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Reis PM, Holec SAM, Ezeiruaku C, Frost MP, Brown CK, Liu SL, Olson SH, Woerman AL. Structurally targeted mutagenesis identifies key residues supporting α-synuclein misfolding in multiple system atrophy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.04.602104. [PMID: 39026799 PMCID: PMC11257492 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.04.602104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are caused by misfolded α-synuclein spreading throughout the central nervous system. While familial PD is linked to several point mutations in α-synuclein, there are no known mutations associated with MSA. Our previous work investigating differences in α-synuclein misfolding between the two disorders showed that the familial PD mutation E46K inhibits replication of MSA prions both in vitro and in vivo , providing key evidence to support the hypothesis that α-synuclein adopts unique strains in patients. Here, to further interrogate α-synuclein misfolding, we engineered a panel of cell lines harboring both PD-linked and novel mutations designed to identify key residues that facilitate α-synuclein misfolding in MSA. These data were paired with in silico analyses using Maestro software to predict the effect of each mutation on the ability of α-synuclein to misfold into one of the reported MSA cryo-electron microscopy conformations. In many cases, our modeling accurately identified mutations that facilitated or inhibited MSA replication. However, Maestro was occasionally unable to predict the effect of a mutation on MSA propagation in vitro , demonstrating the challenge of using computational tools to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins. Finally, we used our cellular models to determine the mechanism underlying the E46K-driven inhibition of MSA replication, finding that the E46/K80 salt bridge is necessary to support α-synuclein misfolding. Overall, our studies use a structure-based approach to investigate α-synuclein misfolding, resulting in the creation of a powerful panel of cell lines that can be used to interrogate MSA strain biology.
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Ahlawat S, Mehra S, Gowda CM, Maji SK, Agarwal V. Solid-state NMR assignment of α-synuclein polymorph prepared from helical intermediate. BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2024:10.1007/s12104-024-10188-0. [PMID: 38963588 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-024-10188-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein protein aggregates in the neurons and glial cells. Both ex vivo and in vitro α-synuclein fibrils tend to show polymorphism. Polymorphism results in structure variations among fibrils originating from a single polypeptide/protein. The polymorphs usually have different biophysical, biochemical and pathogenic properties. The various pathologies of a single disease might be associated with distinct polymorphs. Similarly, in the case of different synucleinopathies, each condition might be associated with a different polymorph. Fibril formation is a nucleation-dependent process involving the formation of transient and heterogeneous intermediates from monomers. Polymorphs are believed to arise from heterogeneous oligomer populations because of distinct selection mechanisms in different conditions. To test this hypothesis, we isolated and incubated different intermediates during in vitro fibrillization of α-synuclein to form different polymorphs. Here, we report 13C and 15N chemical shifts and the secondary structure of fibrils prepared from the helical intermediate using solid-state nuclear magnetic spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Ahlawat
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Sy. No. 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, 500 046, India.
| | - Surabhi Mehra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400 076, India
| | - Chandrakala M Gowda
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Sy. No. 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, 500 046, India
| | - Samir K Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400 076, India
| | - Vipin Agarwal
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Sy. No. 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, 500 046, India.
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3
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Ramos S, Lee JC. Raman spectroscopy in the study of amyloid formation and phase separation. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1121-1130. [PMID: 38666616 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230599] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, share a common pathological feature of amyloid structure accumulation. However, the structure-function relationship between these well-ordered, β-sheet-rich, filamentous protein deposits and disease etiology remains to be defined. Recently, an emerging hypothesis has linked phase separation, a process involved in the formation of protein condensates, to amyloid formation, suggesting that liquid protein droplets serve as loci for amyloid initiation. To elucidate how these processes contribute to disease progression, tools that can directly report on protein secondary structural changes are needed. Here, we review recent studies that have demonstrated Raman spectroscopy as a powerful vibrational technique for interrogating amyloid structures; one that offers sensitivity from the global secondary structural level to specific residues. This probe-free technique is further enhanced via coupling to a microscope, which affords structural data with spatial resolution, known as Raman spectral imaging (RSI). In vitro and in cellulo applications of RSI are discussed, highlighting studies of protein droplet aging, cellular internalization of fibrils, and Raman imaging of intracellular water. Collectively, utilization of the myriad Raman spectroscopic methods will contribute to a deeper understanding of protein conformational dynamics in the complex cellular milieu and offer potential clinical diagnostic capabilities for protein misfolding and aggregation processes in disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sashary Ramos
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, U.S.A
| | - Jennifer C Lee
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, U.S.A
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Dhavale DD, Barclay AM, Borcik CG, Basore K, Berthold DA, Gordon IR, Liu J, Milchberg MH, O'Shea JY, Rau MJ, Smith Z, Sen S, Summers B, Smith J, Warmuth OA, Perrin RJ, Perlmutter JS, Chen Q, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Schwieters CD, Tajkhorshid E, Rienstra CM, Kotzbauer PT. Structure of alpha-synuclein fibrils derived from human Lewy body dementia tissue. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2750. [PMID: 38553463 PMCID: PMC10980826 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46832-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The defining feature of Parkinson disease (PD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (Asyn) fibrils in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Here we develop and validate a method to amplify Asyn fibrils extracted from LBD postmortem tissue samples and use solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) studies to determine atomic resolution structure. Amplified LBD Asyn fibrils comprise a mixture of single protofilament and two protofilament fibrils with very low twist. The protofilament fold is highly similar to the fold determined by a recent cryo-electron microscopy study for a minority population of twisted single protofilament fibrils extracted from LBD tissue. These results expand the structural characterization of LBD Asyn fibrils and approaches for studying disease mechanisms, imaging agents and therapeutics targeting Asyn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruva D Dhavale
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Alexander M Barclay
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Collin G Borcik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Katherine Basore
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Deborah A Berthold
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Isabelle R Gordon
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Jialu Liu
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Moses H Milchberg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer Y O'Shea
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Michael J Rau
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Zachary Smith
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Soumyo Sen
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Brock Summers
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John Smith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Owen A Warmuth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Richard J Perrin
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Joel S Perlmutter
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Radiology, Neuroscience, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - James A J Fitzpatrick
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Charles D Schwieters
- Computational Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Chad M Rienstra
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Paul T Kotzbauer
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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Nuber S, Zhang X, McCaffery TD, Moors TE, Adom MA, Hahn WN, Martin D, Ericsson M, Tripathi A, Dettmer U, Svenningsson P, Selkoe DJ. Generation of G51D and 3D mice reveals decreased α-synuclein tetramer-monomer ratios promote Parkinson's disease phenotypes. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:47. [PMID: 38424059 PMCID: PMC10904737 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00662-w] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the α-Synuclein (αS) gene promote αS monomer aggregation that causes neurodegeneration in familial Parkinson's disease (fPD). However, most mouse models expressing single-mutant αS transgenes develop neuronal aggregates very slowly, and few have dopaminergic cell loss, both key characteristics of PD. To accelerate neurotoxic aggregation, we previously generated fPD αS E46K mutant mice with rationally designed triple mutations based on the α-helical repeat motif structure of αS (fPD E46K→3 K). The 3 K variant increased αS membrane association and decreased the physiological tetramer:monomer ratio, causing lipid- and vesicle-rich inclusions and robust tremor-predominant, L-DOPA responsive PD-like phenotypes. Here, we applied an analogous approach to the G51D fPD mutation and its rational amplification (G51D → 3D) to generate mutant mice. In contrast to 3 K mice, G51D and 3D mice accumulate monomers almost exclusively in the cytosol while also showing decreased αS tetramer:monomer ratios. Both 1D and 3D mutant mice gradually accumulate insoluble, higher-molecular weight αS oligomers. Round αS neuronal deposits at 12 mos immunolabel for ubiquitin and pSer129 αS, with limited proteinase K resistance. Both 1D and 3D mice undergo loss of striatal TH+ fibers and midbrain dopaminergic neurons by 12 mos and a bradykinesia responsive to L-DOPA. The 3D αS mice have decreased tetramer:monomer equilibria and recapitulate major features of PD. These fPD G51D and 3D mutant mice should be useful models to study neuronal αS-toxicity associated with bradykinetic motor phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Nuber
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Xiaoqun Zhang
- Neuro Svenningsson, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas D McCaffery
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tim E Moors
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marie-Alexandre Adom
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wolf N Hahn
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Dylan Martin
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Maria Ericsson
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Arati Tripathi
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ulf Dettmer
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Neuro Svenningsson, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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6
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Giusti V, Kaur G, Giusto E, Civiero L. Brain clearance of protein aggregates: a close-up on astrocytes. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:5. [PMID: 38229094 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00703-1] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and accumulation defines a prevailing feature of many neurodegenerative disorders, finally resulting in the formation of toxic intra- and extracellular aggregates. Intracellular aggregates can enter the extracellular space and be subsequently transferred among different cell types, thus spreading between connected brain districts.Although microglia perform a predominant role in the removal of extracellular aggregated proteins, mounting evidence suggests that astrocytes actively contribute to the clearing process. However, the molecular mechanisms used by astrocytes to remove misfolded proteins are still largely unknown.Here we first provide a brief overview of the progressive transition from soluble monomers to insoluble fibrils that characterizes amyloid proteins, referring to α-Synuclein and Tau as archetypical examples. We then highlight the mechanisms at the basis of astrocyte-mediated clearance with a focus on their potential ability to recognize, collect, internalize and digest extracellular protein aggregates. Finally, we explore the potential of targeting astrocyte-mediated clearance as a future therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by protein misfolding and accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gurkirat Kaur
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Laura Civiero
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy.
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
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7
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Kakuda K, Ikenaka K, Kuma A, Doi J, Aguirre C, Wang N, Ajiki T, Choong CJ, Kimura Y, Badawy SMM, Shima T, Nakamura S, Baba K, Nagano S, Nagai Y, Yoshimori T, Mochizuki H. Lysophagy protects against propagation of α-synuclein aggregation through ruptured lysosomal vesicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312306120. [PMID: 38147546 PMCID: PMC10769825 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312306120] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuron-to-neuron propagation of misfolded α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates is thought to be key to the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. Recent studies have shown that extracellular αSyn aggregates taken up by the endosomal-lysosomal system can rupture the lysosomal vesicular membrane; however, it remains unclear whether lysosomal rupture leads to the transmission of αSyn aggregation. Here, we applied cell-based αSyn propagation models to show that ruptured lysosomes are the pathway through which exogenous αSyn aggregates transmit aggregation, and furthermore, this process was prevented by lysophagy, i.e., selective autophagy of damaged lysosomes. αSyn aggregates accumulated predominantly in lysosomes, causing their rupture, and seeded the aggregation of endogenous αSyn, initially around damaged lysosomes. Exogenous αSyn aggregates induced the accumulation of LC3 on lysosomes. This LC3 accumulation was not observed in cells in which a key regulator of autophagy, RB1CC1/FIP200, was knocked out and was confirmed as lysophagy by transmission electron microscopy. Importantly, RB1CC1/FIP200-deficient cells treated with αSyn aggregates had increased numbers of ruptured lysosomes and enhanced propagation of αSyn aggregation. Furthermore, various types of lysosomal damage induced using lysosomotropic reagents, depletion of lysosomal enzymes, or more toxic species of αSyn fibrils also exacerbated the propagation of αSyn aggregation, and impaired lysophagy and lysosomal membrane damage synergistically enhanced propagation. These results indicate that lysophagy prevents exogenous αSyn aggregates from escaping the endosomal-lysosomal system and transmitting aggregation to endogenous cytosolic αSyn via ruptured lysosomal vesicles. Our findings suggest that the progression and severity of synucleinopathies are associated with damage to lysosomal membranes and impaired lysophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Kakuda
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Kensuke Ikenaka
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Akiko Kuma
- Department of Genetics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Junko Doi
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - César Aguirre
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Nan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ajiki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Chi-Jing Choong
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Kimura
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Shaymaa Mohamed Mohamed Badawy
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
- Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig44519, Egypt
| | - Takayuki Shima
- Department of Genetics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nakamura
- Department of Biochemistry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara634-8521, Japan
| | - Kousuke Baba
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Seiichi Nagano
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
- Department of Neurotherapeutics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Nagai
- Department of Neurology, Kindai University, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-sayama, Osaka589-8511, Japan
| | - Tamotsu Yoshimori
- Department of Genetics, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka565-0871, Japan
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Tarutani A, Hasegawa M. Ultrastructures of α-Synuclein Filaments in Synucleinopathy Brains and Experimental Models. J Mov Disord 2024; 17:15-29. [PMID: 37990381 PMCID: PMC10846975 DOI: 10.14802/jmd.23213] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular α-synuclein (α-syn) inclusions are a neuropathological hallmark of Lewy body disease (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), both of which are termed synucleinopathies. LBD is defined by Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in neurons, while MSA displays glial cytoplasmic inclusions in oligodendrocytes. Pathological α-syn adopts an ordered filamentous structure with a 5-10 nm filament diameter, and this conformational change has been suggested to be involved in the disease onset and progression. Synucleinopathies also exhibit characteristic ultrastructural and biochemical properties of α-syn filaments, and α-syn strains with distinct conformations have been identified. Numerous experimental studies have supported the idea that pathological α-syn self-amplifies and spreads throughout the brain, during which processes the conformation of α-syn filaments may drive the disease specificity. In this review, we summarize the ultrastructural features and heterogeneity of α-syn filaments in the brains of patients with synucleinopathy and in experimental models of seeded α-syn aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Mishra S. Emerging Trends in Cryo-EM-based Structural Studies of Neuropathological Amyloids. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168361. [PMID: 37949311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168361] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies, synucleinopathies, Aβ amyloidosis, TDP-43 proteinopathies, and prion diseases- these neurodegenerative diseases have in common the formation of amyloid filaments rich in cross-β sheets. Cryo-electron microscopy now permits the visualization of amyloid assemblies at atomic resolution, ushering a wide range of structural studies on several of these poorly understood amyloidogenic proteins. Amyloids are polymorphic with minor modulations in reaction environment affecting the overall architecture of their assembly, making amyloids an extremely challenging venture for structure-based therapeutic intervention. In 2017, the first cryo-EM structure of tau filaments from an Alzheimer's disease-affected brain established that in vitro assemblies might not necessarily reflect the native amyloid fold. Since then, brain-derived amyloid structures for several proteins across many neurodegenerative diseases have uncovered the disease-relevant amyloid folds. It has now been shown for tauopathies, synucleinopathies and TDP-43 proteinopathies, that distinct amyloid folds of the same protein might be related to different diseases. Salient features of each of these brain-derived folds are discussed in detail. It was also recently observed that seeded aggregation does not necessarily replicate the brain-derived structural fold. Owing to high throughput structure determination, some of these native amyloid folds have also been successfully replicated in vitro. In vitro replication of disease-relevant filaments will aid development of imaging ligands and defibrillating drugs. Towards this direction, recent high-resolution structures of tau filaments with positron emission tomography tracers and a defibrillating drug are also discussed. This review summarizes and celebrates the recent advancements in structural understanding of neuropathological amyloid filaments using cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Mishra
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Biological Sciences Division, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560 012, Karnataka, India.
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10
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Bai Y, Zhang S, Dong H, Liu Y, Liu C, Zhang X. Advanced Techniques for Detecting Protein Misfolding and Aggregation in Cellular Environments. Chem Rev 2023; 123:12254-12311. [PMID: 37874548 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation, a key contributor to the progression of numerous neurodegenerative diseases, results in functional deficiencies and the creation of harmful intermediates. Detailed visualization of this misfolding process is of paramount importance for improving our understanding of disease mechanisms and for the development of potential therapeutic strategies. While in vitro studies using purified proteins have been instrumental in delivering significant insights into protein misfolding, the behavior of these proteins in the complex milieu of living cells often diverges significantly from such simplified environments. Biomedical imaging performed in cell provides cellular-level information with high physiological and pathological relevance, often surpassing the depth of information attainable through in vitro methods. This review highlights a variety of methodologies used to scrutinize protein misfolding within biological systems. This includes optical-based methods, strategies leaning on mass spectrometry, in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance, and cryo-electron microscopy. Recent advancements in these techniques have notably deepened our understanding of protein misfolding processes and the features of the resulting misfolded species within living cells. The progression in these fields promises to catalyze further breakthroughs in our comprehension of neurodegenerative disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Bai
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, 600 Dunyu Road, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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11
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Li D, Liu C. Molecular rules governing the structural polymorphism of amyloid fibrils in neurodegenerative diseases. Structure 2023; 31:1335-1347. [PMID: 37657437 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.08.006] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are hallmarks of various neurodegenerative diseases. The structural polymorphism of amyloid fibrils holds significant pathological importance in diseases. This review aims to provide an in-depth overview on the complexity of amyloid fibrils' structural polymorphism and its implications in disease pathogenesis. We firstly decipher the molecular rules governing the structural polymorphism of amyloid fibrils. We then discuss pivotal factors that contribute to the assortment of fibril structural polymorphs, including post-translational modifications (PTMs), disease mutations, and interacting molecules, and elucidate the structural basis of how these determinants influence amyloid fibril polymorphism. Furthermore, we underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between diverse fibril polymorphs and pathological activities, as well as their potential roles in therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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12
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Dai L, Wang J, Zhang X, Yan M, Zhou L, Zhang G, Meng L, Chen L, Cao X, Zhang Z, Wang G, Zhang Z. 27-Hydroxycholesterol Drives the Spread of α-Synuclein Pathology in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2023; 38:2005-2018. [PMID: 37593929 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29577] [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: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) are characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD). Epidemiological evidence indicates that hyperlipidemia is associated with an increased risk of PD. The levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC), a cholesterol oxidation derivative, are increased in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with PD. However, whether 27-OHC plays a role in α-Syn aggregation and propagation remains elusive. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether 27-OHC regulates α-Syn aggregation and propagation. METHODS Purified recombinant α-Syn, neuronal cultures, and α-Syn fibril-injected mouse model of PD were treated with 27-OHC. In addition, CYP27A1 knockout mice were used to investigate the effect of lowering 27-OHC on α-Syn pathology in vivo. RESULTS 27-OHC accelerates the aggregation of α-Syn and enhances the seeding activity of α-Syn fibrils. Furthermore, the 27-OHC-modified α-Syn fibrils localize to the mitochondria and induce mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity. Injection of 27-OHC-modified α-Syn fibrils induces enhanced spread of α-Syn pathology and dopaminergic neurodegeneration compared with pure α-Syn fibrils. Similarly, subcutaneous administration of 27-OHC facilitates the seeding of α-Syn pathology. Genetic deletion of cytochrome P450 27A1 (CYP27A1), the enzyme that converts cholesterol to 27-OHC, ameliorates the spread of pathologic α-Syn, degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, and motor impairments. These results indicate that the cholesterol metabolite 27-OHC plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD. CONCLUSIONS 27-OHC promotes the aggregation and spread of α-Syn. Strategies aimed at inhibiting the CYP27A1-27-OHC axis may hold promise as a disease-modifying therapy to halt the progression of α-Syn pathology in PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Dai
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiannan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingmin Yan
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingyan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guoxin Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lanxia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liam Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Xuebing Cao
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Chlebowicz J, Russ W, Chen D, Vega A, Vernino S, White CL, Rizo J, Joachimiak LA, Diamond MI. Saturation mutagenesis of α-synuclein reveals monomer fold that modulates aggregation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh3457. [PMID: 37889966 PMCID: PMC10610913 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh3457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
α-Synuclein (aSyn) aggregation underlies neurodegenerative synucleinopathies. aSyn seeds are proposed to replicate and propagate neuronal pathology like prions. Seeding of aSyn can be recapitulated in cellular systems of aSyn aggregation; however, the mechanism of aSyn seeding and its regulation are not well understood. We developed an mEos-based aSyn seeding assay and performed saturation mutagenesis to identify with single-residue resolution positive and negative regulators of aSyn aggregation. We not only found the core regions that govern aSyn aggregation but also identified mutants outside of the core that enhance aggregation. We identified local structure within the N terminus of aSyn that hinders the fibrillization propensity of its aggregation-prone core. Based on the screen, we designed a minimal aSyn fragment that shows a ~4-fold enhancement in seeding activity and enabled discrimination of synucleinopathies. Our study expands the basic knowledge of aSyn aggregation and advances the design of cellular systems of aSyn aggregation to diagnose synucleinopathies based on protein conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julita Chlebowicz
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - William Russ
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Evozyne Inc., Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dailu Chen
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anthony Vega
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Steven Vernino
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Charles L. White
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Josep Rizo
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lukasz A. Joachimiak
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marc I. Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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14
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Scheres SHW, Ryskeldi-Falcon B, Goedert M. Molecular pathology of neurodegenerative diseases by cryo-EM of amyloids. Nature 2023; 621:701-710. [PMID: 37758888 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06437-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal assembly of tau, α-synuclein, TDP-43 and amyloid-β proteins into amyloid filaments defines most human neurodegenerative diseases. Genetics provides a direct link between filament formation and the causes of disease. Developments in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have made it possible to determine the atomic structures of amyloids from postmortem human brains. Here we review the structures of brain-derived amyloid filaments that have been determined so far and discuss their impact on research into neurodegeneration. Whereas a given protein can adopt many different filament structures, specific amyloid folds define distinct diseases. Amyloid structures thus provide a description of neuropathology at the atomic level and a basis for studying disease. Future research should focus on model systems that replicate the structures observed in disease to better understand the molecular mechanisms of disease and develop improved diagnostics and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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15
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Huang D, Guo C. E46K Mutation of α-Synuclein Preorganizes the Intramolecular Interactions Crucial for Aggregation. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4803-4813. [PMID: 37489886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00694] [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: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation of α-synuclein is central to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The most toxic familial mutation E46K accelerates the aggregation process by an unknown mechanism. Herein, we provide a clue by investigating the influence of E46K on monomeric α-synuclein and its relation to aggregation with molecular dynamics simulations. The E46K mutation suppresses β-sheet structures in the N-terminus while promoting those at the key fibrillization region named NACore. Even though WT and E46K monomers share conserved intramolecular interactions with fibrils, E46K abolishes intramolecular contacts within the N-terminus which are present in the WT monomer but absent in fibrils. Network analysis identifies residues 36-53 as the interaction core of the WT monomer. Upon mutation, residues 36-46 are expelled to water due to aggravated electrostatic repulsion in the 43KTKK46 segment. Instead, NACore (residues 68-78) becomes the interaction hub and connects preceding residues 47-56 and the C-terminus. Consequently, residues 47-95 which belong to the fibril core form more compact β-sheets. Overall, the interaction network of E46K is more like fibrils than WT, stabilizing the fibril-like conformations. Our work provides mechanistic insights into the faster aggregation of the E46K mutant. It implies a close link between monomeric conformations and fibrils, which would spur the development of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Defa Huang
- Department of Physics and International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Cong Guo
- Department of Physics and International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
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16
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Khare SD, Chinchilla P, Baum J. Multifaceted interactions mediated by intrinsically disordered regions play key roles in alpha synuclein aggregation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102579. [PMID: 37060757 PMCID: PMC10910670 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102579] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of Alpha Synuclein (α-Syn) into fibrils is associated with the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases. Pathologic aggregates of α-Syn adopt multiple fibril topologies and are known to be transferred between cells via templated seeding. Monomeric α-Syn is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) with amphiphilic N-terminal, hydrophobic-central, and negatively charged C-terminal domains. Here, we review recent work elucidating the mechanism of α-Syn aggregation and identify the key and multifaceted roles played by the N- and C-terminal domains in the initiation and growth of aggregates as well as in the templated seeding involved in cell-to-cell propagation. The charge content of the C-terminal domain, which is sensitive to environmental conditions like organelle pH, is a key regulator of intermolecular interactions involved in fibril growth and templated propagation. An appreciation of the complex and multifaceted roles played by the intrinsically disordered terminal domains suggests novel opportunities for the development of potent inhibitors against synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar D Khare
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Priscilla Chinchilla
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jean Baum
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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17
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Sun R, Zhang S, Liu Y, Li D. Chemical probes for investigating protein liquid-liquid phase separation and aggregation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102291. [PMID: 37004350 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein liquid-liquid phase separation drives the dynamic assembly of membraneless organelles for fulfilling different physiological functions. Under diseased condition, protein may undergo liquid-to-solid condensation to form pathological amyloid aggregates closely associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Chemical probe serves as an important chemical tool not only for exploring the basic principle of the dynamic assembly of different protein condensates in vitro and in cell but also for clinical diagnosis and therapeutics of the related diseases. In this review, we first introduce chemical probes to image and regulate protein condensates. Then, we summarized three different categories of chemical probes including general amyloid dye, selective positron emission tomography tracer, and disaggregating binder, which feature distinct interaction pattern and activity upon binding to different pathological amyloid fibrillar aggregates. Next, we discuss the development of chemical probes for tracking protein amorphous aggregates in cells. Finally, we point out future direction in expanding the probes' chemical space and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Shenqing Zhang
- Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China; Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China.
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China; Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; WLA Laboratories, World Laureates Association, Shanghai 201203, China.
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18
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Lau HHC, Martinez-Valbuena I, So RWL, Mehra S, Silver NRG, Mao A, Stuart E, Schmitt-Ulms C, Hyman BT, Ingelsson M, Kovacs GG, Watts JC. The G51D SNCA mutation generates a slowly progressive α-synuclein strain in early-onset Parkinson's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:72. [PMID: 37138318 PMCID: PMC10155462 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01570-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Unique strains of α-synuclein aggregates have been postulated to underlie the spectrum of clinical and pathological presentations seen across the synucleinopathies. Whereas multiple system atrophy (MSA) is associated with a predominance of oligodendroglial α-synuclein inclusions, α-synuclein aggregates in Parkinson's disease (PD) preferentially accumulate in neurons. The G51D mutation in the SNCA gene encoding α-synuclein causes an aggressive, early-onset form of PD that exhibits clinical and neuropathological traits reminiscent of both PD and MSA. To assess the strain characteristics of G51D PD α-synuclein aggregates, we performed propagation studies in M83 transgenic mice by intracerebrally inoculating patient brain extracts. The properties of the induced α-synuclein aggregates in the brains of injected mice were examined using immunohistochemistry, a conformational stability assay, and by performing α-synuclein seed amplification assays. Unlike MSA-injected mice, which developed a progressive motor phenotype, G51D PD-inoculated animals remained free of overt neurological illness for up to 18 months post-inoculation. However, a subclinical synucleinopathy was present in G51D PD-inoculated mice, characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in restricted regions of the brain. The induced α-synuclein aggregates in G51D PD-injected mice exhibited distinct properties in a seed amplification assay and were much more stable than those present in mice injected with MSA extract, which mirrored the differences observed between human MSA and G51D PD brain samples. These results suggest that the G51D SNCA mutation specifies the formation of a slowly propagating α-synuclein strain that more closely resembles α-synuclein aggregates associated with PD than MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather H C Lau
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ivan Martinez-Valbuena
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Raphaella W L So
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Surabhi Mehra
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Nicholas R G Silver
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison Mao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Erica Stuart
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Cian Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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19
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Roterman I, Stapor K, Konieczny L. Structural Specificity of Polymorphic Forms of α-Synuclein Amyloid. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051324. [PMID: 37238996 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051324] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The structural transformation producing amyloids is a phenomenon that sheds new light on the protein folding problem. The analysis of the polymorphic structures of the α-synuclein amyloid available in the PDB database allows analysis of the amyloid-oriented structural transformation itself, but also the protein folding process as such. The polymorphic amyloid structures of α-synuclein analyzed employing the hydrophobicity distribution (fuzzy oil drop model) reveal a differentiation with a dominant distribution consistent with the micelle-like system (hydrophobic core with polar shell). This type of ordering of the hydrophobicity distribution covers the entire spectrum from the example with all three structural units (single chain, proto-fibril, super-fibril) exhibiting micelle-like form, through gradually emerging examples of local disorder, to structures with an extremely different structuring pattern. The water environment directing protein structures towards the generation of ribbon micelle-like structures (concentration of hydrophobic residues in the center of the molecule forming a hydrophobic core with the exposure of polar residues on the surface) also plays a role in the amyloid forms of α-synuclein. The polymorphic forms of α-synuclein reveal local structural differentiation with a common tendency to accept the micelle-like structuralization in certain common fragments of the polypeptide chain of this protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Roterman
- Department of Bioinformatics and Telemedicine, Jagiellonian University-Medical College, Medyczna 7, 30-688 Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Stapor
- Department of Applied Informatics, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Leszek Konieczny
- Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University-Medical College, Kopernika 7, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
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20
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Sun C, Zhou K, DePaola P, Shin W, Hillyer T, Sawaya M, Zhu R, Peng C, Zhou ZH, Jiang L. Cryo-EM structure of amyloid fibril formed by α-synuclein hereditary A53E mutation reveals a distinct protofilament interface. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104566. [PMID: 36871760 PMCID: PMC10124909 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple systems atrophy (MSA), have the same pathologic feature of misfolded α-synuclein protein (α-syn) accumulation in the brain. PD patients who carry α-syn hereditary mutations tend to have earlier onset and more severe clinical symptoms than sporadic PD patients who carry wild-type (WT) α-syn. Therefore, revealing the effect of hereditary mutations to the α-syn fibril structure can help us understand these synucleinopathies' structural basis. Here, we present a 3.38 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of α-synuclein fibrils containing the hereditary A53E mutation. The A53E fibril is symmetrically composed of two protofilaments, similar to other fibril structures of WT and mutant α-synuclein. The new structure is distinct from all other synuclein fibrils, not only at the interface between proto-filaments, but also between residues packed within the same proto-filament. Between the protofilaments, A53E has the smallest interface with the least buried surface area among all α-syn fibrils, consisting of only two contacting residues. Within the same protofilament, A53E reveals distinct residue re-arrangement and structural variation at a cavity near its fibril core. Moreover, the A53E fibrils exhibit slower fibril formation and lower stability compared to WT and other mutants like A53T and H50Q, while also demonstrate strong cellular seeding in α-synuclein biosensor cells and primary neurons. In summary, our study aims to highlight structural differences - both within and between the protofilaments of A53E fibrils - and interpret fibril formation and cellular seeding of α-synuclein pathology in disease, which could further our understanding of the structure-activity relationship of α-synuclein mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanqi Sun
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Peter DePaola
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA-DOE Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - WooShik Shin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - Trae Hillyer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - MichaelR Sawaya
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA-DOE Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ruowei Zhu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chao Peng
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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21
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Canever JB, Soares ES, de Avelar NCP, Cimarosti HI. Targeting α-synuclein post-translational modifications in Parkinson's disease. Behav Brain Res 2023; 439:114204. [PMID: 36372243 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Although the exact mechanisms underlying PD are still not completely understood, it is well accepted that α-synuclein plays key pathophysiological roles as the main constituent of the cytoplasmic inclusions known as Lewy bodies. Several post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as the best-known phosphorylation, target α-synuclein and are thus implicated in its physiological and pathological functions. In this review, we present (1) an overview of the pathophysiological roles of α-synuclein, (2) a descriptive analysis of α-synuclein PTMs, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation, glycation, truncation, and O-GlcNAcylation, as well as (3) a brief summary on α-synuclein PTMs as potential biomarkers for PD. A better understanding of α-synuclein PTMs is of paramount importance for elucidating the mechanisms underlying PD and can thus be expected to improve early detection and monitoring disease progression, as well as identify promising new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaquelini B Canever
- Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Laboratory of Aging, Resources and Rheumatology, UFSC, Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Ericks Sousa Soares
- Post-Graduate Program in Pharmacology, UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Núbia C P de Avelar
- Laboratory of Aging, Resources and Rheumatology, UFSC, Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Helena I Cimarosti
- Post-Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Post-Graduate Program in Pharmacology, UFSC, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
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22
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Zhao Q, Tao Y, Zhao K, Ma Y, Xu Q, Liu C, Zhang S, Li D. Structural Insights of Fe 3+ Induced α-synuclein Fibrillation in Parkinson's Disease. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167680. [PMID: 35690099 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in Lewy bodies (LBs) is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Iron, especially Fe3+, is accumulated in substantia nigra of PD patients and co-deposited with α-syn in LBs. However, how Fe3+ modulates α-syn fibrillation at molecular level remains unclear. In this study, we found that Fe3+ can promote α-syn fibrillation at low concentration while inhibit its fibrillation at high concentration. NMR titration study shows poor interaction between α-syn monomer and Fe3+. Instead, we found that Fe3+ binds to α-syn fibrils. By using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we further determined the atomic structure of α-syn fibril in complex with Fe3+ at the resolution of 2.7 Å. Strikingly, two extra electron densities adjacent to His50 and Glu57 were observed as putative binding sites of Fe3+ and water molecules, suggesting that Fe3+ binds to the negative cleft of the fibril and stabilizes the fibril structure for promoting α-syn aggregation. Further mutagenesis study shows mutation of His50 abolishes the Fe3+-facilitated fibrillation of α-syn. Our work illuminates the structural basis of the interaction of Fe3+ and α-syn in both monomeric and fibrillar forms, and sheds light on understanding the pathological role of Fe3+ in α-syn aggregation in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyue Zhao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Youqi Tao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yeyang Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianhui Xu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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23
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Dhavale DD, Barclay AM, Borcik CG, Basore K, Gordon IR, Liu J, Milchberg MH, O’shea J, Rau MJ, Smith Z, Sen S, Summers B, Smith J, Warmuth OA, Chen Q, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Schwieters CD, Tajkhorshid E, Rienstra CM, Kotzbauer PT. Structure of alpha-synuclein fibrils derived from human Lewy body dementia tissue. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523303. [PMID: 36711931 PMCID: PMC9882085 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The defining feature of Parkinson disease (PD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (Asyn) fibrils in Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. We developed and validated a novel method to amplify Asyn fibrils extracted from LBD postmortem tissue samples and used solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) studies to determine atomic resolution structure. Amplified LBD Asyn fibrils comprise two protofilaments with pseudo-21 helical screw symmetry, very low twist and an interface formed by antiparallel beta strands of residues 85-93. The fold is highly similar to the fold determined by a recent cryo-electron microscopy study for a minority population of twisted single protofilament fibrils extracted from LBD tissue. These results expand the structural landscape of LBD Asyn fibrils and inform further studies of disease mechanisms, imaging agents and therapeutics targeting Asyn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruva D. Dhavale
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexander M. Barclay
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Collin G. Borcik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Katherine Basore
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Isabelle R. Gordon
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jialu Liu
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Moses H. Milchberg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer O’shea
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michael J. Rau
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zachary Smith
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Soumyo Sen
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Brock Summers
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John Smith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Owen A. Warmuth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - James A. J. Fitzpatrick
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Charles D. Schwieters
- Computational Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Chad M. Rienstra
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Paul T. Kotzbauer
- Department of Neurology and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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24
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Pancoe SX, Wang YJ, Shimogawa M, Perez RM, Giannakoulias S, Petersson EJ. Effects of Mutations and Post-Translational Modifications on α-Synuclein In Vitro Aggregation. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167859. [PMID: 36270580 PMCID: PMC9922159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fibrillar aggregates of the α-synuclein (αS) protein are the hallmark of Parkinson's Disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Characterization of the effects of mutations and post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the αS aggregation rate can provide insight into the mechanism of fibril formation, which remains elusive in spite of intense study. A comprehensive collection (375 examples) of mutant and PTM aggregation rate data measured using the fluorescent probe thioflavin T is presented, as well as a summary of the effects of fluorescent labeling on αS aggregation (20 examples). A curated set of 131 single mutant de novo aggregation experiments are normalized to wild type controls and analyzed in terms of structural data for the monomer and fibrillar forms of αS. These tabulated data serve as a resource to the community to help in interpretation of aggregation experiments and to potentially be used as inputs for computational models of aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha X Pancoe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yanxin J Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marie Shimogawa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ryann M Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sam Giannakoulias
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - E James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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25
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Li X, Zhang S, Liu Z, Tao Y, Xia W, Sun Y, Liu C, Le W, Sun B, Li D. Subtle change of fibrillation condition leads to substantial alteration of recombinant Tau fibril structure. iScience 2022; 25:105645. [PMID: 36505939 PMCID: PMC9732399 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro assembly of amyloid fibrils that recapitulate those in human brains is very useful for fundamental and applied research on the amyloid formation, pathology, and clinical detection. Recent success in the assembly of Tau fibrils in vitro enables the recapitulation of the paired helical filament (PHF) of Tau extracted from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, following the protocol, we observed that Tau constructs including 297-391 and a mixture of 266-391 (3R)/297-391, which are expected to predominantly form PHF-like fibrils, form highly heterogeneous fibrils instead. Moreover, the seemingly PHF-like fibril formed by Tau 297-391 exhibits a distinctive atomic structure with a spindle-like fold, that is neither PHF-like or similar to any known Tau fibril structures revealed by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Our work highlights the high sensitivity of amyloid fibril formation to subtle conditional changes and suggests high-resolution structural characterization to in vitro assembled fibrils prior to further laboratory use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Shenqing Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Zhengtao Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Youqi Tao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wencheng Xia
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yunpeng Sun
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China,State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Weidong Le
- Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences-Sichuan Provincial Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Bo Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China,Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China,WLA Laboratories, World Laureates Association, Shanghai 201203, China,Corresponding author
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26
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Anionic lipid vesicles have differential effects on the aggregation of early onset-associated α-synuclein missense mutants. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102565. [PMID: 36208776 PMCID: PMC9694135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
α-synuclein (αS) is the key component of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. αS was first linked to PD through the identification of point mutations in the SNCA gene, causing single amino acid substitutions within αS and familial autosomal dominant forms of PD that profoundly accelerated disease onset by up to several decades. At least eight single-point mutations linked to familial PD (A30G/P, E46K, H50Q, G51D, and A53T/E/V) are located in proximity of the region preceding the non-β amyloid component (preNAC) region, strongly implicating its pathogenic role in αS-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, lipids are known to be important for native αS function, where they play a key role in the regulation of synaptic vesicle docking to presynaptic membranes and dopamine transmission. However, the role of lipids in the function of mutant αS is unclear. Here, we studied αS aggregation properties of WT αS and five of the most predominant single-point missense mutants associated with early onset PD in the presence of anionic 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine lipid vesicles. Our results highlight significant differences between aggregation rates, the number of aggregates produced, and overall fibril morphologies of WT αS and the A30P, E46K, H50Q, G51D, and A53T missense mutants in the presence of lipid vesicles. These findings have important implications regarding the interplay between the lipids required for αS function and the individual point mutations known to accelerate PD and related diseases.
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27
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Dasari AKR, Dillard L, Yi S, Viverette E, Hojjatian A, Sengupta U, Kayed R, Taylor KA, Borgnia MJ, Lim KH. Untwisted α-Synuclein Filaments Formed in the Presence of Lipid Vesicles. Biochemistry 2022; 61:1766-1773. [PMID: 36001818 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of filamentous aggregates of α-synuclein is a pathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). The interaction between α-synuclein and phospholipids has been shown to play a critical role in the aggregation of α-synuclein. Most structural studies have, however, been focused on α-synuclein filaments formed in the absence of lipids. Here, we report the structural investigation of α-synuclein filaments assembled under the quiescent condition in the presence of anionic lipid vesicles using electron microscopy (EM), including cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Our transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses reveal that α-synuclein forms curly protofilaments at an early stage of aggregation. The flexible protofilaments were then converted to long filaments after a longer incubation of 30 days. More detailed structural analyses using cryo-EM reveal that the long filaments adopt untwisted structures with different diameters, which have not been observed in previous α-synuclein fibrils formed in vitro. The untwisted filaments are rather similar to straight filaments with no observable twist that are extracted from patients with dementia with Lewy bodies. Our structural studies highlight the conformational diversity of α-synuclein filaments, requiring additional structural investigation of not only more ex vivo α-synuclein filaments but also in vitro α-synuclein filaments formed in the presence of diverse cofactors to better understand the molecular basis of diverse molecular conformations of α-synuclein filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anvesh K R Dasari
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
| | - Lucas Dillard
- Department of Health and Human Services, Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Sujung Yi
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
| | - Elizabeth Viverette
- Department of Health and Human Services, Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Alimohammad Hojjatian
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4380, United States
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Kenneth A Taylor
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4380, United States
| | - Mario Juan Borgnia
- Department of Health and Human Services, Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kwang Hun Lim
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
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28
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Tarutani A, Adachi T, Akatsu H, Hashizume Y, Hasegawa K, Saito Y, Robinson AC, Mann DMA, Yoshida M, Murayama S, Hasegawa M. Ultrastructural and biochemical classification of pathogenic tau, α-synuclein and TDP-43. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:613-640. [PMID: 35513543 PMCID: PMC9107452 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02426-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular accumulation of abnormal proteins with conformational changes is the defining neuropathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases. The pathogenic proteins that accumulate in patients' brains adopt an amyloid-like fibrous structure and exhibit various ultrastructural features. The biochemical analysis of pathogenic proteins in sarkosyl-insoluble fractions extracted from patients' brains also shows disease-specific features. Intriguingly, these ultrastructural and biochemical features are common within the same disease group. These differences among the pathogenic proteins extracted from patients' brains have important implications for definitive diagnosis of the disease, and also suggest the existence of pathogenic protein strains that contribute to the heterogeneity of pathogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases. Recent experimental evidence has shown that prion-like propagation of these pathogenic proteins from host cells to recipient cells underlies the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The reproduction of the pathological features that characterize each disease in cellular and animal models of prion-like propagation also implies that the structural differences in the pathogenic proteins are inherited in a prion-like manner. In this review, we summarize the ultrastructural and biochemical features of pathogenic proteins extracted from the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases that accumulate abnormal forms of tau, α-synuclein, and TDP-43, and we discuss how these disease-specific properties are maintained in the brain, based on recent experimental insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan
| | - Tadashi Adachi
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Tottori, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Akatsu
- Department of Neuropathology, Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Aichi, 441-8124, Japan
- Department of Community-Based Medical Education, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Yoshio Hashizume
- Department of Neuropathology, Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital, Aichi, 441-8124, Japan
| | - Kazuko Hasegawa
- Division of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara National Hospital, Kanagawa, 252-0392, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Andrew C Robinson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Salford Royal Hospital, The University of Manchester, Salford, M6 8HD, UK
| | - David M A Mann
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Salford Royal Hospital, The University of Manchester, Salford, M6 8HD, UK
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
- Brain Bank for Neurodevelopmental, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8506, Japan.
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29
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Backwell L, Marsh JA. Diverse Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Pathogenic Protein Mutations: Beyond the Loss-of-Function Paradigm. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:475-498. [PMID: 35395171 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-111221-103208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Most known disease-causing mutations occur in protein-coding regions of DNA. While some of these involve a loss of protein function (e.g., through premature stop codons or missense changes that destabilize protein folding), many act via alternative molecular mechanisms and have dominant-negative or gain-of-function effects. In nearly all cases, these non-loss-of-function mutations can be understood by considering interactions of the wild-type and mutant protein with other molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, or small ligands and substrates. Here, we review the diverse molecular mechanisms by which pathogenic mutations can have non-loss-of-function effects, including by disrupting interactions, increasing binding affinity, changing binding specificity, causing assembly-mediated dominant-negative and dominant-positive effects, creating novel interactions, and promoting aggregation and phase separation. We believe that increased awareness of these diverse molecular disease mechanisms will lead to improved diagnosis (and ultimately treatment) of human genetic disorders. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 23 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Backwell
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom;
| | - Joseph A Marsh
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom;
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30
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Choong CJ, Mochizuki H. Neuropathology of α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease. Neuropathology 2022; 42:93-103. [PMID: 35362115 DOI: 10.1111/neup.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive movement disability accompanied by non-motor symptoms. The neuropathology hallmark of PD is the loss of dopaminergic neurons predominantly in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the presence of intracellular inclusions termed Lewy bodies (LBs), which are mainly composed of α-synuclein (αSyn). Detailed staging based on the distribution and progression pattern of αSyn pathology in the postmortem brains of PD patients revealed correlation with the clinical phenotypes but not invariably. Cumulative evidence from cell and animal studies has implied that αSyn propagation contributes to the anatomical spread of αSyn pathology in the brain. Here, we recount the studies over the past two centuries on the anatomopathological foundations of PD documented. We also review studies on the structural analysis of αSyn and LBs, Braak staging of αSyn pathology, the cell-to-cell propagation of αSyn as well as αSyn fibril polymorphisms, which underlie the phenotypic differences in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Jing Choong
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Holec SAM, Liu SL, Woerman AL. Consequences of variability in α-synuclein fibril structure on strain biology. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:311-330. [PMID: 35122113 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02403-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of clinically and neuropathologically distinct protein misfolding diseases caused by unique α-synuclein conformations, or strains. While multiple atomic resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of α-synuclein fibrils are now deposited in Protein Data Bank, significant gaps in the biological consequences arising from each conformation have yet to be unraveled. Mutations in the α-synuclein gene (SNCA), cofactors, and the solvation environment contribute to the formation and maintenance of each disease-causing strain. This review highlights the impact of each of these factors on α-synuclein misfolding and discusses the implications of the resulting structural variability on therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A M Holec
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Samantha L Liu
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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Yoshida S, Hasegawa T. Deciphering the prion-like behavior of pathogenic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurochem Int 2022; 155:105307. [PMID: 35181393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are hitherto classified based on their core clinical features, the anatomical distribution of neurodegeneration, and the cell populations mainly affected. On the other hand, the wealth of neuropathological, genetic, molecular and biochemical studies have identified the existence of distinct insoluble protein aggregates in the affected brain regions. These findings have spread the use of a collective term, proteinopathy, for neurodegenerative disorders with particular type of structurally altered protein accumulation. Particularly, a recent breakthrough in this field came with the discovery that these protein aggregates can transfer from one cell to another, thereby converting normal proteins to potentially toxic, misfolded species in a prion-like manner. In this review, we focus specifically on the molecular and cellular basis that underlies the seeding activity and transcellular spreading phenomenon of neurodegeneration-related protein aggregates, and discuss how these events contribute to the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Yoshida
- Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience & Sensory Organs, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 9808574, Japan; Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Yonezawa Hospital, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-1202, Japan
| | - Takafumi Hasegawa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience & Sensory Organs, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 9808574, Japan.
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