1
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Kostakis GE. Chemical Chartographisis: a contemporary perspective in molecular design and synthesis. Dalton Trans 2023. [PMID: 38009065 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt02459h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
The use of flexible molecular systems in solution, without strictly controlling their behaviour, has frequently been productive. Their potential could increase by a more holistic view of the reaction(s) process(es) in which they are involved. In this perspective, we introduce a broader approach - "Chemical Chartographisis" - and discuss three projects in detail to illustrate its potential. The topics involve bimetallic 3d/4f species and coordination compounds built from benzotriazole-based and (a)symmetric salan ligands and focus on catalytic and, in less detail, biological-related examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- George E Kostakis
- Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK.
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2
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Natarajan A, Rangan K, Vadrevu R. Self-assembly of a peptide sequence, EKKE, composed of exclusively charged amino acids: Role of charge in morphology and lead binding. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3451. [PMID: 36098076 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of peptides is influenced by their amino acid sequence and other factors including pH, charge, temperature, and solvent. Herein, we explore whether a four-residue sequence, EKKE, consisting of exclusively charged amino acids shows the propensity to form self-assembled ordered nanostructures and whether the overall charge plays any role in morphological and functional properties. From a combination of experimental data provided by Thioflavin T fluorescence, Congo red absorbance, circular dichroism spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and confocal microscopy, it is clear that the all-polar peptide and charged EKKE sequence shows a pH-dependent tendency to form amyloid-like structures, and the self-assembled entities under acidic, basic and neutral conditions exhibit morphological variation. Additionally, the ability of the self-assembled amyloid nanostructures to bind to the toxic metal, lead (Pb2+ ), was demonstrated from the analysis of the ultraviolet absorbance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. The modulation at the sequence level for the amyloid-forming EKKE scaffold can further extend its potential role not only in the remediation of other toxic metals but also towards biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Natarajan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India
| | - Krishnan Rangan
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India
| | - Ramakrishna Vadrevu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, India
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3
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Taylor ER, Sato A, Jones I, Gudeangadi PG, Beal DM, Hopper JA, Xue WF, Reithofer MR, Serpell CJ. Tuning dynamic DNA- and peptide-driven self-assembly in DNA-peptide conjugates. Chem Sci 2022; 14:196-202. [PMID: 36605750 PMCID: PMC9769108 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02482a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA-peptide conjugates offer an opportunity to marry the benefits of both biomolecular classes, combining the high level of programmability found with DNA, with the chemical diversity of peptides. These hybrid systems offer potential in fields such as therapeutics, nanotechnology, and robotics. Using the first DNA-β-turn peptide conjugate, we present three studies investigating the self-assembly of DNA-peptide conjugates over a period of 28 days. Time-course studies, such as these have not been previously conducted for DNA-peptide conjugates, although they are common in pure peptide assembly, for example in amyloid research. By using aging studies to assess the structures produced, we gain insights into the dynamic nature of these systems. The first study explores the influence varying amounts of DNA-peptide conjugates have on the self-assembly of our parent peptide. Study 2 explores how DNA and peptide can work together to change the structures observed during aging. Study 3 investigates the presence of orthogonality within our system by switching the DNA and peptide control on and off independently. These results show that two orthogonal self-assemblies can be combined and operated independently or in tandem within a single macromolecule, with both spatial and temporal effects upon the resultant nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emerald R. Taylor
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
| | - Akiko Sato
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
| | - Isobel Jones
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
| | - Prashant G. Gudeangadi
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
| | - David M. Beal
- School of Biosciences, University of KentStacey BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NJUK
| | - James A. Hopper
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, University of KentStacey BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NJUK
| | - Michael R. Reithofer
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of ViennaWähringer Straße. 421090ViennaAustria
| | - Christopher J. Serpell
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of KentIngram BuildingCanterburyKentCT2 7NHUK
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4
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Burra G, Maina MB, Serpell LC, Thakur AK. Nucleation-dependent Aggregation Kinetics of Yeast Sup35 Fragment GNNQQNY. J Mol Biol 2020; 433:166732. [PMID: 33279578 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.166732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
An N-terminal hepta-peptide sequence of yeast prion protein Sup35 with the sequence GNNQQNY is widely used as a model system for amyloid fibril formation. In this study, we used a reproducible solubilisation protocol that allows the generation of a homogenous monomeric solution of GNNQQNY to uncover the molecular details of its self-assembly mechanism. The aggregation kinetics data show that the GNNQQNY sequence follows nucleation-dependent aggregation kinetics with a critical nucleus of size ~7 monomers and that the efficiency of nucleation were found to be inversely related to the reaction temperature. The nucleus reduces the thermodynamic energy barrier by acting as a template for further self-assembly and results in highly ordered amyloid fibrils. The fibers grown at different temperatures showed similar Thioflavin T fluorescence, Congo-red binding and β-sheet rich structures displaying a characteristic cross-β diffraction pattern. These aggregates also share morphological and structural identity with those reported earlier. The mature GNNQQNY fibers did not exert significant oxidative stress or cytotoxicity upon incubating with differentiated SHSY5Y cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study to experimentally validate previous nucleus size predictions based on theoretical and molecular dynamics simulations. These findings provide the basis for understanding the kinetics and thermodynamics of amyloid nucleation and elongation of amyloidogenic proteins/peptides associated with many systemic and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunasekhar Burra
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India; Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK.
| | - Mahmoud B Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK; College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Nigeria
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Ashwani K Thakur
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India.
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5
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Aubrey LD, Blakeman BJF, Lutter L, Serpell CJ, Tuite MF, Serpell LC, Xue WF. Quantification of amyloid fibril polymorphism by nano-morphometry reveals the individuality of filament assembly. Commun Chem 2020; 3:125. [PMID: 36703355 PMCID: PMC9814634 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-020-00372-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are highly polymorphic structures formed by many different proteins. They provide biological function but also abnormally accumulate in numerous human diseases. The physicochemical principles of amyloid polymorphism are not understood due to lack of structural insights at the single-fibril level. To identify and classify different fibril polymorphs and to quantify the level of heterogeneity is essential to decipher the precise links between amyloid structures and their functional and disease associated properties such as toxicity, strains, propagation and spreading. Employing gentle, force-distance curve-based AFM, we produce detailed images, from which the 3D reconstruction of individual filaments in heterogeneous amyloid samples is achieved. Distinctive fibril polymorphs are then classified by hierarchical clustering, and sample heterogeneity is objectively quantified. These data demonstrate the polymorphic nature of fibril populations, provide important information regarding the energy landscape of amyloid self-assembly, and offer quantitative insights into the structural basis of polymorphism in amyloid populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam D. Aubrey
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Ben J. F. Blakeman
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Liisa Lutter
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Christopher J. Serpell
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NH UK
| | - Mick F. Tuite
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- grid.12082.390000 0004 1936 7590Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- grid.9759.20000 0001 2232 2818Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
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6
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Ke PC, Zhou R, Serpell LC, Riek R, Knowles TPJ, Lashuel HA, Gazit E, Hamley IW, Davis TP, Fändrich M, Otzen DE, Chapman MR, Dobson CM, Eisenberg DS, Mezzenga R. Half a century of amyloids: past, present and future. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:5473-5509. [PMID: 32632432 PMCID: PMC7445747 DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00199a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 304] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid diseases are global epidemics with profound health, social and economic implications and yet remain without a cure. This dire situation calls for research into the origin and pathological manifestations of amyloidosis to stimulate continued development of new therapeutics. In basic science and engineering, the cross-β architecture has been a constant thread underlying the structural characteristics of pathological and functional amyloids, and realizing that amyloid structures can be both pathological and functional in nature has fuelled innovations in artificial amyloids, whose use today ranges from water purification to 3D printing. At the conclusion of a half century since Eanes and Glenner's seminal study of amyloids in humans, this review commemorates the occasion by documenting the major milestones in amyloid research to date, from the perspectives of structural biology, biophysics, medicine, microbiology, engineering and nanotechnology. We also discuss new challenges and opportunities to drive this interdisciplinary field moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 111 Yixueyuan Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Roland Riek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Neuroproteomics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ian W. Hamley
- School of Chemistry, Food Biosciences and Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD, UK
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Marcus Fändrich
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Erik Otzen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Insoluble Protein Structures (inSPIN), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Matthew R. Chapman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Centre for Microbial Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- Department of Health Science & Technology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO, E23, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang Pauli Strasse 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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7
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Srinivasan E, Natarajan N, Rajasekaran R. TTRMDB: A database for structural and functional analysis on the impact of SNPs over transthyretin (TTR) using bioinformatic tools. Comput Biol Chem 2020; 87:107290. [PMID: 32512488 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2020.107290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary Transthyretin-associated amyloidosis (ATTR) is an autosomal dominant protein-folding disorder with adult-onset caused by mutation of transthyretin (TTR). TTR is characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid, leading to loss of autonomy and finally, death. More than 100 distinct mutations in TTR gene have been reported from variable age of onset, clinical expression and penetrance data. Besides, the cure for the disease remains still obscure. Further, the prioritizing of mutations concerning the characteristic features governing the stability and pathogenicity of TTR mutant proteins remains unanswered, to date and thus, a complex state of study for researchers. Herein, we provide a full report encompassing the effects of every reported mutant model of TTR protein about the stability, functionality and pathogenicity using various computational tools. In addition, the results obtained from our study were used to create TTRMDB (Transthyretin mutant database), which could be easy access to researchers at http://vit.ac.in/ttrmdb.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Srinivasan
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nandhini Natarajan
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
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8
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Lutter L, Serpell CJ, Tuite MF, Serpell LC, Xue WF. Three-dimensional reconstruction of individual helical nano-filament structures from atomic force microscopy topographs. Biomol Concepts 2020; 11:102-115. [PMID: 32374275 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2020-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy, AFM, is a powerful tool that can produce detailed topographical images of individual nano-structures with a high signal-to-noise ratio without the need for ensemble averaging. However, the application of AFM in structural biology has been hampered by the tip-sample convolution effect, which distorts images of nano-structures, particularly those that are of similar dimensions to the cantilever probe tips used in AFM. Here we show that the tip-sample convolution results in a feature-dependent and non-uniform distribution of image resolution on AFM topographs. We show how this effect can be utilised in structural studies of nano-sized upward convex objects such as spherical or filamentous molecular assemblies deposited on a flat surface, because it causes 'magnification' of such objects in AFM topographs. Subsequently, this enhancement effect is harnessed through contact-point based deconvolution of AFM topographs. Here, the application of this approach is demonstrated through the 3D reconstruction of the surface envelope of individual helical amyloid filaments without the need of cross-particle averaging using the contact-deconvoluted AFM topographs. Resolving the structural variations of individual macromolecular assemblies within inherently heterogeneous populations is paramount for mechanistic understanding of many biological phenomena such as amyloid toxicity and prion strains. The approach presented here will also facilitate the use of AFM for high-resolution structural studies and integrative structural biology analysis of single molecular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Lutter
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ, Canterbury, UK
| | | | - Mick F Tuite
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ, Canterbury, UK
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG, Falmer, Brighton, UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ, Canterbury, UK
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9
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Sampani SI, Al-Hilaly YK, Malik S, Serpell LC, Kostakis GE. Zinc-dysprosium functionalized amyloid fibrils. Dalton Trans 2019; 48:15371-15375. [PMID: 31107476 DOI: 10.1039/c9dt01134j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The heterometallic Zn2Dy2 entity bearing partially saturated metal centres covalently decorates a highly ordered amyloid fibril core and the functionalised assembly exhibits catalytic Lewis acid behaviour.
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10
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Raulin AC, Kraft L, Al-Hilaly YK, Xue WF, McGeehan JE, Atack JR, Serpell L. The Molecular Basis for Apolipoprotein E4 as the Major Risk Factor for Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:2248-2265. [PMID: 31051176 PMCID: PMC6556554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is one of three (E2, E3 and E4) human isoforms of an α-helical, 299-amino-acid protein. Homozygosity for the ε4 allele is the major genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4 differ at amino acid positions 112 and 158, and these sequence variations may confer conformational differences that underlie their participation in the risk of developing AD. Here, we compared the shape, oligomerization state, conformation and stability of ApoE isoforms using a range of complementary biophysical methods including small-angle x-ray scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, circular dichroism, x-ray fiber diffraction and transmission electron microscopy We provide an in-depth and definitive study demonstrating that all three proteins are similar in stability and conformation. However, we show that ApoE4 has a propensity to polymerize to form wavy filaments, which do not share the characteristics of cross-β amyloid fibrils. Moreover, we provide evidence for the inhibition of ApoE4 fibril formation by ApoE3. This study shows that recombinant ApoE isoforms show no significant differences at the structural or conformational level. However, self-assembly of the ApoE4 isoform may play a role in pathogenesis, and these results open opportunities for uncovering new triggers for AD onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Caroline Raulin
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6NN, UK
| | - Lucas Kraft
- Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex , BN1 6NN, UK
| | - Youssra K Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6NN, UK; Chemistry Department, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, England CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - John E McGeehan
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 2DY, UK
| | - John R Atack
- Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex , BN1 6NN, UK
| | - Louise Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6NN, UK.
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11
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Nandi N, Gayen K, Banerjee A. Assembly of amino acid containing naphthalene diimide-based molecules: the role of intervening amide groups in self-assembly, gelation, optical and semiconducting properties. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:3018-3026. [PMID: 30882116 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02460j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Two naphthalene diimide containing molecules, one with a covalently linked peptide (P1) and the other with a covalently attached amino acid residue and a diamine moiety (P2), have been chosen in such a way that the number of intervening amide groups and the centrally located imide moieties are the same, and their molecular formulae are also identical. However, the positions of the amide groups are different in these two molecules and this can dictate a different behaviour in molecular assembly and gelation processes for each of the individual NDI-appended peptide (P1) and pseudo-peptide (P2). The molecule P1 with an attached peptide moiety and the intervening -CO-NH groups forms an organogel in a mixture of chloroform-methylcyclohexane at a very rapid rate and the mechanical strength of the gel is quite high, whereas the molecule P2, containing the amino acid and diamide moieties, and with the intervening -NH-CO groups forms an organogel in a relatively much slower rate in chloroform-methylcyclohexane mixture. The mechanical strength of the P2 gel is significantly lower compared to that of the P1 gel at the same concentration and solvent system. The minimum gelation concentration of P1 is much smaller than that of P2 in the same solvent system. The thermal stability of the P1 gel is higher than that of the P2 gel at the same concentration and solvent system. However, both of these gels form J-type aggregates in a mixture of chloroform-methylcyclohexane with a red shift in the UV-vis spectrum. The gelator P1 exhibits enhanced fluorescence compared to that of P2 at a fixed concentration and in the same solvent system (mixture of chloroform-methylcyclohexane, 5 : 95 (v/v)). The lifetime and quantum yield of the P1 gel are also significantly higher than those of the P2 gel under similar gelation conditions. Moreover, both P1 and P2 are found to exhibit significant semiconducting behaviours in their dried/xerogel states. It is important to note that the stronger gel P1 exhibits relatively better semiconducting behaviour than the weak gel P2. Interestingly, the self-assembly, gelation, photoluminescence and electrical conductivity are different for the gels obtained from these two molecules. This indicates the role of the amide bond and its linkage (whether -CONH/-NHCO) in the self-assembly, gelation and optoelectronic behaviour of these molecules in their assembled states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nibedita Nandi
- School of Biological Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India.
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12
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Vadukul DM, Al-Hilaly YK, Serpell LC. Methods for Structural Analysis of Amyloid Fibrils in Misfolding Diseases. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1873:109-122. [PMID: 30341606 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8820-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many proteins and peptides are able to self-assemble in solution in vitro and in vivo to form amyloid-like fibrils. These fibrils share common structural characteristics. In order for a fibril to be characterized as amyloid, it is expected to fit certain criteria including the composition of cross-β. Here we describe how the formation of amyloid fibrils can be characterized in vitro using a variety of methods including circular dichroism and intrinsic tyrosine/tryptophan fluoresence to follow conformational changes; Thioflavin and/or ThS assembly to monitor nucleation and growth; transmission electron microscopy to visualize fibrillar morphology and X-ray fiber diffraction to examine cross-β structure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youssra K Al-Hilaly
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, East Sussex, UK
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
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13
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Jansens KJA, Rombouts I, Grootaert C, Brijs K, Van Camp J, Van der Meeren P, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Delcour JA. Rational Design of Amyloid-Like Fibrillary Structures for Tailoring Food Protein Techno-Functionality and Their Potential Health Implications. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2018; 18:84-105. [PMID: 33337021 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
To control and enhance protein functionality is a major challenge for food scientists. In this context, research on food protein fibril formation, especially amyloid fibril formation, holds much promise. We here first provide a concise overview of conditions, which affect amyloid formation in food proteins. Particular attention is directed towards amyloid core regions because these sequences promote ordered aggregation. Better understanding of this process will be key to tailor the fibril formation process. Especially seeding, that is, adding preformed protein fibrils to protein solutions to accelerate fibril formation holds promise to tailor aggregation and fibril techno-functionality. Some studies have already indicated that food protein fibrillation indeed improves their techno-functionality. However, much more research is necessary to establish whether protein fibrils are useful in complex food systems and whether and to what extent they resist food processing unit operations. In this review the effect of amyloid formation on gelation, interfacial properties, foaming, and emulsification is discussed. Despite their prevalent role as functional structures, amyloids also receive a lot of attention due to their association with protein deposition diseases, prompting us to thoroughly investigate the potential health impact of amyloid-like aggregates in food. A literature review on the effect of the different stages of the human digestive process on amyloid toxicity leads us to conclude that food-derived amyloid fibrils (even those with potential pathogenic properties) very likely have minimal impact on human health. Nevertheless, prior to wide-spread application of the technology, it is highly advisable to further verify the lack of toxicity of food-derived amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J A Jansens
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ine Rombouts
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Grootaert
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition, Ghent Univ., Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristof Brijs
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - John Van Camp
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition, Ghent Univ., Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul Van der Meeren
- Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent Univ., Coupure Links 653, B- 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Authors Rousseau and Schymkowitz are also with Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Authors Rousseau and Schymkowitz are also with Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan A Delcour
- Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Christofferson AJ, Al-Garawi ZS, Todorova N, Turner J, Del Borgo MP, Serpell LC, Aguilar MI, Yarovsky I. Identifying the Coiled-Coil Triple Helix Structure of β-Peptide Nanofibers at Atomic Resolution. ACS NANO 2018; 12:9101-9109. [PMID: 30157375 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b03131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Peptide self-assembly represents a powerful bottom-up approach to the fabrication of nanomaterials. β3-Peptides are non-natural peptides composed entirely of β-amino acids, which have an extra methylene in the backbone, and we reported fibers derived from the self-assembly of β3-peptides that adopt 14-helical structures. β3-Peptide assemblies represent a class of stable nanomaterials that can be used to generate bio- and magneto-responsive materials with proteolytic stability. However, the three-dimensional structure of many of these materials remains unknown. To develop structure-based criteria for the design of β3-peptide-based biomaterials with tailored function, we investigated the structure of a tri-β3-peptide nanoassembly by molecular dynamics simulations and X-ray fiber diffraction analysis. Diffraction data was collected from aligned fibrils formed by Ac-β3[LIA] in water and used to inform and validate the model structure. Models with 3-fold radial symmetry resulted in stable fibers with a triple-helical coiled-coil motif and measurable helical pitch and periodicity. The fiber models revealed a hydrophobic core and twist along the fiber axis arising from a maximization of contacts between hydrophobic groups of adjacent tripeptides on the solvent-exposed fiber surface. These atomic structures of macroscale fibers derived from β3-peptide-based materials provide valuable insight into the effects of the geometric placement of the side chains and the influence of solvent on the core fiber structure which is perpetuated in the superstructure morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zahraa S Al-Garawi
- School of Life Sciences , University of Sussex , Falmer , East Sussex BN1 9QG , U.K
- Chemistry Department , Mustansiriyah University , Baghdad Iraq
| | - Nevena Todorova
- School of Engineering , RMIT University , Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
| | - Jack Turner
- School of Life Sciences , University of Sussex , Falmer , East Sussex BN1 9QG , U.K
| | - Mark P Del Borgo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Melbourne , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Louise C Serpell
- School of Life Sciences , University of Sussex , Falmer , East Sussex BN1 9QG , U.K
| | - Marie-Isabel Aguilar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Biomedicine Discovery Institute , Monash University , Melbourne , Victoria 3800 , Australia
| | - Irene Yarovsky
- School of Engineering , RMIT University , Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
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15
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Chen M, Schafer NP, Zheng W, Wolynes PG. The Associative Memory, Water Mediated, Structure and Energy Model (AWSEM)-Amylometer: Predicting Amyloid Propensity and Fibril Topology Using an Optimized Folding Landscape Model. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1027-1039. [PMID: 29241326 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloids are fibrillar protein aggregates with simple repeated structural motifs in their cores, usually β-strands but sometimes α-helices. Identifying the amyloid-prone regions within protein sequences is important both for understanding the mechanisms of amyloid-associated diseases and for understanding functional amyloids. Based on the crystal structures of seven cross-β amyloidogenic peptides with different topologies and one recently solved cross-α fiber structure, we have developed a computational approach for identifying amyloidogenic segments in protein sequences using the Associative memory, Water mediated, Structure and Energy Model (AWSEM). The AWSEM-Amylometer performs favorably in comparison with other predictors in predicting aggregation-prone sequences in multiple data sets. The method also predicts well the specific topologies (the relative arrangement of β-strands in the core) of the amyloid fibrils. An important advantage of the AWSEM-Amylometer over other existing methods is its direct connection with an efficient, optimized protein folding simulation model, AWSEM. This connection allows one to combine efficient and accurate search of protein sequences for amyloidogenic segments with the detailed study of the thermodynamic and kinetic roles that these segments play in folding and aggregation in the context of the entire protein sequence. We present new simulation results that highlight the free energy landscapes of peptides that can take on multiple fibril topologies. We also demonstrate how the Amylometer methodology can be straightforwardly extended to the study of functional amyloids that have the recently discovered cross-α fibril architecture.
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16
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Iłowska E, Sawicka J, Szymańska A. Synthesis and physicochemical studies of amyloidogenic hexapeptides derived from human cystatin C. J Pept Sci 2018; 24:e3073. [PMID: 29573035 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Human cystatin C (hCC) is a low molecular mass protein that belongs to the cystatin superfamily. It is an inhibitor of extracellular cysteine proteinases, present in all human body fluids. At physiological conditions, hCC is a monomer, but it has a tendency to dimerization. Naturally occurring hCC mutant, with leucine in position 68 substituted by glutamine (L68Q), is directly involved in the formation of amyloid deposits, independently of other proteins. This process is the primary cause of hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy, observed mainly in the Icelandic population. Oligomerization and fibrillization processes of hCC are not explained equally well, but it is proposed that domain swapping is involved in both of them. Research carried out on the fibrillization process led to new hypothesis about the existence of a steric zipper motif in amyloidogenic proteins. In the hCC sequence, there are 2 fragments which may play the role of a steric zipper: the loop L1 region and the C-terminal fragment. In this work, we focused on the first of these. Nine hexapeptides covering studied hCC fragment were synthesized, and their fibrillogenic potential was assessed using an array of biophysical methods. The obtained results showed that the studied hCC fragment has strong profibrillogenic propensities because it contains 2 fragments fulfilling the requirements for an effective steric zipper located next to each other, forming 1 super-steric zipper motif. This hCC fragment might therefore be responsible for the enhanced amyloidogenic properties of dimeric or partially unfolded hCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Iłowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Justyna Sawicka
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aneta Szymańska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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17
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Selivanova OM, Surin AK, Ryzhykau YL, Glyakina AV, Suvorina MY, Kuklin AI, Rogachevsky VV, Galzitskaya OV. To Be Fibrils or To Be Nanofilms? Oligomers Are Building Blocks for Fibril and Nanofilm Formation of Fragments of Aβ Peptide. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:2332-2343. [PMID: 29338255 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
To identify the key stages in the amyloid fibril formation we studied the aggregation of amyloidogenic fragments of Aβ peptide, Aβ(16-25), Aβ(31-40), and Aβ(33-42), using the methods of electron microscopy, X-ray analysis, mass spectrometry, and structural modeling. We have found that fragments Aβ(31-40) and Aβ(33-42) form amyloid fibrils in the shape of bundles and ribbons, while fragment Aβ(16-25) forms only nanofilms. We are the first who performed 2D reconstruction of amyloid fibrils by the Markham rotation technique on electron micrographs of negatively stained fragments of Aβ peptide. Combined analysis of the data allows us to speculate that both the fibrils and the films are formed via association of ring-shaped oligomers with the external diameter of about 6 to 7 nm, the internal diameter of 2 to 3 nm, and the height of ∼3 nm. We conclude that such oligomers are the main building blocks in fibrils of any morphology. The interaction of ring oligomers with each other in different ways makes it possible to explain their polymorphism. The new mechanism of polymerization of amyloidogenic proteins and peptides, described here, could stimulate new approaches in the development of future therapeutics for the treatment of amyloid-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga M Selivanova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Alexey K Surin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology , Obolensk 142279, Russia
| | - Yury L Ryzhykau
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudny 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Anna V Glyakina
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
- Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology RAS, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Mariya Yu Suvorina
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Alexander I Kuklin
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudny 141701, Russian Federation
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research , Dubna 141980, Russian Federation
| | - Vadim V Rogachevsky
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
| | - Oxana V Galzitskaya
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences , Pushchino 142290, Russia
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18
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Sequence length dependence in arginine/phenylalanine oligopeptides: Implications for self-assembly and cytotoxicity. Biophys Chem 2018; 233:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Yoshioka T, Kameda T, Tashiro K, Ohta N, Schaper AK. Transformation of Coiled α-Helices into Cross-β-Sheets Superstructure. Biomacromolecules 2017; 18:3892-3903. [PMID: 29084423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b00920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The fibrous silk produced by bees, wasps, ants, or hornets is known to form a four-strand α-helical coiled coil superstructure. We have succeeded in showing the formation of this coiled coil structure not only in natural fibers, but also in artificial films made of regenerated silk of the hornet Vespa simillima xanthoptera using wide- and small-angle X-ray scatterings and polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. On the basis of time-resolved simultaneous synchrotron X-ray scattering observations for in situ monitoring of the structural changes in regenerated silk material during tensile deformation, we have shown that the application of tensile force under appropriate conditions induces a transition from the coiled α-helices to a cross-β-sheet superstructure. The four-stranded tertiary superstructure remains unchanged during this process. It has also been shown that the amorphous protein chains in the regenerated silk material are transformed into conventional β-sheet arrangements with varying orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyo Yoshioka
- Silk Materials Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) , 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Tsunenori Kameda
- Silk Materials Research Unit, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) , 1-2 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan
| | - Kohji Tashiro
- Department of Future Industry-Oriented Basic Science and Materials, Graduate School of Engineering, Toyota Technological Institute , Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511, Japan
| | - Noboru Ohta
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1 Koto, Mikazuki-Cho, Sayo-Gun, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Andreas K Schaper
- Center for Materials Sciences, Philipps University of Marburg , 35032 Marburg, Germany
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20
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Al-Hilaly YK, Pollack SJ, Vadukul DM, Citossi F, Rickard JE, Simpson M, Storey JM, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Alzheimer's Disease-like Paired Helical Filament Assembly from Truncated Tau Protein Is Independent of Disulfide Crosslinking. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:3650-3665. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Al-Garawi ZS, Morris KL, Marshall KE, Eichler J, Serpell LC. The diversity and utility of amyloid fibrils formed by short amyloidogenic peptides. Interface Focus 2017; 7:20170027. [PMID: 29147557 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2017.0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloidogenic peptides are well known for their involvement in diseases such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. However, more recently, amyloid fibrils have been shown to provide scaffolding and protection as functional materials in a range of organisms from bacteria to humans. These roles highlight the incredible tensile strength of the cross-β amyloid architecture. Many amino acid sequences are able to self-assemble to form amyloid with a cross-β core. Here we describe our recent advances in understanding how sequence contributes to amyloidogenicity and structure. For example, we describe penta- and hexapeptides that assemble to form different morphologies; a 12mer peptide that forms fibrous crystals; and an eight-residue peptide originating from α-synuclein that has the ability to form nanotubes. This work provides a wide range of peptides that may be exploited as fibrous bionanomaterials. These fibrils provide a scaffold upon which functional groups may be added, or templated assembly may be performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahraa S Al-Garawi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK.,Chemistry Department, College of Sciences, Al-Mustansyria University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Kyle L Morris
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Karen E Marshall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jutta Eichler
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Louise C Serpell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
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22
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Al-Garawi ZS, McIntosh BA, Neill-Hall D, Hatimy AA, Sweet SM, Bagley MC, Serpell LC. The amyloid architecture provides a scaffold for enzyme-like catalysts. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:10773-10783. [PMID: 28722055 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02675g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural biological enzymes possess catalytic sites that are generally surrounded by a large three-dimensional scaffold. However, the proportion of the protein molecule that participates in the catalytic reaction is relatively small. The generation of artificial or miniature enzymes has long been a focus of research because enzyme mimetics can be produced with high activity at low cost. These enzymes aim to mimic the active sites without the additional architecture contributed by the protein chain. Previous work has shown that amyloidogenic peptides are able to self-assemble to create an active site that is capable of binding zinc and catalysing an esterase reaction. Here, we describe the structural characterisation of a set of designed peptides that form an amyloid-like architecture and reveal that their capability to mimic carbonic anhydrase and serve as enzyme-like catalysts is related to their ability to self-assemble. These amyloid fibril structures can bind the metal ion Zn2+via a three-dimensional arrangement of His residues created by the amyloid architecture. Our results suggest that the catalytic efficiency of amyloid-like assembly is not only zinc-dependent but also depends on an active centre created by the peptides which is, in turn, dependent on the ordered architecture. These fibrils have good esterase activity, and they may serve as good models for the evolution of modern-day enzymes. Furthermore, they may be useful in designing self-assembling fibrils for applications as metal ion catalysts. This study also demonstrates that the ligands surrounding the catalytic site affect the affinity of the zinc-binding site to bind the substrate contributing to the enzymatic activity of the assembled peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z S Al-Garawi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9QG, UK.
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23
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Acar H, Srivastava S, Chung EJ, Schnorenberg MR, Barrett JC, LaBelle JL, Tirrell M. Self-assembling peptide-based building blocks in medical applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2017; 110-111:65-79. [PMID: 27535485 PMCID: PMC5922461 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and peptide-conjugates, comprising natural and synthetic building blocks, are an increasingly popular class of biomaterials. Self-assembled nanostructures based on peptides and peptide-conjugates offer advantages such as precise selectivity and multifunctionality that can address challenges and limitations in the clinic. In this review article, we discuss recent developments in the design and self-assembly of various nanomaterials based on peptides and peptide-conjugates for medical applications, and categorize them into two themes based on the driving forces of molecular self-assembly. First, we present the self-assembled nanostructures driven by the supramolecular interactions between the peptides, with or without the presence of conjugates. The studies where nanoassembly is driven by the interactions between the conjugates of peptide-conjugates are then presented. Particular emphasis is given to in vivo studies focusing on therapeutics, diagnostics, immune modulation and regenerative medicine. Finally, challenges and future perspectives are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handan Acar
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Samanvaya Srivastava
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Mathew R Schnorenberg
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - John C Barrett
- Biophysical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - James L LaBelle
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Matthew Tirrell
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
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24
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Cinar G, Orujalipoor I, Su CJ, Jeng US, Ide S, Guler MO. Supramolecular Nanostructure Formation of Coassembled Amyloid Inspired Peptides. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:6506-6514. [PMID: 27267733 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of amyloid-like aggregates through converging approaches can yield deeper understanding of their complex self-assembly mechanisms and the nature of their strong mechanical stability, which may in turn contribute to the design of novel supramolecular peptide nanostructures as functional materials. In this study, we investigated the coassembly kinetics of oppositely charged short amyloid-inspired peptides (AIPs) into supramolecular nanostructures by using confocal fluorescence imaging of thioflavin T binding, turbidity assay and in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis. We showed that coassembly kinetics of the AIP nanostructures were consistent with nucleation-dependent amyloid-like aggregation, and aggregation behavior of the AIPs was affected by the initial monomer concentration and sonication. Moreover, SAXS analysis was performed to gain structural information on the size, shape, electron density, and internal organization of the coassembled AIP nanostructures. The scattering data of the coassembled AIP nanostructures were best fitted into to a combination of polydisperse core-shell cylinder (PCSC) and decoupling flexible cylinder (FCPR) models, and the structural parameters were estimated based on the fitting results of the scattering data. The stability of the coassembled AIP nanostructures in both fiber organization and bulk viscoelastic properties was also revealed via temperature-dependent SAXS analysis and oscillatory rheology measurements, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goksu Cinar
- Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University , 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ilghar Orujalipoor
- Department of Nanotechnology and Nanoscience, Hacettepe University , 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Chun-Jen Su
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center , 101 Hsin-Ann Road, Hsinchu Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - U-Ser Jeng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center , 101 Hsin-Ann Road, Hsinchu Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Semra Ide
- Department of Nanotechnology and Nanoscience, Hacettepe University , 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Physics Engineering, Hacettepe University , 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mustafa O Guler
- Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University , 06800 Ankara, Turkey
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25
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Accardo A, Shalabaeva V, Di Cola E, Burghammer M, Krahne R, Riekel C, Dante S. Superhydrophobic Surfaces Boost Fibril Self-Assembly of Amyloid β Peptides. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:20875-20884. [PMID: 26306595 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b06219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are the main constituents of Alzheimer's amyloid plaques in the brain. Here we report how the unique microfluidic flows exerted by droplets sitting on superhydrophobic surfaces can influence the aggregation mechanisms of several Aβ fragments by boosting their fibril self-assembly. Aβ(25-35), Aβ(1-40), and Aβ(12-28) were dried both on flat hydrophilic surfaces (contact angle (CA) = 37.3°) and on nanostructured superhydrophobic ones (CA = 175.8°). By embedding nanoroughened surfaces on top of highly X-ray transparent Si3N4 membranes, it was possible to probe the solid residues by raster-scan synchrotron radiation X-ray microdiffraction (μXRD). As compared to residues obtained on flat Si3N4 membranes, a general enhancement of fibrillar material was detected for all Aβ fragments dried on superhydrophobic surfaces, with a particular emphasis on the shorter ones. Indeed, both Aβ(25-35) and Aβ(12-28) showed a marked crystalline cross-β phase with varying fiber textures. The homogeneous evaporation rate provided by these nanostructured supports, and the possibility to use transparent membranes, can open a wide range of in situ X-ray and spectroscopic characterizations of amyloidal peptides involved in neurodegenerative diseases and for the fabrication of amyloid-based nanodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Accardo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Di Cola
- The European Synchrotron, CS40220 , 38043 Cedex 9 Grenoble, France
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- The European Synchrotron, CS40220 , 38043 Cedex 9 Grenoble, France
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University , Krijgslaan 281, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Roman Krahne
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Christian Riekel
- The European Synchrotron, CS40220 , 38043 Cedex 9 Grenoble, France
| | - Silvia Dante
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy
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26
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Ratnayaka JA, Serpell LC, Lotery AJ. Dementia of the eye: the role of amyloid beta in retinal degeneration. Eye (Lond) 2015; 29:1013-26. [PMID: 26088679 PMCID: PMC4541342 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2015.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of irreversible blindness affecting nearly 50 million individuals globally. The disease is characterised by progressive loss of central vision, which has significant implications for quality of life concerns in an increasingly ageing population. AMD pathology manifests in the macula, a specialised region of the retina, which is responsible for central vision and perception of fine details. The underlying pathology of this complex degenerative disease is incompletely understood but includes both genetic as well as epigenetic risk factors. The recent discovery that amyloid beta (Aβ), a highly toxic and aggregate-prone family of peptides, is elevated in the ageing retina and is associated with AMD has opened up new perspectives on the aetiology of this debilitating blinding disease. Multiple studies now link Aβ with key stages of AMD progression, which is both exciting and potentially insightful, as this identifies a well-established toxic agent that aggressively targets cells in degenerative brains. Here, we review the most recent findings supporting the hypothesis that Aβ may be a key factor in AMD pathology. We describe how multiple Aβ reservoirs, now reported in the ageing eye, may target the cellular physiology of the retina as well as associated layers, and propose a mechanistic pathway of Aβ-mediated degenerative change leading to AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Ratnayaka
- Clinical and Experimental Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - L C Serpell
- School of Life Sciences (Biochemistry, Dementia Research Group), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - A J Lotery
- Clinical and Experimental Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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27
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Zulpo M, Kotulska M. Comparative modeling of hypothetical amyloid pores based on cylindrin. J Mol Model 2015; 21:151. [PMID: 25994458 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-015-2691-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cylindrin is a six-stranded antiparallel beta barrel obtained from amyloidogenic strands of crystallin. It induces cell toxicity through an unknown mechanism. In this work, the potential use of the structure of cylindrin as a template for modeling amyloid pores-hypothetical transmembrane structures which appear during amyloid diseases-was studied. Using comparative modeling (performed by Modeller), we tested the stability of cylindrin-based pores made from several amyloid-forming and non-amyloid-forming strands deriving from mutated cylindrin and the prion sup35. We showed that cylindrin could be used as a template for modeling pores made from strands of amyloid proteins, but that the cylindrin structure does not result from the amyloidogenicity of these fragments, as fibril non-formers from the prion were also able to form a similar structure. Finally, we tested whether the cellular toxicity of cylindrin and related structures could be due to its incorporation into the cell membrane, leading to the creation of conducting ionic channels. The results of modeling indicate that cylindrin and tandem-repeat cylindrin, mutants of them, and cylindrin-like amyloid pores from prion sequences can only localize on the periphery of the membrane, and are not able to conduct any ions into the cell. These findings explain experimental results obtained for large unilamellar vesicles incubated with cylindrin, where conductance was not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Zulpo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, ul. Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland
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Tuttle T. Computational Approaches to Understanding the Self-assembly of Peptide-based Nanostructures. Isr J Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201400188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Morris KL, Chen L, Rodger A, Adams DJ, Serpell LC. Structural determinants in a library of low molecular weight gelators. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:1174-1181. [PMID: 25562785 DOI: 10.1039/c4sm02532f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Low molecular weight hydrogels are formed by molecules that form a matrix that immobilises water to form a self-supporting gel. Such gels have uses as biomaterials such as molecular scaffolds and structures for tissue engineering. One class of low molecular weight gelator (LMWG), naphthalene-conjugated dipeptides, has been shown to form hydrogels via self-assembly following a controlled drop in pH. A library of naphthalene-dipeptides has been generated previously although the relationship between the precursor sequence and the resulting self-assembled structures remained unclear. Here, we have investigated the structural details of a set of dipeptide sequences containing alanine (A) and valine (V) conjugated to naphthalene groups substituted with a Br, CN or H at the 6-position. Electron microscopy, circular dichroism and X-ray fibre diffraction shows that these LMWG may be structurally classified by their composition: the molecular packing is determined by the class of conjugate, whilst the chirality of the self-assemblies can be attributed to the dipeptide sequence. This provides insights into the relationship between the precursor sequence and the macromolecular and molecular structures of the fibres that make up the resulting hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L Morris
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK.
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Beerten J, Van Durme J, Gallardo R, Capriotti E, Serpell L, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J. WALTZ-DB: a benchmark database of amyloidogenic hexapeptides. Bioinformatics 2015; 31:1698-700. [PMID: 25600945 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btv027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate prediction of amyloid-forming amino acid sequences remains an important challenge. We here present an online database that provides open access to the largest set of experimentally characterized amyloid forming hexapeptides. To this end, we expanded our previous set of 280 hexapeptides used to develop the Waltz algorithm with 89 peptides from literature review and by systematic experimental characterisation of the aggregation of 720 hexapeptides by transmission electron microscopy, dye binding and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This brings the total number of experimentally characterized hexapeptides in the WALTZ-DB database to 1089, of which 244 are annotated as positive for amyloid formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinte Beerten
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Joost Van Durme
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Rodrigo Gallardo
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Emidio Capriotti
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Louise Serpell
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK VIB Switch Laboratory, Leuven, Belgium, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49 Box 802, Leuven, Belgium, Division of Informatics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249, USA and School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
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Ganesan A, Debulpaep M, Wilkinson H, Van Durme J, De Baets G, Jonckheere W, Ramakers M, Ivarsson Y, Zimmermann P, Van Eldere J, Schymkowitz J, Rousseau F. Selectivity of Aggregation-Determining Interactions. J Mol Biol 2015; 427:236-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are formed by numerous proteins and peptides that share little sequence homology. The structures formed are highly ordered and extremely stable, being composed of β-sheet structure and stabilized along their length by hydrogen bonding. The fibrils are formed by several protofilaments that wind around one another in rope-like structures, lending further strength and stability to the resulting fibres. The fact that so many proteins and peptides form amyloid structures under suitable conditions, seems to suggest that the sequence of the precursor is unimportant. However, it is now clear that side chains play a central role in forming interactions between several β-sheets to further stabilize and regulate the structures. The primary sequence plays a central role in determining the rate of fibril formation, the stability of the resulting structure to degradation and the final morphology of the fibrils. The side chains regulate the elongation and growth, and also the lateral association of the protofilament and fibrils, having a significant impact on the final architecture.
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Marshall KE, Marchante R, Xue WF, Serpell LC. The relationship between amyloid structure and cytotoxicity. Prion 2014; 8:28860. [PMID: 24819071 PMCID: PMC4189889 DOI: 10.4161/pri.28860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly of proteins and peptides into amyloid structures has been the subject of intense and focused research due to their association with neurodegenerative, age-related human diseases and transmissible prion diseases in humans and mammals. Of the disease associated amyloid assemblies, a diverse array of species, ranging from small oligomeric assembly intermediates to fibrillar structures, have been shown to have toxic potential. Equally, a range of species formed by the same disease associated amyloid sequences have been found to be relatively benign under comparable monomer equivalent concentrations and conditions. In recent years, an increasing number of functional amyloid systems have also been found. These developments show that not all amyloid structures are generically toxic to cells. Given these observations, it is important to understand why amyloid structures may encode such varied toxic potential despite sharing a common core molecular architecture. Here, we discuss possible links between different aspects of amyloidogenic structures and assembly mechanisms with their varied functional effects. We propose testable hypotheses for the relationship between amyloid structure and its toxic potential in the context of recent reports on amyloid sequence, structure, and toxicity relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Marshall
- School of Life Sciences; University of Sussex; Falmer, East Sussex UK; School of Biological Sciences; University of Kent; Canterbury, Kent UK
| | - Ricardo Marchante
- School of Life Sciences; University of Sussex; Falmer, East Sussex UK; School of Biological Sciences; University of Kent; Canterbury, Kent UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Life Sciences; University of Sussex; Falmer, East Sussex UK; School of Biological Sciences; University of Kent; Canterbury, Kent UK
| | - Louise C Serpell
- School of Life Sciences; University of Sussex; Falmer, East Sussex UK; School of Biological Sciences; University of Kent; Canterbury, Kent UK
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Wan W, Stubbs G. Fiber diffraction of the prion-forming domain HET-s(218-289) shows dehydration-induced deformation of a complex amyloid structure. Biochemistry 2014; 53:2366-70. [PMID: 24670041 PMCID: PMC4004228 DOI: 10.1021/bi5002807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amyloids are filamentous protein aggregates that can be formed by many different proteins and are associated with both disease and biological functions. The pathogenicities or biological functions of amyloids are determined by their particular molecular structures, making accurate structural models a requirement for understanding their biological effects. One potential factor that can affect amyloid structures is hydration. Previous studies of simple stacked β-sheet amyloids have suggested that dehydration does not impact structure, but other studies indicated dehydration-related structural changes of a putative water-filled nanotube. Our results show that dehydration significantly affects the molecular structure of the fungal prion-forming domain HET-s(218-289), which forms a β-solenoid with no internal solvent-accessible regions. The dehydration-related structural deformation of HET-s(218-289) indicates that water can play a significant role in complex amyloid structures, even when no obvious water-accessible cavities are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Wan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1634, United States
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Peptide detection of fungal functional amyloids in infected tissue. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86067. [PMID: 24465872 PMCID: PMC3897640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many fungal cell adhesion proteins form functional amyloid patches on the surface of adhering cells. The Candida albicansAgglutinin-like sequence (Als) adhesins are exemplars for this phenomenon, and have amyloid forming sequences that are conserved between family members. The Als5p amyloid sequence mediates amyloid fibril formation and is critical for cell adhesion and biofilm formation, and is also present in the related adhesins Als1p and Als3p. We have developed a fluorescent peptide probe containing the conserved Als amyloid-forming sequence. This peptide bound specifically to yeast expressing Als5p, but not to cells lacking the adhesin. The probe bound to both yeast and hyphal forms of C. albicans. Δals1/Δals3 single and double deletion strains exhibited reduced fluorescence, indicating that probe binding required expression of these proteins. Additionally, the Als peptide specifically stained fungal cells in abscesses in autopsy sections. Counterstaining with calcofluor white showed colocalization with the amyloid peptide. In addition, fungi in autopsy sections derived from the gastrointestinal tract showed colocalization of the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin T and the fluorescent peptide. Collectively, our data demonstrate that we can exploit amyloid sequence specificity for detection of functional amyloids in situ.
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Kogan M, Nordén B, Beke-Somfai T. High anisotropy of flow-aligned bicellar membrane systems. Chem Phys Lipids 2013; 175-176:105-15. [PMID: 23999012 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 08/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, multi-lipid bicellar systems have emerged as promising membrane models. The fast orientational diffusion and magnetic alignability made these systems very attractive for NMR investigations. However, their alignment was so far achieved with a strong magnetic field, which limited their use with other methods that require macroscopic orientation. Recently, it was shown that bicelles could be aligned also by shear flow in a Couette flow cell, making it applicable to structural and biophysical studies by polarized light spectroscopy. Considering the sensitivity of this lipid system to small variations in composition and physicochemical parameters, efficient use of such a flow-cell method with coupled techniques will critically depend on the detailed understanding of how the lipid systems behave under flow conditions. In the present study we have characterized the flow alignment behavior of the commonly used dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine/dicaproyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC/DHPC) bicelle system, for various temperatures, lipid compositions, and lipid concentrations. We conclude that at optimal flow conditions the selected bicellar systems can produce the most efficient flow alignment out of any lipid systems used so far. The highest degree of orientation of DMPC/DHPC samples is noticed in a narrow temperature interval, at a practical temperature around 25 °C, most likely in the phase transition region characterized by maximum sample viscosity. The change of macroscopic orientation factor as function of the above conditions is now described in detail. The increase in macroscopic alignment observed for bicelles will most likely allow recording of higher resolution spectra on membrane systems, which provide deeper structural insight and analysis into properties of biomolecules interacting with solution phase lipid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Kogan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
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