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Almeida ZL, Vaz DC, Brito RMM. Transthyretin mutagenesis: impact on amyloidogenesis and disease. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38850014 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2024.2350379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR), a homotetrameric protein found in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and the eye, plays a pivotal role in the onset of several amyloid diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Protein aggregation and fibril formation by wild-type TTR and its natural more amyloidogenic variants are hallmarks of ATTRwt and ATTRv amyloidosis, respectively. The formation of soluble amyloid aggregates and the accumulation of insoluble amyloid fibrils and deposits in multiple tissues can lead to organ dysfunction and cell death. The most frequent manifestations of ATTR are polyneuropathies and cardiomyopathies. However, clinical manifestations such as carpal tunnel syndrome, leptomeningeal, and ocular amyloidosis, among several others may also occur. This review provides an up-to-date listing of all single amino-acid mutations in TTR known to date. Of approximately 220 single-point mutations, 93% are considered pathogenic. Aspartic acid is the residue mutated with the highest frequency, whereas tryptophan is highly conserved. "Hot spot" mutation regions are mainly assigned to β-strands B, C, and D. This manuscript also reviews the protein aggregation models that have been proposed for TTR amyloid fibril formation and the transient conformational states that convert native TTR into aggregation-prone molecular species. Finally, it compiles the various in vitro TTR aggregation protocols currently in use for research and drug development purposes. In short, this article reviews and discusses TTR mutagenesis and amyloidogenesis, and their implications in disease onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaida L Almeida
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela C Vaz
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- LSRE-LCM - Leiria, Portugal & ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui M M Brito
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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2
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Zhang Z, Cai Y, Zheng N, Deng Y, Gao L, Wang Q, Xia X. Diverse models of cavity engineering in enzyme modification: Creation, filling, and reshaping. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 72:108346. [PMID: 38518963 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108346] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Most enzyme modification strategies focus on designing the active sites or their surrounding structures. Interestingly, a large portion of the enzymes (60%) feature active sites located within spacious cavities. Despite recent discoveries, cavity-mediated enzyme engineering remains crucial for enhancing enzyme properties and unraveling folding-unfolding mechanisms. Cavity engineering influences enzyme stability, catalytic activity, specificity, substrate recognition, and docking. This article provides a comprehensive review of various cavity engineering models for enzyme modification, including cavity creation, filling, and reshaping. Additionally, it also discusses feasible tools for geometric analysis, functional assessment, and modification of cavities, and explores potential future research directions in this field. Furthermore, a promising universal modification strategy for cavity engineering that leverages state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies to tailor cavities according to the specific requirements of industrial production conditions is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Yongchao Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Nan Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Yu Deng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Ling Gao
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Qiong Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
| | - Xiaole Xia
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China; College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, PR China.
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3
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Leite JP, Costa-Rodrigues D, Gales L. Inhibitors of Transthyretin Amyloidosis: How to Rank Drug Candidates Using X-ray Crystallography Data. Molecules 2024; 29:895. [PMID: 38398647 PMCID: PMC10893244 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29040895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloidosis is a group of protein misfolding diseases, which include spongiform encephalopathies, Alzheimer's disease and transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis; all of them are characterized by extracellular deposits of an insoluble fibrillar protein. TTR amyloidosis is a highly debilitating and life-threatening disease. Patients carry less stable TTR homotetramers that are prone to dissociation into non-native monomers, which in turn rapidly self-assemble into oligomers and, ultimately, amyloid fibrils. Liver transplantation to induce the production of wild-type TTR was the only therapeutic strategy until recently. A promising approach to ameliorate transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is based on the so-called TTR kinetic stabilizers. More than 1000 TTR stabilizers have already been tested by many research groups, but the diversity of experimental techniques and conditions used hampers an objective prioritization of the compounds. One of the most reliable and unambiguous techniques applied to determine the structures of the TTR/drug complexes is X-ray diffraction. Most of the potential inhibitors bind in the TTR channel and the crystal structures reveal the atomic details of the interaction between the protein and the compound. Here we suggest that the stabilization effect is associated with a compaction of the quaternary structure of the protein and propose a scoring function to rank drugs based on X-ray crystallography data.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P. Leite
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Diogo Costa-Rodrigues
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Gales
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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4
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Wang Y, Huang C, Liou G, Hsueh H, Liang C, Tseng H, Huang S, Chao C, Hsieh S, Tzeng S. A molecular basis for tetramer destabilization and aggregation of transthyretin Ala97Ser. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4610. [PMID: 36851846 PMCID: PMC10037696 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR)-related amyloidosis (ATTR) is a syndrome of diseases characterized by the extracellular deposition of fibrillar materials containing TTR variants. Ala97Ser (A97S) is the major mutation reported in Taiwanese ATTR patients. Here, we combine atomic resolution structural information together with the biochemical data to demonstrate that substitution of polar Ser for a small hydrophobic side chain of Ala at residue 97 of TTR largely influences the local packing density of the FG-loop, thus leading to the conformational instability of native tetramer, the increased monomeric species, and thus the enhanced amyloidogenicity of apo-A97S. Based on calorimetric studies, the tetramer destabilization of A97S can be substantially altered by interacting with native stabilizers via similarly energetic patterns compared to that of wild-type (WT) TTR; however, stabilizer binding partially rearranges the networks of hydrogen bonding in TTR variants while FG-loops of tetrameric A97S still remain relatively flexible. Moreover, TTR in complexed with holo-retinol binding protein 4 is slightly influenced by the structural and dynamic changes of FG-loop caused by A97S substitution with an approximately five-fold difference in binding affinity. Collectively, our findings suggest that the amyloidogenic A97S mutation destabilizes TTR by increasing the flexibility of the FG-loop in the monomer, thus modulating the rate of amyloid fibrillization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi‐Shiang Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chun‐Hsiang Huang
- Protein diffraction group, Experimental instrumentation divisionNational Synchrotron Radiation Research CenterHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Gunn‐Guang Liou
- Office of Research and Development, College of MedicineNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Hsueh‐Wen Hsueh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of MedicineNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chi‐Ting Liang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Hsi‐Ching Tseng
- Instrumentation CenterNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | - Chi‐Chao Chao
- Department of NeurologyNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Sung‐Tsang Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind SciencesTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical MedicineTaipeiTaiwan
- Center of Precision MedicineNational Taiwan University College of MedicineTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shiou‐Ru Tzeng
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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5
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Sanguinetti C, Minniti M, Susini V, Caponi L, Panichella G, Castiglione V, Aimo A, Emdin M, Vergaro G, Franzini M. The Journey of Human Transthyretin: Synthesis, Structure Stability, and Catabolism. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081906. [PMID: 36009453 PMCID: PMC9405911 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is a homotetrameric protein mainly synthesised by the liver and the choroid plexus whose function is to carry the thyroid hormone thyroxine and the retinol-binding protein bound to retinol in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. When the stability of the tetrameric structure is lost, it breaks down, paving the way for the aggregation of TTR monomers into insoluble fibrils leading to transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis, a progressive disorder mainly affecting the heart and nervous system. Several TTR gene mutations have been characterised as destabilisers of TTR structure and are associated with hereditary forms of ATTR amyloidosis. The reason why also the wild-type TTR is intrinsically amyloidogenic in some subjects is largely unknown. The aim of the review is to give an overview of the TTR biological life cycle which is largely unknown. For this purpose, the current knowledge on TTR physiological metabolism, from its synthesis to its catabolism, is described. Furthermore, a large section of the review is dedicated to examining in depth the role of mutations and physiological ligands on the stability of TTR tetramers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Sanguinetti
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marianna Minniti
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vanessa Susini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Caponi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giorgia Panichella
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Castiglione
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Aimo
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michele Emdin
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vergaro
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Franzini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence:
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6
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Hartmann J, Zacharias M. Analysis of amyloidogenic transthyretin mutations using continuum solvent free energy calculations. Proteins 2022; 90:2080-2090. [PMID: 35841533 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Many proteins can undergo pathological conformational changes that result in the formation of amyloidogenic fibril structures. Various neurodegenerative diseases are associated with such pathological fibril formation of specific proteins. Transthyretin (TTR) is a tetrameric globular transport protein in the blood plasma that can dissociate, unfold, and form long and stable fibrils. Many TTR mutations are known that promote (TTR) amyloidosis and cause severe diseases. TTR amyloidosis has been studied extensively using biochemical methods and structures of various mutations in the globular form have been characterized. Recently, also the structure of a TTR fibril has been determined. In an effort to better understand why some mutations increase or decrease the tendency of amyloid formation, we have applied a combined molecular dynamics and continuum solvent approach to calculate the energetic influence of residue changes in the globular versus fibril form. For 29 out of 36 tested TTR single residue mutations, the approach correctly predicts the increased or decreased tendency for amyloidosis allowing us also to elucidate the origins of the tendency. We find that indeed the destabilization of the globular monomer or changes in dimer and tetramer stability due to mutation has a dominant influence on the amyloidogenic tendency. The continuum solvent model predicts a significantly more favorable mean energy per residue of the fibril form compared to the globular form. This effect is only slightly modulated by single-point mutations preserving the energetic preference for fibril formation upon protein unfolding. It explains why no correlation between experimental amyloidosis and calculated change in fibril stability was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Hartmann
- Physics Department and Center of Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department and Center of Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Bavaria, Germany
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7
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Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Amyloidosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010025. [PMID: 35008444 PMCID: PMC8744761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac involvement has a profound effect on the prognosis of patients with systemic amyloidosis. Therapeutic methods for suppressing the production of causative proteins have been developed for ATTR amyloidosis and AL amyloidosis, which show cardiac involvement, and the prognosis has been improved. However, a method for removing deposited amyloid has not been established. Methods for reducing cytotoxicity caused by amyloid deposition and amyloid precursor protein to protect cardiovascular cells are also needed. In this review, we outline the molecular mechanisms and treatments of cardiac amyloidosis.
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8
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Esperante SA, Varejāo N, Pinheiro F, Sant'Anna R, Luque-Ortega JR, Alfonso C, Sora V, Papaleo E, Rivas G, Reverter D, Ventura S. Disease-associated mutations impacting BC-loop flexibility trigger long-range transthyretin tetramer destabilization and aggregation. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101039. [PMID: 34343569 PMCID: PMC8406001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the extracellular deposition of the transport protein transthyretin (TTR) as amyloid fibrils. Despite the progress achieved in recent years, understanding why different TTR residue substitutions lead to different clinical manifestations remains elusive. Here, we studied the molecular basis of disease-causing missense mutations affecting residues R34 and K35. R34G and K35T variants cause vitreous amyloidosis, whereas R34T and K35N mutations result in amyloid polyneuropathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy. All variants are more sensitive to pH-induced dissociation and amyloid formation than the wild-type (WT)-TTR counterpart, specifically in the variants deposited in the eyes amyloid formation occurs close to physiological pHs. Chemical denaturation experiments indicate that all the mutants are less stable than WT-TTR, with the vitreous amyloidosis variants, R34G and K35T, being highly destabilized. Sequence-induced stabilization of the dimer–dimer interface with T119M rendered tetramers containing R34G or K35T mutations resistant to pH-induced aggregation. Because R34 and K35 are among the residues more distant to the TTR interface, their impact in this region is therefore theorized to occur at long range. The crystal structures of double mutants, R34G/T119M and K35T/T119M, together with molecular dynamics simulations indicate that their strong destabilizing effect is initiated locally at the BC loop, increasing its flexibility in a mutation-dependent manner. Overall, the present findings help us to understand the sequence-dynamic-structural mechanistic details of TTR amyloid aggregation triggered by R34 and K35 variants and to link the degree of mutation-induced conformational flexibility to protein aggregation propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián A Esperante
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Nathalia Varejāo
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisca Pinheiro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricardo Sant'Anna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Román Luque-Ortega
- Molecular Interactions Facility, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alfonso
- Systems Biochemistry of Bacterial Division Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Valentina Sora
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Cancer Systems Biology, Health and Technology Department, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; Cancer Systems Biology, Health and Technology Department, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Germán Rivas
- Systems Biochemistry of Bacterial Division Laboratory, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Reverter
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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Fuji R, Umezawa K, Mizuguchi M, Ihara M. Protein Engineering of the Soluble Metal-dependent Formate Dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli. ANAL SCI 2021; 37:733-739. [PMID: 33455969 DOI: 10.2116/analsci.20scp15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Formate is the most targeted C1 building block and electron carrier in the post-petroleum era. Formate dehydrogenase (FDH), which catalyzes the production or degradation of formate, has acquired considerable attention. Among FDHs, a metal-dependent FDH that carries a complex active center, molybdenum-pterin cofactor, can directly transfer electrons from formate to other redox proteins without generating NAD(P)H. Previously, we reported an expression system for membrane-bound metal-dependent FDH from E. coli (encoded by the fdoG-fdoH-fdoI operon) and succeeded in its conversion to a soluble protein. However, this protein exhibited a too low stability to be purified and analyzed biochemically. In this study, we tried to improve the stability of heterologously expressed FDH through rational and irrational approaches. As a result, a mutant with the highest specific activity was obtained through a rational approach. This study not only yielded a promising FDH enzyme with enhanced activity and stability for industrial applications, but also offered relevant insights for the handling of recombinant large proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rintaro Fuji
- Department of Bioscience and Food Production Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University
| | - Koji Umezawa
- Department of Bioscience and Food Production Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University.,Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University
| | - Manami Mizuguchi
- Department of Bioscience and Food Production Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University
| | - Masaki Ihara
- Department of Bioscience and Food Production Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University.,Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University
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10
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Cawood EE, Karamanos TK, Wilson AJ, Radford SE. Visualizing and trapping transient oligomers in amyloid assembly pathways. Biophys Chem 2020; 268:106505. [PMID: 33220582 PMCID: PMC8188297 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oligomers which form during amyloid fibril assembly are considered to be key contributors towards amyloid disease. However, understanding how such intermediates form, their structure, and mechanisms of toxicity presents significant challenges due to their transient and heterogeneous nature. Here, we discuss two different strategies for addressing these challenges: use of (1) methods capable of detecting lowly-populated species within complex mixtures, such as NMR, single particle methods (including fluorescence and force spectroscopy), and mass spectrometry; and (2) chemical and biological tools to bias the amyloid energy landscape towards specific oligomeric states. While the former methods are well suited to following the kinetics of amyloid assembly and obtaining low-resolution structural information, the latter are capable of producing oligomer samples for high-resolution structural studies and inferring structure-toxicity relationships. Together, these different approaches should enable a clearer picture to be gained of the nature and role of oligomeric intermediates in amyloid formation and disease. Methods to study structure, toxicity, and kinetics of transient amyloid oligomers. NMR and single particle methods can characterize lowly-populated oligomers. Chemical tools/antibodies stabilize oligomers for structural and toxicity studies A combination of methods is needed to fully characterize amyloid assembly pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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11
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Parker MM, Ticau S, Butler J, Erbe D, Merkel M, Aldinc E, Hinkle G, Nioi P. Transthyretin-stabilising mutation T119M is not associated with protection against vascular disease or death in the UK Biobank. Amyloid 2020; 27:184-190. [PMID: 32425064 DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2020.1758658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Background: Destabilised transthyretin (TTR) can result in the progressive, fatal disease transthyretin-mediated (ATTR) amyloidosis. A stabilising TTR mutation, T119M, is the basis for a therapeutic strategy to reduce destabilised TTR. Recently, T119M was associated with extended lifespan and lower risk of cerebrovascular disease in a Danish cohort. We aimed to determine whether this finding could be replicated in the UK Biobank.Methods: TTR T119M carriers were identified in the UK Biobank, a large prospective cohort of ∼500,000 individuals. Association between T119M genotype and inpatient diagnosis of vascular disease, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and mortality was analysed.Results: Frequency of T119M within the white UK Biobank population (n = 337,148) was 0.4%. Logistic regression comparing T119M carriers to non-carriers found no association between T119M and vascular disease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08; p = .27), cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.08; p = .31), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.1; p = .42), or death (OR = 1.2; p = .06). Cox proportional hazards regression showed similar results (hazard ratio >1, p>.05). Age at death and vascular disease diagnosis were similar between T119M carriers and non-carriers (p = .12 and p = .38, respectively).Conclusions: There was no association between the TTR T119M genotype and risk of vascular disease or death in a large prospective cohort study, indicating that TTR tetramer stabilisation through T119M is not protective in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David Erbe
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Paul Nioi
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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Pinheiro F, Varejão N, Esperante S, Santos J, Velázquez-Campoy A, Reverter D, Pallarès I, Ventura S. Tolcapone, a potent aggregation inhibitor for the treatment of familial leptomeningeal amyloidosis. FEBS J 2020; 288:310-324. [PMID: 32324953 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a disease characterized by the extracellular deposition of transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibrils. Highly destabilizing TTR mutations cause leptomeningeal amyloidosis, a rare, but fatal, disorder in which TTR aggregates in the brain. The disease remains intractable, since liver transplantation, the reference therapy for systemic ATTR, does not stop mutant TTR production in the brain. In addition, despite current pharmacological strategies have shown to be effective against in vivo TTR aggregation by stabilizing the tetramer native structure and precluding its dissociation, they display low brain permeability. Recently, we have repurposed tolcapone as a molecule to treat systemic ATTR. Crystal structures and biophysical analysis converge to demonstrate that tolcapone binds with high affinity and specificity to three unstable leptomeningeal TTR variants, stabilizing them and, consequently, inhibiting their aggregation. Because tolcapone is an FDA-approved drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier, our results suggest that it can translate into a first disease-modifying therapy for leptomeningeal amyloidosis. DATABASES: PDB codes for A25T-TTR, V30G-TTR, and Y114C-TTR bound to tolcapone are 6TXV, 6TXW, and 6XTK, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Pinheiro
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathalia Varejão
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jaime Santos
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrián Velázquez-Campoy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.,Aragon Institute for Health Research, Zaragoza, Spain.,Biomedical Research Network Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd), Madrid, Spain.,ARAID Foundation, Gobierno de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - David Reverter
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irantzu Pallarès
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Computational prediction and redesign of aberrant protein oligomerization. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 169:43-83. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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14
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Eze FN, Ingkaninan K, Prapunpoj P. Transthyretin Anti-Amyloidogenic and Fibril Disrupting Activities of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst (Brahmi) Extract. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9120845. [PMID: 31835306 PMCID: PMC6995577 DOI: 10.3390/biom9120845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The homotetrameric plasma protein transthyretin (TTR), is responsible for a series of debilitating and often fatal disorders in humans known as transthyretin amyloidosis. Currently, there is no cure for TTR amyloidosis and treatment options are rare. Thus, the identification and development of effective and safe therapeutic agents remain a research imperative. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Bacopa monnieri extract (BME) in the modulation of TTR amyloidogenesis and disruption of preformed fibrils. Using aggregation assays and transmission electron microscopy, it was found that BME abrogated the formation of human TTR aggregates and mature fibrils but did not dis-aggregate pre-formed fibrils. Through acid-mediated and urea-mediated denaturation assays, it was revealed that BME mitigated the dissociation of folded human TTR and L55P TTR into monomers. ANS binding and glutaraldehyde cross-linking assays showed that BME binds at the thyroxine-binding site and possibly enhanced the quaternary structural stability of native TTR. Together, our results suggest that BME bioactives prevented the formation of TTR fibrils by attenuating the disassembly of tetramers into monomers. These findings open up the possibility of further exploration of BME as a potential resource of valuable anti-TTR amyloidosis therapeutic ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrick Nwude Eze
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand;
| | - Kornkanok Ingkaninan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand;
| | - Porntip Prapunpoj
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-74-288-275
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15
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Sharma M, Khan S, Rahman S, Singh LR. The Extracellular Protein, Transthyretin Is an Oxidative Stress Biomarker. Front Physiol 2019; 10:5. [PMID: 30733681 PMCID: PMC6353848 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular protein, transthyretin is responsible for the transport of thyroxin and retinol binding protein complex to the various parts of the body. In addition to this transport function, transthyretin has also been involved in cardiovascular malfunctions, polyneuropathy, psychological disorders, obesity and diabetes, etc. Recent developments have evidenced that transthyretin has been associated with many other biological functions that are directly or indirectly associated with the oxidative stress, the common hallmark for many human diseases. In this review, we have attempted to address that transthyretin is associated with oxidative stress and could be an important biomarker. Potential future perspectives have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meesha Sharma
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Sheeza Khan
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Safikur Rahman
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
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16
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Gomes JR, Sárkány Z, Teixeira A, Nogueira R, Cabrito I, Soares H, Wittelsberger A, Stortelers C, Macedo-Ribeiro S, Vanlandschoot P, Saraiva MJ. Anti-TTR Nanobodies Allow the Identification of TTR Neuritogenic Epitope Associated with TTR-Megalin Neurotrophic Activities. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:704-715. [PMID: 30346709 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) has intrinsic neurotrophic physiological activities independent from its thyroxine ligands, which involve activation of signaling pathways through interaction with megalin. Still, the megalin binding motif on TTR is unknown. Nanobodies (Nb) have the ability to bind "hard to reach" epitopes being useful tools for protein/structure function. In this work, we characterize two anti-TTR Nanobodies, with similar mouse TTR binding affinities, although only one is able to block its neuritogenic activity (169F7_Nb). Through epitope mapping, we identified amino acids 14-18, at the entrance of the TTR central channel, to be important for interaction with megalin, and a stable TTR K15N mutant in that region was constructed. The TTR K15N mutant lacks neuritogenic activity, indicating that K15 is critical for TTR neuritogenic activity. Thus, we identify the putative binding site for megalin and describe two Nanobodies that will allow research and clarification of TTR physiological properties, regarding its neurotrophic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- João R. Gomes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Molecular Neurobiology, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Zsuzsa Sárkány
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Biomolecular Structure & Function, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Anabela Teixeira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Molecular Neurobiology, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Renata Nogueira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Molecular Neurobiology, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Biomolecular Structure & Function, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | | | - Maria J. Saraiva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
- Molecular Neurobiology, IBMC- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
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