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Zhang C, Jia Q, Zhu L, Hou J, Wang X, Li D, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Yang S, Tu Z, Yan XX, Yang W, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Suppressing UBE2N ameliorates Alzheimer's disease pathology through the clearance of amyloid beta. Alzheimers Dement 2024. [PMID: 39015037 DOI: 10.1002/alz.14122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aging is one of the risk factors for the early onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously discovered that the age-dependent increase in Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2 N (UBE2N) plays a role in the accumulation of misfolded proteins through K63 ubiquitination, which has been linked to AD pathogenesis. However, the impact of UBE2N on amyloid pathology and clearance has remained unknown. RESULTS We observed the elevated UBE2N during the amyloid beta (Aβ) generation in the brains of 5×FAD, APP/PS1 mice, and patients with AD, in comparison to healthy individuals. UBE2N overexpression exacerbated amyloid deposition in 5×FAD mice and senescent monkeys, whereas knocking down UBE2N via CRISPR/Cas9 reduced Aβ generation and cognitive deficiency. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of UBE2N ameliorated Aβ pathology and subsequent transcript defects in 5×FAD mice. DISCUSSION We have discovered that age-dependent expression of UBE2N is a critical regulator of AD pathology. Our findings suggest that UBE2N could serve as a potential pharmacological target for the advancement of AD therapeutics. HIGHLIGHTS Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2 N (UBE2N) level was elevated during amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition in AD mouse and patients' brains. UBE2N exacerbated Aβ generation in the AD mouse and senescent monkey. Drug inhibition of UBE2N ameliorated Aβ pathology and cognitive deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longhong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junqi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dandan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Su Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuchi Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weili Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Moraca F, Vespoli I, Mastroianni D, Piscopo V, Gaglione R, Arciello A, De Nisco M, Pacifico S, Catalanotti B, Pedatella S. Synthesis, biological evaluation and metadynamics simulations of novel N-methyl β-sheet breaker peptides as inhibitors of Alzheimer's β-amyloid fibrillogenesis. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:2286-2299. [PMID: 39026638 PMCID: PMC11253850 DOI: 10.1039/d4md00057a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Several scientific evidences report that a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is played by the deposition of insoluble aggregates of β-amyloid proteins in the brain. Because Aβ is self-assembling, one possible design strategy is to inhibit the aggregation of Aβ peptides using short peptide fragments homologous to the full-length wild-type Aβ protein. In the past years, several studies have reported on the synthesis of some short synthetic peptides called β-sheet breaker peptides (BSBPs). Herein, we present the synthesis of novel (cell-permeable) N-methyl BSBPs, designed based on literature information on the structural key features of BSBPs. Three-dimensional GRID-based pharmacophore peptide screening combined with PT-WTE metadynamics was performed to support the results of the design and microwave-assisted synthesis of peptides 2 and 3 prepared and analyzed for their fibrillogenesis inhibition activity and cytotoxicity. An HR-MS-based cell metabolomic approach highlighted their cell permeability properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Moraca
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II Via Domenico Montesano 49 I-80131 Napoli Italy
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, University "Magna Græcia" of Catanzaro Viale Europa 88100 Catanzaro Italy
| | - Ilaria Vespoli
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Flemingovo náměstí 542/2 CZ-16610 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Domenico Mastroianni
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II Via Cintia 4 I-80126 Napoli Italy
| | - Vincenzo Piscopo
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" Viale Abramo Lincoln 5 I-81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Rosa Gaglione
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II Via Cintia 4 I-80126 Napoli Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB) Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305 I-80145 Roma Italy
| | - Angela Arciello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II Via Cintia 4 I-80126 Napoli Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB) Viale delle Medaglie d'Oro 305 I-80145 Roma Italy
| | - Mauro De Nisco
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano I-85100 Potenza Italy
| | - Severina Pacifico
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" Viale Abramo Lincoln 5 I-81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Bruno Catalanotti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II Via Domenico Montesano 49 I-80131 Napoli Italy
| | - Silvana Pedatella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II Via Cintia 4 I-80126 Napoli Italy
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3
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González Díaz A, Cataldi R, Mannini B, Vendruscolo M. Preparation and Characterization of Zn(II)-Stabilized Aβ 42 Oligomers. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2586-2599. [PMID: 38979921 PMCID: PMC11258685 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00084] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Aβ oligomers are being investigated as cytotoxic agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Because of their transient nature and conformational heterogeneity, the relationship between the structure and activity of these oligomers is still poorly understood. Hence, methods for stabilizing Aβ oligomeric species relevant to AD are needed to uncover the structural determinants of their cytotoxicity. Here, we build on the observation that metal ions and metabolites have been shown to interact with Aβ, influencing its aggregation and stabilizing its oligomeric species. We thus developed a method that uses zinc ions, Zn(II), to stabilize oligomers produced by the 42-residue form of Aβ (Aβ42), which is dysregulated in AD. These Aβ42-Zn(II) oligomers are small in size, spanning the 10-30 nm range, stable at physiological temperature, and with a broad toxic profile in human neuroblastoma cells. These oligomers offer a tool to study the mechanisms of toxicity of Aβ oligomers in cellular and animal AD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia González Díaz
- Centre
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Rodrigo Cataldi
- Centre
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Benedetta Mannini
- Centre
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Department
of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences Mario Serio, University
of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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Tang Y, Wang Y, Gao Z, Li J, Zhang L, Shi H, Dong J, Song S, Qian C. sAPPα Peptide Promotes Damaged Microglia to Clear Alzheimer's Amyloid-β via Restoring Mitochondrial Function. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400870. [PMID: 38736169 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400870] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease with amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition as the main pathological feature. It's an important challenge to find new ways to clear Aβ from the brain. The soluble amyloid precursor protein α (sAPPα) is a neuroprotective protein and can attenuate neuronal damage, including toxic Aβ. However, the regulatory role of sAPPα in non-neuronal cells, such as microglia, is less reported and controversial. Here, we showed that sAPPα promoted the phagocytosis and degradation of Aβ in both normal and damaged microglia. Moreover, the function of damaged microglia was improved by the sAPPα through normalizing mitochondrial function. Furthermore, the results of molecular docking simulation showed that sAPPα had a good affinity with Aβ. We preliminarily reveal that sAPPα is similar to antibodies and can participate in the regulation of microglia phagocytosis and degradation of Aβ after binding to Aβ. sAPPα is expected to be a mild and safe peptide drug or drug carrier for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqi Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Yangang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Ziran Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Jiayi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Lijia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Haoting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Jingwen Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Shipeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Chenggen Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
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5
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Lima MCP, Hornsby BD, Lim CS, Cheatham TE. Molecular Modeling of Single- and Double-Hydrocarbon-Stapled Coiled-Coil Inhibitors against Bcr-Abl: Toward a Treatment Strategy for CML. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:6476-6491. [PMID: 38951498 PMCID: PMC11247501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The chimeric oncoprotein Bcr-Abl is the causative agent of virtually all chronic myeloid leukemias and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemias. As a result of the so-called Philadelphia chromosome translocation t(9;22), Bcr-Abl manifests as a constitutively active tyrosine kinase, which promotes leukemogenesis by activation of cell cycle signaling pathways. Constitutive and oncogenic activation is mediated by an N-terminal coiled-coil oligomerization domain in Bcr (Bcr-CC), presenting a therapeutic target for inhibition of Bcr-Abl activity toward the treatment of Bcr-Abl+ leukemias. Previously, we demonstrated that a rationally designed Bcr-CC mutant, CCmut3, exerts a dominant negative effect upon Bcr-Abl activity by preferential oligomerization with Bcr-CC. Moreover, we have shown that conjugation to a leukemia-specific cell-penetrating peptide (CPP-CCmut3) improves intracellular delivery and activity. However, our full-length CPP-CCmut3 construct (81 aa) is encumbered by an intrinsically high degree of conformational variability and susceptibility to proteolytic degradation relative to traditional small-molecule therapeutics. Here, we iterate a new generation of CCmut3 inhibitors against Bcr-CC-mediated Bcr-Abl assembly designed to address these constraints through incorporation of all-hydrocarbon staples spanning i and i + 7 positions in α-helix 2 (CPP-CCmut3-st). We utilize computational modeling and biomolecular simulation to evaluate single- and double-stapled CCmut3 candidates in silico for dynamics and binding energetics. We further model a truncated system characterized by the deletion of α-helix 1 and the flexible loop linker, which are known to impart high conformational variability. To study the impact of the N-terminal cyclic CPP toward model stability and inhibitor activity, we also model the full-length and truncated systems devoid of the CPP, with a cyclized CPP, and with an open-configuration CPP, for a total of six systems that comprise our library. From this library, we present lead-stapled peptide candidates to be synthesized and evaluated experimentally as our next iteration of inhibitors against Bcr-Abl.
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MESH Headings
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/antagonists & inhibitors
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/chemistry
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Humans
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/chemistry
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/metabolism
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Dynamics Simulation
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/chemistry
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/pharmacology
- Cell-Penetrating Peptides/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina P Lima
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Braxten D Hornsby
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Thomas E Cheatham
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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6
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Kolesnikova TO, Demin KA, Costa FV, de Abreu MS, Kalueff AV. Zebrafish models for studying cognitive enhancers. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105797. [PMID: 38971515 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive decline is commonly seen both in normal aging and in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Various experimental animal models represent a valuable tool to study brain cognitive processes and their deficits. Equally important is the search for novel drugs to treat cognitive deficits and improve cognitions. Complementing rodent and clinical findings, studies utilizing zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly gaining popularity in translational cognitive research and neuroactive drug screening. Here, we discuss the value of zebrafish models and assays for screening nootropic (cognitive enhancer) drugs and the discovery of novel nootropics. We also discuss the existing challenges, and outline future directions of research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Fabiano V Costa
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; West Caspian University, Baku, Azerbaijan.
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia; Suzhou Key Laboratory on Neurobiology and Cell Signaling, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China.
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7
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Mitra A, Naik L, Dhiman R, Sarkar N. Protonation-State Dependent Modulation of Hen Egg-White Lysozyme Fibrillation under the Influence of a Short Synthetic Peptide. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:5995-6013. [PMID: 38875472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c01578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Under the influence of various conditions, misfolding of soluble proteins occurs, leading to the formation of toxic insoluble amyloids. The formation and deposition of such amyloids within the body are associated with detrimental biological consequences such as the onset of several amyloid-related diseases. Previously, we established a strategy for the rational design of peptide inhibitors against amyloid formation based on the amyloidogenic-prone region of the protein. In the current study, we have designed and identified an Asp-containing rationally designed hexapeptide (SqP4) as an excellent inhibitor of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) amyloid progression in vitro. First, SqP4 showed strong affinity toward the native monomeric HEWL leading to the stabilization of the native form and restriction in the unfolding process of monomeric HEWL. Second, SqP4 was found to arrest the amyloidogenic misfolded structure of HEWL in a nonfibrillar monomer-like stage. We also observed the differential effect of the protonation state of the charged amino acid (Asp) within the peptide inhibitor on the amyloid formation of HEWL and explored the reason behind the observations. The findings of this study can be implemented in future strategies for the development of potent therapeutics against other amyloid-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Mitra
- Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lincoln Naik
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Rohan Dhiman
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Nandini Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
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8
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Leimu L, Holm P, Gąciarz A, Haavisto O, Prince S, Pesonen U, Huovinen T, Lamminmäki U. Epitope-specific antibody fragments block aggregation of AGelD187N, an aberrant peptide in gelsolin amyloidosis. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107507. [PMID: 38944121 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of aberrant fragment of plasma gelsolin, AGelD187N, is a crucial event underlying the pathophysiology of Finnish gelsolin amyloidosis, an inherited form of systemic amyloidosis. The amyloidogenic gelsolin fragment AGelD187N does not play any physiological role in the body, unlike most aggregating proteins related to other protein misfolding diseases. However, no therapeutic agents that specifically and effectively target and neutralize AGelD187N exist. We used phage display technology to identify novel single-chain variable fragments that bind to different epitopes in the monomeric AGelD187N that were further maturated by variable domain shuffling and converted to antigen-binding fragment (Fab) antibodies. The generated antibody fragments had nanomolar binding affinity for full-length AGelD187N, as evaluated by biolayer interferometry. Importantly, all four Fabs selected for functional studies efficiently inhibited the amyloid formation of full-length AGelD187N as examined by thioflavin fluorescence assay and transmission electron microscopy. Two Fabs, neither of which bound to the previously proposed fibril-forming region of AGelD187N, completely blocked the amyloid formation of AGelD187N. Moreover, no small soluble aggregates, which are considered pathogenic species in protein misfolding diseases, were formed after successful inhibition of amyloid formation by the most promising aggregation inhibitor, as investigated by size-exclusion chromatography combined with multiangle light scattering. We conclude that all regions of the full-length AGelD187N are important in modulating its assembly into fibrils and that the discovered epitope-specific anti-AGelD187N antibody fragments provide a promising starting point for a disease-modifying therapy for gelsolin amyloidosis, which is currently lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Leimu
- R&D, Orion Pharma, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland; Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Patrik Holm
- R&D, Orion Pharma, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland; Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Organon R&D Finland, Turku, Finland
| | - Anna Gąciarz
- R&D, Orion Pharma, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland; Mobidiag, A Hologic Company, Espoo, Finland
| | - Oskar Haavisto
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Stuart Prince
- R&D, Orion Pharma, Orion Corporation, Turku, Finland; MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ullamari Pesonen
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tuomas Huovinen
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Urpo Lamminmäki
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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9
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Marques S, Kouba P, Legrand A, Sedlar J, Disson L, Planas-Iglesias J, Sanusi Z, Kunka A, Damborsky J, Pajdla T, Prokop Z, Mazurenko S, Sivic J, Bednar D. CoVAMPnet: Comparative Markov State Analysis for Studying Effects of Drug Candidates on Disordered Biomolecules. JACS AU 2024; 4:2228-2245. [PMID: 38938816 PMCID: PMC11200249 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Computational study of the effect of drug candidates on intrinsically disordered biomolecules is challenging due to their vast and complex conformational space. Here, we developed a comparative Markov state analysis (CoVAMPnet) framework to quantify changes in the conformational distribution and dynamics of a disordered biomolecule in the presence and absence of small organic drug candidate molecules. First, molecular dynamics trajectories are generated using enhanced sampling, in the presence and absence of small molecule drug candidates, and ensembles of soft Markov state models (MSMs) are learned for each system using unsupervised machine learning. Second, these ensembles of learned MSMs are aligned across different systems based on a solution to an optimal transport problem. Third, the directional importance of inter-residue distances for the assignment to different conformational states is assessed by a discriminative analysis of aggregated neural network gradients. This final step provides interpretability and biophysical context to the learned MSMs. We applied this novel computational framework to assess the effects of ongoing phase 3 therapeutics tramiprosate (TMP) and its metabolite 3-sulfopropanoic acid (SPA) on the disordered Aβ42 peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Based on adaptive sampling molecular dynamics and CoVAMPnet analysis, we observed that both TMP and SPA preserved more structured conformations of Aβ42 by interacting nonspecifically with charged residues. SPA impacted Aβ42 more than TMP, protecting α-helices and suppressing the formation of aggregation-prone β-strands. Experimental biophysical analyses showed only mild effects of TMP/SPA on Aβ42 and activity enhancement by the endogenous metabolization of TMP into SPA. Our data suggest that TMP/SPA may also target biomolecules other than Aβ peptides. The CoVAMPnet method is broadly applicable to study the effects of drug candidates on the conformational behavior of intrinsically disordered biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio
M. Marques
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kouba
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
- Faculty
of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical
University in Prague, Technicka 2, Dejvice, Praha 6 166 27, Czech Republic
| | - Anthony Legrand
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sedlar
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Lucas Disson
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Joan Planas-Iglesias
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Zainab Sanusi
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Antonin Kunka
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Pajdla
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Sivic
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
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10
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Kitamura A, Fujimoto A, Kawashima R, Lyu Y, Sasaki K, Hamada Y, Moriya K, Kurata A, Takahashi K, Brielmann R, Bott LC, Morimoto RI, Kinjo M. Hetero-oligomerization of TDP-43 carboxy-terminal fragments with cellular proteins contributes to proteotoxicity. Commun Biol 2024; 7:743. [PMID: 38902525 PMCID: PMC11190292 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06410-3] [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: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Carboxy terminal fragments (CTFs) of TDP-43 contain an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) and form cytoplasmic condensates containing amyloid fibrils. Such condensates are toxic and associated with pathogenicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the molecular details of how the domain of TDP-43 CTFs leads to condensation and cytotoxicity remain elusive. Here, we show that truncated RNA/DNA-recognition motif (RRM) at the N-terminus of TDP-43 CTFs leads to the structural transition of the IDR, whereas the IDR itself of TDP-43 CTFs is difficult to assemble even if they are proximate intermolecularly. Hetero-oligomers of TDP-43 CTFs that have recruited other proteins are more toxic than homo-oligomers, implicating loss-of-function of the endogenous proteins by such oligomers is associated with cytotoxicity. Furthermore, such toxicity of TDP-43 CTFs was cell-nonautonomously affected in the nematodes. Therefore, misfolding and oligomeric characteristics of the truncated RRM at the N-terminus of TDP-43 CTFs define their condensation properties and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Kitamura
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan.
- PRIME, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0004, Japan.
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan.
| | - Ai Fujimoto
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Rei Kawashima
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Yidan Lyu
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Kotetsu Sasaki
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Yuta Hamada
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Kanami Moriya
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Ayumi Kurata
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Kazuho Takahashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Reneé Brielmann
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Laura C Bott
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Richard I Morimoto
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Masataka Kinjo
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Dynamics, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, N21W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan
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11
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Yin X, Zhou H, Cao T, Yang X, Meng F, Dai X, Wang Y, Li S, Zhai W, Yang Z, Chen N, Zhou R. Rational Design of Dual-Functionalized Gd@C 82 Nanoparticles to Relieve Neuronal Cytotoxicity in Alzheimer's Disease via Inhibition of Aβ Aggregation. ACS NANO 2024; 18:15416-15431. [PMID: 38840269 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Particularly, the structured oligomeric species rich in β-sheet formations were implicated in neuronal organelle damage. Addressing this formidable challenge requires identifying candidates capable of inhibiting peptide aggregation or disaggregating preformed oligomers for effective antiaggregation-based AD therapy. Here, we present a dual-functional nanoinhibitor meticulously designed to target the aggregation driving force and amyloid fibril spatial structure. Leveraging the exceptional structural stability and facile tailoring capability of endohedral metallofullerene Gd@C82, we introduce desired hydrogen-binding sites and charged groups, which are abundant on its surface for specific designs. Impressively, these designs endow the resultant functionalized-Gd@C82 nanoparticles (f-Gd@C82 NPs) with high capability of redirecting peptide self-assembly toward disordered, off-pathway species, obstructing the early growth of protofibrils, and disaggregating the preformed well-ordered protofibrils or even mature Aβ fibrils. This results in considerable alleviation of Aβ peptide-induced neuronal cytotoxicity, rescuing neuronal death and synaptic loss in primary neuron models. Notably, these modifications significantly improved the dispersibility of f-Gd@C82 NPs, thus substantially enhancing its bioavailability. Moreover, f-Gd@C82 NPs demonstrate excellent cytocompatibility with various cell lines and possess the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier in mice. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations illuminate the inhibition and disaggregation mechanisms. Our design successfully overcomes the limitations of other nanocandidates, which often overly rely on hydrophobic interactions or photothermal conversion properties, and offers a viable direction for developing anti-AD agents through the inhibition and even reversal of Aβ aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhua Yin
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Tiantian Cao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Suzhou Institute of Trade and Commerce, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Xiner Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Fei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xing Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sijie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wangsong Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zaixing Yang
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ning Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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12
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Wang L, Tang Z, Li B, Peng Y, Yang X, Xiao Y, Ni R, Qi XL. Myricetin ameliorates cognitive impairment in 3×Tg Alzheimer's disease mice by regulating oxidative stress and tau hyperphosphorylation. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 177:116963. [PMID: 38889642 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease is characterized by abnormal β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, reactive oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and synaptic loss. Myricetin, a dietary flavonoid, has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism and pathways involved in the protective effect of myricetin. METHODS The effect of myricetin was assessed on Aβ42 oligomer-treated neuronal SH-SY5Y cells and in 3×Tg mice. Behavioral tests were performed to assess the cognitive effects of myricetin (14 days, ip) in 3×Tg mice. The levels of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), synaptic and mitochondrial proteins, glycogen synthase kinase3β (GSK3β) and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) 2 were assessed via Western blotting. Flow cytometry assays, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy were used to assess mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxidative stress. RESULTS We found that, compared with control treatment, myricetin treatment improved spatial cognition and learning and memory in 3×Tg mice. Myricetin ameliorated tau phosphorylation and the reduction in pre- and postsynaptic proteins in Aβ42 oligomer-treated neuronal SH-SY5Y cells and in 3×Tg mice. In addition, myricetin reduced reactive oxygen species generation, lipid peroxidation, and DNA oxidation, and rescued mitochondrial dysfunction via the associated GSK3β and ERK 2 signalling pathways. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insight into the neuroprotective mechanism of myricetin in vitro in cell culture and in vivo in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhi Tang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Bo Li
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yaqian Peng
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University, Guizhou ERC for Medical Resources & Healthcare Products (Guizhou Engineering Research Center for Medical Resources and Healthcare Products), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Xiao-Lan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Constructed by the Province and Ministry, Guiyang, China.
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13
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Polykretis P, D’Andrea C, Banchelli M, Napolitano L, Cascella R, de Angelis M, Matteini P. Exploring the Aβ 1-42 fibrillogenesis timeline by atomic force microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1376411. [PMID: 38948077 PMCID: PMC11211275 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1376411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive debilitating neurological disorder representing the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Although the exact pathogenic mechanisms of AD remain unresolved, the presence of extracellular amyloid-β peptide 1-42 (Aβ1-42) plaques in the parenchymal and cortical brain is considered one of the hallmarks of the disease. Methods: In this work, we investigated the Aβ1-42 fibrillogenesis timeline up to 48 h of incubation, providing morphological and chemo-structural characterization of the main assemblies formed during the aggregation process of Aβ1-42, by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), respectively. Results: AFM topography evidenced the presence of characteristic protofibrils at early-stages of aggregation, which form peculiar macromolecular networks over time. SERS allowed to track the progressive variation in the secondary structure of the aggregation species involved in the fibrillogenesis and to determine when the β-sheet starts to prevail over the random coil conformation in the aggregation process. Discussion: Our research highlights the significance of investigating the early phases of fibrillogenesis to better understand the molecular pathophysiology of AD and identify potential therapeutic targets that may prevent or slow down the aggregation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagis Polykretis
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Cristiano D’Andrea
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Martina Banchelli
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Liliana Napolitano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Cascella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Marella de Angelis
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Paolo Matteini
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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14
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Liu B, Li X, Liu Z, He B, Xu H, Cao J, Zeng F, Feng H, Ren Y, Li H, Wang T, Li J, Ye Y, Zhao L, Ran C, Li Y. Iterative Design of Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease by Targeting Aβ Oligomers. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9104-9123. [PMID: 38829030 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs), crucial toxic proteins in early Alzheimer's disease (AD), precede the formation of Aβ plaques and cognitive impairment. In this context, we present our iterative process for developing novel near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probes specifically targeting AβOs, aimed at early AD diagnosis. An initial screening identified compound 18 as being highly selective for AβOs. Subsequent analysis revealed that compound 20 improved serum stability while retaining affinity for AβOs. The most promising iteration, compound 37, demonstrated exceptional qualities: a high affinity for AβOs, emission in the near-infrared region, and good biocompatibility. Significantly, ex vivo double staining indicated that compound 37 detected AβOs in AD mouse brain and in vivo imaging experiments showed that compound 37 could differentiate between 4-month-old AD mice and age-matched wild-type mice. Therefore, compound 37 has emerged as a valuable NIRF probe for early detection of AD and a useful tool in exploring AD's pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhengyang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bing He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hanyue Xu
- Nanjing Foreign Language School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianqin Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fantian Zeng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiwei Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanwei Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haoyu Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jia Li
- Pathology and PDX Efficacy Center, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuting Ye
- Pathology and PDX Efficacy Center, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Zhao
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Yuyan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design & Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
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15
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Mackness BC, Morgan BR, Deveau LM, Kathuria SV, Zitzewitz JA, Massi F. A hydrophobic core stabilizes the residual structure in the RRM2 intermediate state of the ALS-linked protein TDP-43. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598648. [PMID: 38915526 PMCID: PMC11195224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Folding intermediates mediate both protein folding and the misfolding and aggregation observed in human diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and are prime targets for therapeutic interventions. In this study, we identified the core nucleus of structure for a folding intermediate in the second RNA recognition motif (RRM2) of the ALS-linked RNA-binding protein, TDP-43, using a combination of experimental and computational approaches. Urea equilibrium unfolding studies revealed that the RRM2 intermediate state consists of collapsed residual secondary structure localized to the N-terminal half of RRM2, while the C-terminus is largely disordered. Steered molecular dynamics simulations and mutagenesis studies yielded key stabilizing hydrophobic contacts that, when mutated to alanine, severely disrupt the overall fold of RRM2. In combination, these findings suggest a role for this RRM intermediate in normal TDP-43 function as well as serving as a template for misfolding and aggregation through the low stability and non-native secondary structure.
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16
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Balusu S, De Strooper B. The necroptosis cell death pathway drives neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:96. [PMID: 38852117 PMCID: PMC11162975 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02747-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Although apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis have been implicated in AD, none fully explains the extensive neuronal loss observed in AD brains. Recent evidence shows that necroptosis is abundant in AD, that necroptosis is closely linked to the appearance of Tau pathology, and that necroptosis markers accumulate in granulovacuolar neurodegeneration vesicles (GVD). We review here the neuron-specific activation of the granulovacuolar mediated neuronal-necroptosis pathway, the potential AD-relevant triggers upstream of this pathway, and the interaction of the necrosome with the endo-lysosomal pathway, possibly providing links to Tau pathology. In addition, we underscore the therapeutic potential of inhibiting necroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, as this presents a novel avenue for drug development targeting neuronal loss to preserve cognitive abilities. Such an approach seems particularly relevant when combined with amyloid-lowering drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Balusu
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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17
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Nagashima K, Watanabe H, Akasaka T, Ono M. Development of Triphenylmethane Dyes for In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging of Aβ Oligomers. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2233-2242. [PMID: 38753435 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Detection of amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers, regarded as the most toxic aggregated forms of Aβ, can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the development of imaging probes for in vivo visualization of Aβ oligomers is crucial. However, the structural uncertainty regarding Aβ oligomers makes it difficult to design imaging probes with high sensitivity to Aβ oligomers against highly aggregated Aβ fibrils. In this study, we developed Aβ oligomer-selective fluorescent probes based on triphenylmethane dyes through screening of commercially available compounds followed by structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on cyclic or acyclic 4-dialkylamino groups. We synthesized 11 triarylmethane-based Aβ oligomer probe (TAMAOP) derivatives. In vitro evaluation of fluorescence properties, TAMAOP-9, which had bulky 4-diisobutylamino groups introduced into three benzenes of a twisted triphenylmethane backbone, showed marked fluorescence enhancement in the presence of Aβ oligomers and demonstrated high selectivity for Aβ oligomers against Aβ fibrils. In docking studies using the Aβ trimer model, TAMAOP-9 bound to the hydrophobic surface and interacted with the side chain of Phe20. In vitro section staining revealed that TAMAOP-9 could visualize Aβ oligomers in the brains of AD model mice. An in vivo fluorescence imaging study using TAMAOP-9 showed significantly higher fluorescence signals from the brains of AD model mice than those of age-matched wild-type mice, confirmed by ex vivo section observation. These results suggest that TAMAOP-9 is a promising Aβ oligomer-targeting fluorescent probe applicable to in vivo imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Nagashima
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takahiro Akasaka
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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18
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Umar M, Rehman Y, Ambreen S, Mumtaz SM, Shaququzzaman M, Alam MM, Ali R. Innovative approaches to Alzheimer's therapy: Harnessing the power of heterocycles, oxidative stress management, and nanomaterial drug delivery system. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 97:102298. [PMID: 38604453 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents a complex pathology involving amyloidogenic proteolysis, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cholinergic deficits. Oxidative stress exacerbates AD progression through pathways like macromolecular peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metal ion redox potential alteration linked to amyloid-beta (Aβ). Despite limited approved medications, heterocyclic compounds have emerged as promising candidates in AD drug discovery. This review highlights recent advancements in synthetic heterocyclic compounds targeting oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation in AD. Additionally, it explores the potential of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems to overcome challenges in AD treatment. Nanoparticles with heterocyclic scaffolds, like polysorbate 80-coated PLGA and Resveratrol-loaded nano-selenium, show improved brain transport and efficacy. Micellar CAPE and Melatonin-loaded nano-capsules exhibit enhanced antioxidant properties, while a tetra hydroacridine derivative (CHDA) combined with nano-radiogold particles demonstrates promising acetylcholinesterase inhibition without toxicity. This comprehensive review underscores the potential of nanotechnology-driven drug delivery for optimizing the therapeutic outcomes of novel synthetic heterocyclic compounds in AD management. Furthermore, the inclusion of various promising heterocyclic compounds with detailed ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) data provides valuable insights for planning the development of novel drug delivery treatments for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Umar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Yasir Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Subiya Ambreen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Sayed Md Mumtaz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Mohd Shaququzzaman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Mohammad Mumtaz Alam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Ruhi Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017, India.
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19
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Qiu Y, Huang T, Cai YD. Review of predicting protein stability changes upon variations. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300371. [PMID: 38643379 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300371] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Forecasting alterations in protein stability caused by variations holds immense importance. Improving the thermal stability of proteins is important for biomedical and industrial applications. This review discusses the latest methods for predicting the effects of mutations on protein stability, databases containing protein mutations and thermodynamic parameters, and experimental techniques for efficiently assessing protein stability in high-throughput settings. Various publicly available databases for protein stability prediction are introduced. Furthermore, state-of-the-art computational approaches for anticipating protein stability changes due to variants are reviewed. Each method's types of features, base algorithm, and prediction results are also detailed. Additionally, some experimental approaches for verifying the prediction results of computational methods are introduced. Finally, the review summarizes the progress and challenges of protein stability prediction and discusses potential models for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Qiu
- Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Dong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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20
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Zhang H, Cai W, Dong L, Yang Q, Li Q, Ran Q, Liu L, Wang Y, Li Y, Weng X, Zhu X, Chen Y. Jiaohong pills attenuate neuroinflammation and amyloid-β protein-induced cognitive deficits by modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor kappa-B pathway. Animal Model Exp Med 2024; 7:222-233. [PMID: 38177948 PMCID: PMC11228096 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12369] [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: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Jiaohong pills (JHP) consist of Pericarpium Zanthoxyli (PZ) and Radix Rehmanniae, two herbs that have been extensively investigated over many years due to their potential protective effects against cognitive decline and memory impairment. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects remain elusive. Here, research studies were conducted to investigate and validate the therapeutic effects of JHP on Alzheimer's disease. METHODS BV-2 cell inflammation was induced by lipopolysaccharide. AD mice were administered amyloid-β (Aβ). Behavioral experiments were used to evaluate learning and memory ability. The levels of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the phosphorylation level of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were detected using Western blot. Nissl staining was used to detect neuronal degeneration. RESULTS The results demonstrated that an alcoholic extract of PZ significantly decreased the levels of NO, IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS; increased the expression level of IL-10; and significantly decreased the phosphorylation levels of MAPK and NF-κB. These inhibitory effects were further confirmed in the AD mouse model. Meanwhile, JHP improved learning and memory function in AD mice, reduced neuronal damage, and enriched the Nissl bodies in the hippocampus. Moreover, IL-1β and TNF-α in the cortex were significantly downregulated after JHP administration, whereas IL-10 showed increased expression. CONCLUSIONS It was found that JHP reduced neuroinflammatory response in AD mice by targeting the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiyan Cai
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lijinchuan Dong
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Yang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingsen Ran
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaogang Weng
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxin Zhu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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21
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Xia Z, Prescott EE, Urbanek A, Wareing HE, King MC, Olerinyova A, Dakin H, Leah T, Barnes KA, Matuszyk MM, Dimou E, Hidari E, Zhang YP, Lam JYL, Danial JSH, Strickland MR, Jiang H, Thornton P, Crowther DC, Ohtonen S, Gómez-Budia M, Bell SM, Ferraiuolo L, Mortiboys H, Higginbottom A, Wharton SB, Holtzman DM, Malm T, Ranasinghe RT, Klenerman D, De S. Co-aggregation with Apolipoprotein E modulates the function of Amyloid-β in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4695. [PMID: 38824138 PMCID: PMC11144216 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49028-z] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Which isoforms of apolipoprotein E (apoE) we inherit determine our risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but the mechanism underlying this link is poorly understood. In particular, the relevance of direct interactions between apoE and amyloid-β (Aβ) remains controversial. Here, single-molecule imaging shows that all isoforms of apoE associate with Aβ in the early stages of aggregation and then fall away as fibrillation happens. ApoE-Aβ co-aggregates account for ~50% of the mass of diffusible Aβ aggregates detected in the frontal cortices of homozygotes with the higher-risk APOE4 gene. We show how dynamic interactions between apoE and Aβ tune disease-related functions of Aβ aggregates throughout the course of aggregation. Our results connect inherited APOE genotype with the risk of developing AD by demonstrating how, in an isoform- and lipidation-specific way, apoE modulates the aggregation, clearance and toxicity of Aβ. Selectively removing non-lipidated apoE4-Aβ co-aggregates enhances clearance of toxic Aβ by glial cells, and reduces secretion of inflammatory markers and membrane damage, demonstrating a clear path to AD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengjie Xia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily E Prescott
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Agnieszka Urbanek
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Hollie E Wareing
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Marianne C King
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Anna Olerinyova
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Helen Dakin
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Tom Leah
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Katy A Barnes
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Martyna M Matuszyk
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Eleni Dimou
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eric Hidari
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu P Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Michael R Strickland
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight ADRC, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight ADRC, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Peter Thornton
- Neuroscience, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sohvi Ohtonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mireia Gómez-Budia
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Simon M Bell
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Heather Mortiboys
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI), University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Adrian Higginbottom
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Stephen B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight ADRC, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tarja Malm
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Rohan T Ranasinghe
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Suman De
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Division of Neurosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
- Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI), University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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22
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Kaku T, Ikebukuro K, Tsukakoshi K. Structure of cytotoxic amyloid oligomers generated during disaggregation. J Biochem 2024; 175:575-585. [PMID: 38430131 PMCID: PMC11155694 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloidosis is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid proteins. The causative proteins aggregate from monomers to oligomers and fibrils, among which some intermediate oligomers are considered as major toxins. Cytotoxic oligomers are generated not only by aggregation but also via fibril disaggregation. However, little is known about the structural characteristics and generation conditions of cytotoxic oligomers produced during disaggregation. Herein, we summarized the structural commonalities of cytotoxic oligomers formed under various disaggregation conditions, including the addition of heat shock proteins or small compounds. In vitro experimental data demonstrated the presence of high-molecular-weight oligomers (protofibrils or protofilaments) that exhibited a fibrous morphology and β-sheet structure. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the distorted β-sheet structure contributed to their metastability. The tendency of these cytotoxic oligomers to appear under mild disaggregation conditions, implied formation during the early stages of disaggregation. This review will aid researchers in exploring the characteristics of highly cytotoxic oligomers and developing drugs that target amyloid aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshisuke Kaku
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Kaori Tsukakoshi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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23
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Zhang L, Cao K, Xie J, Liang X, Gong H, Luo Q, Luo H. Aβ 42 and ROS dual-targeted multifunctional nanocomposite for combination therapy of Alzheimer's disease. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:278. [PMID: 38783363 PMCID: PMC11112798 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02543-z] [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: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) readily misfolds into neurotoxic aggregates, generating high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to progressive oxidative damage and ultimately cell death. Therefore, simultaneous inhibition of Aβ aggregation and scavenging of ROS may be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate Alzheimer's disease pathology. Based on the previously developed antibody 1F12 that targets all forms of Aβ42, we developed an Aβ42 and ROS dual-targeting nanocomposite using biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers to load ultra-small cerium oxide nanocrystals (bMSNs@Ce-1F12). By modifying the brain-targeted rabies virus glycoprotein 29 (RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12), this intelligent nanocomposite can efficiently target brain Aβ-rich regions. Combined with peripheral and central nervous system treatments, RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12 can significantly alleviate AD symptoms by inhibiting Aβ42 misfolding, accelerating Aβ42 clearance, and scavenging ROS. Furthermore, this synergistic effect of ROS scavenging and Aβ clearance exhibited by this Aβ42 and ROS dual-targeted strategy also reduced the burden of hyperphosphorylated tau, alleviated glial cell activation, and ultimately improved cognitive function in APP/PS1 mice. Our findings indicate that RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12 is a promising nanodrug that can facilitate multi-target treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liding Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Kai Cao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xiaohan Liang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Haiming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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24
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Varenyk Y, Theodorakis PE, Pham DQH, Li MS, Krupa P. Exploring Structural Insights of Aβ42 and α-Synuclein Monomers and Heterodimer: A Comparative Study Using Implicit and Explicit Solvent Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4655-4669. [PMID: 38700150 PMCID: PMC11103699 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Protein misfolding, aggregation, and fibril formation play a central role in the development of severe neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The structural stability of mature fibrils in these diseases is of great importance, as organisms struggle to effectively eliminate amyloid plaques. To address this issue, it is crucial to investigate the early stages of fibril formation when monomers aggregate into small, toxic, and soluble oligomers. However, these structures are inherently disordered, making them challenging to study through experimental approaches. Recently, it has been shown experimentally that amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and α-synuclein (α-Syn) can coassemble. This has motivated us to investigate the interaction between their monomers as a first step toward exploring the possibility of forming heterodimeric complexes. In particular, our study involves the utilization of various Amber and CHARMM force-fields, employing both implicit and explicit solvent models in replica exchange and conventional simulation modes. This comprehensive approach allowed us to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these solvent models and force fields in comparison to experimental and theoretical findings, ensuring the highest level of robustness. Our investigations revealed that Aβ42 and α-Syn monomers can indeed form stable heterodimers, and the resulting heterodimeric model exhibits stronger interactions compared to the Aβ42 dimer. The binding of α-Syn to Aβ42 reduces the propensity of Aβ42 to adopt fibril-prone conformations and induces significant changes in its conformational properties. Notably, in AMBER-FB15 and CHARMM36m force fields with the use of explicit solvent, the presence of Aβ42 significantly increases the β-content of α-Syn, consistent with the experiments showing that Aβ42 triggers α-Syn aggregation. Our analysis clearly shows that although the use of implicit solvent resulted in too large compactness of monomeric α-Syn, structural properties of monomeric Aβ42 and the heterodimer were preserved in explicit-solvent simulations. We anticipate that our study sheds light on the interaction between α-Syn and Aβ42 proteins, thus providing the atom-level model required to assess the initial stage of aggregation mechanisms related to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliia Varenyk
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, University of
Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | | | - Dinh Q. H. Pham
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Krupa
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
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25
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Meng X, Song Q, Liu Z, Liu X, Wang Y, Liu J. Neurotoxic β-amyloid oligomers cause mitochondrial dysfunction-the trigger for PANoptosis in neurons. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1400544. [PMID: 38808033 PMCID: PMC11130508 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1400544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
As the global population ages, the incidence of elderly patients with dementia, represented by Alzheimer's disease (AD), will continue to increase. Previous studies have suggested that β-amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition is a key factor leading to AD. However, the clinical efficacy of treating AD with anti-Aβ protein antibodies is not satisfactory, suggesting that Aβ amyloidosis may be a pathological change rather than a key factor leading to AD. Identification of the causes of AD and development of corresponding prevention and treatment strategies is an important goal of current research. Following the discovery of soluble oligomeric forms of Aβ (AβO) in 1998, scientists began to focus on the neurotoxicity of AβOs. As an endogenous neurotoxin, the active growth of AβOs can lead to neuronal death, which is believed to occur before plaque formation, suggesting that AβOs are the key factors leading to AD. PANoptosis, a newly proposed concept of cell death that includes known modes of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, is a form of cell death regulated by the PANoptosome complex. Neuronal survival depends on proper mitochondrial function. Under conditions of AβO interference, mitochondrial dysfunction occurs, releasing lethal contents as potential upstream effectors of the PANoptosome. Considering the critical role of neurons in cognitive function and the development of AD as well as the regulatory role of mitochondrial function in neuronal survival, investigation of the potential mechanisms leading to neuronal PANoptosis is crucial. This review describes the disruption of neuronal mitochondrial function by AβOs and elucidates how AβOs may activate neuronal PANoptosis by causing mitochondrial dysfunction during the development of AD, providing guidance for the development of targeted neuronal treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jinyu Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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26
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Al Khashali H, Ray R, Darweesh B, Wozniak C, Haddad B, Goel S, Seidu I, Khalil J, Lopo B, Murshed N, Guthrie J, Heyl D, Evans HG. Amyloid Beta Leads to Decreased Acetylcholine Levels and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Survival via a Mechanism That Involves p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and Protein Kinase C in a p53-Dependent and -Independent Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5033. [PMID: 38732252 PMCID: PMC11084752 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095033] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown an inverse correlation between the likelihood of developing a neurodegenerative disorder and cancer. We previously reported that the levels of amyloid beta (Aβ), at the center of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology, are regulated by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we examined the effect of Aβ or its fragments on the levels of ACh in A549 (p53 wild-type) and H1299 (p53-null) NSCLC cell media. ACh levels were reduced by cell treatment with Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40, Aβ 1-28, and Aβ 25-35. AChE and p53 activities increased upon A549 cell treatment with Aβ, while knockdown of p53 in A549 cells increased ACh levels, decreased AChE activity, and diminished the Aβ effects. Aβ increased the ratio of phospho/total p38 MAPK and decreased the activity of PKC. Inhibiting p38 MAPK reduced the activity of p53 in A549 cells and increased ACh levels in the media of both cell lines, while opposite effects were found upon inhibiting PKC. ACh decreased the activity of p53 in A549 cells, decreased p38 MAPK activity, increased PKC activity, and diminished the effect of Aβ on those activities. Moreover, the negative effect of Aβ on cell viability was diminished by cell co-treatment with ACh.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hedeel Guy Evans
- Chemistry Department, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA; (H.A.K.); (R.R.); (B.D.); (C.W.); (B.H.); (S.G.); (I.S.); (J.K.); (B.L.); (N.M.); (J.G.); (D.H.)
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27
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Basir HS, Mirazi N, Komaki A, Hosseini A. Cacao consumption improves passive avoidance memory impairment in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease: the role of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and oxidative stress. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1379264. [PMID: 38756381 PMCID: PMC11096498 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1379264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) causes progressive loss of cognitive function and synaptic plasticity, which is the most common form of dementia. The present study was designed to scrutinize the effects of cacao on passive avoidance memory function and to identify the roles of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and oxidative stress in an AD rat model induced by unilateral intracerebroventricular (UICV) injection of amyloid-beta (Aβ). Methods: Oral administration of cacao (500 mg/kg/ day) was given for 2 consecutive months. A memory retention test was conducted 24 h after passive avoidance training was completed. Subsequently, the amplitude of population spike (PS) and slope of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were assessed at hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in perforant pathway-dentate gyrus (PP-DG) synapses. Moreover, total thiol group (TTG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were evaluated in the plasma. Furthermore, compact Aβ plaques were detected in the hippocampal DG by performing Congo red staining. Results: As a result of AD induction, passive avoidance memory was impaired; also, reduced fEPSP slopes, PS amplitudes, and content of TTG, and increase in MDA levels in the rats were observed. In contrast, cacao treatment ameliorated passive avoidance memory impairment, improved hippocampal LTP impairment, modulated oxidative-antioxidative status, and delayed Aβ plaques production in AD rats. Disscussion: Conclusively, cacao alleviates Aβ-induced cognitive deficit, probably by the amelioration of hippocampal LTP impairment, modulation of oxidative-antioxidative status, and inhibition of Aβ plaque accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Shokati Basir
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Naser Mirazi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Alireza Komaki
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Abdolkarim Hosseini
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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28
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Tapella L, Dematteis G, La Vitola P, Leva S, Tonelli E, Raddi M, Delconti M, Dacomo L, La Macchia A, Murari E, Talmon M, Malecka J, Chrostek G, Grilli M, Colombo L, Salmona M, Forloni G, Genazzani AA, Balducci C, Lim D. Genetic deletion of astrocytic calcineurin B1 prevents cognitive impairment and neuropathology development in acute and chronic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Glia 2024; 72:899-915. [PMID: 38288580 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24509] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents an urgent yet unmet challenge for modern society, calling for exploration of innovative targets and therapeutic approaches. Astrocytes, main homeostatic cells in the CNS, represent promising cell-target. Our aim was to investigate if deletion of the regulatory CaNB1 subunit of calcineurin in astrocytes could mitigate AD-related memory deficits, neuropathology, and neuroinflammation. We have generated two, acute and chronic, AD mouse models with astrocytic CaNB1 ablation (ACN-KO). In the former, we evaluated the ability of β-amyloid oligomers (AβOs) to impair memory and activate glial cells once injected in the cerebral ventricle of conditional ACN-KO mice. Next, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible astrocyte-specific CaNB1 knock-out in 3xTg-AD mice (indACNKO-AD). CaNB1 was deleted, by tamoxifen injection, in 11.7-month-old 3xTg-AD mice for 4.4 months. Spatial memory was evaluated using the Barnes maze; β-amyloid plaques burden, neurofibrillary tangle deposition, reactive gliosis, and neuroinflammation were also assessed. The acute model showed that ICV injected AβOs in 2-month-old wild type mice impaired recognition memory and fostered a pro-inflammatory microglia phenotype, whereas in ACN-KO mice, AβOs were inactive. In indACNKO-AD mice, 4.4 months after CaNB1 depletion, we found preservation of spatial memory and cognitive flexibility, abolishment of amyloidosis, and reduction of neurofibrillary tangles, gliosis, and neuroinflammation. Our results suggest that ACN is crucial for the development of cognitive impairment, AD neuropathology, and neuroinflammation. Astrocyte-specific CaNB1 deletion is beneficial for both the abolishment of AβO-mediated detrimental effects and treatment of ongoing AD-related pathology, hence representing an intriguing target for AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tapella
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Giulia Dematteis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Pietro La Vitola
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Susanna Leva
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Tonelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Marco Raddi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Marta Delconti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Letizia Dacomo
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto La Macchia
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Murari
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Talmon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Justyna Malecka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Gabriela Chrostek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Grilli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Armando A Genazzani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Claudia Balducci
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Dmitry Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
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Mancuso R, Fattorelli N, Martinez-Muriana A, Davis E, Wolfs L, Van Den Daele J, Geric I, Premereur J, Polanco P, Bijnens B, Preman P, Serneels L, Poovathingal S, Balusu S, Verfaillie C, Fiers M, De Strooper B. Xenografted human microglia display diverse transcriptomic states in response to Alzheimer's disease-related amyloid-β pathology. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:886-900. [PMID: 38539015 PMCID: PMC11089003 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01600-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are central players in Alzheimer's disease pathology but analyzing microglial states in human brain samples is challenging due to genetic diversity, postmortem delay and admixture of pathologies. To circumvent these issues, here we generated 138,577 single-cell expression profiles of human stem cell-derived microglia xenotransplanted in the brain of the AppNL-G-F model of amyloid pathology and wild-type controls. Xenografted human microglia adopt a disease-associated profile similar to that seen in mouse microglia, but display a more pronounced human leukocyte antigen or HLA state, likely related to antigen presentation in response to amyloid plaques. The human microglial response also involves a pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine cytokine response microglia or CRM response to oligomeric Aβ oligomers. Genetic deletion of TREM2 or APOE as well as APOE polymorphisms and TREM2R47H expression in the transplanted microglia modulate these responses differentially. The expression of other Alzheimer's disease risk genes is differentially regulated across the distinct cell states elicited in response to amyloid pathology. Thus, we have identified multiple transcriptomic cell states adopted by human microglia in a multipronged response to Alzheimer's disease-related pathology, which should be taken into account in translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo Mancuso
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Nicola Fattorelli
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna Martinez-Muriana
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emma Davis
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Leen Wolfs
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johanna Van Den Daele
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, KU Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ivana Geric
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessie Premereur
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Paula Polanco
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Baukje Bijnens
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pranav Preman
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lutgarde Serneels
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Suresh Poovathingal
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sriram Balusu
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Department of Development and Regeneration, Stem Cell Biology and Embryology, KU Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mark Fiers
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK.
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30
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Zhao Q, Ma L, Chen S, Huang L, She G, Sun Y, Shi W, Mu L. Tracking mitochondrial Cu(I) fluctuations through a ratiometric fluorescent probe in AD model cells: Towards understanding how AβOs induce mitochondrial Cu(I) dyshomeostasis. Talanta 2024; 271:125716. [PMID: 38301373 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial copper signaling pathway plays a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially in relevant Amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) neurotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction. Clarifying the relationship between mitochondrial copper homeostasis and both of mitochondrial dysfunction and AβOs neurotoxicity is important for understanding AD pathogenesis. Herein, we designed and synthesized a ratiometric fluorescent probe CHC-NS4 for Cu(I). CHC-NS4 possesses excellent ratiometric response, high selectivity to Cu(I) and specific ability to target mitochondria. Under mitochondrial dysfunction induced by oligomycin, mitochondrial Cu(I) levels gradually increased, which may be related to inhibition of ATP7A-mediated Cu(I) exportation and/or high expression of COX. On this basis, CHC-NS4 was further utilized to visualize the fluctuations of mitochondrial Cu(I) levels during progression of AD model cells induced by AβOs. It was found that mitochondrial Cu(I) levels were gradually elevated during the AD progression, which depended on not only AβOs concentration but also incubation time. Moreover, endocytosis maybe served as a prime pathway mode for mitochondrial Cu(I) dyshomeostasis induced by AβOs during AD progression. These results have provided a novel inspiration into mitochondrial copper biology in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaowen Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liyi Ma
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Lushan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guangwei She
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yongan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Wensheng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Lixuan Mu
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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31
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Juković M, Ratkaj I, Kalafatovic D, Bradshaw NJ. Amyloids, amorphous aggregates and assemblies of peptides - Assessing aggregation. Biophys Chem 2024; 308:107202. [PMID: 38382283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107202] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid and amorphous aggregates represent the two major categories of aggregates associated with diseases, and although exhibiting distinct features, researchers often treat them as equivalent, which demonstrates the need for more thorough characterization. Here, we compare amyloid and amorphous aggregates based on their biochemical properties, kinetics, and morphological features. To further decipher this issue, we propose the use of peptide self-assemblies as minimalistic models for understanding the aggregation process. Peptide building blocks are significantly smaller than proteins that participate in aggregation, however, they make a plausible means to bridge the gap in discerning the aggregation process at the more complex, protein level. Additionally, we explore the potential use of peptide-inspired models to research the liquid-liquid phase separation as a feasible mechanism preceding amyloid formation. Connecting these concepts can help clarify our understanding of aggregation-related disorders and potentially provide novel drug targets to impede and reverse these serious illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Juković
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ivana Ratkaj
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Daniela Kalafatovic
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
| | - Nicholas J Bradshaw
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
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32
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Guo B, Li QY, Liu XJ, Luo GH, Wu YJ, Nie J. Diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease: Vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase as a potential link. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2577-2595. [PMID: 38419188 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16286] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Globally, the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing year by year, causing a huge economic and social burden, and their pathogenesis and aetiology have been proven to have a certain correlation. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that vacuolar adenosine triphosphatases (v-ATPases) in eukaryotes, which are biomolecules regulating lysosomal acidification and glycolipid metabolism, play a key role in DM and AD. This article describes the role of v-ATPase in DM and AD, including its role in glycolysis, insulin secretion and insulin resistance (IR), as well as its relationship with lysosomal acidification, autophagy and β-amyloid (Aβ). In DM, v-ATPase is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism and IR. v-ATPase is closely related to glycolysis. On the one hand, v-ATPase affects the rate of glycolysis by affecting the secretion of insulin and changing the activities of key glycolytic enzymes hexokinase (HK) and phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK-1). On the other hand, glucose is the main regulator of this enzyme, and the assembly and activity of v-ATPase depend on glucose, and glucose depletion will lead to its decomposition and inactivation. In addition, v-ATPase can also regulate free fatty acids, thereby improving IR. In AD, v-ATPase can not only improve the abnormal brain energy metabolism by affecting lysosomal acidification and autophagy but also change the deposition of Aβ by affecting the production and degradation of Aβ. Therefore, v-ATPase may be the bridge between DM and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Qi-Ye Li
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Xue-Jia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Guo-Hui Luo
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Ya-Juan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jing Nie
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of the Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of the Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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33
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Agha MM, Aziziyan F, Uversky VN. Each big journey starts with a first step: Importance of oligomerization. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 206:111-141. [PMID: 38811079 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Protein oligomers, widely found in nature, have significant physiological and pathological functions. They are classified into three groups based on their function and toxicity. Significant advancements are being achieved in the development of functional oligomers, with a focus on various applications and their engineering. The antimicrobial peptides oligomers play roles in death of bacterial and cancer cells. The predominant pathogenic species in neurodegenerative disorders, as shown by recent results, are amyloid oligomers, which are the main subject of this chapter. They are generated throughout the aggregation process, serving as both intermediates in the subsequent aggregation pathways and ultimate products. Some of them may possess potent cytotoxic properties and through diverse mechanisms cause cellular impairment, and ultimately, the death of cells and disease progression. Information regarding their structure, formation mechanism, and toxicity is limited due to their inherent instability and structural variability. This chapter aims to provide a concise overview of the current knowledge regarding amyloid oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoureh Mirza Agha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aziziyan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Pushchino, Moscow, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United Staes.
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34
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Farzam F, Dabirmanesh B. Experimental techniques for detecting and evaluating the amyloid fibrils. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 206:183-227. [PMID: 38811081 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are insoluble proteins with intricate β-sheet structures associated with various human diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and prion diseases. Proteins can form aggregates when their structure is misfolded, resulting in highly organized amyloid fibrils or amorphous aggregates. The formation of protein aggregates is a promising research field for mitigating diseases and the pharmaceutical and food industries. It is important to monitor and minimize the appearance of aggregates in these protein products. Several methods exist to assess protein aggregation, that includes from basic investigations to advanced biophysical techniques. Physicochemical parameters such as molecular weight, conformation, structure, and dimension are examined to study aggregation. There is an urgent need to develop methods for the detection of protein aggregation and amyloid fibril formation both in vitro and in vivo. This chapter focuses on a comprehensive discussion of the methods used to characterize and evaluate aggregates and amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnoosh Farzam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahareh Dabirmanesh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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35
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Halipi V, Sasanian N, Feng J, Hu J, Lubart Q, Bernson D, van Leeuwen D, Ahmadpour D, Sparr E, Esbjörner EK. Extracellular Vesicles Slow Down Aβ(1-42) Aggregation by Interfering with the Amyloid Fibril Elongation Step. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:944-954. [PMID: 38408014 PMCID: PMC10921407 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils is a central pathogenic feature of Alzheimer's disease. Cell-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been suggested as disease modulators, although their exact roles and relations to Aβ pathology remain unclear. We combined kinetics assays and biophysical analyses to explore how small (<220 nm) EVs from neuronal and non-neuronal human cell lines affected the aggregation of the disease-associated Aβ variant Aβ(1-42) into amyloid fibrils. Using thioflavin-T monitored kinetics and seeding assays, we found that EVs reduced Aβ(1-42) aggregation by inhibiting fibril elongation. Morphological analyses revealed this to result in the formation of short fibril fragments with increased thicknesses and less apparent twists. We suggest that EVs may have protective roles by reducing Aβ(1-42) amyloid loads, but also note that the formation of small amyloid fragments could be problematic from a neurotoxicity perspective. EVs may therefore have double-edged roles in the regulation of Aβ pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesa Halipi
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nima Sasanian
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Julia Feng
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jing Hu
- Division
of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Quentin Lubart
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Bernson
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel van Leeuwen
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Doryaneh Ahmadpour
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emma Sparr
- Division
of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Elin K. Esbjörner
- Division
of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
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36
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Gales L. Detection and clearance in Alzheimer's disease: leading with illusive chemical, structural and morphological features of the targets. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:497-498. [PMID: 37721271 PMCID: PMC10581563 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.380897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luís Gales
- i3S - Instituto de Investigaçã o e Inovaçã o em Saúde, Rua Alfredo Allen, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC − Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, Porto, Portugal
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37
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Kreutzer AG, Malonis RJ, Parrocha CMT, Tong K, Guaglianone G, Nguyen JT, Diab MN, Lai JR, Nowick JS. Generation and Study of Antibodies against Two Triangular Trimers Derived from Aβ. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2024; 116:e24333. [PMID: 38644932 PMCID: PMC11029597 DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target the P-amyloid peptide (Aβ) are important Alzheimer's disease research tools and are now being used as Alzheimer's disease therapies. Conformation-specific mAbs that target oligomeric and fibrillar Aβ assemblies are of particular interest, as these assemblies are associated with Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and progression. This paper reports the generation of rabbit mAbs against two different triangular trimers derived from Aβ. These antibodies are the first mAbs generated against Aβ oligomer mimics in which the high-resolution structures of the oligomers are known. We describe the isolation of the mAbs using single B-cell sorting of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from immunized rabbits, the selectivity of the mAbs for the triangular trimers, the immunoreactivity of the mAbs with aggregated Aβ42, and the immunoreactivity of the mAbs in brain tissue from the 5xFAD Alzheimer's disease mouse model. The characterization of these mAbs against structurally defined trimers derived from Aβ enhances understanding of antibody-amyloid recognition and may benefit the development of diagnostics and immunotherapies in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G Kreutzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Ryan J Malonis
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | | | - Karen Tong
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | | | - Jennifer T Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | - Michelle N Diab
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Jonathan R Lai
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | - James S Nowick
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
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Parekh P, Badachhape AA, Tanifum EA, Annapragada AV, Ghaghada KB. Advances in nanoprobes for molecular MRI of Alzheimer's disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1946. [PMID: 38426638 PMCID: PMC10983770 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and a leading cause of mortality in the elderly population. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease has traditionally relied on evaluation of clinical symptoms for cognitive impairment with a definitive diagnosis requiring post-mortem demonstration of neuropathology. However, advances in disease pathogenesis have revealed that patients exhibit Alzheimer's disease pathology several decades before the manifestation of clinical symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the management of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The clinical availability of molecular MRI (mMRI) contrast agents can revolutionize the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. In this article, we review advances in nanoparticle contrast agents, also referred to as nanoprobes, for mMRI of Alzheimer's disease. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Neurological Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parag Parekh
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Andrew A. Badachhape
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Eric A. Tanifum
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Ananth V. Annapragada
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Ketan B. Ghaghada
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
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Devkota S, Zhou R, Nagarajan V, Maesako M, Do H, Noorani A, Overmeyer C, Bhattarai S, Douglas JT, Saraf A, Miao Y, Ackley BD, Shi Y, Wolfe MS. Familial Alzheimer mutations stabilize synaptotoxic γ-secretase-substrate complexes. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113761. [PMID: 38349793 PMCID: PMC10941010 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations that cause familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) are found in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin, the catalytic component of γ-secretase, that together produce amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Nevertheless, whether Aβ is the primary disease driver remains controversial. We report here that FAD mutations disrupt initial proteolytic events in the multistep processing of APP substrate C99 by γ-secretase. Cryoelectron microscopy reveals that a substrate mimetic traps γ-secretase during the transition state, and this structure aligns with activated enzyme-substrate complex captured by molecular dynamics simulations. In silico simulations and in cellulo fluorescence microscopy support stabilization of enzyme-substrate complexes by FAD mutations. Neuronal expression of C99 and/or presenilin-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans leads to synaptic loss only with FAD-mutant transgenes. Designed mutations that stabilize the enzyme-substrate complex and block Aβ production likewise led to synaptic loss. Collectively, these findings implicate the stalled process-not the products-of γ-secretase cleavage of substrates in FAD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujan Devkota
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Rui Zhou
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Masato Maesako
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hung Do
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Arshad Noorani
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Caitlin Overmeyer
- Graduate Program in Neurosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Sanjay Bhattarai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Justin T Douglas
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Core Lab, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Mass Spectrometry and Analytical Proteomic Laboratory, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yinglong Miao
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Brian D Ackley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yigong Shi
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Science and Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, and Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Michael S Wolfe
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Graduate Program in Neurosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
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Tian Y, Shang Q, Liang R, Viles JH. Copper(II) Can Kinetically Trap Arctic and Italian Amyloid-β 40 as Toxic Oligomers, Mimicking Cu(II) Binding to Wild-Type Amyloid-β 42: Implications for Familial Alzheimer's Disease. JACS AU 2024; 4:578-591. [PMID: 38425915 PMCID: PMC10900208 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The self-association of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into neurotoxic oligomers is believed to be central to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Copper is known to impact Aβ assembly, while disrupted copper homeostasis impacts phenotype in Alzheimer's models. Here we show the presence of substoichiometric Cu(II) has very different impacts on the assembly of Aβ40 and Aβ42 isoforms. Globally fitting microscopic rate constants for fibril assembly indicates copper will accelerate fibril formation of Aβ40 by increasing primary nucleation, while seeding experiments confirm that elongation and secondary nucleation rates are unaffected by Cu(II). In marked contrast, Cu(II) traps Aβ42 as prefibrillar oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils. Remarkably, the Cu(II) addition to preformed Aβ42 fibrils causes the disassembly of fibrils back to protofibrils and oligomers. The very different behaviors of the two Aβ isoforms are centered around differences in their fibril structures, as highlighted by studies of C-terminally amidated Aβ42. Arctic and Italian familiar mutations also support a key role for fibril structure in the interplay of Cu(II) with Aβ40/42 isoforms. The Cu(II) dependent switch in behavior between nonpathogenic Aβ40 wild-type and Aβ40 Arctic or Italian mutants suggests heightened neurotoxicity may be linked to the impact of physiological Cu(II), which traps these familial mutants as oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils, which cause membrane permeability and Ca(II) cellular influx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Tian
- School of Biological and Behavioral
Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Qi Shang
- School of Biological and Behavioral
Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - Ruina Liang
- School of Biological and Behavioral
Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - John H. Viles
- School of Biological and Behavioral
Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
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41
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Sarkar D, Bhunia A. Delineating the Role of GxxxG Motif in Amyloidogenesis: A New Perspective in Targeting Amyloid-Beta Mediated AD Pathogenesis. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2024; 4:4-19. [PMID: 38404748 PMCID: PMC10885112 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of a novel structural motif that can shed light on the key functional attributes is a primary focus in the study of protein folding disorders. Decades of research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) have centered on the Amyloid β (Aβ) pathway, highlighting its significance in understanding the disorder. The diversity in the Aβ pathway and the possible silent tracks which are yet to discover, makes it exceedingly intimidating to the interdisciplinary scientific community. Over the course of AD research, Aβ has consistently been at the forefront of scientific inquiry and discussion. In this review, we epitomize the role of a potential structural motif (GxxxG motif) that may provide a new horizon to the Aβ conflict. We emphasize on how comprehensive understanding of this motif from a structure-function perspective may pave the way for designing novel therapeutics intervention in AD and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibakar Sarkar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Bose Institute, Unified Academic Campus, Sector V, Salt Lake EN
80, Kolkata 700 091, India
| | - Anirban Bhunia
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Bose Institute, Unified Academic Campus, Sector V, Salt Lake EN
80, Kolkata 700 091, India
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42
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Rinauro DJ, Chiti F, Vendruscolo M, Limbocker R. Misfolded protein oligomers: mechanisms of formation, cytotoxic effects, and pharmacological approaches against protein misfolding diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:20. [PMID: 38378578 PMCID: PMC10877934 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00651-2] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The conversion of native peptides and proteins into amyloid aggregates is a hallmark of over 50 human disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Increasing evidence implicates misfolded protein oligomers produced during the amyloid formation process as the primary cytotoxic agents in many of these devastating conditions. In this review, we analyze the processes by which oligomers are formed, their structures, physicochemical properties, population dynamics, and the mechanisms of their cytotoxicity. We then focus on drug discovery strategies that target the formation of oligomers and their ability to disrupt cell physiology and trigger degenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon J Rinauro
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Ryan Limbocker
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 10996, USA.
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43
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Liu J, Mouradian MM. Pathogenetic Contributions and Therapeutic Implications of Transglutaminase 2 in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2364. [PMID: 38397040 PMCID: PMC10888553 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042364] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases encompass a heterogeneous group of disorders that afflict millions of people worldwide. Characteristic protein aggregates are histopathological hallmark features of these disorders, including Amyloid β (Aβ)-containing plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease, α-Synuclein (α-Syn)-containing Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, and mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in nuclear inclusions in Huntington's disease. These various aggregates are found in specific brain regions that are impacted by neurodegeneration and associated with clinical manifestations. Transglutaminase (TG2) (also known as tissue transglutaminase) is the most ubiquitously expressed member of the transglutaminase family with protein crosslinking activity. To date, Aβ, tau, α-Syn, and mHTT have been determined to be substrates of TG2, leading to their aggregation and implicating the involvement of TG2 in several pathophysiological events in neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we summarize the biochemistry and physiologic functions of TG2 and describe recent advances in the pathogenetic role of TG2 in these diseases. We also review TG2 inhibitors tested in clinical trials and discuss recent TG2-targeting approaches, which offer new perspectives for the design of future highly potent and selective drugs with improved brain delivery as a disease-modifying treatment for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Maral Mouradian
- RWJMS Institute for Neurological Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
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44
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An J, Kim K, Lim HJ, Kim HY, Shin J, Park I, Cho I, Kim HY, Kim S, McLean C, Choi KY, Kim Y, Lee KH, Kim JS. Early onset diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease patients via amyloid-β oligomers-sensing probe in cerebrospinal fluid. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1004. [PMID: 38307843 PMCID: PMC10837422 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44818-x] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers are implicated in the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, quinoline-derived half-curcumin-dioxaborine (Q-OB) fluorescent probe was designed for detecting Aβ oligomers by finely tailoring the hydrophobicity of the biannulate donor motifs in donor-π-acceptor structure. Q-OB shows a great sensing potency in dynamically monitoring oligomerization of Aβ during amyloid fibrillogenesis in vitro. In addition, we applied this strategy to fluorometrically analyze Aβ self-assembly kinetics in the cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of AD patients. The fluorescence intensity of Q-OB in AD patients' CSF revealed a marked change of log (I/I0) value of 0.34 ± 0.13 (cognitive normal), 0.15 ± 0.12 (mild cognitive impairment), and 0.14 ± 0.10 (AD dementia), guiding to distinguish a state of AD continuum for early diagnosis of AD. These studies demonstrate the potential of our approach can expand the currently available preclinical diagnostic platform for the early stages of AD, aiding in the disruption of pathological progression and the development of appropriate treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jusung An
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Kyeonghwan Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Ho Jae Lim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea
| | - Hye Yun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Jinwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - InWook Park
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Illhwan Cho
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Hyeong Yun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Sunghoon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Biomedical Research, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
- College of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Center, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea
| | - Catriona McLean
- Department of Pathology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, 3004, Australia
| | - Kyu Yeong Choi
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea
| | - YoungSoo Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea.
- Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Korea.
| | - Kun Ho Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea.
- Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementia Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea.
- Department of Neural Development and Disease, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Korea.
| | - Jong Seung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
- TheranoChem Incorporation, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02856, Korea.
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45
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Kumar R, Le Marchand T, Adam L, Bobrovs R, Chen G, Fridmanis J, Kronqvist N, Biverstål H, Jaudzems K, Johansson J, Pintacuda G, Abelein A. Identification of potential aggregation hotspots on Aβ42 fibrils blocked by the anti-amyloid chaperone-like BRICHOS domain. Nat Commun 2024; 15:965. [PMID: 38302480 PMCID: PMC10834949 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45192-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding can generate toxic intermediates, which underlies several devastating diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The surface of AD-associated amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) fibrils has been suggested to act as a catalyzer for self-replication and generation of potentially toxic species. Specifically tailored molecular chaperones, such as the BRICHOS protein domain, were shown to bind to amyloid fibrils and break this autocatalytic cycle. Here, we identify a site on the Aβ42 fibril surface, consisting of three C-terminal β-strands and particularly the solvent-exposed β-strand stretching from residues 26-28, which is efficiently sensed by a designed variant of Bri2 BRICHOS. Remarkably, while only a low amount of BRICHOS binds to Aβ42 fibrils, fibril-catalyzed nucleation processes are effectively prevented, suggesting that the identified site acts as a catalytic aggregation hotspot, which can specifically be blocked by BRICHOS. Hence, these findings provide an understanding how toxic nucleation events can be targeted by molecular chaperones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Tanguy Le Marchand
- Université de Lyon, Centre de Resonance Magnétique Nucléaire (CRMN) à Très Hauts Champs de Lyon (UMR 5082 - CNRS, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1), 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurène Adam
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Raitis Bobrovs
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jēkabs Fridmanis
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Henrik Biverstål
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Guido Pintacuda
- Université de Lyon, Centre de Resonance Magnétique Nucléaire (CRMN) à Très Hauts Champs de Lyon (UMR 5082 - CNRS, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1), 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Axel Abelein
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83, Huddinge, Sweden.
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Qais FA, Parveen N, Afzal M, Furkan M, Khan RH. Preventing amyloid-β oligomerization and aggregation with berberine: Investigating the mechanism of action through computational methods. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 258:128900. [PMID: 38128802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128900] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Neurological disorders (NDs) have become a major cause of both cognitive and physical disabilities worldwide. In NDs, misfolded proteins tend to adopt a β-sheet-rich fibrillar structure called amyloid. Amyloid beta (Aβ) plays a crucial role in the nervous system. The misfolding and aggregation of Aβ are primary factors in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibiting the oligomerization and aggregation of Aβ is considered as an effective strategy against NDs. While it is known that berberine analogs exhibit anti-Aβ aggregation properties, the precise mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we have employed computational approaches to unravel the possible mechanism by which berberine combats Aβ aggregation. The introduction of berberine was observed to delay the equilibrium of Aβ16-21 oligomerization. Initially, within the first 10 ns of simulation, β-sheets content was 12.89 % and gradually increased to 22.19 % within the first 20 ns. This upward trend continued, reaching 32.80 %. However, berberine substantially reduced the formation of β-sheets to 1.36 %. These findings decipher the potency of berberine against Aβ16-21 oligomerization, a crucial step for β-sheet formation. Additionally, a remarkable decrease in total number of hydrogen bonds was found in the presence of berberine. Berberine also led to a slight reduction in the flexibility of Aβ16-21, which may be due to the formation of a more stable structures. This study offers valuable insights at the mechanistic level, which could prove beneficial in the development of new drugs to combat NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizan Abul Qais
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Nagma Parveen
- Department of Zoology, Saifia College, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Mohd Afzal
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Furkan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, UP, India
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, UP, India.
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47
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Quan YS, Li X, Pang L, Deng H, Chen F, Joon Lee J, Quan ZS, Liu P, Guo HY, Shen QK. Panaxadiol carbamate derivatives: Synthesis and biological evaluation as potential multifunctional anti-Alzheimer agents. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:106977. [PMID: 38064805 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
It is reported that panaxadiol has neuroprotective effects. Previous studies have found that compound with carbamate structure introduced at the 3-OH position of 20 (R) -panaxadiol showed the most effective neuroprotective activity with an EC50 of 13.17 μM. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a series of ginseng diol carbamate derivatives with ginseng diol as the lead compound, and tested their anti-AD activity. It was found that the protective effect of compound Q4 on adrenal pheochromocytoma was 80.6 ± 10.85 % (15 μM), and the EC50 was 4.32 μM. According to the ELISA results, Q4 reduced the expression of Aβ25-35 by decreasing β-secretase production. Molecular docking studies revealed that the binding affinity of Q4 to β-secretase was -49.67 kcal/mol, indicating a strong binding affinity of Q4 to β-secretase. Western blotting showed that compound Q4 decreased IL-1β levels, which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, compound Q4 exhibits anti-AD activities by reducing abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein and activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway. The learning and memory deficits in mice treated with Q4in vivo were significantly alleviated. Therefore, Q4 may be a promising multifunctional drug for the treatment of AD, providing a new way for anti-AD drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Sheng Quan
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Xiaoting Li
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Lei Pang
- Department of Clinical Research Center, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Fener Chen
- Engineering Center of Catalysis and Synthesis for Chiral Molecules, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jung Joon Lee
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Zhe-Shan Quan
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Hong-Yan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China.
| | - Qing-Kun Shen
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines of the Changbai Mountain, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133002, China.
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48
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Fertan E, Böken D, Murray A, Danial JSH, Lam JYL, Wu Y, Goh PA, Alić I, Cheetham MR, Lobanova E, Zhang YP, Nižetić D, Klenerman D. Cerebral organoids with chromosome 21 trisomy secrete Alzheimer's disease-related soluble aggregates detectable by single-molecule-fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:369-386. [PMID: 38102482 PMCID: PMC11116105 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02333-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of small, soluble aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of great importance for the rational design of preventative therapies. Here we report a set of methods for the detection, quantification, and characterisation of soluble aggregates in conditioned media of cerebral organoids derived from human iPSCs with trisomy 21, thus containing an extra copy of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene. We detected soluble beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau aggregates secreted by cerebral organoids from both control and the isogenic trisomy 21 (T21) genotype. We developed a novel method to normalise measurements to the number of live neurons within organoid-conditioned media based on glucose consumption. Thus normalised, T21 organoids produced 2.5-fold more Aβ aggregates with a higher proportion of larger (300-2000 nm2) and more fibrillary-shaped aggregates than controls, along with 1.3-fold more soluble phosphorylated tau (pTau) aggregates, increased inflammasome ASC-specks, and a higher level of oxidative stress inducing thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). Importantly, all this was detectable prior to the appearance of histological amyloid plaques or intraneuronal tau-pathology in organoid slices, demonstrating the feasibility to model the initial pathogenic mechanisms for AD in-vitro using cells from live genetically pre-disposed donors before the onset of clinical disease. Then, using different iPSC clones generated from the same donor at different times in two independent experiments, we tested the reproducibility of findings in organoids. While there were differences in rates of disease progression between the experiments, the disease mechanisms were conserved. Overall, our results show that it is possible to non-invasively follow the development of pathology in organoid models of AD over time, by monitoring changes in the aggregates and proteins in the conditioned media, and open possibilities to study the time-course of the key pathogenic processes taking place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Aoife Murray
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Yunzhao Wu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Pollyanna A Goh
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ivan Alić
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matthew R Cheetham
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Evgeniia Lobanova
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Yu P Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dean Nižetić
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK.
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49
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Lian Y, Jia YJ, Wong J, Zhou XF, Song W, Guo J, Masters CL, Wang YJ. Clarity on the blazing trail: clearing the way for amyloid-removing therapies for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:297-305. [PMID: 38001337 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02324-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Senile plaques composed of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain are the core hallmarks of AD and a promising target for the development of disease-modifying therapies. However, over the past 20 years, the failures of clinical trials directed at Aβ clearance have fueled a debate as to whether Aβ is the principal pathogenic factor in AD and a valid therapeutic target. The success of the recent phase 3 trials of lecanemab (Clarity AD) and donanemab (Trailblazer Alz2), and lessons from previous Aβ clearance trials provide critical evidence to support the role of Aβ in AD pathogenesis and suggest that targeting Aβ clearance is heading in the right direction for AD treatment. Here, we analyze key questions relating to the efficacy of Aβ targeting therapies, and provide perspectives on early intervention, adequate Aβ removal, sufficient treatment period, and combinatory therapeutics, which may be required to achieve the best cognitive benefits in future trials in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Lian
- Department of Prevention and Health Care, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ageing and Brain Disease, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Juan Jia
- Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Joelyn Wong
- The Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Xin-Fu Zhou
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and Sansom Institute, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Weihong Song
- Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province. Zhejiang Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, School of Mental Health and The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junhong Guo
- Department of Neurology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
| | - Colin L Masters
- The Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Yan-Jiang Wang
- Department of Neurology and Centre for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Ageing and Brain Disease, Chongqing, China.
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50
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Li X, Zhang Y, Yang Z, Zhang S, Zhang L. The Inhibition Effect of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate on the Co-Aggregation of Amyloid-β and Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Revealed by Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1636. [PMID: 38338914 PMCID: PMC10855639 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031636] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes are two epidemiologically linked diseases which are closely associated with the misfolding and aggregation of amyloid proteins amyloid-β (Aβ) and human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), respectively. The co-aggregation of the two amyloid proteins is regarded as the fundamental molecular mechanism underlying their pathological association. The green tea extract epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been extensively demonstrated to inhibit the amyloid aggregation of Aβ and hIAPP proteins. However, its potential role in amyloid co-aggregation has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we employed the enhanced-sampling replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation (REMD) method to investigate the effect of EGCG on the co-aggregation of Aβ and hIAPP. We found that EGCG molecules substantially diminish the β-sheet structures within the amyloid core regions of Aβ and hIAPP in their co-aggregates. Through hydrogen-bond, π-π and cation-π interactions targeting polar and aromatic residues of Aβ and hIAPP, EGCG effectively attenuates both inter-chain and intra-chain interactions within the co-aggregates. All these findings indicated that EGCG can effectively inhibit the co-aggregation of Aβ and hIAPP. Our study expands the potential applications of EGCG as an anti-amyloidosis agent and provides therapeutic options for the pathological association of amyloid misfolding disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China (Z.Y.); (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Department of Physics, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China (Z.Y.); (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Zhiwei Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China (Z.Y.); (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Shengli Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China (Z.Y.); (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Lei Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China (Z.Y.); (S.Z.); (L.Z.)
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