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Ali A, Dou T, Holman AP, Hung A, Osborne L, Pickett D, Rodriguez A, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. The influence of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids on protein aggregation. Biophys Chem 2024; 306:107174. [PMID: 38211368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The progressive aggregation of misfolded proteins is the underlying molecular cause of numerous pathologies including Parkinson's disease and injection and transthyretin amyloidosis. A growing body of evidence indicates that protein deposits detected in organs and tissues of patients diagnosed with such pathologies contain fragments of lipid membranes. In vitro experiments also showed that lipid membranes could strongly change the aggregation rate of amyloidogenic proteins, as well as alter the secondary structure and toxicity of oligomers and fibrils formed in their presence. In this review, the effect of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) composed of zwitterionic and anionic phospholipids on the aggregation rate of insulin, lysozyme, transthyretin (TTR) and α- synuclein (α-syn) will be discussed. The manuscript will also critically review the most recent findings on the lipid-induced changes in the secondary structure of protein oligomers and fibrils, as well as reveal the extent to which lipids could alter the toxicity of protein aggregates formed in their presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Andrew Hung
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Luke Osborne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Davis Pickett
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Axell Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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2
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Miller A, Chia S, Klimont E, Knowles TPJ, Vendruscolo M, Ruggeri FS. Maturation-dependent changes in the size, structure and seeding capacity of Aβ42 amyloid fibrils. Commun Biol 2024; 7:153. [PMID: 38321144 PMCID: PMC10847148 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05858-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Many proteins self-assemble to form amyloid fibrils, which are highly organized structures stabilized by a characteristic cross-β network of hydrogen bonds. This process underlies a variety of human diseases and can be exploited to develop versatile functional biomaterials. Thus, protein self-assembly has been widely studied to shed light on the properties of fibrils and their intermediates. A still open question in the field concerns the microscopic processes that underlie the long-time behaviour and properties of amyloid fibrillar assemblies. Here, we use atomic force microscopy with angstrom-sensitivity to observe that amyloid fibrils undergo a maturation process, associated with an increase in both fibril length and thickness, leading to a decrease of their density, and to a change in their cross-β sheet content. These changes affect the ability of the fibrils to catalyse the formation of new aggregates. The identification of these changes helps us understand the fibril maturation processes, facilitate the targeting of amyloid fibrils in drug discovery, and offer insight into the development of biocompatible and sustainable protein-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Sean Chia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ewa Klimont
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK.
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, the Netherlands.
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, the Netherlands.
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3
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Zhaliazka K, Ali A, Kurouski D. Phospholipids and Cholesterol Determine Molecular Mechanisms of Cytotoxicity of α-Synuclein Oligomers and Fibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:371-381. [PMID: 38166409 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, hypothalamus, and thalamus is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. Neuronal death is linked to the abrupt aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn), a small membrane protein that regulates cell vesicle trafficking. α-Syn aggregation rate, as well as the secondary structure and toxicity of α-Syn fibrils, could be uniquely altered by lipids. However, molecular mechanisms that determine such a remarkable difference in the toxicity of α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of lipids remain unclear. In this study, we used a set of molecular assays to determine the molecular mechanism by which α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of phosphatidylcholine (PC), cardiolipin (CL), and cholesterol (Cho) exert cell toxicity. We found that rat dopaminergic cells exposed to α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of different lipids exert drastically different magnitudes and dynamics of unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria (MT). Specifically, α-Syn:CL were found to cause the strongest, whereas α-Syn fibrils formed in the absence of lipids had the lowest magnitude of the UPR cell response. We also found the opposite dynamics of the ER- and MT-UPR responses in rat dopaminergic cells exposed to protein aggregates. These results could suggest that facing severe ER stress, dopaminergic cells suppress MT-UPR response, enabling the maximal ATP production to restore their normal physiological function. These findings help to better understand complex mechanisms of cell toxicity of amyloid aggregates and ultimately find neuroprotective drug candidates that will be able to suppress the spread of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kumar R, Kurouski D. Secondary structure and toxicity of transthyretin fibrils can be altered by unsaturated fatty acids. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127241. [PMID: 37804888 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin amyloidosis is a severe pathology characterized by the progressive accumulation of transthyretin (TTR) in various organs and tissues. This highly conserved through vertebrate evolution protein transports thyroid hormone thyroxine. In our bodies, TTR can interact with a large number of molecules, including ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are broadly used as food supplies. In this study, we investigated the effect of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs, as well as their fully saturated analog, on TTR aggregation. Our results showed that both ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs strongly decreased the rate of TTR aggregation. We also found that in the presence of PUFAs, TTR formed morphologically different fibrils compared to the lipid-free environment. Nano-Infrared imaging revealed that these fibrils had drastically different secondary structures compared to the secondary structure of TTR aggregates formed in the PUFAs-free environment. Furthermore, TTR fibrils formed in the presence of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared to the fibrils formed in the absence of fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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Rodriguez A, Ali A, Holman AP, Dou T, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Nanoscale structural characterization of transthyretin aggregates formed at different time points of protein aggregation using atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4838. [PMID: 37967043 PMCID: PMC10683371 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is a progressive disease characterized by an abrupt aggregation of misfolded protein in multiple organs and tissues TTR is a tetrameric protein expressed in the liver and choroid plexus. Protein misfolding triggers monomerization of TTR tetramers. Next, monomers assemble forming oligomers and fibrils. Although the secondary structure of TTR fibrils is well understood, there is very little if anything is known about the structural organization of TTR oligomers. To end this, we used nano-infrared spectroscopy, also known as atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy. This emerging technique can be used to determine the secondary structure of individual amyloid oligomers and fibrils. Using AFM-IR, we examined the secondary structure of TTR oligomers formed at the early (3-6 h), middle (9-12 h), and late (28 h) of protein aggregation. We found that aggregating, TTR formed oligomers (Type 1) that were dominated by α-helix (40%) and β-sheet (~30%) together with unordered protein (30%). Our results showed that fibril formation was triggered by another type of TTR oligomers (Type 2) that appeared at 9 h. These new oligomers were primarily composed of parallel β-sheet (55%), with a small amount of antiparallel β-sheet, α-helix, and unordered protein. We also found that Type 1 oligomers were not toxic to cells, whereas TTR fibrils formed at the late stages of protein aggregation were highly cytotoxic. These results show the complexity of protein aggregation and highlight the drastic difference in the protein oligomers that can be formed during such processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axell Rodriguez
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department of EntomologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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6
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Wojcieszak M, Syguda A, Karolak M, Pałkowski Ł, Materna K. Quaternary ammonium salts based on caprylic acid as antimicrobial and surface-active agents. RSC Adv 2023; 13:34782-34797. [PMID: 38035245 PMCID: PMC10685092 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra07127h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, amidequats and esterquats based on caprylic acid were investigated as promising compounds with surface properties and biological activity that are in harmony with the principles of green chemistry. Herein, caprylic acid, which is an essential component of the above compounds, is a noteworthy natural resource. Structural analysis was performed with the amphiphilic cations of the tested amidequats and esterquats, revealing two distinct factors, i.e., the elongation of the alkyl chain and the presence of two different functional groups; these factors undoubtedly affect the desired biological activity. These compounds were synthesized and characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties, among which surface activity is pivotal. In addition, the surfaces of the tested compounds were investigated through a detailed topographical analysis. The obtained results suggested that the esterquats exhibited higher surface activity, wettability and foamability than the amidequats. Antimicrobial studies, on the other hand, are not as conclusive. For shorter chains, esterquats are more active than amidequats, while for longer chains (over C12), the trend was the opposite. The amidequats and esterquats presented in this research may be a potential good replacement for antimicrobial formulations or as alternatives to surface-active agents used in industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Wojcieszak
- Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology Berdychowo 4 60-965 Poznan Poland
| | - Anna Syguda
- Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology Berdychowo 4 60-965 Poznan Poland
| | - Maciej Karolak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nicolaus Copernicus University Jurasza 2 85-089 Bydgoszcz Poland
| | - Łukasz Pałkowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nicolaus Copernicus University Jurasza 2 85-089 Bydgoszcz Poland
| | - Katarzyna Materna
- Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology Berdychowo 4 60-965 Poznan Poland
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Saturation of fatty acids in phosphatidic acid uniquely alters transthyretin stability changing morphology and toxicity of amyloid fibrils. Chem Phys Lipids 2023; 257:105350. [PMID: 37858615 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2023.105350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is a small, β-sheet-rich tetrameric protein that transports thyroid hormone thyroxine and retinol. Phospholipids, including phosphatidic acid (PA), can uniquely alter the stability of amyloidogenic proteins. However, the role of PA in TTR aggregation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of saturation of fatty acids (FAs) in PA on the rate of TTR aggregation. We also reveal the extent to which PAs with different length and saturation of FAs altered the morphology and secondary structure of TTR aggregates. Our results showed that TTR aggregation in the equimolar presence of PAs with different length and saturation of FAs yielded structurally and morphologically different fibrils compared to those formed in the lipid-free environment. We also found that PAs drastically lowered the toxicity of TTR aggregates formed in the presence of this phospholipid. These results shed light on the role of PA in the stability of TTR and transthyretin amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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8
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Joshi R, Zhaliazka K, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Elucidation of the Role of Lipids in Late Endosomes on the Aggregation of Insulin. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3551-3559. [PMID: 37682720 PMCID: PMC10862470 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is the underlying molecular cause of numerous pathologies including diabetes type 2 and injection amyloidosis. Although the exact cause of this process is unclear, a growing body of evidence suggests that protein aggregation is linked to a high protein concentration and the presence of lipid membranes. Endosomes are cell organelles that often possess high concentrations of proteins due to their uptake from the extracellular space. However, the role of endosomes in amyloid pathologies remains unclear. In this study, we used a set of biophysical methods to determine the role of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP), the major lipid constituent of late endosomes on the aggregation properties of insulin. We found that both saturated and unsaturated BMP accelerated protein aggregation. However, very little if any changes in the secondary structure of insulin fibrils grown in the presence of BMP were observed. Therefore, no changes in the toxicity of these aggregates compared to the fibrils formed in the lipid-free environment were observed. We also found that the toxicity of insulin oligomers formed in the presence of a 77:23 mol/mol ratio of BMP/PC, which represents the lipid composition of late endosomes, was slightly higher than the toxicity of insulin oligomers formed in the lipid-free environment. However, the toxicity of mature insulin fibrils formed in the presence of BMP/PC mixture was found to be lower or similar to the toxicity of insulin fibrils formed in the lipid-free environment. These results suggest that late endosomes are unlikely to be the source of highly toxic protein aggregates if amyloid proteins aggregate in them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Joshi
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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9
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Ali A, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Holman AP, Kurouski D. Role of Saturation and Length of Fatty Acids of Phosphatidylserine in the Aggregation of Transthyretin. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3499-3506. [PMID: 37676231 PMCID: PMC10862486 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The progressive accumulation of transthyretin (TTR), a small protein that transports thyroxine, in various organs and tissues is observed upon transthyretin amyloidosis, a severe pathology that affects the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. Once expressed in the liver and choroid plexus, TTR is secreted into the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid. In addition to thyroxine, TTR interacts with a large number of molecules, including retinol-binding protein and lipids. In this study, we examined the extent to which phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid that is responsible for the recognition of apoptotic cells by macrophages, could alter the stability of TTR. Using thioflavin T assay, we investigated the rates of TTR aggregation in the presence of PS with different lengths and saturation of fatty acids (FAs). We found that all analyzed lipids decelerated the rate of TTR aggregation. We also used a set of biophysical methods to investigate the extent to which the presence of PS altered the morphology and secondary structure of TTR aggregates. Our results showed that the length and saturation of fatty acids in PS uniquely altered the morphology and secondary structure of TTR fibrils. As a result, TTR fibrils that were formed in the presence of PS with different lengths and saturation of FAs exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared with the TTR aggregates grown in the lipid-free environment. These findings help to reveal the role of PS in transthyretin amyloidosis and determine the role of the length and saturation of FAs in PS on the morphology and secondary structure of TTR fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Aidan P. Holman
- Department
of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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10
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Matveyenka M, Zhaliazka K, Kurouski D. Unsaturated fatty acids uniquely alter aggregation rate of α-synuclein and insulin and change the secondary structure and toxicity of amyloid aggregates formed in their presence. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22972. [PMID: 37302013 PMCID: PMC10405295 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300003r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (ARA) are omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs). These molecules constitute a substantial portion of phospholipids in plasma membranes. Therefore, both DHA and ARA are essential diet components. Once consumed, DHA and ARA can interact with a large variety of biomolecules, including proteins such as insulin and α-synuclein (α-Syn). Under pathological conditions known as injection amyloidosis and Parkinson's disease, these proteins aggregate forming amyloid oligomers and fibrils, toxic species that exert high cell toxicity. In this study, we investigate the role of DHA and ARA in the aggregation properties of α-Syn and insulin. We found that the presence of both DHA and ARA at the equimolar concentrations strongly accelerated aggregation rates of α-Syn and insulin. Furthermore, LCPUFAs substantially altered the secondary structure of protein aggregates, whereas no noticeable changes in the fibril morphology were observed. Nanoscale Infrared analysis of α-Syn and insulin fibrils grown in the presence of both DHA and ARA revealed the presence of LCPUFAs in these aggregates. We also found that such LCPUFAs-rich α-Syn and insulin fibrils exerted significantly greater toxicities compared to the aggregates grown in the LCPUFAs-free environment. These findings show that interactions between amyloid-associated proteins and LCPUFAs can be the underlying molecular cause of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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11
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Elucidation of the Effect of Phospholipid Charge on the Rate of Insulin Aggregation and Structure and Toxicity of Amyloid Fibrils. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:12379-12386. [PMID: 37033844 PMCID: PMC10077570 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The plasma membrane is a dynamic structure that separates the cell interior from the extracellular space. The fluidity and plasticity of the membrane determines a large number of physiologically important processes ranging from cell division to signal transduction. In turn, membrane fluidity is determined by phospholipids that possess different charges, lengths, and saturation states of fatty acids. A growing body of evidence suggests that phospholipids may play an important role in the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which causes pathological conditions that lead to severe neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigate the role of the charge of the most abundant phospholipids in the plasma membrane: phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, zwitterions: phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylglycerol, lipids that possess a negative charge, and cardiolipin that has double negative charge on its polar head. Our results show that both zwitterions strongly inhibit insulin aggregation, whereas negatively charged lipids accelerate fibril formation. We also found that in the equimolar presence of zwitterions insulin yields oligomers that exert significantly lower cell toxicity compared to fibrils that were grown in the lipid-free environment. Such aggregates were not formed in the presence of negatively charged lipids. Instead, long insulin fibrils that had strong cell toxicity were grown in the presence of such negatively charged lipids. However, our results showed no correlation between the charge of the lipid and secondary structure and toxicity of the aggregates formed in its presence. These findings show that the secondary structure and toxicity are determined by the chemical structure of the lipid rather than by the charge of the phospholipid polar head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
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12
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Housmans JAJ, Wu G, Schymkowitz J, Rousseau F. A guide to studying protein aggregation. FEBS J 2023; 290:554-583. [PMID: 34862849 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Disrupted protein folding or decreased protein stability can lead to the accumulation of (partially) un- or misfolded proteins, which ultimately cause the formation of protein aggregates. Much of the interest in protein aggregation is associated with its involvement in a wide range of human diseases and the challenges it poses for large-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing and formulation of therapeutic proteins and peptides. On the other hand, protein aggregates can also be functional, as observed in nature, which triggered its use in the development of biomaterials or therapeutics as well as for the improvement of food characteristics. Thus, unmasking the various steps involved in protein aggregation is critical to obtain a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of amyloid formation. This knowledge will allow a more tailored development of diagnostic methods and treatments for amyloid-associated diseases, as well as applications in the fields of new (bio)materials, food technology and therapeutics. However, the complex and dynamic nature of the aggregation process makes the study of protein aggregation challenging. To provide guidance on how to analyse protein aggregation, in this review we summarize the most commonly investigated aspects of protein aggregation with some popular corresponding methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle A J Housmans
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guiqin Wu
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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13
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Miller A, Chia S, Toprakcioglu Z, Hakala T, Schmid R, Feng Y, Kartanas T, Kamada A, Vendruscolo M, Ruggeri FS, Knowles TP. Enhanced surface nanoanalytics of transient biomolecular processes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq3151. [PMID: 36638180 PMCID: PMC9839325 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq3151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fundamental knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of biomolecules is key to understanding molecular processes in health and disease. Bulk and single-molecule analytical methods provide rich information about biomolecules but often require high concentrations and sample preparation away from physiologically relevant conditions. Here, we present the development and application of a lab-on-a-chip spray approach that combines rapid sample preparation, mixing, and deposition to integrate with a range of nanoanalytical methods in chemistry and biology, providing enhanced spectroscopic sensitivity and single-molecule spatial resolution. We demonstrate that this method enables multidimensional study of heterogeneous biomolecular systems over multiple length scales by nanoscopy and vibrational spectroscopy. We then illustrate the capabilities of this platform by capturing and analyzing the structural conformations of transient oligomeric species formed at the early stages of the self-assembly of α-synuclein, which are associated with the onset of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Miller
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Sean Chia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tuuli Hakala
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Roman Schmid
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Yaduo Feng
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Tadas Kartanas
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ayaka Kamada
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, Netherlands
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, 6703 WE, Netherlands
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
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14
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Pellois JP, Kurouski D. Lipids uniquely alter rates of insulin aggregation and lower toxicity of amyloid aggregates. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2023; 1868:159247. [PMID: 36272517 PMCID: PMC10401553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2022.159247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid formation is a hallmark of many medical diseases including diabetes type 2, Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. Under these pathological conditions, misfolded proteins self-assemble forming oligomers and fibrils, structurally heterogeneous aggregates that exhibit a large variety of shapes and forms. A growing body of evidence points to drastic changes in the lipid profile in organs affected by amyloidogenic diseases. In this study, we investigated the extent to which individual phospho- and sphingolipids, as well as their mixtures can impact insulin aggregation. Our results show that lipids and their mixtures uniquely alter rates of insulin aggregation simultaneously changing the secondary structure of protein aggregates that are grown in their presence. These structurally different protein-lipid aggregates impact cell viability to different extent while using distinct mechanisms of toxicity. These findings suggest that irreversible changes in lipid profiles of organs may trigger formation of toxic protein species that in turn are responsible for the onset and progression of amyloidogenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Viet Nam
| | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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Applications of Single-Molecule Vibrational Spectroscopic Techniques for the Structural Investigation of Amyloid Oligomers. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27196448. [PMID: 36234985 PMCID: PMC9573641 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid oligomeric species, formed during misfolding processes, are believed to play a major role in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. Deepening the knowledge about the structure of amyloid intermediates and their aggregation pathways is essential in understanding the underlying mechanisms of misfolding and cytotoxicity. However, structural investigations are challenging due to the low abundance and heterogeneity of those metastable intermediate species. Single-molecule techniques have the potential to overcome these difficulties. This review aims to report some of the recent advances and applications of vibrational spectroscopic techniques for the structural analysis of amyloid oligomers, with special focus on single-molecule studies.
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16
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Length and Unsaturation of Fatty Acids of Phosphatidic Acid Determines the Aggregation Rate of Insulin and Modifies the Structure and Toxicity of Insulin Aggregates. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2483-2489. [PMID: 35930674 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a unique plasma membrane lipid that contains fatty acids (FAs) with different lengths and degrees of unsaturation. Under physiological conditions, PA acts as a second messenger regulating a wide variety of cellular processes. At the same time, the role of PA under pathological conditions, which are caused by an abrupt aggregation of amyloid proteins, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PA with different lengths and unsaturation of FAs on insulin aggregation. We found that PA with C16:0 FAs strongly inhibited insulin aggregation, whereas PA with C18:0 FAs accelerated it. Furthermore, PA with unsaturated (C18:1) FAs made the insulin form extremely long and thick fibrils that were not observed for PAs with saturated FAs. We also found that the presence of PA with C16:0 FAs resulted in the formation of aggregates that exerted significantly lower cell toxicity compared to the aggregates formed in the presence of PAs with C18:0 and C18:1 FAs. These results suggest that PA may play a key role in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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17
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. Unsaturation in the Fatty Acids of Phospholipids Drastically Alters the Structure and Toxicity of Insulin Aggregates Grown in Their Presence. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4563-4569. [PMID: 35580189 PMCID: PMC9170185 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Lipid bilayers play an important role in the pathological assembly of amyloidogenic proteins and peptides. This assembly yields oligomers and fibrils, which are highly toxic protein aggregates. In this study, we investigated the role of saturation in fatty acids of two phospholipids that are present in cell membranes. We found that unsaturated cardiolipin (CL) drastically shortened the lag phase of insulin aggregation. Furthermore, structurally and morphologically different aggregates were formed in the presence of unsaturated CL vs saturated CL. These aggregates exerted drastically different cell toxicity. Both saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) were able to inhibit insulin aggregation equally efficiently. Similar to CL, structurally different aggregates were formed in the presence of saturated and unsaturated PC. These aggregates exerted different cell toxicities. These results show that unsaturated phospholipids catalyze the formation of more toxic amyloid aggregates comparing to those formed in the presence of saturated lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
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18
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Matveyenka M, Rizevsky S, Kurouski D. The Degree of Unsaturation of Fatty Acids in Phosphatidylserine Alters the Rate of Insulin Aggregation and the Structure and Toxicity of Amyloid Aggregates. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1424-1433. [PMID: 35510803 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylserine (PS) in the plasma membrane plays an important role in cell signaling and apoptosis. Cell degeneration is also linked to numerous amyloid diseases, pathologies that are associated with aggregation of misfolded proteins. In this work, we examine the effect of both saturated PS (DMPS) and unsaturated PS (DOPS and POPS) on the aggregation properties of insulin, as well as the structure and toxicity of insulin aggregates formed in the presence of these phospholipids. We found that the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids in PS alters the rate of insulin aggregation. We also found that toxicity of insulin-DMPS aggregates is significantly lower than the toxicity of DOPS- and POPS-insulin fibrils, whereas all these lipid-containing aggregates exert lower cell toxicity than insulin fibrils grown in a lipid-free environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States
| | - Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States.,Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot, 820000, Vietnam
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States
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19
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Rizevsky S, Matveyenka M, Kurouski D. Nanoscale Structural Analysis of a Lipid-Driven Aggregation of Insulin. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:2467-2473. [PMID: 35266717 PMCID: PMC9169669 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c04012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Abrupt aggregation of misfolded proteins is a hallmark of a large number of severe pathologies, including diabetes types 1 and 2, Alzheimer, and Parkinson diseases. A growing body of evidence suggests that lipids can uniquely change rates of amyloid-associated proteins as well as modify the structure of formed oligomers and fibrils. In this study, we utilize atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy, also known as nano-IR spectroscopy, to examine the structure of individual insulin oligomers, protofilaments, and fibrils grown in the presence of phospholipids. Our findings show that AFM-IR spectra of insulin oligomers have strong signals of C-H and PO2- vibrations, which points on the presence of lipids in the oligomer structure. Furthermore, substantial shifts in lipid vibrations in AFM-IR spectra of the oligomers relative to the corresponding bands of pure lipids have been observed. This points on strong interactions between a lipid and a protein that are developed at the stage of the oligomer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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20
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Rizevsky S, Zhaliazka K, Dou T, Matveyenka M, Kurouski D. Characterization of Substrates and Surface-Enhancement in Atomic Force Microscopy Infrared Analysis of Amyloid Aggregates. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2022; 126:4157-4162. [PMID: 35719853 PMCID: PMC9205157 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c09643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy is an emerging analytical technique that can be used to probe the structural organization of specimens with nanometer spatial resolution. A growing body of evidence suggests that nanoscale structural analysis of very small (<10 nm) biological objects, such as viruses and amyloid aggregates, requires substrates that must fit strict criteria of low surface roughness and low IR background, simultaneously. In this study, we examine the suitability of a broad range of substrates commonly used in AFM and IR fields, and we determined that silicon, zinc sulfide, and calcium fluoride are the most ideal substrates for nanoscale imaging of amyloid oligomers, protein aggregates that are directly linked to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Our data show that these substrates provide the lowest roughness and the lowest background in the 800-1800 cm-1 spectral window from all examined AFM and IR substrates. We also investigate a contribution of surface enhancement in AFM-IR by the direct comparison of signal intensities from oligomers located on silicon and gold-coated silicon surfaces. We found that metallization of such substrates provides a factor of ~7 enhancements to the IR signal and induces an equivalent enhancement of the sample background in the 950-1250 cm-1 spectral region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Rizevsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States; Department of Biotechnology, Binh Duong University, Thu Dau Mot 820000, Vietnam
| | - Kiryl Zhaliazka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Mikhail Matveyenka
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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21
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Limbocker R, Staats R, Chia S, Ruggeri FS, Mannini B, Xu CK, Perni M, Cascella R, Bigi A, Sasser LR, Block NR, Wright AK, Kreiser RP, Custy ET, Meisl G, Errico S, Habchi J, Flagmeier P, Kartanas T, Hollows JE, Nguyen LT, LeForte K, Barbut D, Kumita JR, Cecchi C, Zasloff M, Knowles TPJ, Dobson CM, Chiti F, Vendruscolo M. Squalamine and Its Derivatives Modulate the Aggregation of Amyloid-β and α-Synuclein and Suppress the Toxicity of Their Oligomers. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:680026. [PMID: 34220435 PMCID: PMC8249941 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.680026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aberrant aggregation of proteins is a key molecular event in the development and progression of a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders. We have shown previously that squalamine and trodusquemine, two natural products in the aminosterol class, can modulate the aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and of α-synuclein (αS), which are associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In this work, we expand our previous analyses to two squalamine derivatives, des-squalamine and α-squalamine, obtaining further insights into the mechanism by which aminosterols modulate Aβ and αS aggregation. We then characterize the ability of these small molecules to alter the physicochemical properties of stabilized oligomeric species in vitro and to suppress the toxicity of these aggregates to varying degrees toward human neuroblastoma cells. We found that, despite the fact that these aminosterols exert opposing effects on Aβ and αS aggregation under the conditions that we tested, the modifications that they induced to the toxicity of oligomers were similar. Our results indicate that the suppression of toxicity is mediated by the displacement of toxic oligomeric species from cellular membranes by the aminosterols. This study, thus, provides evidence that aminosterols could be rationally optimized in drug discovery programs to target oligomer toxicity in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Limbocker
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Roxine Staats
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sean Chia
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco S. Ruggeri
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Benedetta Mannini
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine K. Xu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Perni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Roberta Cascella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bigi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Liam R. Sasser
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Natalie R. Block
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Aidan K. Wright
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Ryan P. Kreiser
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Edward T. Custy
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Georg Meisl
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Errico
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Johnny Habchi
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Flagmeier
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tadas Kartanas
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jared E. Hollows
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Lam T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Kathleen LeForte
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States
| | | | - Janet R. Kumita
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Michael Zasloff
- Enterin Inc., Philadelphia, PA, United States
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Gomes GN, Levine ZA. Defining the Neuropathological Aggresome across in Silico, in Vitro, and ex Vivo Experiments. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:1974-1996. [PMID: 33464098 PMCID: PMC8362740 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The loss of proteostasis over the life course is associated with a wide range of debilitating degenerative diseases and is a central hallmark of human aging. When left unchecked, proteins that are intrinsically disordered can pathologically aggregate into highly ordered fibrils, plaques, and tangles (termed amyloids), which are associated with countless disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type II diabetes, cancer, and even certain viral infections. However, despite significant advances in protein folding and solution biophysics techniques, determining the molecular cause of these conditions in humans has remained elusive. This has been due, in part, to recent discoveries showing that soluble protein oligomers, not insoluble fibrils or plaques, drive the majority of pathological processes. This has subsequently led researchers to focus instead on heterogeneous and often promiscuous protein oligomers. Unfortunately, significant gaps remain in how to prepare, model, experimentally corroborate, and extract amyloid oligomers relevant to human disease in a systematic manner. This Review will report on each of these techniques and their successes and shortcomings in an attempt to standardize comparisons between protein oligomers across disciplines, especially in the context of neurodegeneration. By standardizing multiple techniques and identifying their common overlap, a clearer picture of the soluble neuropathological aggresome can be constructed and used as a baseline for studying human disease and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory-Neal Gomes
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Zachary A. Levine
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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23
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Kulenkampff K, Wolf Perez AM, Sormanni P, Habchi J, Vendruscolo M. Quantifying misfolded protein oligomers as drug targets and biomarkers in Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Nat Rev Chem 2021; 5:277-294. [PMID: 37117282 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-021-00254-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation are characteristic of a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. A hallmark of these diseases is the aggregation of otherwise soluble and functional proteins into amyloid aggregates. Although for many decades such amyloid deposits have been thought to be responsible for disease progression, it is now increasingly recognized that the misfolded protein oligomers formed during aggregation are, instead, the main agents causing pathological processes. These oligomers are transient and heterogeneous, which makes it difficult to detect and quantify them, generating confusion about their exact role in disease. The lack of suitable methods to address these challenges has hampered efforts to investigate the molecular mechanisms of oligomer toxicity and to develop oligomer-based diagnostic and therapeutic tools to combat protein misfolding diseases. In this Review, we describe methods to quantify misfolded protein oligomers, with particular emphasis on diagnostic applications as disease biomarkers and on therapeutic applications as target biomarkers. The development of these methods is ongoing, and we discuss the challenges that remain to be addressed to establish measurement tools capable of overcoming existing limitations and to meet present needs.
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25
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De Luca G, Fennema Galparsoro D, Sancataldo G, Leone M, Foderà V, Vetri V. Probing ensemble polymorphism and single aggregate structural heterogeneity in insulin amyloid self-assembly. J Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 574:229-240. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Limbocker R, Mannini B, Cataldi R, Chhangur S, Wright AK, Kreiser RP, Albright JA, Chia S, Habchi J, Sormanni P, Kumita JR, Ruggeri FS, Dobson CM, Chiti F, Aprile FA, Vendruscolo M. Rationally Designed Antibodies as Research Tools to Study the Structure-Toxicity Relationship of Amyloid-β Oligomers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4542. [PMID: 32630615 PMCID: PMC7352524 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is associated with the aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), resulting in the deposition of amyloid plaques in brain tissue. Recent scrutiny of the mechanisms by which Aβ aggregates induce neuronal dysfunction has highlighted the importance of the Aβ oligomers of this protein fragment. Because of the transient and heterogeneous nature of these oligomers, however, it has been challenging to investigate the detailed mechanisms by which these species exert cytotoxicity. To address this problem, we demonstrate here the use of rationally designed single-domain antibodies (DesAbs) to characterize the structure-toxicity relationship of Aβ oligomers. For this purpose, we use Zn2+-stabilized oligomers of the 40-residue form of Aβ (Aβ40) as models of brain Aβ oligomers and two single-domain antibodies (DesAb18-24 and DesAb34-40), designed to bind to epitopes at residues 18-24 and 34-40 of Aβ40, respectively. We found that the DesAbs induce a change in structure of the Zn2+-stabilized Aβ40 oligomers, generating a simultaneous increase in their size and solvent-exposed hydrophobicity. We then observed that these increments in both the size and hydrophobicity of the oligomers neutralize each other in terms of their effects on cytotoxicity, as predicted by a recently proposed general structure-toxicity relationship, and observed experimentally. These results illustrate the use of the DesAbs as research tools to investigate the biophysical and cytotoxicity properties of Aβ oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Limbocker
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (A.K.W.); (R.P.K.); (J.A.A.)
| | - Benedetta Mannini
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Rodrigo Cataldi
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Shianne Chhangur
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Aidan K. Wright
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (A.K.W.); (R.P.K.); (J.A.A.)
| | - Ryan P. Kreiser
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (A.K.W.); (R.P.K.); (J.A.A.)
| | - J. Alex Albright
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA; (A.K.W.); (R.P.K.); (J.A.A.)
| | - Sean Chia
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Johnny Habchi
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Janet R. Kumita
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Francesco S. Ruggeri
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Science, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Francesco A. Aprile
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (B.M.); (R.C.); (S.C.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (P.S.); (J.R.K.); (F.S.R.); (C.M.D.)
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Waeytens J, Van Hemelryck V, Deniset-Besseau A, Ruysschaert JM, Dazzi A, Raussens V. Characterization by Nano-Infrared Spectroscopy of Individual Aggregated Species of Amyloid Proteins. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122899. [PMID: 32599698 PMCID: PMC7356528 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are composed of aggregated peptides or proteins in a fibrillar structure with a higher β-sheet content than in their native structure. To characterize them, we used an innovative tool that coupled infrared spectroscopy with atomic force microscopy (AFM-IR). With this method, we show that we can detect different individual aggregated species from oligomers to fibrils and study their morphologies by AFM and their secondary structures based on their IR spectra. AFM-IR overcomes the weak spatial resolution of usual infrared spectroscopy and achieves a resolution of ten nanometers, the size of isolated fibrils. We characterized oligomers, amyloid fibrils of Aβ42 and fibrils of α-synuclein. To our surprise, we figured out that the nature of some surfaces (ZnSe) used to study the samples induces destructuring of amyloid samples, leading to amorphous aggregates. We strongly suggest taking this into consideration in future experiments with amyloid fibrils. More importantly, we demonstrate the advantages of AFM-IR, with a high spatial resolution (≤ 10 nm) allowing spectrum recording on individual aggregated supramolecular entities selected thanks to the AFM images or on thin layers of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehan Waeytens
- Structure et Fonction des Membranes Biologiques, Université libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgique; (J.W.); (J.-M.R.)
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique d’Orsay, CNRS UMR8000, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Orsay, France; (A.D.-B.); (A.D.)
| | | | - Ariane Deniset-Besseau
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique d’Orsay, CNRS UMR8000, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Orsay, France; (A.D.-B.); (A.D.)
| | - Jean-Marie Ruysschaert
- Structure et Fonction des Membranes Biologiques, Université libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgique; (J.W.); (J.-M.R.)
| | - Alexandre Dazzi
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique d’Orsay, CNRS UMR8000, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Orsay, France; (A.D.-B.); (A.D.)
| | - Vincent Raussens
- Structure et Fonction des Membranes Biologiques, Université libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgique; (J.W.); (J.-M.R.)
- Correspondence:
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28
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Watanabe-Nakayama T, Sahoo BR, Ramamoorthy A, Ono K. High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals the Structural Dynamics of the Amyloid-β and Amylin Aggregation Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4287. [PMID: 32560229 PMCID: PMC7352471 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been shown to have structurally distinct amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates, including fibrils, in their brain. These findings suggest the possibility of a relationship between AD progression and Aβ fibril structures. Thus, the characterization of the structural dynamics of Aβ could aid the development of novel therapeutic strategies and diagnosis. Protein structure and dynamics have typically been studied separately. Most of the commonly used biophysical approaches are limited in providing substantial details regarding the combination of both structure and dynamics. On the other hand, high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), which simultaneously visualizes an individual protein structure and its dynamics in liquid in real time, can uniquely link the structure and the kinetic details, and it can also unveil novel insights. Although amyloidogenic proteins generate heterogeneously aggregated species, including transient unstable states during the aggregation process, HS-AFM elucidated the structural dynamics of individual aggregates in real time in liquid without purification and isolation. Here, we review and discuss the HS-AFM imaging of amyloid aggregation and strategies to optimize the experiments showing findings from Aβ and amylin, which is associated with type II diabetes, shares some common biological features with Aβ, and is reported to be involved in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bikash R. Sahoo
- Biophysics Program, Department of Chemistry, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA;
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA;
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University, Hatanodai, Shinagawa district, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan;
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29
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Ruggeri FS, Flagmeier P, Kumita JR, Meisl G, Chirgadze DY, Bongiovanni MN, Knowles TPJ, Dobson CM. The Influence of Pathogenic Mutations in α-Synuclein on Biophysical and Structural Characteristics of Amyloid Fibrils. ACS NANO 2020; 14:5213-5222. [PMID: 32159944 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Proteinaceous deposits of α-synuclein amyloid fibrils are a hallmark of human disorders including Parkinson's disease. The onset of this disease is also associated with five familial mutations of the gene encoding the protein. However, the mechanistic link between single point mutations and the kinetics of aggregation, biophysical properties of the resulting amyloid fibrils, and an increased risk of disease is still elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the disease-associated mutations of α-synuclein generate different amyloid fibril polymorphs compared to the wild type protein. Remarkably, the α-synuclein variants forming amyloid fibrils of a comparable structure, morphology, and heterogeneity show similar microscopic steps defining the aggregation kinetics. These results demonstrate that a single point mutation can significantly alter the distribution of fibrillar polymorphs in α-synuclein, suggesting that differences in the clinical phenotypes of familial Parkinson's disease could be associated with differences in the mechanism of formation and the structural characteristics of the aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Flagmeier
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Janet R Kumita
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Georg Meisl
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitri Y Chirgadze
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Old Addenbrooke's Site, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Marie N Bongiovanni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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30
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Strazdaite S, Navakauskas E, Kirschner J, Sneideris T, Niaura G. Structure Determination of Hen Egg-White Lysozyme Aggregates Adsorbed to Lipid/Water and Air/Water Interfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:4766-4775. [PMID: 32251594 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We use vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy to study the structure of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) aggregates adsorbed to DOPG/D2O and air/D2O interfaces. We find that aggregates with a parallel and antiparallel β-sheet structure together with smaller unordered aggregates and a denaturated protein are adsorbed to both interfaces. We demonstrate that to retrieve this information, fitting of the VSFG spectra is essential. The number of bands contributing to the VSFG spectrum might be misinterpreted, due to interference between peaks with opposite orientation and a nonresonant background. Our study identified hydrophobicity as the main driving force for adsorption to the air/D2O interface. Adsorption to the DOPG/D2O interface is also influenced by hydrophobic interaction; however, electrostatic interaction between the charged protein's groups and the lipid's headgroups has the most significant effect on the adsorption. We find that the intensity of the VSFG spectrum at the DOPG/D2O interface is strongly enhanced by varying the pH of the solution. We show that this change is not due to a change of lysozyme's and its aggregates' charge but due to dipole reorientation at the DOPG/D2O interface. This finding suggests that extra care must be taken when interpreting the VSFG spectrum of proteins adsorbed at the lipid/water interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Strazdaite
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - E Navakauskas
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - J Kirschner
- Institute of Solid State Physics, Vienna Technical University, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - T Sneideris
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - G Niaura
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Ave. 3, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
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The Clustering of mApoE Anti-Amyloidogenic Peptide on Nanoparticle Surface Does Not Alter Its Performance in Controlling Beta-Amyloid Aggregation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21031066. [PMID: 32033502 PMCID: PMC7036774 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain is a significant pathological signature of Alzheimer’s disease, correlating with synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Several compounds, peptides, or drugs have been designed to redirect or stop Aβ aggregation. Among them, the trideca-peptide CWG-LRKLRKRLLR (mApoE), which is derived from the receptor binding sequence of apolipoprotein E, is effectively able to inhibit Aβ aggregation and to promote fibril disaggregation. Taking advantage of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging and fluorescence techniques, we investigate if the clustering of mApoE on gold nanoparticles (AuNP) surface may affect its performance in controlling Aβ aggregation/disaggregation processes. The results showed that the ability of free mApoE to destroy preformed Aβ fibrils or to hinder the Aβ aggregation process is preserved after its clustering on AuNP. This allows the possibility to design multifunctional drug delivery systems with clustering of anti-amyloidogenic molecules on any NP surface without affecting their performance in controlling Aβ aggregation processes.
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32
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Charmet J, Rodrigues R, Yildirim E, Challa PK, Roberts B, Dallmann R, Whulanza Y. Low-Cost Microfabrication Tool Box. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11020135. [PMID: 31991826 PMCID: PMC7074766 DOI: 10.3390/mi11020135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Microsystems are key enabling technologies, with applications found in almost every industrial field, including in vitro diagnostic, energy harvesting, automotive, telecommunication, drug screening, etc. Microsystems, such as microsensors and actuators, are typically made up of components below 1000 microns in size that can be manufactured at low unit cost through mass-production. Yet, their development for commercial or educational purposes has typically been limited to specialized laboratories in upper-income countries due to the initial investment costs associated with the microfabrication equipment and processes. However, recent technological advances have enabled the development of low-cost microfabrication tools. In this paper, we describe a range of low-cost approaches and equipment (below £1000), developed or adapted and implemented in our laboratories. We describe processes including photolithography, micromilling, 3D printing, xurography and screen-printing used for the microfabrication of structural and functional materials. The processes that can be used to shape a range of materials with sub-millimetre feature sizes are demonstrated here in the context of lab-on-chips, but they can be adapted for other applications. We anticipate that this paper, which will enable researchers to build a low-cost microfabrication toolbox in a wide range of settings, will spark a new interest in microsystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Charmet
- Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK;
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (Y.W.); Tel.: +44-24-765-73566 (J.C.); +62-21-7270032 (Y.W.)
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK;
| | - Ender Yildirim
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey;
| | - Pavan Kumar Challa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK;
| | - Benjamin Roberts
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; (B.R.); (R.D.)
- MRC Doctoral Training Programme in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Robert Dallmann
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK; (B.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Yudan Whulanza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (Y.W.); Tel.: +44-24-765-73566 (J.C.); +62-21-7270032 (Y.W.)
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33
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Ruggeri FS, Šneideris T, Vendruscolo M, Knowles TPJ. Atomic force microscopy for single molecule characterisation of protein aggregation. Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 664:134-148. [PMID: 30742801 PMCID: PMC6420408 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The development of atomic force microscopy (AFM) has opened up a wide range of novel opportunities in nanoscience and new modalities of observation in complex biological systems. AFM imaging has been widely employed to resolve the complex and heterogeneous conformational states involved in protein aggregation at the single molecule scale and shed light onto the molecular basis of a variety of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders. The study of individual macromolecules at nanoscale, however, remains challenging, especially when fully quantitative information is required. In this review, we first discuss the principles of AFM with a special emphasis on the fundamental factors defining its sensitivity and accuracy. We then review the fundamental parameters and approaches to work at the limit of AFM resolution in order to perform single molecule statistical analysis of biomolecules and nanoscale protein aggregates. This single molecule statistical approach has proved to be powerful to unravel the molecular and hierarchical assembly of the misfolded species present transiently during protein aggregation, to visualise their dynamics at the nanoscale, as well to study the structural properties of amyloid-inspired functional nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Simone Ruggeri
- Centre for Misfolding Disease, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.
| | - Tomas Šneideris
- Centre for Misfolding Disease, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom; Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Disease, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Disease, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom; Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
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