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Sharma H, Koirala S, Chew YL, Konopka A. DNA Damage and Chromatin Rearrangement Work Together to Promote Neurodegeneration. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04331-0. [PMID: 38977621 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04331-0] [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: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases have a complex origin and are composed of genetic and environmental factors. Both DNA damage and chromatin rearrangement are important processes that occur under pathological conditions and in neurons functioning properly. While numerous studies have demonstrated the inseparable relationship between DNA damage and chromatin organization, understanding of this relationship, especially in neurodegenerative diseases, requires further study. Interestingly, recent studies revealed that known hallmark proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases function in both DNA damage and chromatin reorganization, and this review discusses the current knowledge of this relationship. This review focused on hallmark proteins involved in various neurodegenerative diseases, such as the microtubule-associated protein tau, TAR DNA/RNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), fused in sarcoma (FUS), huntingtin (HTT), α-synuclein, and β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). Hence, DNA damage and chromatin rearrangement are associated with disease mechanisms in distinct neurodegenerative diseases. Targeting common modulators of DNA repair and chromatin reorganization may lead to promising therapies for treating neurodegeneration.
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2
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Potenza RL, Armida M, Popoli P. Can Some Anticancer Drugs Be Repurposed to Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? A Brief Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1751. [PMID: 38339026 PMCID: PMC10855887 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive motor neuron disease that, due to its high complexity, still lacks effective treatments. Development of a new drug is a highly costly and time-consuming process, and the repositioning of approved drugs can represent an efficient strategy to provide therapeutic opportunities. This is particularly true for rare diseases, which are characterised by small patient populations and therefore attract little commercial interest. Based on the overlap between the biological background of cancer and neurodegeneration, the repurposing of antineoplastic drugs for ALS has been suggested. The objective of this narrative review was to summarise the current experimental evidence on the use of approved anticancer drugs in ALS. Specifically, anticancer drugs belonging to different classes were found to act on mechanisms involved in the ALS pathogenesis, and some of them proved to exert beneficial effects in ALS models. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm the real therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs for repositioning in ALS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Luisa Potenza
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.A.); (P.P.)
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3
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Rashid S, Dimitriadi M. Autophagy in spinal muscular atrophy: from pathogenic mechanisms to therapeutic approaches. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1307636. [PMID: 38259504 PMCID: PMC10801191 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1307636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating neuromuscular disorder caused by the depletion of the ubiquitously expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. While the genetic cause of SMA has been well documented, the exact mechanism(s) by which SMN depletion results in disease progression remain elusive. A wide body of evidence has highlighted the involvement and dysregulation of autophagy in SMA. Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosomal degradation process which is necessary for cellular homeostasis; defects in the autophagic machinery have been linked with a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The pathway is particularly known to prevent neurodegeneration and has been suggested to act as a neuroprotective factor, thus presenting an attractive target for novel therapies for SMA patients. In this review, (a) we provide for the first time a comprehensive summary of the perturbations in the autophagic networks that characterize SMA development, (b) highlight the autophagic regulators which may play a key role in SMA pathogenesis and (c) propose decreased autophagic flux as the causative agent underlying the autophagic dysregulation observed in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Dimitriadi
- School of Life and Medical Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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4
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Elmansy MF, Reidl CT, Rahaman M, Özdinler PH, Silverman RB. Small molecules targeting different cellular pathologies for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:2260-2302. [PMID: 37243319 PMCID: PMC10592673 DOI: 10.1002/med.21974] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease in which the motor neuron circuitry displays progressive degeneration, affecting mostly the motor neurons in the brain and in the spinal cord. There are no effective cures, albeit three drugs, riluzole, edaravone, and AMX0035 (a combination of sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol), have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with limited improvement in patients. There is an urgent need to build better and more effective treatment strategies for ALS. Since the disease is very heterogenous, numerous approaches have been explored, such as targeting genetic mutations, decreasing oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, enhancing mitochondrial function and protein degradation mechanisms, and inhibiting neuroinflammation. In addition, various chemical libraries or previously identified drugs have been screened for potential repurposing in the treatment of ALS. Here, we review previous drug discovery efforts targeting a variety of cellular pathologies that occur from genetic mutations that cause ALS, such as mutations in SOD1, C9orf72, FUS, and TARDP-43 genes. These mutations result in protein aggregation, which causes neuronal degeneration. Compounds used to target cellular pathologies that stem from these mutations are discussed and comparisons among different preclinical models are presented. Because the drug discovery landscape for ALS and other motor neuron diseases is changing rapidly, we also offer recommendations for a novel, more effective, direction in ALS drug discovery that could accelerate translation of effective compounds from animals to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed F. Elmansy
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Organometallic and Organometalloid Chemistry, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cory T. Reidl
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Mizzanoor Rahaman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - P. Hande Özdinler
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Richard B. Silverman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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5
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Camponeschi F, Banci L. Metal trafficking in the cell: Combining atomic resolution with cellular dimension. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:122-133. [PMID: 36285633 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Metals are widely present in biological systems as simple ions or complex cofactors, and are involved in a variety of processes essential for life. Their transport inside cells and insertion into the binding sites of the proteins that need metals to function occur through complex and selective pathways involving dedicated multiprotein machineries specifically and transiently interacting with each other, often sharing the coordination of metal ions and/or cofactors. The understanding of these machineries requires integrated approaches, ranging from bioinformatics to experimental investigations, possibly in the cellular context. In this review, we report two case studies where the use of integrated in vitro and in cellulo approaches is necessary to clarify at atomic resolution essential aspects of metal trafficking in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Camponeschi
- Magnetic Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Italy.,Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Florence, Italy
| | - Lucia Banci
- Magnetic Resonance Center CERM, University of Florence, Italy.,Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Florence, Italy.,Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Italy
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6
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Bian X, Zhuang X, Xing J, Liu S, Liu Z, Song F. Native Mass Spectrometry Coupled to Spectroscopic Methods to Investigate the Effect of Soybean Isoflavones on Structural Stability and Aggregation of Zinc Deficient and Metal-Free Superoxide Dismutase. Molecules 2022; 27:7303. [PMID: 36364128 PMCID: PMC9654870 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The deficiency or wrong combination of metal ions in Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), is regarded as one of the main factors causing the aggregation of SOD1 and then inducing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A ligands-targets screening process based on native electrospray ionization ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI-IMS-MS) was established in this study. Four glycosides including daidzin, sophoricoside, glycitin, and genistin were screened out from seven soybean isoflavone compounds and were found to interact with zinc-deficient or metal-free SOD1. The structure and conformation stability of metal-free and zinc-deficient SOD1 and their complexes with the four glycosides was investigated by collision-induced dissociation (CID) and collision-induced unfolding (CIU). The four glycosides could strongly bind to the metal-free and copper recombined SOD1 and enhance the folding stability of these proteins. Additionally, the ThT fluorescence assay showed that these glycosides could inhibit the toxic aggregation of the zinc-deficient or metal-free SOD1. The competitive interaction experiments together with molecular docking indicate that glycitin, which showed the best stabilizing effects, binds with SOD1 between β-sheet 6 and loop IV. In short, this study provides good insight into the relationship between inhibitors and different SOD1s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhuang
- Experiment Center for Science and Technology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Junpeng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Shu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
| | - Fengrui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, China
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7
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Amorós MA, Choi ES, Cofré AR, Dokholyan NV, Duzzioni M. Motor neuron-derived induced pluripotent stem cells as a drug screening platform for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:962881. [PMID: 36105357 PMCID: PMC9467621 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.962881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of cell culture models that recapitulate the etiology and features of nervous system diseases is central to the discovery of new drugs and their translation onto therapies. Neuronal tissues are inaccessible due to skeletal constraints and the invasiveness of the procedure to obtain them. Thus, the emergence of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers the opportunity to model different neuronal pathologies. Our focus centers on iPSCs derived from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, whose pathology remains in urgent need of new drugs and treatment. In this sense, we aim to revise the process to obtain motor neurons derived iPSCs (iPSC-MNs) from patients with ALS as a drug screening model, review current 3D-models and offer a perspective on bioinformatics as a powerful tool that can aid in the progress of finding new pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A. Amorós
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Esther S. Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Axel R. Cofré
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Marcelo Duzzioni
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
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8
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Martinez B, Peplow PV. MicroRNA expression in animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and potential therapeutic approaches. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:728-740. [PMID: 34472458 PMCID: PMC8530133 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.322431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of recent animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showed a large number of miRNAs had altered levels of expression in the brain and spinal cord, motor neurons of spinal cord and brainstem, and hypoglossal, facial, and red motor nuclei and were mostly upregulated. Among the miRNAs found to be upregulated in two of the studies were miR-21, miR-155, miR-125b, miR-146a, miR-124, miR-9, and miR-19b, while those downregulated in two of the studies included miR-146a, miR-29, miR-9, and miR-125b. A change of direction in miRNA expression occurred in some tissues when compared (e.g., miR-29b-3p in cerebellum and spinal cord of wobbler mice at 40 days), or at different disease stages (e.g., miR-200a in spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) mice at 95 days vs. 108 and 112 days). In the animal models, suppression of miR-129-5p resulted in increased lifespan, improved muscle strength, reduced neuromuscular junction degeneration, and tended to improve motor neuron survival in the SOD1(G93A) mouse model. Suppression of miR-155 was also associated with increased lifespan, while lowering of miR-29a tended to improve lifespan in males and increase muscle strength in SOD1(G93A) mice. Overexpression of members of miR-17~92 cluster improved motor neuron survival in SOD1(G93A) mice. Treatment with an artificial miRNA designed to target hSOD1 increased lifespan and improved muscle strength in SOD1(G93A) animals. Further studies with animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are warranted to validate these findings and identify specific miRNAs whose suppression or directed against hSOD1 results in increased lifespan, improved muscle strength, reduced neuromuscular junction degeneration, and improved motor neuron survival in SOD1(G93A) animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Martinez
- Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Medicine, St. Georges University School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Philip V. Peplow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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9
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Ruffo P, Perrone B, Conforti FL. SOD-1 Variants in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Systematic Re-Evaluation According to ACMG-AMP Guidelines. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030537. [PMID: 35328090 PMCID: PMC8955492 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common type of motor neuron disease whose causes are unclear. The first ALS gene associated with the autosomal dominant form of the disease was SOD1. This gene has a high rate of rare variants, and an appropriate classification is essential for a correct ALS diagnosis. In this study, we re-evaluated the classification of all previously reported SOD1 variants (n = 202) from ALSoD, project MinE, and in-house databases by applying the ACMG-AMP criteria to ALS. New bioinformatics analysis, frequency rating, and a thorough search for functional studies were performed. We also proposed adjusting criteria strength describing how to apply them to SOD1 variants. Most of the previously reported variants have been reclassified as likely pathogenic and pathogenic based on the modified weight of the PS3 criterion, highlighting how in vivo or in vitro functional studies are determining their interpretation and classification. Furthermore, this study reveals the concordance and discordance of annotations between open databases, indicating the need for expert review to adapt the study of variants to a specific disease. Indeed, in complex diseases, such as ALS, the oligogenic inheritance, the presence of genes that act as risk factors and the reduced penetration must be considered. Overall, the diagnosis of ALS remains clinical, and improving variant classification could support genetic data as diagnostic criteria.
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10
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Cai Q, Li M, Li Q. Sleep‐based therapy: A new treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. BRAIN SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.26599/bsa.2021.9050010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a worldwide problem with no effective treatment. Patients usually die of respiratory failure. The basic pathological process of ALS is the degeneration and necrosis of motor neurons. Neuroglial cell dysfunction is considered closely related to the development of ALS. Sleep plays an important role in repairing the nervous system, and sleep disorders can worsen ALS. Herein, we review the pathogenesis of ALS and the neuroprotective mechanism of sleep‐based therapy. Sleep‐based therapy could be a potential strategy to treat ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Cai
- Department of Curative Anesthesia, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200020, China
| | - Mengya Li
- Department of Curative Anesthesia, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200020, China
| | - Qifang Li
- Department of Curative Anesthesia, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200020, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200020, China
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11
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Maung MT, Carlson A, Olea-Flores M, Elkhadragy L, Schachtschneider KM, Navarro-Tito N, Padilla-Benavides T. The molecular and cellular basis of copper dysregulation and its relationship with human pathologies. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21810. [PMID: 34390520 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100273rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for the activity of redox-active enzymes involved in critical metabolic reactions, signaling pathways, and biological functions. Transporters and chaperones control Cu ion levels and bioavailability to ensure proper subcellular and systemic Cu distribution. Intensive research has focused on understanding how mammalian cells maintain Cu homeostasis, and how molecular signals coordinate Cu acquisition and storage within organs. In humans, mutations of genes that regulate Cu homeostasis or facilitate interactions with Cu ions lead to numerous pathologic conditions. Malfunctions of the Cu+ -transporting ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B cause Menkes disease and Wilson disease, respectively. Additionally, defects in the mitochondrial and cellular distributions and homeostasis of Cu lead to severe neurodegenerative conditions, mitochondrial myopathies, and metabolic diseases. Cu has a dual nature in carcinogenesis as a promotor of tumor growth and an inducer of redox stress in cancer cells. Cu also plays role in cancer treatment as a component of drugs and a regulator of drug sensitivity and uptake. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of Cu metabolism and transport and its relation to various human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- May T Maung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Alyssa Carlson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Monserrat Olea-Flores
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Lobna Elkhadragy
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kyle M Schachtschneider
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Napoleon Navarro-Tito
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
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12
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Sirangelo I, Iannuzzi C. Understanding the Role of Protein Glycation in the Amyloid Aggregation Process. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126609. [PMID: 34205510 PMCID: PMC8235188 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein function and flexibility is directly related to the native distribution of its structural elements and any alteration in protein architecture leads to several abnormalities and accumulation of misfolded proteins. This phenomenon is associated with a range of increasingly common human disorders, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, type II diabetes, and a number of systemic amyloidosis characterized by the accumulation of amyloid aggregates both in the extracellular space of tissues and as intracellular deposits. Post-translational modifications are known to have an active role in the in vivo amyloid aggregation as able to affect protein structure and dynamics. Among them, a key role seems to be played by non-enzymatic glycation, the most unwanted irreversible modification of the protein structure, which strongly affects long-living proteins throughout the body. This study provided an overview of the molecular effects induced by glycation on the amyloid aggregation process of several protein models associated with misfolding diseases. In particular, we analyzed the role of glycation on protein folding, kinetics of amyloid formation, and amyloid cytotoxicity in order to shed light on the role of this post-translational modification in the in vivo amyloid aggregation process.
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13
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Sannigrahi A, Chowdhury S, Das B, Banerjee A, Halder A, Kumar A, Saleem M, Naganathan AN, Karmakar S, Chattopadhyay K. The metal cofactor zinc and interacting membranes modulate SOD1 conformation-aggregation landscape in an in vitro ALS model. eLife 2021; 10:e61453. [PMID: 33825682 PMCID: PMC8087447 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is implicated in the motor neuron disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although more than 140 disease mutations of SOD1 are available, their stability or aggregation behaviors in membrane environment are not correlated with disease pathophysiology. Here, we use multiple mutational variants of SOD1 to show that the absence of Zn, and not Cu, significantly impacts membrane attachment of SOD1 through two loop regions facilitating aggregation driven by lipid-induced conformational changes. These loop regions influence both the primary (through Cu intake) and the gain of function (through aggregation) of SOD1 presumably through a shared conformational landscape. Combining experimental and theoretical frameworks using representative ALS disease mutants, we develop a 'co-factor derived membrane association model' wherein mutational stress closer to the Zn (but not to the Cu) pocket is responsible for membrane association-mediated toxic aggregation and survival time scale after ALS diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achinta Sannigrahi
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical BiologyKolkataIndia
| | - Sourav Chowdhury
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Bidisha Das
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical BiologyKolkataIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR- Human Resource development Centre CampusGhaziabadIndia
| | | | | | - Amaresh Kumar
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)BhubaneswarIndia
| | - Mohammed Saleem
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)BhubaneswarIndia
| | - Athi N Naganathan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology MadrasChennaiIndia
| | | | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical BiologyKolkataIndia
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR- Human Resource development Centre CampusGhaziabadIndia
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14
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Bovio F, Sciandrone B, Urani C, Fusi P, Forcella M, Regonesi ME. Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and cadmium: A three models approach to the comprehension of its neurotoxic effects. Neurotoxicology 2021; 84:125-135. [PMID: 33774064 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread toxic environmental contaminant, released by anthropogenic activities. It interferes with essential metal ions homeostasis and affects protein structures and functions by substituting zinc, copper and iron. In this study, the effect of cadmium on SOD1, a CuZn metalloenzyme catalyzing superoxide conversion into hydrogen peroxide, has been investigated in three different biological models. We first evaluated the effects of cadmium combined with copper and/or zinc on the recombinant GST-SOD1, expressed in E. coli BL21. The enzyme activity and expression were investigated in the presence of fixed copper and/or zinc doses with different cadmium concentrations, in the cellular medium. Cadmium caused a dose-dependent reduction in SOD1 activity, while the expression remains constant. Similar results were obtained in the cellular model represented by the human SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line. After cadmium treatment for 24 and 48 h, SOD1 enzymatic activity decreased in a dose- and time-dependent way, while the protein expression remained constant. Finally, a 16 h cadmium treatment caused a 25 % reduction of CuZn-SOD activity without affecting the protein expression in the Caenorhabditis elegans model. Taken together our results show an inhibitory effect of cadmium on SOD1 enzymatic activity, without affecting the protein expression, in all the biological models used, suggesting that cadmium can displace zinc from the enzyme catalytic site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Bovio
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Sciandrone
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Urani
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy; Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health, (MISTRAL), Interuniversity Research Center, Italy
| | - Paola Fusi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milan, Italy; Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health, (MISTRAL), Interuniversity Research Center, Italy.
| | - Matilde Forcella
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Maria Elena Regonesi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126, Milan, Italy; Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), 20126, Milan, Italy
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15
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Eleutherio ECA, Silva Magalhães RS, de Araújo Brasil A, Monteiro Neto JR, de Holanda Paranhos L. SOD1, more than just an antioxidant. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 697:108701. [PMID: 33259795 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During cellular respiration, radicals, such as superoxide, are produced, and in a large concentration, they may cause cell damage. To combat this threat, the cell employs the enzyme Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1), which converts the radical superoxide into molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, through redox reactions. Although this is its main function, recent studies have shown that the SOD1 has other functions that deviates from its original one including activation of nuclear gene transcription or as an RNA binding protein. This comprehensive review looks at the most important aspects of human SOD1 (hSOD1), including the structure, properties, and characteristics as well as transcriptional and post-translational modifications (PTM) that the enzyme can receive and their effects, and its many functions. We also discuss the strategies currently used to analyze it to better understand its participation in diseases linked to hSOD1 including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), cancer, and Parkinson.
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16
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Wen J, Li S, Zheng C, Wang F, Luo Y, Wu L, Cao J, Guo B, Yu P, Zhang G, Li S, Sun Y, Yang X, Zhang Z, Wang Y. Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone improves motor dysfunction and pathological manifestations by activating the PGC-1α/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in ALS mice. Neuropharmacology 2020; 182:108380. [PMID: 33152451 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons that results in skeletal muscle atrophy, weakness and paralysis. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of ALS, including familial forms of the disease arising from mutation of the gene coding for superoxide dismutase (SOD1). We have used the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model to investigate the efficacy of 2-[[(1,1-dimethylethyl)oxidoimino]-methyl]-3,5,6-trimethylpyrazine (TBN), a novel tetramethylpyrazine derivative armed with a powerful free-radical scavenging nitrone moiety. TBN was administered to mice by intraperitoneal or intragastric injection after the onset of motor deficits. TBN slowed the progression of motor neuron disease as evidenced by improved motor performance, reduced spinal motor neuron loss and the associated glial response, and decreased skeletal muscle fiber denervation and fibrosis. TBN treatment activated mitochondrial antioxidant activity through the PGC-1α/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and decreased the expression of human SOD1. These findings suggest that TBN holds promise as a therapeutic agent for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wen
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shangming Li
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengyou Zheng
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengjiao Wang
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangwen Luo
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liangmiao Wu
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baojian Guo
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei Yu
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gaoxiao Zhang
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yewei Sun
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xifei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8, Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Zaijun Zhang
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yuqiang Wang
- Institute of New Drug Research, International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Wang J, Hu W, Feng Z, Feng M. BDNF-overexpressing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived motor neurons improve motor function and prolong survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice. Neurol Res 2020; 43:199-209. [PMID: 33076784 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2020.1834775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the beneficial effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) -overexpressing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC)-derived motor neurons in the human Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase1 (hSOD1)G93A amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mice. METHODS The BDNF gene was transfected into hUC-MSC-derived motor neurons by the lentivirus-mediated method. hSOD1G93A mice were assigned to the ALS, ALS/MN, and ALS/MN-BDNF groups, and intrathecally administrated phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), motor neurons, or motor neurons overexpressing BDNF, respectively. The control group included non-transgenic wild-type littermates administrated PBS. One month after transplantation, the motor function of the mice was assessed by the rotarod test, and the lumbar enlargements were then isolated to detect the expression of hSOD1 and BDNF by western blotting, and the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), homeobox protein 9 (HB9), major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI) and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) by immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS After transplantation, mice in the ALS/MN-BDNF and ALS/MN groups both exhibited longer latency to fall and longer survival than those in the ALS group (P < 0.01 vs. P < 0.05), and the improvement was more significant in the former than in the latter. However, cell transplantation did not delay disease onset. In the lumbar enlargements of the ALS/MN-BDNF and ALS/MN groups, the expression of hSOD1 was slightly reduced without statistical significance (P > 0.05), but the expression of BDNF, ChAT and HB9, and the co-expression of MHCI and MAP-2 were significantly greater than in the ALS group (P < 0.01), with the differences also being more prominent in the former group than in the latter. CONCLUSIONS Transplantation of BDNF-overexpressing hUC-MSC-derived motor neurons can improve motor performance and prolong the survival of hSOD1G93A mice. Combining stem cell-derived motor neurons with BDNF might provide a new therapeutic strategy for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China.,Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Hu
- Department of Geriatrics, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University , Nanjing, China
| | - Zehua Feng
- School of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China
| | - Meijiang Feng
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory for Aging & Disease, Nanjing Medical University , Nanjing, China
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18
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Zhuang X, Li X, Zhao B, Liu Z, Song F, Lu J. Native Mass Spectrometry Based Method for Studying the Interactions between Superoxide Dismutase 1 and Stilbenoids. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:184-190. [PMID: 31820923 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To inhibit the abnormal aggregation of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is regarded as a potential therapeutic strategy of SOD1-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Herein the interactions between SOD1 and four stilbene-based polyphenols, namely, resveratrol, oxyresveratrol, polydatin, and 2,3,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glycoside (THSG), were investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) combined with ion mobility (IM) spectrometry. The addition of tandem MS to the study of SOD1-ligand complexes provides further insight into their gas-phase stability. Monitoring the unfolding of SOD1-ligand complexes using IM-MS allows observation of subtle changes in the protein stability upon ligand binding. From the MS/MS and IM-MS measurements, polydatin and THSG were highlighted as the strongest bound compounds in the gas phase, and both of them appear to provide a stabilizing effect on the SOD1 dimer conformation. In addition, the data of fluorescence assays clearly show the ability of the ligands to inhibit apoSOD1 from aggregation, and polydatin was found to have the strongest inhibitory effect. Overall, the method described here can be an effective approach to investigate the interactions between SOD1 and other drug-like molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhuang
- School of Phamacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiuxiu Li
- School of Phamacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bing Zhao
- National Center of Mass Spectrometry in Changchun & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- National Center of Mass Spectrometry in Changchun & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Fengrui Song
- National Center of Mass Spectrometry in Changchun & Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Jianzhong Lu
- School of Phamacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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19
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Khan MAI, Weininger U, Kjellström S, Deep S, Akke M. Adsorption of unfolded Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase onto hydrophobic surfaces catalyzes its formation of amyloid fibrils. Protein Eng Des Sel 2019; 32:77-85. [PMID: 31832682 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzz033] [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: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular aggregates of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In vivo, aggregation occurs in a complex and dense molecular environment with chemically heterogeneous surfaces. To investigate how SOD1 fibril formation is affected by surfaces, we used an in vitro model system enabling us to vary the molecular features of both SOD1 and the surfaces, as well as the surface area. We compared fibril formation in hydrophilic and hydrophobic sample wells, as a function of denaturant concentration and extraneous hydrophobic surface area. In the presence of hydrophobic surfaces, SOD1 unfolding promotes fibril nucleation. By contrast, in the presence of hydrophilic surfaces, increasing denaturant concentration retards the onset of fibril formation. We conclude that the mechanism of fibril formation depends on the surrounding surfaces and that the nucleating species might correspond to different conformational states of SOD1 depending on the nature of these surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ashhar I Khan
- Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Ulrich Weininger
- Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sven Kjellström
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
| | - Shashank Deep
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Mikael Akke
- Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, 221 00, Lund, Sweden
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20
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Amin F, Khan MS, Bano B. Mammalian cystatin and protagonists in brain diseases. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:2171-2196. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1620636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fakhra Amin
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Mohd Shahnawaz Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bilqees Bano
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh MuslimUniversity, Aligarh, India
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21
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Huai J, Zhang Z. Structural Properties and Interaction Partners of Familial ALS-Associated SOD1 Mutants. Front Neurol 2019; 10:527. [PMID: 31164862 PMCID: PMC6536575 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron degenerative disease in adults and has also been proven to be a type of conformational disease associated with protein misfolding and dysfunction. To date, more than 150 distinct genes have been found to be associated with ALS, among which Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) is the first and the most extensively studied gene. It has been well-established that SOD1 mutants-mediated toxicity is caused by a gain-of-function rather than the loss of the detoxifying activity of SOD1. Compared with the clear autosomal dominant inheritance of SOD1 mutants in ALS, the potential toxic mechanisms of SOD1 mutants in motor neurons remain incompletely understood. A large body of evidence has shown that SOD1 mutants may adopt a complex profile of conformations and interact with a wide range of client proteins. Here, in this review, we summarize the fundamental conformational properties and the gained interaction partners of the soluble forms of the SOD1 mutants which have been published in the past decades. Our goal is to find clues to the possible internal links between structural and functional anomalies of SOD1 mutants, as well as the relationships between their exposed epitopes and interaction partners, in order to help reveal and determine potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisen Huai
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Zhongjian Zhang
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
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22
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Zhang C, Yang Y, Liang W, Wang T, Wang S, Wang X, Wang Y, Jiang H, Feng H. Neuroprotection by urate on the mutant hSOD1-related cellular and Drosophila models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Implication for GSH synthesis via activating Akt/GSK3β/Nrf2/GCLC pathways. Brain Res Bull 2019; 146:287-301. [PMID: 30690059 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been considered as a principal mechanism of motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease which could be caused by dominant mutations in an antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of urate, an important endogenous antioxidant and a biomarker of favorable ALS progression rates, in the mutant human SOD1-related cellular and Drosophila models of ALS. Our results showed that urate treatment provided neuroprotective effects as confirmed by enhanced survival, attenuated motor impairments, reduced oxidative damage and increased antioxidant defense in hSOD1-G85R-expressing Drosophila models of ALS. In vitro studies, we demonstrated that urate protected motor neurons (NSC-34 cells) against hSOD1-G93A-induced cell damage and apoptosis by decreasing reactive oxygen specials (ROS) production and oxidative damage. Moreover, urate markedly increased the expression and activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), stimulated Nrf2-targeted antioxidant gene glutathione cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) expression and glutathione (GSH) synthesis by upregulating Akt/GSK3β pathway. Furthermore, the inhibition of Akt pathway with LY294002 abolished urate-mediated elevation of GSH synthesis and neuroprotective effects both in vivo and in vitro. Overall, these results suggested that, in addition to its direct scavenging of ROS, urate markedly enhanced GSH expression by activating Akt/GSK3β/Nrf2/GCLC pathway, and thus offering neuroprotective effects on motor neurons against oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunting Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Yueqing Yang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Weiwei Liang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Tianhang Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Shuyu Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Xudong Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Hongquan Jiang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China
| | - Honglin Feng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, PR China.
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23
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Gomes C, Cunha C, Nascimento F, Ribeiro JA, Vaz AR, Brites D. Cortical Neurotoxic Astrocytes with Early ALS Pathology and miR-146a Deficit Replicate Gliosis Markers of Symptomatic SOD1G93A Mouse Model. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2137-2158. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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24
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Pamphlett R, Kum Jew S. Inorganic mercury in human astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, corticomotoneurons and the locus ceruleus: implications for multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders and gliomas. Biometals 2018; 31:807-819. [PMID: 29959651 PMCID: PMC6133182 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-018-0124-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurotoxic metals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders and brain tumours but studies of the location of heavy metals in human brains are rare. In a man who injected himself with metallic mercury the cellular location of mercury in his brain was studied after 5 months of continuous exposure to inorganic mercury arising from metallic mercury deposits in his organs. Paraffin sections from the primary motor and sensory cortices and the locus ceruleus in the pons were stained with autometallography to detect inorganic mercury and combined with glial fibrillary acidic protein immunohistochemistry to identify astrocytes. Inorganic mercury was found in grey matter subpial, interlaminar, protoplasmic and varicose astrocytes, white matter fibrous astrocytes, grey but not white matter oligodendrocytes, corticomotoneurons and some locus ceruleus neurons. In summary, inorganic mercury is taken up by five types of human brain astrocytes, as well as by cortical oligodendrocytes, corticomotoneurons and locus ceruleus neurons. Mercury can induce oxidative stress, stimulate autoimmunity and damage DNA, mitochondria and lipid membranes, so its location in these CNS cells suggests it could play a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and glial tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pamphlett
- Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia. .,Discipline of Pathology, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney and Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, 94 Mallett St, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.
| | - Stephen Kum Jew
- Discipline of Pathology, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
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25
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Zhu Y, Yang M, Li F, Li M, Xu Z, Yang F, Liu Y, Chen W, Zhang Y, Xu R. Aberrant Levels of Cystatin C in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a Systematic Review and Meta Analysis. Int J Biol Sci 2018; 14:1041-1053. [PMID: 29989057 PMCID: PMC6036727 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.25711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidences suggest that Cystatin C (Cys C) levels might be a biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, but the conclusion is still in doubts. We conducted a systematic review and meta analysis of Cys C levels in cerebrospinal cord fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood of patients with ALS in order to further confirm whether or not Cys C levels is a biomarker in ALS diagnosis. The English relevant studies without year limitation were systematically searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science databases. The searched term contained "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" or "Motor Neuron Diseases" and "Cystatin C" and "Cerebrospinal fluid" or "CSF" or "Biomarker" or "Serum" or "Plasma" or "Blood". Observational studies reporting the associations between Cys C levels and ALS patients were selected to conduct a systematic review and meta analysis. Two reviewers performed the selection of this study independently. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assesses the quality and risk of bias of selected studies. Estimates were pooled using a random-effects model. The Cys C levels of CSF or peripheral blood in ALS patients compared with health controls (HCs) and several relevant neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Sixteen studies were included in our systematic review, 9 of them were selected to perform the meta analysis. Of these, eight studies measured Cys C levels in CSF and three studies measured it in blood. Cys C levels in CSF were significantly lower in ALS patients than in HCs (Hedge's g = -1.398, 95%CI: -2.43 to -0.36; p = 0.008), but there was no statistical difference between ALS patients and several relevant NDDs. No statistically significant difference in the Cys C levels of blood in the comparison between ALS and HCs. The correlation meta analysis presented no significant correlation between Cys C levels in CSF and age or disease duration respectively. Cys C levels significantly decrease in the CSF of ALS patients, but are not a specific biomarker for this disease. Cys C levels in CSF might be an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Mi Yang
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fangjun Li
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Menghua Li
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhenzhen Xu
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wenzhi Chen
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yougen Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Renshi Xu
- Department of Neurology, The first affiliated hospital of Nanchang university, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
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26
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SOD1 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: "Ambivalent" Behavior Connected to the Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051345. [PMID: 29751510 PMCID: PMC5983710 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1993, Rosen and collaborators discovered that the gene encoding SOD1 has mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients; moreover, these mutations are found in the exon regions, suggesting that their toxic effects are the consequence of protein dysfunction with an increase of oxidative stress. While a clear genetic picture has been delineated, a more complex scenario has been ascribed to the SOD1 protein. On the one hand, some evidence sustains the hypothesis of an additionally toxic role for wild-type SOD1 (WT-SOD1) in the pathogenesis of sporadic ALS. On the other hand, our group identified a discrepancy among WT-SOD1 protein expression levels and mRNA in ALS sporadic patients, thus providing the hypothesis of a re-localization of the “missing” SOD1 in a different sub-cellular compartment, i.e., nucleus, or an aggregation/precipitation in the insoluble fraction. Moreover, our data also indicate an association between longer disease duration and higher amounts of soluble SOD1 within the nucleus, suggesting a possible defensive role of the protein in this compartment. Starting from this evidence, in this review we will attempt to resolve the “ambivalent” behavior of SOD1 in ALS disease and we will try to classify sporadic ALS patients according to a novel biological signature, i.e., SOD localization.
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27
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Co-localization of cystatin C and prosaposin in cultured neurons and in anterior horn neurons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2018; 384:67-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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28
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Khan MAI, Respondek M, Kjellström S, Deep S, Linse S, Akke M. Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase Forms Amyloid Fibrils under Near-Physiological Quiescent Conditions: The Roles of Disulfide Bonds and Effects of Denaturant. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:2019-2026. [PMID: 28585802 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) forms intracellular aggregates that are pathological indicators of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A large body of research indicates that the entry point to aggregate formation is a monomeric, metal-ion free (apo), and disulfide-reduced species. Fibril formation by SOD1 in vitro has typically been reported only for harsh solvent conditions or mechanical agitation. Here we show that monomeric apo-SOD1 in the disulfide-reduced state forms fibrillar aggregates under near-physiological quiescent conditions. Monomeric apo-SOD1 with an intact intramolecular disulfide bond is highly resistant to aggregation under the same conditions. A cysteine-free variant of SOD1 exhibits fibrillization behavior and fibril morphology identical to those of disulfide-reduced SOD1, firmly establishing that intermolecular disulfide bonds or intramolecular disulfide shuffling are not required for aggregation and fibril formation. The decreased lag time for fibril formation resulting from reduction of the intramolecular disulfide bond thus primarily reflects the decreased stability of the folded state relative to partially unfolded states, rather than an active role of free sulfhydryl groups in mediating aggregation. Addition of urea to increase the amount of fully unfolded SOD1 increases the lag time for fibril formation, indicating that the population of this species does not dominate over other factors in determining the onset of aggregation. Our results contrast with previous results obtained for agitated samples, in which case amyloid formation was accelerated by denaturant. We reconcile these observations by suggesting that denaturants destabilize monomeric and aggregated species to different extents and thus affect nucleation and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Ashhar I. Khan
- Biophysical
Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Michal Respondek
- Biophysical
Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sven Kjellström
- Biochemistry and Structural
Biology,
Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Shashank Deep
- Department
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Sara Linse
- Biochemistry and Structural
Biology,
Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikael Akke
- Biophysical
Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
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29
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The Role of Metal Binding in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Related Aggregation of Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22091429. [PMID: 28850080 PMCID: PMC6151412 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22091429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and conformational changes are common hallmarks in many neurodegenerative diseases involving formation and deposition of toxic protein aggregates. Although many players are involved in the in vivo protein aggregation, physiological factors such as labile metal ions within the cellular environment are likely to play a key role. In this review, we elucidate the role of metal binding in the aggregation process of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) associated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). SOD1 is an extremely stable Cu-Zn metalloprotein in which metal binding is crucial for folding, enzymatic activity and maintenance of the native conformation. Indeed, demetalation in SOD1 is known to induce misfolding and aggregation in physiological conditions in vitro suggesting that metal binding could play a key role in the pathological aggregation of SOD1. In addition, this study includes recent advances on the role of aberrant metal coordination in promoting SOD1 aggregation, highlighting the influence of metal ion homeostasis in pathologic aggregation processes.
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30
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Prakash A, Kumar V, Pandey P, Bharti DR, Vishwakarma P, Singh R, Hassan MI, Lynn AM. Solvent sensitivity of protein aggregation in Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase: a molecular dynamics simulation study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2017; 36:2605-2617. [PMID: 28782426 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1364670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of Cu, Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) is often found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The central apo SOD1 barrel was involved in protein maturation and pathological aggregation in ALS. In this work, we employed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the conformational dynamics of SOD1barrel monomer in different concentrations of trifluoroethanol (TFE). We find concentration dependence unusual structural and dynamical features, characterized by the local unfolding of SOD1barrel. This partially unfolded structure is characterized by the exposure of hydrophobic core, is highly dynamic in nature, and is the precursor of aggregation seen in SOD1barrel. Our computational studies supports the hypothesis of the formation of aggregation 'building blocks' by means of local unfolding of apo monomer as the mechanism of SOD1 fibrillar aggregation. The non-monotonic TFE concentration dependence of protein conformational changes was explored through simulation studies. Our results suggest that altered protein conformation and dynamics within its structure may underlie the aggregation of SOD1 in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amresh Prakash
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- b Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , Jamia Nagar, New Delhi , 110025 , India
| | - Preeti Pandey
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
| | - Deepak R Bharti
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
| | - Poonam Vishwakarma
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
| | - Ruhar Singh
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- b Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences , Jamia Millia Islamia , Jamia Nagar, New Delhi , 110025 , India
| | - Andrew M Lynn
- a School of Computational & Integrative Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi , 110067 , India
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31
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Atomic structure of a toxic, oligomeric segment of SOD1 linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:8770-8775. [PMID: 28760994 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1705091114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrils and oligomers are the aggregated protein agents of neuronal dysfunction in ALS diseases. Whereas we now know much about fibril architecture, atomic structures of disease-related oligomers have eluded determination. Here, we determine the corkscrew-like structure of a cytotoxic segment of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in its oligomeric state. Mutations that prevent formation of this structure eliminate cytotoxicity of the segment in isolation as well as cytotoxicity of the ALS-linked mutants of SOD1 in primary motor neurons and in a Danio rerio (zebrafish) model of ALS. Cytotoxicity assays suggest that toxicity is a property of soluble oligomers, and not large insoluble aggregates. Our work adds to evidence that the toxic oligomeric entities in protein aggregation diseases contain antiparallel, out-of-register β-sheet structures and identifies a target for structure-based therapeutics in ALS.
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32
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Misfolded SOD1 is not a primary component of sporadic ALS. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 134:97-111. [PMID: 28247063 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1688-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A common feature of inherited and sporadic ALS is accumulation of abnormal proteinaceous inclusions in motor neurons and glia. SOD1 is the major protein component accumulating in patients with SOD1 mutations, as well as in mutant SOD1 mouse models. ALS-linked mutations of SOD1 have been shown to increase its propensity to misfold and/or aggregate. Antibodies specific for monomeric or misfolded SOD1 have detected misfolded SOD1 accumulating predominantly in spinal cord motor neurons of ALS patients with SOD1 mutations. We now use seven different conformationally sensitive antibodies to misfolded human SOD1 (including novel high affinity antibodies currently in pre-clinical development) coupled with immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation to test for the presence of misfolded SOD1 in high quality human autopsy samples. Whereas misfolded SOD1 is readily detectable in samples from patients with SOD1 mutations, it is below detection limits for all of our measures in spinal cord and cortex tissues from patients with sporadic or non-SOD1 inherited ALS. The absence of evidence for accumulated misfolded SOD1 supports a conclusion that SOD1 misfolding is not a primary component of sporadic ALS.
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33
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Habibi M, Rottler J, Plotkin SS. The unfolding mechanism of monomeric mutant SOD1 by simulated force spectroscopy. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017. [PMID: 28629863 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical unfolding of mutated apo, disulfide-reduced, monomeric superoxide dismutase 1 protein (SOD1) has been simulated via force spectroscopy techniques, using both an all-atom (AA), explicit solvent model and a coarse-grained heavy-atom Gō (HA-Gō) model. The HA-Gō model was implemented at two different pulling speeds for comparison. The most-common sequence of unfolding in the AA model agrees well with the most-common unfolding sequence of the HA-Gō model, when the same normalized pulling rate was used. Clustering of partially-native structures as the protein unfolds shows that the AA and HA-Gō models both exhibit a dominant pathway for early unfolding, which eventually bifurcates repeatedly to multiple branches after the protein is about half-unfolded. The force-extension curve exhibits multiple force drops, which are concomitant with jumps in the local interaction potential energy between specific β-strands in the protein. These sudden jumps in the potential energy coincide with the dissociation of specific pairs of β-strands, and thus intermediate unfolding events. The most common sequence of β-strand dissociation in the unfolding pathway of the AA model is β-strands 5, 4, 8, 7, 1, 2, then finally β-strands 3 and 6. The observation that β-strand 5 is among the first to unfold here, but the last to unfold in simulations of loop-truncated SOD1, could imply the existence of an evolutionary compensation mechanism, which would stabilize β-strands flanking long loops against their entropic penalty by strengthening intramolecular interactions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biophysics in Canada, edited by Lewis Kay, John Baenziger, Albert Berghuis and Peter Tieleman.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Habibi
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Jörg Rottler
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Steven S Plotkin
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
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34
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Campanari ML, García-Ayllón MS, Ciura S, Sáez-Valero J, Kabashi E. Neuromuscular Junction Impairment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Reassessing the Role of Acetylcholinesterase. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:160. [PMID: 28082868 PMCID: PMC5187284 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a highly debilitating disease caused by progressive degeneration of motorneurons (MNs). Due to the wide variety of genes and mutations identified in ALS, a highly varied etiology could ultimately converge to produce similar clinical symptoms. A major hypothesis in ALS research is the “distal axonopathy” with pathological changes occurring at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), at very early stages of the disease, prior to MNs degeneration and onset of clinical symptoms. The NMJ is a highly specialized cholinergic synapse, allowing signaling between muscle and nerve necessary for skeletal muscle function. This nerve-muscle contact is characterized by the clustering of the collagen-tailed form of acetylcholinesterase (ColQ-AChE), together with other components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and specific key molecules in the NMJ formation. Interestingly, in addition to their cholinergic role AChE is thought to play several “non-classical” roles that do not require catalytic function, most prominent among these is the facilitation of neurite growth, NMJ formation and survival. In all this context, abnormalities of AChE content have been found in plasma of ALS patients, in which AChE changes may reflect the neuromuscular disruption. We review these findings and particularly the evidences of changes of AChE at neuromuscular synapse in the pre-symptomatic stages of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Letizia Campanari
- Sorbonne Université, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Université de Paris 06, Unité Mixte 75, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225 Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM) Paris, France
| | - María-Salud García-Ayllón
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Sant Joan d'AlacantSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain; Unidad de Investigación, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, FISABIOElche, Spain
| | - Sorana Ciura
- Sorbonne Université, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Université de Paris 06, Unité Mixte 75, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225 Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM) Paris, France
| | - Javier Sáez-Valero
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Sant Joan d'AlacantSpain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Sorbonne Université, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Université de Paris 06, Unité Mixte 75, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225 Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM) Paris, France
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35
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Bishop KM. Progress and promise of antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics for central nervous system diseases. Neuropharmacology 2016; 120:56-62. [PMID: 27998711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs are an emerging class of therapeutics that have recently demonstrated progress and promise to treat diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). ASOs for a variety of targets and mechanisms are currently being investigated in clinical trials and pre-clinically for a number of CNS diseases. This review examines the available data regarding central ASO delivery, distribution, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and therapeutic opportunities. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Beyond small molecules for neurological disorders".
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36
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Human SOD1 ALS Mutations in a Drosophila Knock-In Model Cause Severe Phenotypes and Reveal Dosage-Sensitive Gain- and Loss-of-Function Components. Genetics 2016; 205:707-723. [PMID: 27974499 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.190850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease and familial forms can be caused by numerous dominant mutations of the copper-zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. Substantial efforts have been invested in studying SOD1-ALS transgenic animal models; yet, the molecular mechanisms by which ALS-mutant SOD1 protein acquires toxicity are not well understood. ALS-like phenotypes in animal models are highly dependent on transgene dosage. Thus, issues of whether the ALS-like phenotypes of these models stem from overexpression of mutant alleles or from aspects of the SOD1 mutation itself are not easily deconvolved. To address concerns about levels of mutant SOD1 in disease pathogenesis, we have genetically engineered four human ALS-causing SOD1 point mutations (G37R, H48R, H71Y, and G85R) into the endogenous locus of Drosophila SOD1 (dsod) via ends-out homologous recombination and analyzed the resulting molecular, biochemical, and behavioral phenotypes. Contrary to previous transgenic models, we have recapitulated ALS-like phenotypes without overexpression of the mutant protein. Drosophila carrying homozygous mutations rendering SOD1 protein enzymatically inactive (G85R, H48R, and H71Y) exhibited neurodegeneration, locomotor deficits, and shortened life span. The mutation retaining enzymatic activity (G37R) was phenotypically indistinguishable from controls. While the observed mutant dsod phenotypes were recessive, a gain-of-function component was uncovered through dosage studies and comparisons with age-matched dsod null animals, which failed to show severe locomotor defects or nerve degeneration. We conclude that the Drosophila knock-in model captures important aspects of human SOD1-based ALS and provides a powerful and useful tool for further genetic studies.
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37
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Zondler L, Müller K, Khalaji S, Bliederhäuser C, Ruf WP, Grozdanov V, Thiemann M, Fundel-Clemes K, Freischmidt A, Holzmann K, Strobel B, Weydt P, Witting A, Thal DR, Helferich AM, Hengerer B, Gottschalk KE, Hill O, Kluge M, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Weishaupt JH. Peripheral monocytes are functionally altered and invade the CNS in ALS patients. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 132:391-411. [PMID: 26910103 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1548-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting primarily the upper and lower motor neurons. A common feature of all ALS cases is a well-characterized neuroinflammatory reaction within the central nervous system (CNS). However, much less is known about the role of the peripheral immune system and its interplay with CNS resident immune cells in motor neuron degeneration. Here, we characterized peripheral monocytes in both temporal and spatial dimensions of ALS pathogenesis. We found the circulating monocytes to be deregulated in ALS regarding subtype constitution, function and gene expression. Moreover, we show that CNS infiltration of peripheral monocytes correlates with improved motor neuron survival in a genetic ALS mouse model. Furthermore, application of human immunoglobulins or fusion proteins containing only the human Fc, but not the Fab antibody fragment, increased CNS invasion of peripheral monocytes and delayed the disease onset. Our results underline the importance of peripheral monocytes in ALS pathogenesis and are in agreement with a protective role of monocytes in the early phase of the disease. The possibility to boost this beneficial function of peripheral monocytes by application of human immunoglobulins should be evaluated in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zondler
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Samira Khalaji
- Department of Experimental Physics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Corinna Bliederhäuser
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Veselin Grozdanov
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anke Witting
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anika M Helferich
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, O25, Niveau 5, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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38
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Song S, Miranda CJ, Braun L, Meyer K, Frakes AE, Ferraiuolo L, Likhite S, Bevan AK, Foust KD, McConnell MJ, Walker CM, Kaspar BK. Major histocompatibility complex class I molecules protect motor neurons from astrocyte-induced toxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Med 2016; 22:397-403. [PMID: 26928464 PMCID: PMC4823173 DOI: 10.1038/nm.4052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes isolated from individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are toxic to motor neurons (MNs) and play a non-cell autonomous role in disease pathogenesis. The mechanisms underlying the susceptibility of MNs to cell death remain unclear. Here we report that astrocytes derived from either mice bearing mutations in genes associated with ALS or human subjects with ALS reduce the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) molecules on MNs; reduced MHCI expression makes these MNs susceptible to astrocyte-induced cell death. Increasing MHCI expression on MNs increases survival and motor performance in a mouse model of ALS and protects MNs against astrocyte toxicity. Overexpression of a single MHCI molecule, HLA-F, protects human MNs from ALS astrocyte-mediated toxicity, whereas knockdown of its receptor, the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor KIR3DL2, on human astrocytes results in enhanced MN death. Thus, our data indicate that, in ALS, loss of MHCI expression on MNs renders them more vulnerable to astrocyte-mediated toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- SungWon Song
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Carlos J. Miranda
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lyndsey Braun
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kathrin Meyer
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ashley E. Frakes
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Shibi Likhite
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Adam K. Bevan
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kevin D. Foust
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Michael J. McConnell
- Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Christopher M. Walker
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian K. Kaspar
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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39
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Nonnative SOD1 trimer is toxic to motor neurons in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 113:614-9. [PMID: 26719414 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1516725113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the linking of mutations in the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase gene (sod1) to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1993, researchers have sought the connection between SOD1 and motor neuron death. Disease-linked mutations tend to destabilize the native dimeric structure of SOD1, and plaques containing misfolded and aggregated SOD1 have been found in the motor neurons of patients with ALS. Despite advances in understanding of ALS disease progression and SOD1 folding and stability, cytotoxic species and mechanisms remain unknown, greatly impeding the search for and design of therapeutic interventions. Here, we definitively link cytotoxicity associated with SOD1 aggregation in ALS to a nonnative trimeric SOD1 species. We develop methodology for the incorporation of low-resolution experimental data into simulations toward the structural modeling of metastable, multidomain aggregation intermediates. We apply this methodology to derive the structure of a SOD1 trimer, which we validate in vitro and in hybridized motor neurons. We show that SOD1 mutants designed to promote trimerization increase cell death. Further, we demonstrate that the cytotoxicity of the designed mutants correlates with trimer stability, providing a direct link between the presence of misfolded oligomers and neuron death. Identification of cytotoxic species is the first and critical step in elucidating the molecular etiology of ALS, and the ability to manipulate formation of these species will provide an avenue for the development of future therapeutic strategies.
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40
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Yung C, Sha D, Li L, Chin LS. Parkin Protects Against Misfolded SOD1 Toxicity by Promoting Its Aggresome Formation and Autophagic Clearance. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:6270-6287. [PMID: 26563499 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9537-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) cause autosomal dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disease with no effective treatment. Despite ample evidence indicating involvement of mutation-induced SOD1 protein misfolding and aggregation in ALS pathogenesis, the molecular mechanisms that control cellular management of misfolded, aggregation-prone SOD1 mutant proteins remain unclear. Here, we report that parkin, an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase which is linked to Parkinson's disease, is a novel regulator of cellular defense against toxicity induced by ALS-associated SOD1 mutant proteins. We find that parkin mediates K63-linked polyubiquitination of SOD1 mutants in cooperation with the UbcH13/Uev1a E2 enzyme and promotes degradation of these misfolded SOD1 proteins by the autophagy-lysosome system. In response to strong proteotoxic stress associated with proteasome impairment, parkin promotes sequestration of misfolded and aggregated SOD1 proteins to form perinuclear aggresomes, regulates positioning of lysosomes around misfolded SOD1 aggresomes, and facilitates aggresome clearance by autophagy. Our findings reveal parkin-mediated cytoprotective mechanisms against misfolded SOD1 toxicity and suggest that enhancing parkin-mediated cytoprotection may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for treating ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Yung
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Di Sha
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Lian Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Lih-Shen Chin
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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41
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Leal SS, Cristóvão JS, Biesemeier A, Cardoso I, Gomes CM. Aberrant zinc binding to immature conformers of metal-free copper-zinc superoxide dismutase triggers amorphous aggregation. Metallomics 2015; 7:333-46. [PMID: 25554447 DOI: 10.1039/c4mt00278d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is a Cu/Zn metalloenzyme that aggregates in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Correct metal insertion during SOD1 biosynthesis is critical to prevent misfolding; however Zn(2+) can bind to the copper-site leading to an aberrantly metallated protein. These effects of Zn(2+) misligation on SOD1 aggregation remain to be explored, even though Zn(2+) levels are upregulated in ALS motor neurons. Here we use complementary biophysical methods to investigate Zn(2+) binding and its effects on the aggregation of three immature metal-free SOD1 conformers that represent biogenesis intermediates: dimeric, monomeric and reduced monomeric SOD1. Using isothermal titration calorimetry we determined that Zn(2+) binds to all conformers both at the zinc- as well as to the copper-site; however Zn(2+) binding mechanisms to the zinc-site have distinct characteristics across immature conformers. We show that this 'zinc overload' of immature SOD1 promotes intermolecular interactions, as evidenced by dynamic light scattering and ThT fluorescence kinetic studies. Analysis of aged zinc-induced aggregates by energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy-loss spectroscopy shows that aggregates integrate some Zn(2+). In addition, electron diffraction analysis identifies nano-scaled crystalline materials and amyloid fibril-like reflections. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that Zn(2+) diverts the SOD1 aggregation pathway from fibrils to amorphous aggregate, and electrophoretic analysis evidences an increase in insoluble materials. Overall, we provide evidence that aberrant zinc coordination to immature conformers broadens the population of SOD1 misfolded species at early aggregation stages and provide evidence for a high structural polymorphism and heterogeneity of SOD1 aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sónia S Leal
- Instituto Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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42
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Grad LI, Pokrishevsky E, Silverman JM, Cashman NR. Exosome-dependent and independent mechanisms are involved in prion-like transmission of propagated Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase misfolding. Prion 2015; 8:331-5. [PMID: 25551548 PMCID: PMC4601269 DOI: 10.4161/19336896.2014.983398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal adult-onset degenerative neuromuscular disorder with a poorly defined etiology, progresses in an orderly spatiotemporal manner from one or more foci within the nervous system, reminiscent of prion disease pathology. We have previously shown that misfolded mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), mutation of which is associated with a subset of ALS cases, can induce endogenous wild-type SOD1 misfolding in the intracellular environment in a templating fashion similar to that of misfolded prion protein. Our recent observations further extend the prion paradigm of pathological SOD1 to help explain the intercellular transmission of disease along the neuroaxis. It has been shown that both mutant and misfolded wild-type SOD1 can traverse cell-to-cell either as protein aggregates that are released from dying cells and taken up by neighboring cells via macropinocytosis, or released to the extracellular environment on the surface of exosomes secreted from living cells. Furthermore, once propagation of misfolded wild-type SOD1 has been initiated in human cell culture, it continues over multiple passages of transfer and cell growth. Propagation and transmission of misfolded wild-type SOD1 is therefore a potential mechanism in the systematic progression of ALS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie I Grad
- a Department of Medicine (Neurology), Brain Research Center ; University of British Columbia ; Vancouver , BC Canada
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43
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Sekhar A, Rumfeldt JAO, Broom HR, Doyle CM, Bouvignies G, Meiering EM, Kay LE. Thermal fluctuations of immature SOD1 lead to separate folding and misfolding pathways. eLife 2015; 4:e07296. [PMID: 26099300 PMCID: PMC4475725 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving cytotoxic conformations of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). A major challenge in understanding ALS disease pathology has been the identification and atomic-level characterization of these conformers. Here, we use a combination of NMR methods to detect four distinct sparsely populated and transiently formed thermally accessible conformers in equilibrium with the native state of immature SOD1 (apoSOD1(2SH)). Structural models of two of these establish that they possess features present in the mature dimeric protein. In contrast, the other two are non-native oligomers in which the native dimer interface and the electrostatic loop mediate the formation of aberrant intermolecular interactions. Our results show that apoSOD1(2SH) has a rugged free energy landscape that codes for distinct kinetic pathways leading to either maturation or non-native association and provide a starting point for a detailed atomic-level understanding of the mechanisms of SOD1 oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Sekhar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Helen R Broom
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Colleen M Doyle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | | | | | - Lewis E Kay
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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44
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Murdock BJ, Bender DE, Segal BM, Feldman EL. The dual roles of immunity in ALS: Injury overrides protection. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 77:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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45
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to cell death of predominantly motor neurons. Despite extensive research in this disease, finding a way to slow the progress of the disease has been challenging. RNA-targeted therapeutic approaches, including small interfering RNA and antisense oligonucleotides are being developed for genetic forms of ALS. ALS provides an unique opportunity for the use of RNA inhibition strategies given a well-defined animal model, extensive available information regarding the causative genes, and recent experience in phase 1 clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linga V. Reddy
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Timothy M. Miller
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
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46
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Hooten KG, Beers DR, Zhao W, Appel SH. Protective and Toxic Neuroinflammation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurotherapeutics 2015; 12:364-75. [PMID: 25567201 PMCID: PMC4404435 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-014-0329-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder characterized by loss of motor neurons, resulting in paralysis and death. Multiple mechanisms of motor neuron injury have been implicated based upon the more than 20 different genetic causes of familial ALS. These inherited mutations compromise diverse motor neuron pathways leading to cell-autonomous injury. In the ALS transgenic mouse models, however, motor neurons do not die alone. Cell death is noncell-autonomous dependent upon a well orchestrated dialogue between motor neurons and surrounding glia and adaptive immune cells. The pathogenesis of ALS consists of 2 stages: an early neuroprotective stage and a later neurotoxic stage. During early phases of disease progression, the immune system is protective with glia and T cells, especially M2 macrophages/microglia, and T helper 2 cells and regulatory T cells, providing anti-inflammatory factors that sustain motor neuron viability. As the disease progresses and motor neuron injury accelerates, a second rapidly progressing phase develops, characterized by M1 macrophages/microglia, and proinflammatory T cells. In rapidly progressing ALS patients, as in transgenic mice, neuroprotective regulatory T cells are significantly decreased and neurotoxicity predominates. Our own therapeutic efforts are focused on modulating these neuroinflammatory pathways. This review will focus on the cellular players involved in neuroinflammation in ALS and current therapeutic strategies to enhance neuroprotection and suppress neurotoxicity with the goal of arresting the progressive and devastating nature of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher G. Hooten
- />Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Peggy and Gary Edwards ALS Research Laboratory, Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 USA
- />Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Florida, Box 100265, Gainesville, FL 32610-0261 USA
| | - David R. Beers
- />Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Peggy and Gary Edwards ALS Research Laboratory, Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Weihua Zhao
- />Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Peggy and Gary Edwards ALS Research Laboratory, Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Stanley H. Appel
- />Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Peggy and Gary Edwards ALS Research Laboratory, Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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47
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Lev N, Barhum Y, Lotan I, Steiner I, Offen D. DJ-1 knockout augments disease severity and shortens survival in a mouse model of ALS. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117190. [PMID: 25822630 PMCID: PMC4379040 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, lethal, neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Oxidative stress plays a central role in the disease progression, in concert with an enhanced glutamate excitotoxicity and neuroinflammation. DJ-1 mutations, leading to the loss of functional protein, cause familial Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease in several patients. DJ-1 responds to oxidative stress and plays an important role in the cellular defense mechanisms. We aimed to investigate whether loss of functional DJ-1 alters the disease course and severity in an ALS mouse model. To this end we used mice that express the human SOD1G93A mutation, the commonly used model of ALS and knockout of DJ-1 mice to generate SOD1 DJ-1 KO mice. We found that knocking out DJ-1in the ALS model led to an accelerated disease course and shortened survival time. DJ-1 deficiency was found to increase neuronal loss in the spinal cord associated with increased gliosis in the spinal cord and reduced antioxidant response that was regulated by the Nrf2 mechanism.The importance of DJ-1 in ALS was also illustrated in a motor neuron cell line that was exposed to glutamate toxicity and oxidative stress. Addition of the DJ-1 derived peptide, ND-13, enhanced the resistance to glutamate and SIN-1 induced toxicity. Thus, our results maintain that DJ-1 plays a role in the disease process and promotes the necessity of further investigation of DJ-1 as a therapeutic target for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirit Lev
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Department of Neurology, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Yael Barhum
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Itay Lotan
- Department of Neurology, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Israel Steiner
- Department of Neurology, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Daniel Offen
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, Israel
- * E-mail:
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48
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Getter T, Zaks I, Barhum Y, Ben-Zur T, Böselt S, Gregoire S, Viskind O, Shani T, Gottlieb H, Green O, Shubely M, Senderowitz H, Israelson A, Kwon I, Petri S, Offen D, Gruzman A. A chemical chaperone-based drug candidate is effective in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ChemMedChem 2015; 10:850-61. [PMID: 25772747 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of motor neurons and skeletal muscle atrophy. The majority of ALS cases are acquired spontaneously, with inherited disease accounting for only 10 % of all cases. Recent studies provide compelling evidence that aggregates of misfolded proteins underlie both types of ALS. Small molecules such as artificial chaperones can prevent or even reverse the aggregation of proteins associated with various human diseases. However, their very high active concentration (micromolar range) severely limits their utility as drugs. We synthesized several ester and amide derivatives of chemical chaperones. The lead compound 14, 3-((5-((4,6-dimethylpyridin-2-yl)methoxy)-5-oxopentanoyl)oxy)-N,N-dimethylpropan-1-amine oxide shows, in the micromolar concentration range, both neuronal and astrocyte protective effects in vitro; at daily doses of 10 mg kg(-1) 14 improved the neurological functions and delayed body weight loss in ALS mice. Members of this new chemical chaperone derivative class are strong candidates for the development of new drugs for ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Getter
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 529002 (Israel)
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49
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Grad LI, Cashman NR. Prion-like activity of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase: implications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Prion 2015; 8:33-41. [PMID: 24394345 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases belong to a larger group of protein misfolding disorders, known as proteinopathies. There is increasing experimental evidence implicating prion-like mechanisms in many common neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, the tauopathies, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), all of which feature the aberrant misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins. The prion paradigm provides a mechanism by which a mutant or wild-type protein can dominate pathogenesis through the initiation of self-propagating protein misfolding. ALS, a lethal disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons is understood as a classical proteinopathy; the disease is typified by the formation of inclusions consisting of aggregated protein within and around motor neurons that can contribute to neurotoxicity. It is well established that misfolded/oxidized SOD1 protein is highly toxic to motor neurons and plays a prominent role in the pathology of ALS. Recent work has identified propagated protein misfolding properties in both mutant and wild-type SOD1, which may provide the molecular basis for the clinically observed contiguous spread of the disease through the neuroaxis. In this review we examine the current state of knowledge regarding the prion-like properties of SOD1 and comment on its proposed mechanisms of intercellular transmission.
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50
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Grad LI, Fernando SM, Cashman NR. From molecule to molecule and cell to cell: prion-like mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 77:257-65. [PMID: 25701498 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions, self-proliferating infectious agents consisting of misfolded protein, are most often associated with aggressive neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Akin to the contiguous spread of a living pathogen, the prion paradigm provides a mechanism by which a mutant or wild-type misfolded protein can dominate pathogenesis through self-propagating protein misfolding, and subsequently spread from region to region through the central nervous system. The prion diseases, along with more common neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and the tauopathies belong to a larger group of protein misfolding disorders termed proteinopathies that feature aberrant misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a lethal disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons is currently understood as a classical proteinopathy; the disease is typified by the formation of inclusions consisting of aggregated protein within motor neurons that contribute to neurotoxicity. It is well established that misfolded/aggregated proteins such as SOD1 and TDP-43 contribute to the toxicity of motor neurons and play a prominent role in the pathology of ALS. Recent work has identified propagated protein misfolding properties in both mutant and wild-type SOD1, and to a lesser extent TDP-43, which may provide the molecular basis for the clinically observed contiguous spread of the disease through the neuroaxis. In this review we examine the current state of knowledge regarding the prion-like properties of proteins associated with ALS pathology as well as their possible mechanisms of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie I Grad
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada, V6T 2B5
| | - Sarah M Fernando
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada, V6T 2B5
| | - Neil R Cashman
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC, Canada, V6T 2B5.
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