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Heid LF, Agerschou ED, Orr AA, Kupreichyk T, Schneider W, Wördehoff MM, Schwarten M, Willbold D, Tamamis P, Stoldt M, Hoyer W. Sequence-based identification of amyloidogenic β-hairpins reveals a prostatic acid phosphatase fragment promoting semen amyloid formation. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:417-430. [PMID: 38223341 PMCID: PMC10787225 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
β-Structure-rich amyloid fibrils are hallmarks of several diseases, including Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). While amyloid fibrils typically consist of parallel β-sheets, the anti-parallel β-hairpin is a structural motif accessible to amyloidogenic proteins in their monomeric and oligomeric states. Here, to investigate implications of β-hairpins in amyloid formation, potential β-hairpin-forming amyloidogenic segments in the human proteome were predicted based on sequence similarity with β-hairpins previously observed in Aβ, α-synuclein, and islet amyloid polypeptide, amyloidogenic proteins associated with AD, PD, and T2D, respectively. These three β-hairpins, established upon binding to the engineered binding protein β-wrapin AS10, are characterized by proximity of two sequence segments rich in hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids, with high β-aggregation scores according to the TANGO algorithm. Using these criteria, 2505 potential β-hairpin-forming amyloidogenic segments in 2098 human proteins were identified. Characterization of a test set of eight protein segments showed that seven assembled into Thioflavin T-positive aggregates and four formed β-hairpins in complex with AS10 according to NMR. One of those is a segment of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) comprising amino acids 185-208. PAP is naturally cleaved into fragments, including PAP(248-286) which forms functional amyloid in semen. We find that PAP(185-208) strongly decreases the protein concentrations required for fibril formation of PAP(248-286) and of another semen amyloid peptide, SEM1(86-107), indicating that it promotes nucleation of semen amyloids. In conclusion, β-hairpin-forming amyloidogenic protein segments could be identified in the human proteome with potential roles in functional or disease-related amyloid formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia F. Heid
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Emil Dandanell Agerschou
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Asuka A. Orr
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, United States
| | - Tatsiana Kupreichyk
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Walfried Schneider
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael M. Wördehoff
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Melanie Schwarten
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3033, United States
| | - Matthias Stoldt
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hoyer
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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Tan S, Li W, Yang C, Zhan Q, Lu K, Liu J, Jin YM, Bai JS, Wang L, Li J, Li Z, Yu F, Li YY, Duan YX, Lu L, Zhang T, Wei J, Li L, Zheng YT, Jiang S, Liu S. gp120-derived amyloidogenic peptides form amyloid fibrils that increase HIV-1 infectivity. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:479-494. [PMID: 38443447 PMCID: PMC11061181 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-024-01144-y] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Apart from mediating viral entry, the function of the free HIV-1 envelope protein (gp120) has yet to be elucidated. Our group previously showed that EP2 derived from one β-strand in gp120 can form amyloid fibrils that increase HIV-1 infectivity. Importantly, gp120 contains ~30 β-strands. We examined whether gp120 might serve as a precursor protein for the proteolytic release of amyloidogenic fragments that form amyloid fibrils, thereby promoting viral infection. Peptide array scanning, enzyme degradation assays, and viral infection experiments in vitro confirmed that many β-stranded peptides derived from gp120 can indeed form amyloid fibrils that increase HIV-1 infectivity. These gp120-derived amyloidogenic peptides, or GAPs, which were confirmed to form amyloid fibrils, were termed gp120-derived enhancers of viral infection (GEVIs). GEVIs specifically capture HIV-1 virions and promote their attachment to target cells, thereby increasing HIV-1 infectivity. Different GAPs can cross-interact to form heterogeneous fibrils that retain the ability to increase HIV-1 infectivity. GEVIs even suppressed the antiviral activity of a panel of antiretroviral agents. Notably, endogenous GAPs and GEVIs were found in the lymphatic fluid, lymph nodes, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AIDS patients in vivo. Overall, gp120-derived amyloid fibrils might play a crucial role in the process of HIV-1 infectivity and thus represent novel targets for anti-HIV therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suiyi Tan
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Wenjuan Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Chan Yang
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Qingping Zhan
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Kunyu Lu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third People's Hospital of Kunming, Kunming, 650041, China
| | - Yong-Mei Jin
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third People's Hospital of Kunming, Kunming, 650041, China
| | - Jin-Song Bai
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third People's Hospital of Kunming, Kunming, 650041, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The Third People's Hospital of Kunming, Kunming, 650041, China
| | - Jinqing Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Zhaofeng Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Analysis and Control of Zoonotic Pathogenic Microorganism, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Yu-Ye Li
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, China
| | - Yue-Xun Duan
- Yunnan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Kunming, 650301, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/AIDS Research, Clinical and Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Jiaqi Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/AIDS Research, Clinical and Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Lin Li
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yong-Tang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Shuwen Liu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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von Maltitz P, Wettstein L, Weil T, Schommers P, Klein F, Münch J. Semen enhances transmitted/founder HIV-1 infection and only marginally reduces antiviral activity of broadly neutralizing antibodies. J Virol 2024; 98:e0119023. [PMID: 38501840 PMCID: PMC11019787 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01190-23] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Topically applied microbicides may play a critical role in preventing sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); however, their efficacy can be compromised by amyloid fibrils present in semen, which significantly increase HIV-1 infectivity. This phenomenon may have contributed to the failure of most microbicide candidates in clinical settings. Understanding the impact of semen on microbicide effectiveness is thus crucial. In our study, we evaluated the influence of semen on the neutralizing activity of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), including PG16, PGT121, 10-1074, 3BNC117, and VRC01, which are potential microbicide candidates. We found that semen enhances infection of HIV-1 transmitted/founder viruses but only marginally affects the neutralizing activity of tested antibodies, suggesting their potential for microbicide application. Our findings underscore the need to consider semen-mediated enhancement when evaluating and developing microbicides and highlight the potential of incorporating HIV-1 bNAbs in formulations to enhance efficacy and mitigate HIV-1 transmission during sexual encounters.IMPORTANCEThis study examined the impact of semen on the development of microbicides, substances used to prevent the transmission of HIV-1 during sexual activity. Semen contains certain components that can render the virus more infectious, posing a challenge to microbicide effectiveness. Researchers specifically investigated the effect of semen on a group of powerful antibodies called broadly neutralizing antibodies, which can neutralize a large spectrum of different HIV-1 variants. The results revealed that semen only had a minimal effect on the antibodies' ability to neutralize the virus. This is promising because it suggests that these antibodies could still be effective in microbicides, even in the presence of semen. Understanding this interaction is crucial for developing better strategies to prevent HIV-1 transmission. By incorporating the knowledge gained from this study, scientists can now focus on creating microbicides that consider the impact of semen, bringing us closer to more effective prevention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal von Maltitz
- Institute of Molecular Virology, University Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lukas Wettstein
- Institute of Molecular Virology, University Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tatjana Weil
- Institute of Molecular Virology, University Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Philipp Schommers
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, University Ulm Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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Mirza Agha M, Tavili E, Dabirmanesh B. Functional amyloids. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 206:389-434. [PMID: 38811086 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
While amyloid has traditionally been viewed as a harmful formation, emerging evidence suggests that amyloids may also play a functional role in cell biology, contributing to normal physiological processes that have been conserved throughout evolution. Functional amyloids have been discovered in several creatures, spanning from bacteria to mammals. These amyloids serve a multitude of purposes, including but not limited to, forming biofilms, melanin synthesis, storage, information transfer, and memory. The functional role of amyloids has been consistently validated by the discovery of more functional amyloids, indicating a conceptual convergence. The biology of amyloids is well-represented by non-pathogenic amyloids, given the numerous ones already identified and the ongoing rate of new discoveries. In this chapter, functional amyloids in microorganisms, animals, and plants are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoureh Mirza Agha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elaheh Tavili
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahareh Dabirmanesh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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5
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Shahpasand-Kroner H, Siddique I, Malik R, Linares GR, Ivanova MI, Ichida J, Weil T, Münch J, Sanchez-Garcia E, Klärner FG, Schrader T, Bitan G. Molecular Tweezers: Supramolecular Hosts with Broad-Spectrum Biological Applications. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:263-308. [PMID: 36549866 PMCID: PMC9976797 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysine-selective molecular tweezers (MTs) are supramolecular host molecules displaying a remarkably broad spectrum of biologic activities. MTs act as inhibitors of the self-assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins using a unique mechanism. They destroy viral membranes and inhibit infection by enveloped viruses, such as HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, by mechanisms unrelated to their action on protein self-assembly. They also disrupt biofilm of Gram-positive bacteria. The efficacy and safety of MTs have been demonstrated in vitro, in cell culture, and in vivo, suggesting that these versatile compounds are attractive therapeutic candidates for various diseases, infections, and injuries. A lead compound called CLR01 has been shown to inhibit the aggregation of various amyloidogenic proteins, facilitate their clearance in vivo, prevent infection by multiple viruses, display potent anti-biofilm activity, and have a high safety margin in animal models. The inhibitory effect of CLR01 against amyloidogenic proteins is highly specific to abnormal self-assembly of amyloidogenic proteins with no disruption of normal mammalian biologic processes at the doses needed for inhibition. Therapeutic effects of CLR01 have been demonstrated in animal models of proteinopathies, lysosomal-storage diseases, and spinal-cord injury. Here we review the activity and mechanisms of action of these intriguing compounds and discuss future research directions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Molecular tweezers are supramolecular host molecules with broad biological applications, including inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation, facilitation of lysosomal clearance of toxic aggregates, disruption of viral membranes, and interference of biofilm formation by Gram-positive bacteria. This review discusses the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of the molecular tweezers, including the discovery of distinct mechanisms acting in vitro and in vivo, and the application of these compounds in multiple preclinical disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Shahpasand-Kroner
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ibrar Siddique
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ravinder Malik
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Gabriel R Linares
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Magdalena I Ivanova
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Justin Ichida
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Tatjana Weil
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Elsa Sanchez-Garcia
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Frank-Gerrit Klärner
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schrader
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Gal Bitan
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine (H.S.-K., I.S., R.M., G.B.), Brain Research Institute (G.B.), and Molecular Biology Institute (G.B.), University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (G.R.L., J.I.); Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.I.I.); Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany (T.W., J.M.); and Department of Computational Biochemistry (E.S.-G.) and Faculty of Chemistry (F-G.K., T.S.), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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6
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Conformational ensemble of amyloid-forming semenogelin 1 peptide SEM1(68-107) by NMR spectroscopy and MD simulations. J Struct Biol 2022; 214:107900. [PMID: 36191746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2022.107900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
SEM1(68-107) is a peptide corresponding to the region of semenogelin 1 protein from 68 to 107 amino acid position. SEM1(68-107) is an abundant component of semen, which participates in HIV infection enhanced by amyloid fibrils forming. To understand the causes influencing amyloid fibril formation, it is necessary to determine the spatial structure of SEM1(68-107). It was shown that the determination of SEM1(68-107) structure is complicated by the non-informative NMR spectra due to the high intramolecular mobility of peptides. The complementary approach based on the geometric restrictions of individual peptide fragments and molecular modeling was used for the determination of the spatial structure of SEM1(68-107). The N- (SEM1(68-85)) and C-terminuses (SEM1(86-107)) of SEM1(68-107) were chosen as two individual peptide fragments. SEM1(68-85) and SEM1(86-107) structures were established with NMR and circular dichroism CD spectroscopies. These regions were used as geometric restraints for the SEM1(68-107) structure modeling. Even though most of the SEM1(68-107) peptide is unstructured, our detailed analysis revealed the following structured elements: N-terminus (70His-84Gln) forms an α-helix, (86Asp-94Thr) and (101Gly-103Ser) regions fold into 310-helixes. The absence of a SEM1(68-107) rigid conformation leads to instability of these secondary structure regions. The calculated SEM1(68-107) structure is in good agreement with experimental values of hydrodynamic radius and dihedral angles obtained by NMR spectroscopy. This testifies the adequacy of a combined approach based on the use of peptide fragment structures for the molecular modeling formation of full-size peptide spatial structure.
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The Extracellular Molecular Chaperone Clusterin Inhibits Amyloid Fibril Formation and Suppresses Cytotoxicity Associated with Semen-Derived Enhancer of Virus Infection (SEVI). Cells 2022; 11:cells11203259. [PMID: 36291126 PMCID: PMC9600718 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clusterin is a glycoprotein present at high concentrations in many extracellular fluids, including semen. Its increased expression accompanies disorders associated with extracellular amyloid fibril accumulation such as Alzheimer’s disease. Clusterin is an extracellular molecular chaperone which prevents the misfolding and amorphous and amyloid fibrillar aggregation of a wide variety of unfolding proteins. In semen, amyloid fibrils formed from a 39-amino acid fragment of prostatic acid phosphatase, termed Semen-derived Enhancer of Virus Infection (SEVI), potentiate HIV infectivity. In this study, clusterin potently inhibited the in vitro formation of SEVI fibrils, along with dissociating them. Furthermore, clusterin reduced the toxicity of SEVI to pheochromocytoma-12 cells. In semen, clusterin may play an important role in preventing SEVI amyloid fibril formation, in dissociating SEVI fibrils and in mitigating their enhancement of HIV infection.
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Tang Y, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Miller Y, Gong K, Zheng J. Cross-seeding between Aβ and SEVI indicates a pathogenic link and gender difference between alzheimer diseases and AIDS. Commun Biol 2022; 5:417. [PMID: 35513705 PMCID: PMC9072343 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03343-7] [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: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) and semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI) are considered as the two causative proteins for central pathogenic cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and HIV/AIDS, respectively. Separately, Aβ-AD and SEVI-HIV/AIDS systems have been studied extensively both in fundamental research and in clinical trials. Despite significant differences between Aβ-AD and SEVI-HIV/AIDS systems, they share some commonalities on amyloid and antimicrobial characteristics between Aβ and SEVI, there are apparent overlaps in dysfunctional neurological symptoms between AD and HIV/AIDS. Few studies have reported a potential pathological link between Aβ-AD and SEVI-HIV/AIDS at a protein level. Here, we demonstrate the cross-seeding interactions between Aβ and SEVI proteins using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Cross-seeding of SEVI with Aβ enabled to completely prevent Aβ aggregation at sub-stoichiometric concentrations, disaggregate preformed Aβ fibrils, reduce Aβ-induced cell toxicity, and attenuate Aβ-accumulated paralysis in transgenic AD C. elegans. This work describes a potential crosstalk between AD and HIV/AIDS via the cross-seeding between Aβ and SEVI, identifies SEVI as Aβ inhibitor for possible treatment or prevention of AD, and explains the role of SEVI in the gender difference in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Tang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH, USA
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH, USA
| | - Yanxian Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH, USA
| | - Yonglan Liu
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH, USA
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion, University of the Negev, 84105, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Keven Gong
- Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, 44236, OH, USA
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH, USA.
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Vickram S, Rohini K, Anbarasu K, Dey N, Jeyanthi P, Thanigaivel S, Issac PK, Arockiaraj J. Semenogelin, a coagulum macromolecule monitoring factor involved in the first step of fertilization: A prospective review. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 209:951-962. [PMID: 35447263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Human male infertility affects approximately 1/10 couples worldwide, and its prevalence is found more in developed countries. Along with sperm cells, the secretions of the prostate, seminal vesicle and epididymis plays a major role in proper fertilization. Many studies have proven the functions of seminal vesicle secretions, especially semenogelin protein, as an optimiser for fertilization. Semenogelin provides the structural components for coagulum formation after ejaculation. It binds with eppin and is found to have major functions like motility of sperm, transporting the sperm safely in the immune rich female reproductive tract until the sperm cells reach the egg intact. The capacitation process is essential for proper fertilization and semenogelin involved in mediating capacitation in time. Also, it has control of events towards the first step in the fertilization process. It is a Zn ions binding protein, and Zn ions act as a cofactor that helps in the proper motility of sperm cells. Therefore, any imbalance in protein that automatically affect sperm physiology and fertility status. This review sheds a comprehensive and critical view on the significant functions of semenogelin in fertilization. This review can open up advanced proteomics research on semenogelin towards unravelling molecular mechanisms in fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sundaram Vickram
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Karunakaran Rohini
- Unit of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Semeling, Bedong 08100, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Krishnan Anbarasu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nibedita Dey
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Palanivelu Jeyanthi
- Department of Biotechnology, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600 062, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sundaram Thanigaivel
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Issac
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603 203 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Gao G, Zhang T, Zhang W, Luo Z, Zhang Z, Gu Z, Yu L, Mu Q, Sun T. High efficiency and related mechanism of Au(RC) nanoclusters on disaggregating Aβ fibrils. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 621:67-76. [PMID: 35452930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.04.085] [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: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Revealing the disaggregating mechanism of amyloids fibrils under nanomaterials action is a key issue for their successful future use in therapy of neurodegenerative and overall amyloid-related diseases. Herein a gold nanocluster stabilized by Arg-Cys dipeptide (Au(RC)NCs) was synthesized to investigate its disaggregation activity toward Aβ fibrils by using Thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy. It was demonstrated that Au(RC)NCs is very effective in disaggregating preformed Aβ fibrils, and characterized by the ultra-low apparent completely disaggregation concentration at the dose of 10 μg·mL-1. A possible disaggregation mechanism based on Au(RC)NCs triggering the disassembly of Aβ fibrils into a dynamic equilibrium was proposed. The introduction of Au(RC)NCs with appropriate dose (5 μg·mL-1) can trigger the disassemble process of mature Aβ fibrils into a critical state, at this very moment, if there is no more nano-disassembler, destruction of old Aβ fibrils and formation of new Aβ fibrils are thus in permanent dynamic equilibrium; in contrast, if there is more nano-disassembler (>10 μg·mL-1), the dynamic equilibrium prefer to shift to the direction of Aβ further disassembly. Moreover, Au(RC)NCs with dosage over 10 μg·mL-1 exhibited superb protection effect against Aβ-induced cytotoxicity in cell experiments. This study not only proposed a possible disassembly mechanism of amyloids fibrils under nanomaterials action, but also provide Au(RC)NCs as a promising high-effective nano-disassembler to disassemble unwanted amyloid aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanbin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wenkang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhuoying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zijun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhenhua Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Liangchong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qinxue Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Taolei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
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11
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Spatial structure of the fibril-forming SEM1(86–107) peptide in a complex with dodecylphosphocholine micelles. Russ Chem Bull 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11172-021-3362-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Tang Y, Zhang D, Gong X, Zheng J. Repurposing of intestinal defensins as multi-target, dual-function amyloid inhibitors via cross-seeding. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7143-7156. [PMID: 35799805 PMCID: PMC9214849 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01447e] [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: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid formation and microbial infection are the two common pathological causes of neurogenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), type II diabetes (T2D), and medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). While significant efforts have been made to develop different prevention strategies and preclinical hits for these diseases, conventional design strategies of amyloid inhibitors are mostly limited to either a single prevention mechanism (amyloid cascade vs. microbial infection) or a single amyloid protein (Aβ, hIAPP, or hCT), which has prevented the launch of any successful drug on the market. Here, we propose and demonstrate a new “anti-amyloid and anti-bacteria” strategy to repurpose two intestinal defensins, human α-defensin 6 (HD-6) and human β-defensin 1 (HBD-1), as multiple-target, dual-function, amyloid inhibitors. Both HD-6 and HBD-1 can cross-seed with three amyloid peptides, Aβ (associated with AD), hIAPP (associated with T2D), and hCT (associated with MTC), to prevent their aggregation towards amyloid fibrils from monomers and oligomers, rescue SH-SY5Y and RIN-m5F cells from amyloid-induced cytotoxicity, and retain their original antimicrobial activity against four common bacterial strains at sub-stoichiometric concentrations. Such sequence-independent anti-amyloid and anti-bacterial functions of intestinal defensins mainly stem from their cross-interactions with amyloid proteins through amyloid-like mimicry of β-sheet associations. In a broader view, this work provides a new out-of-the-box thinking to search and repurpose a huge source of antimicrobial peptides as amyloid inhibitors, allowing the blocking of the two interlinked pathological pathways and bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and intestines via the gut–brain axis associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Amyloid formation and microbial infection are the two common pathological causes of neurogenerative diseases. Here, we proposed a new “anti-amyloid and anti-bacteria” strategy to repurpose two intestinal defensins as multiple-target, dual-function amyloid inhibitors.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Tang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiong Gong
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA
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Mohapatra S, Viswanathan GKK, Wettstein L, Arad E, Paul A, Kumar V, Jelinek R, Münch J, Segal D. Dual concentration-dependent effect of ascorbic acid on PAP(248-286) amyloid formation and SEVI-mediated HIV infection. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1534-1545. [PMID: 34704058 PMCID: PMC8496042 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00084e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human semen contains various amyloidogenic peptides derived from Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) and Semenogelin proteins that are capable of enhancing HIV-1 infection when assembled into fibrils. The best characterized among them is a 39 amino acid peptide PAP(248–286), which forms amyloid fibrils termed SEVI (semen-derived enhancer of viral infection) that increase the infectivity of HIV-1 by orders of magnitude. Inhibiting amyloid formation by PAP(248–286) may mitigate the sexual transmission of HIV-1. Several vitamins have been shown to reduce the aggregation of amyloids such as Aβ, α-Synuclein, and Tau, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Since ascorbic acid (AA, vitamin C) is the most abundant vitamin in semen with average concentrations of 0.4 mM, we here examined how AA affects PAP(248–286) aggregation in vitro. Using ThT binding assays, transmission electron microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy, a dual and concentration-dependent behavior of AA in modulating PAP(248–286) fibril formation was observed. We found that low molar ratios of AA:PAP(248–286) promoted whereas high molar ratios inhibited PAP(248–286) fibril formation. Accordingly, PAP(248–286) aggregated in the presence of low amounts of AA enhanced HIV-1 infection, whereas excess amounts of AA during aggregation reduced the infectivity enhancing effect in cell culture. Collectively, this work provides a biophysical insight into the effect of AA, an important seminal component, on SEVI fibrillation which might impact amyloid formation kinetics, thereby modulating the biological activity of semen amyloids. Human semen contains various amyloidogenic peptides derived from Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) and Semenogelin proteins that are capable of enhancing HIV-1 infection when assembled into fibrils.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Satabdee Mohapatra
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Guru Krishna Kumar Viswanathan
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Lukas Wettstein
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center Ulm 89081 Germany
| | - Elad Arad
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev Beer Sheva 8410501 Israel
| | - Ashim Paul
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Raz Jelinek
- Department of Chemistry and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev Beer Sheva 8410501 Israel
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center Ulm 89081 Germany
| | - Daniel Segal
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
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Weitzel M, North BB, Waller D. Development of multipurpose technologies products for pregnancy and STI prevention: update on polyphenylene carboxymethylene MPT gel development†. Biol Reprod 2021; 103:299-309. [PMID: 32469052 PMCID: PMC7401404 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Current modern contraceptives rely heavily on the use of hormones. These birth control drug products, including pills, patches, injections, and IUDS, have been extremely beneficial to millions of women and their families over the past 50 years. But a surprisingly high number of women abandon such modern methods, many because they cannot tolerate the side effects and others because they have medical issues for which hormonal methods are contraindicated. In addition, modern hormonal methods are simply not available to many women. The extent of this problem is steadily becoming more apparent. We present the case for developing simple nonhormonal vaginal products that women can use when needed, ideal products that are multipurpose and offer both contraception and sexually transmitted disease protection. Gel-based vaginal products are particularly well suited for this purpose. Gels are easy to use, highly acceptable to many women, and can be safely formulated to enhance natural vaginal defenses against infection. However, the development of a new chemical entity for this application faces significant technical and regulatory hurdles. These challenges and our solutions are described for polyphenylene carboxymethylene (PPCM), a novel topical drug in a vaginal gel nearing human clinical trials. We have advanced PPCM from benchtop to IND-enabling studies and provide a brief description of the complex development process. We also describe a simple lab assay which can be used as a biomarker for contraceptive activity to enable pharmacodynamic studies in vaginal contraceptive development, both preclinically and in early human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donald Waller
- Yaso Therapeutics Inc, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.,College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
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15
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North BB, Weitzel MB, Waller DP, Birch WX, Feathergill KA, Birch LA, De Jonge CJ, Prins GS. Evaluation of the novel vaginal contraceptive agent PPCM in preclinical studies using sperm hyaluronan binding and acrosome status assays. Andrology 2021; 10:367-376. [PMID: 34542939 PMCID: PMC8760152 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Polyphenylene carboxymethylene (PPCM) sodium salt is a promising multipurpose technology for prevention of both sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy. In preclinical studies, PPCM has demonstrated significant (1) antimicrobial activity against several important viral and bacterial pathogens and (2) contraceptive activity associated with premature acrosome loss. Objective To further evaluate a vaginal antimicrobial compound as a contraceptive agent in preclinical studies utilizing a repurposed hyaluronan binding assay (HBA). Materials and methods Semen samples containing either neat semen or washed spermatozoa were treated with increasing concentrations of PPCM or calcium ionophore A23187 (positive control). Sperm inactivation was measured by two methods: (1) double acrosome staining (AS), and (2) a hyaluronan binding assay (HBA®). Percentage of inactivated sperm was compared between untreated control sperm and those treated with PPCM or A23187. Results PPCM had a significant (p < 0.05) and dose‐dependent effect on sperm inactivation in both assays, with HBA detecting a higher proportion of inactivated sperm than AS. PPCM did not affect sperm motility and exhibited equivalent responses in the neat and washed samples. Discussion Both HBA and AS confirmed that spermatozoa were rapidly inactivated at PPCM concentrations likely present in the vagina under actual use conditions and in a time‐frame comparable to in vivo migration of spermatozoa out of seminal plasma into cervical mucus. Conclusion PPCM vaginal gel may provide contraceptive protection as well as help with STI prevention. HBA may be a sensitive and much needed biomarker for sperm activity in future contraceptive development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donald P Waller
- Yaso Therapeutics Inc., Frisco, Texas, USA.,College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - William X Birch
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Lynn A Birch
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher J De Jonge
- Department of Urology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gail S Prins
- Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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16
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Cafe SL, Nixon B, Ecroyd H, Martin JH, Skerrett-Byrne DA, Bromfield EG. Proteostasis in the Male and Female Germline: A New Outlook on the Maintenance of Reproductive Health. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:660626. [PMID: 33937261 PMCID: PMC8085359 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.660626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
For fully differentiated, long lived cells the maintenance of protein homeostasis (proteostasis) becomes a crucial determinant of cellular function and viability. Neurons are the most well-known example of this phenomenon where the majority of these cells must survive the entire course of life. However, male and female germ cells are also uniquely dependent on the maintenance of proteostasis to achieve successful fertilization. Oocytes, also long-lived cells, are subjected to prolonged periods of arrest and are largely reliant on the translation of stored mRNAs, accumulated during the growth period, to support meiotic maturation and subsequent embryogenesis. Conversely, sperm cells, while relatively ephemeral, are completely reliant on proteostasis due to the absence of both transcription and translation. Despite these remarkable, cell-specific features there has been little focus on understanding protein homeostasis in reproductive cells and how/whether proteostasis is "reset" during embryogenesis. Here, we seek to capture the momentum of this growing field by highlighting novel findings regarding germline proteostasis and how this knowledge can be used to promote reproductive health. In this review we capture proteostasis in the context of both somatic cell and germline aging and discuss the influence of oxidative stress on protein function. In particular, we highlight the contributions of proteostasis changes to oocyte aging and encourage a focus in this area that may complement the extensive analyses of DNA damage and aneuploidy that have long occupied the oocyte aging field. Moreover, we discuss the influence of common non-enzymatic protein modifications on the stability of proteins in the male germline, how these changes affect sperm function, and how they may be prevented to preserve fertility. Through this review we aim to bring to light a new trajectory for our field and highlight the potential to harness the germ cell's natural proteostasis mechanisms to improve reproductive health. This manuscript will be of interest to those in the fields of proteostasis, aging, male and female gamete reproductive biology, embryogenesis, and life course health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenae L. Cafe
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Brett Nixon
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Heath Ecroyd
- Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jacinta H. Martin
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David A. Skerrett-Byrne
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Elizabeth G. Bromfield
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Schütz D, Read C, Groß R, Röcker A, Rode S, Annamalai K, Fändrich M, Münch J. Negatively Charged Peptide Nanofibrils from Immunoglobulin Light Chain Sequester Viral Particles but Lack Cell-Binding and Viral Transduction-Enhancing Properties. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:7731-7738. [PMID: 33778283 PMCID: PMC7992169 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Positively charged naturally occurring or engineered peptide nanofibrils (PNF) are effective enhancers of lentiviral and retroviral transduction, an often rate-limiting step in gene transfer and gene therapy approaches. These polycationic PNF are thought to bridge the electrostatic repulsions between negatively charged membranes of virions and cells, thereby enhancing virion attachment to and infection of target cells. Here, we analyzed PNF, which are formed by the peptide AL1, that represents a fragment of an immunoglobulin light chain that causes systemic AL amyloidosis. We found that negatively charged AL1 PNF interact with viral particles to a comparable extent as positively charged PNF. However, AL1 PNF lacked cell-binding activity, and consequently, did not enhance retroviral infection. These findings show that virion capture and cell binding of PNF are mediated by different mechanisms, offering avenues for the design of advanced PNF with selective functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree Schütz
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Clarissa Read
- Central
Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Groß
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Annika Röcker
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sascha Rode
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Marcus Fändrich
- Institute
of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- Core
Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- . Phone: +49 731 500 65154
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18
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Belwal VK, Chaudhary N. Amyloids and their untapped potential as hydrogelators. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:10013-10028. [PMID: 33146652 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01578d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are cross-β-sheet-rich fibrous aggregates. They were originally identified as disease-associated protein/peptide deposits. The cross-β motif was consequently labelled as an alien and pathogenic fold. Subsequent research revealed that the fibrillar aggregates were benign, and the cytotoxicity in the amyloid diseases was attributed to the pre-fibrillar structures. Research in the past two decades has identified the native functional amyloids in organisms ranging from bacteria to human. The amyloid-like fibrils, therefore, are not necessarily pathogenic, and the cross-β motif is very much native. This premise makes way for the amyloids to be used as biocompatible materials. Many naturally occurring amyloidogenic proteins/peptides or their fragments have been reported in the literature to form hydrogels. Hydrogels constitute one of the most interesting classes of soft materials that find application in diverse fields such as environmental, electronic, and biomedical engineering. Applications of hydrogels in medicine are particularly extensive. Among various classes of peptides that form hydrogels, the potential of amyloids is largely untapped. In this review, we have attempted to compile the literature on amyloid hydrogels and discuss their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Kumar Belwal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati - 781 039, India.
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19
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Groß R, Bauer R, Krüger F, Rücker-Braun E, Olari LR, Ständker L, Preising N, Rodríguez AA, Conzelmann C, Gerbl F, Sauter D, Kirchhoff F, Hagemann B, Gačanin J, Weil T, Ruiz-Blanco YB, Sanchez-Garcia E, Forssmann WG, Mankertz A, Santibanez S, Stenger S, Walther P, Wiese S, Spellerberg B, Münch J. A Placenta Derived C-Terminal Fragment of β-Hemoglobin With Combined Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:508. [PMID: 32328038 PMCID: PMC7153485 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta acts as physical and immunological barrier against the transmission of viruses and bacteria from mother to fetus. However, the specific mechanisms by which the placenta protects the developing fetus from viral and bacterial pathogens are poorly understood. To identify placental peptides and small proteins protecting from viral and bacterial infections, we generated a peptide library from 10 kg placenta by chromatographic means. Screening the resulting 250 fractions against Herpes-Simplex-Virus 2 (HSV-2), which is rarely transmitted through the placenta, in a cell-based system identified two adjacent fractions with significant antiviral activity. Further rounds of chromatographic purification and anti-HSV-2 testing allowed to purify the bioactive peptide. Mass spectrometry revealed the presence of a 36-mer derived from the C-terminal region of the hemoglobin β subunit. The purified and corresponding chemically synthesized peptide, termed HBB(112–147), inhibited HSV-2 infection in a dose-dependent manner, with a mean IC50 in the median μg/ml range. Full-length hemoglobin tetramer had no antiviral activity. HBB(112–147) did not impair infectivity by direct targeting of the virions but prevented HSV-2 infection at the cell entry level. The peptide was inactive against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1, Rubella and Zika virus infection, suggesting a specific anti-HSV-2 mechanism. Notably, HBB(112–147) has previously been identified as broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. It is abundant in placenta, reaching concentrations between 280 and 740 μg/ml, that are well sufficient to inhibit HSV-2 and prototype Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. We here additionally show, that HBB(112–147) also acts potently against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains (including a multi-drug resistant strain) in a dose dependent manner, while full-length hemoglobin is inactive. Interestingly, the antibacterial activity of HBB(112–147) was increased under acidic conditions, a hallmark of infection and inflammatory conditions. Indeed, we found that HBB(112–147) is released from the hemoglobin precursor by Cathepsin D and Napsin A, acidic proteases highly expressed in placental and other tissues. We propose that upon viral or bacterial infection, the abundant hemoglobin precursor is proteolytically processed to release HBB(112–147), a broadly active antimicrobial innate immune defense peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Groß
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard Bauer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Franziska Krüger
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Elke Rücker-Braun
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lia-Raluca Olari
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nico Preising
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Armando A Rodríguez
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.,Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carina Conzelmann
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Gerbl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Sauter
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Hagemann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmina Gačanin
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Yasser B Ruiz-Blanco
- Computational Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Elsa Sanchez-Garcia
- Computational Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Annette Mankertz
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Santibanez
- WHO Measles/Rubella European RRL and NRC Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Stenger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wiese
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Barbara Spellerberg
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.,Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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20
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Zhang W, Gao G, Ma Z, Luo Z, He M, Sun T. Au 23(CR) 14 nanocluster restores fibril Aβ's unfolded state with abolished cytotoxicity and dissolves endogenous Aβ plaques. Natl Sci Rev 2019; 7:763-774. [PMID: 34692095 PMCID: PMC8289031 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The misfolding of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides from the natural unfolded state to β-sheet structure is a critical step, leading to abnormal fibrillation and formation of endogenous Aβ plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have reported inhibition of Aβ fibrillation or disassembly of exogenous Aβ fibrils in vitro. However, soluble Aβ oligomers have been reported with increased cytotoxicity; this might partly explain why current clinical trials targeting disassembly of Aβ fibrils by anti-Aβ antibodies have failed so far. Here we show that Au23(CR)14 (a new Au nanocluster modified by Cys-Arg (CR) dipeptide) is able to completely dissolve exogenous mature Aβ fibrils into monomers and restore the natural unfolded state of Aβ peptides from misfolded β-sheets. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of Aβ40 fibrils when dissolved by Au23(CR)14 is fully abolished. More importantly, Au23(CR)14 is able to completely dissolve endogenous Aβ plaques in brain slices from transgenic AD model mice. In addition, Au23(CR)14 has good biocompatibility and infiltration ability across the blood-brain barrier. Taken together, this work presents a promising therapeutics candidate for AD treatment, and manifests the potential of nanotechnological approaches in the development of nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Guanbin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhongjie Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhuoying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Meng He
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Taolei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.,School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
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21
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Viswanathan GK, Paul A, Gazit E, Segal D. Naphthoquinone Tryptophan Hybrids: A Promising Small Molecule Scaffold for Mitigating Aggregation of Amyloidogenic Proteins and Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:242. [PMID: 31750300 PMCID: PMC6843079 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A current challenge faced by researchers is the lack of disease-modifying therapeutics for amyloid formation that is associated with several human diseases. Although the monomeric proteins or peptides involved in various amyloidogenic diseases do not have amino acid sequence homology, there appears to be a structural correlation among the amyloid assemblies, which are responsible for distinct pathological conditions. Here, we review our work on Naphthoquinone Tryptophan (NQTrp) hybrids, a small molecule scaffold that can generically modulate neuronal and non-neuronal amyloid aggregation both in vitro and in vivo. NQTrp reduces the net amyloid load by inhibiting the process of amyloid formation and disassembling the pre-formed fibrils, both in a dose-dependent manner. As a plausible mechanism of action, NQTrp effectively forms hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, such as π-π stacking, with the vital residues responsible for the initial nucleation of protein/peptide aggregation. This review highlights the effectiveness of the NQTrp hybrid scaffold for developing novel small molecule modulators of amyloid aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guru KrishnaKumar Viswanathan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ashim Paul
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Segal
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Interdisciplinary Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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22
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Kumar V, Kumar PG, Yadav JK. Impact of semen-derived amyloid (SEVI) on sperm viability and motility: its implication in male reproductive fitness. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2019; 48:659-671. [PMID: 31392382 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-019-01391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Human semen contains a large number of macromolecules, including proteins/enzymes and carbohydrates, regulating and protecting sperm cells. Proteomic analysis of human seminal fluid led to the discovery of semen amyloids derived from short peptide fragments of the proteins prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and semenogelin (SG) which are known to play a crucial role in enhancing HIV infection. However, the relevance of their existence in human semen and role in maintaining sperm behavior remains unclear. Distinct physiological, biochemical, and biophysical attributes might cause these amyloids to influence sperm behavior positively or negatively, affecting fertilization or other reproductive processes. We assessed the direct effect of amyloids derived from a PAP248-286 fragment, on sperm motility and viability, which are crucial parameters for assessment of sperm quality in semen. Co-incubation of human sperm with PAP248-286 amyloids at normal physiological concentrations formed in buffer led to significant reduction in sperm viability, though approximately a 10× higher concentration was needed to show a similar effect with amyloid formed in seminal fluid. Both forms of PAP248-286 amyloid also had a significant impact on sperm motility at physiological levels, in agreement with a previous report. Our study suggests that PAP248-286 amyloids can directly influence sperm motility and viability in a concentration-dependent manner. We hypothesise that the direct toxic effect of PAP248-286 amyloid is normally mitigated by other seminal fluid ingredients, but that in pathological conditions, where PAP248-286 concentrations are elevated and it plays a role in determining sperm health and viability, with relevance for male fertility as well as sterility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, NH-8 Jaipur-Ajmer Highway, Bandarsindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan, 305817, India
| | - Pradeep G Kumar
- Molecular Reproduction Division, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thycaud PO, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695014, India
| | - Jay Kant Yadav
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, NH-8 Jaipur-Ajmer Highway, Bandarsindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan, 305817, India.
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23
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Avni A, Swasthi HM, Majumdar A, Mukhopadhyay S. Intrinsically disordered proteins in the formation of functional amyloids from bacteria to humans. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 166:109-143. [PMID: 31521230 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amyloids are nanoscopic ordered self-assemblies of misfolded proteins that are formed via aggregation of partially unfolded or intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and are commonly linked to devastating human diseases. An enlarging body of recent research has demonstrated that certain amyloids can be beneficial and participate in a wide range of physiological functions from bacteria to humans. These amyloids are termed as functional amyloids. Like disease-associated amyloids, a vast majority of functional amyloids are derived from a range of IDPs or hybrid proteins containing ordered domains and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). In this chapter, we describe an account of recent studies on the aggregation behavior of IDPs resulting in the formation of functional amyloids in a diverse range of organisms from bacteria to human. We also discuss the strategies that are used by these organisms to regulate the spatiotemporal amyloid assembly in their physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamika Avni
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Hema M Swasthi
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Anupa Majumdar
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Samrat Mukhopadhyay
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab, India.
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24
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Young CD, Tatieng S, Kongmanas K, Fongmoon D, Lomenick B, Yoon AJ, Kiattiburut W, Compostella F, Faull KF, Suree N, Angel JB, Tanphaichitr N. Sperm can act as vectors for HIV-1 transmission into vaginal and cervical epithelial cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 2019; 82:e13129. [PMID: 31066971 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13129] [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] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Sperm are the major cells in semen. Human sperm possess a number of HIV-1 gp120 binding ligands including sulfogalactosylglycerolipid (SGG). However, the mechanisms of how sperm capture HIV-1 onto their surface are unclear. Furthermore, the ability of sperm to deliver HIV-1 to vaginal/cervical epithelial cells lining the lower female reproductive tract, as a first step in HIV-1 transmission, needs to be determined. METHOD OF STUDY Sperm from healthy donors were incubated with dual-tropic HIV-1CS204 (clinical isolate), and virus capture was determined by p24 antigen ELISA. The involvement of SGG in HIV-1 capture was assessed by determining Kd values of HIV-1 gp120-SGG binding as well as computational docking of SGG to the gp120 V3 loop. The ability of sperm-associated HIV-1 to infect peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and TZM-bl indicator cells was determined. Lastly, infection of vaginal (Vk2/E6E7), ectocervical (Ect1/E6E7), and endocervical (End1/E6E7) epithelial cells mediated by HIV-1-associated sperm was evaluated. RESULTS Sperm were able to capture HIV-1 in a dose-dependent manner, and the capture reached a maximum within 5 minutes. Captured HIV-1, however, could be removed from sperm by Percoll-gradient centrifugation. Affinity of gp120 for SGG was substantial, implicating sperm SGG in HIV-1 capture. Sperm-associated HIV-1 could productively infect PBMCs and TZM-bl cells, and was capable of being transmitted into vaginal/cervical epithelial cells. CONCLUSION Sperm are able to capture HIV-1, which remains infectious and is able to be transmitted into vaginal/cervical epithelial cells, a result indicating the importance of sperm in HIV transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene D Young
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Suriya Tatieng
- Multidisciplinary Program in Biotechnology, The Graduate School, Division of Biochemistry and Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kessiri Kongmanas
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Duriya Fongmoon
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brett Lomenick
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alexander J Yoon
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wongsakorn Kiattiburut
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Federica Compostella
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Kym F Faull
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Nuttee Suree
- Multidisciplinary Program in Biotechnology, The Graduate School, Division of Biochemistry and Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jonathan B Angel
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Division in Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nongnuj Tanphaichitr
- Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Kumar V, Gour S, Verma N, Kumar S, Gadhave K, Mishra PM, Goyal P, Pandey J, Giri R, Yadav JK. The mechanism of phosphatidylcholine-induced interference of PAP (248-286) aggregation. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3152. [PMID: 30784133 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Seminal amyloids are well known for their role in enhancing HIV infection. Among all the amyloidogenic peptides identified in human semen, PAP248-286 was found to be the most active and was termed as semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI). Although amyloidogenic nature of the peptide is mainly linked with enhancement of the viral infection, the most active physiological conformation of the aggregated peptide remains inconclusive. Lipids are known to modulate aggregation pathway of a variety of proteins and peptides and constitute one of the most abundant biomolecules in human semen. PAP248-286 significantly differs from the other known amyloidogenic peptides, including Aβ and IAPP, in terms of critical concentration, surface charge, fibril morphology, and structural transition during aggregation. Hence, in the present study, we aimed to assess the effect of a lipid, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), on PAP248-286 aggregation and the consequent conformational outcomes. Our initial observation suggested that the presence of the lipid considerably influenced the aggregation of PAP248-286 . Further, ZDOCK and MD simulation studies of peptide multimerization have suggested that the hydrophobic residues at C-terminus are crucial for PAP248-286 aggregation and are anticipated to be major DOPC-interacting partners. Therefore, we further assessed the aggregation behaviour of C-terminal (PAP273-286 ) fragment of PAP248-286 and observed that DOPC possesses the ability to interfere with the aggregation behaviour of both the peptides used in the current study. Mechanistically, we propose that the presence of DOPC causes considerable inhibition of the peptide aggregation by interfering with the peptide's disordered state to β-sheet transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Shalini Gour
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Nidhi Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Suman Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Kundlik Gadhave
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Kamand, India
| | | | - Pankaj Goyal
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Janmejay Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Rajanish Giri
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Kamand, India
| | - Jay Kant Yadav
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
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26
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Charlton T, Shah V, Lynch T, Candreva J, Chau E, Yang Y, Kim H, Wood A, Kim JR. Amyloid Aggregation of Bacillus circulans Xylanase under Native Conditions and its Modulation by β-Amyloid-Derived Peptide Fragments. Chembiochem 2018; 19:2566-2574. [PMID: 30332530 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins into fibrils is implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases. Amyloid aggregation is a generic property of proteins as evidenced by globular proteins that often form amyloid aggregates under partially denaturing conditions. Recently, multiple lines of evidence have suggested that the amyloid aggregation of globular proteins can also occur under native conditions. Unfortunately, amyloid aggregation under native conditions has been demonstrated in only a handful of cases. Engineering a globular protein's amyloid aggregation might benefit from its fusion to an amyloid-derived fragment with reduced aggregation propensity. Unfortunately, the impacts of such fragments on the amyloid aggregation under native conditions have yet to be examined. In this study, we show that a globular protein, Bacillus circulans xylanase (BCX), can aggregate to form amyloid fibrils under native conditions. When BCX was mixed with or fused to the non-self-aggregating fragments, KLVFWAK and ELVFWAE-which were derived from β-amyloid (Aβ)-they modulated the BCX amyloid aggregation to differing extents. This study also provides insight into a correlation between the kinetic stability and amyloid aggregation of BCX, and supports a view that Aβ-derived fragments can be useful for the modulating amyloid aggregation of some, though not all, proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Charlton
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Vandan Shah
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Tonianna Lynch
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Jason Candreva
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Edward Chau
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - YanXi Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Hyunjoo Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Amy Wood
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Jin Ryoun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
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27
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Inhibitory Effect of Naphthoquinone-Tryptophan Hybrid towards Aggregation of PAP f39 Semen Amyloid. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23123279. [PMID: 30544943 PMCID: PMC6320874 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23123279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PAP248–286, a 39 amino acid peptide fragment, derived from the prostatic acid phosphatase secreted in human semen, forms amyloid fibrils and facilitates the attachment of retroviruses to host cells that results in the enhancement of viral infection. Therefore, the inhibition of amyloid formation by PAP248–286 (termed PAP f39) may likely reduce HIV transmission in AIDS. In this study, we show that the naphthoquinone tryptophan (NQTrp) hybrid molecule significantly inhibited PAP f39 aggregation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner as observed from the ThT assay, ANS assay, and transmission electron microscopy imaging. We found that even at a sub-molar concentration of 20:1 [PAP f39:NQTrp], NQTrp could reduce >50% amyloid formation. NQTrp inhibition of PAP f39 aggregation resulted in non-toxic intermediate species as determined by the vesicle leakage assay. Isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking revealed that the binding of NQTrp and PAP f39 is spontaneous, and NQTrp predominantly interacts with the polar and charged residues of the peptide by forming hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts with a strong binding energy. Collectively, these findings indicate that NQTrp holds significant potential as a small molecule inhibitor of semen amyloids.
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