuclear metal cofactors containing hydrolases, while phosphoester hydrolysis is almost exclusively by binuclear metallohydrolases. These results will be helpful in the development of versatile catalysts for chemically distinct hydrolytic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo F Serafim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | | | - Lukun Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | - Rajeev Prabhakar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
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Yuan P, Chen J, Zhao J, Huang Y. Enantioselective Hydroamidation of Enals by Trapping of a Transient Acyl Species. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:8503-8507. [PMID: 29693756 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201803556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An enantioselective synthesis of β-chiral amides through asymmetric and redox-neutral hydroamidation of enals is reported. In this reaction, a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyst reacts with enals to generate the homoenolate intermediate. Upon highly enantioselective β-protonation through proton-shuttle catalysis, the resulting azolium intermediate reacts with imidazole to yield the key β-chiral acyl species. This transient intermediate provides access to diversified β-chiral carbonyl derivatives, such as amides, hydrazides, acids, esters, and thioesters. In particular, β-chiral amides can be prepared in excellent yield and ee (40 chiral amides, up to 95 % yield and 99 % ee). This modular strategy overcomes the challenge of disruption of the highly selective proton-shuttling process by basic amines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiean Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry and BioMedical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Yong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Yuan P, Chen J, Zhao J, Huang Y. Enantioselective Hydroamidation of Enals by Trapping of a Transient Acyl Species. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201803556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Jiean Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry Institute of Chemistry and BioMedical Sciences School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210093 China
| | - Yong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School Shenzhen 518055 China
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Martin TD, Hill EH, Whitten DG, Chi EY, Evans DG. Oligomeric Conjugated Polyelectrolytes Display Site-Preferential Binding to an MS2 Viral Capsid. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:12542-12551. [PMID: 27464311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b01667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Opportunistic bacteria and viruses are a worldwide health threat prompting the need to develop new targeting modalities. A class of novel synthetic poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE)-based oligomeric conjugated polyelectrolytes (OPEs) have demonstrated potent wide-spectrum biocidal activity. A subset of cationic OPEs display high antiviral activity against the MS2 bacteriophage. The oligomers have been found to inactivate the bacteriophage and perturb the morphology of the MS2 viral capsid. However, details of the initial binding and interactions between the OPEs and the viruses are not well understood. In this study, we use a multiscale computational approach, including random sampling, molecular dynamics, and electronic structure calculations, to gain an understanding of the molecular-level interactions of a series of OPEs that vary in length, charge, and functional groups with the MS2 capsid. Our results show that OPEs strongly bind to the MS2 capsid protein assembly with binding energies of up to -30 kcal/mol. Free-energy analysis shows that the binding is dominated by strong van der Waals interactions between the hydrophobic OPE backbone and the capsid surface and strong electrostatic free energy contributions between the OPE charged moieties and charged residues on the capsid surface. This knowledge provides molecular-level insight into how to tailor the OPEs to optimize viral capsid disruption and increase OPE efficacy to target amphiphilic protein coats of icosahedral-based viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tye D Martin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, ‡The Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering Program, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Eric H Hill
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, ‡The Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering Program, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - David G Whitten
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, ‡The Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering Program, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Eva Y Chi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, ‡The Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering Program, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Deborah G Evans
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering, ‡The Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering Program, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
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Nalivaeva NN, Belyaev ND, Kerridge C, Turner AJ. Amyloid-clearing proteins and their epigenetic regulation as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:235. [PMID: 25278875 PMCID: PMC4166351 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal elevation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) levels in the brain is the primary trigger for neuronal cell death specific to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is now evident that Aβ levels in the brain are manipulable due to a dynamic equilibrium between its production from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and removal by amyloid clearance proteins. Clearance can be either enzymic or non-enzymic (binding/transport proteins). Intriguingly several of the main amyloid-degrading enzymes (ADEs) are members of the M13 peptidase family (neprilysin (NEP), NEP2 and the endothelin converting enzymes (ECE-1 and -2)). A distinct metallopeptidase, insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), also contributes to Aβ degradation in the brain. The ADE family currently embraces more than 20 members, both membrane-bound and soluble, and of differing cellular locations. NEP plays an important role in brain function terminating neuropeptide signals. Its decrease in specific brain areas with age or after hypoxia, ischaemia or stroke contribute significantly to the development of AD pathology. The recently discovered mechanism of epigenetic regulation of NEP (and other genes) by the APP intracellular domain (AICD) and its dependence on the cell type and APP isoform expression suggest possibilities for selective manipulation of NEP gene expression in neuronal cells. We have also observed that another amyloid-clearing protein, namely transthyretin (TTR), is also regulated in the neuronal cell by a mechanism similar to NEP. Dependence of amyloid clearance proteins on histone deacetylases and the ability of HDAC inhibitors to up-regulate their expression in the brain opens new avenues for developing preventive strategies in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia N Nalivaeva
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds Leed, UK ; I.M.Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nikolai D Belyaev
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds Leed, UK
| | - Caroline Kerridge
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds Leed, UK ; Neurodegeneration DHT, Lilly, Erl Wood Manor Windlesham, Surrey, UK
| | - Anthony J Turner
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds Leed, UK
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Webster CI, Burrell M, Olsson LL, Fowler SB, Digby S, Sandercock A, Snijder A, Tebbe J, Haupts U, Grudzinska J, Jermutus L, Andersson C. Engineering neprilysin activity and specificity to create a novel therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104001. [PMID: 25089527 PMCID: PMC4121237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neprilysin is a transmembrane zinc metallopeptidase that degrades a wide range of peptide substrates. It has received attention as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease due to its ability to degrade the peptide amyloid beta. However, its broad range of peptide substrates has the potential to limit its therapeutic use due to degradation of additional peptides substrates that tightly regulate many physiological processes. We sought to generate a soluble version of the ectodomain of neprilysin with improved activity and specificity towards amyloid beta as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease. Extensive amino acid substitutions were performed at positions surrounding the active site and inner surface of the enzyme and variants screened for activity on amyloid beta 1–40, 1–42 and a variety of other physiologically relevant peptides. We identified several mutations that modulated and improved both enzyme selectivity and intrinsic activity. Neprilysin variant G399V/G714K displayed an approximately 20-fold improved activity on amyloid beta 1–40 and up to a 3,200-fold reduction in activity on other peptides. Along with the altered peptide substrate specificity, the mutant enzyme produced a markedly altered series of amyloid beta cleavage products compared to the wild-type enzyme. Crystallisation of the mutant enzyme revealed that the amino acid substitutions result in alteration of the shape and size of the pocket containing the active site compared to the wild-type enzyme. The mutant enzyme offers the potential for the more efficient degradation of amyloid beta in vivo as a therapeutic for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl I. Webster
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthew Burrell
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Susan B. Fowler
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Digby
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Sandercock
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Arjan Snijder
- Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R & D, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Jan Tebbe
- Global Drug Discovery, Global Biologics, Bayer HealthCare AG, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ulrich Haupts
- Global Drug Discovery, Global Biologics, Bayer HealthCare AG, Cologne, Germany
| | - Joanna Grudzinska
- Global Drug Discovery, Global Biologics, Bayer HealthCare AG, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lutz Jermutus
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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