1
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Baek Y, Lee M. Exploring the complexity of amyloid-beta fibrils: structural polymorphisms and molecular interactions. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1631-1646. [PMID: 39034652 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides into cross-β structures forms a variety of distinct fibril conformations, potentially correlating with variations in neurodegenerative disease progression. Recent advances in techniques such as X-ray crystallography, solid-state NMR, and cryo-electron microscopy have enabled the development of high-resolution molecular structures of these polymorphic amyloid fibrils, which are either grown in vitro or isolated from human and transgenic mouse brain tissues. This article reviews our current understanding of the structural polymorphisms in amyloid fibrils formed by Aβ40 and Aβ42, as well as disease-associated mutants of Aβ peptides. The aim is to enhance our understanding of various molecular interactions, including hydrophobic and ionic interactions, within and among cross-β structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoongyeong Baek
- Department of Chemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, U.S.A
| | - Myungwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, U.S.A
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2
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Niu Z, Gui X, Feng S, Reif B. Aggregation Mechanisms and Molecular Structures of Amyloid-β in Alzheimer's Disease. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400277. [PMID: 38888453 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400277] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid plaques are a major pathological hallmark involved in Alzheimer's disease and consist of deposits of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). The aggregation process of Aβ is highly complex, which leads to polymorphous aggregates with different structures. In addition to aberrant aggregation, Aβ oligomers can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and form dynamic condensates. It has been hypothesized that these amyloid liquid droplets affect and modulate amyloid fibril formation. In this review, we briefly introduce the relationship between stress granules and amyloid protein aggregation that is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Then we highlight the regulatory role of LLPS in Aβ aggregation and discuss the potential relationship between Aβ phase transition and aggregation. Furthermore, we summarize the current structures of Aβ oligomers and amyloid fibrils, which have been determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The structural variations of Aβ aggregates provide an explanation for the different levels of toxicity, shed light on the aggregation mechanism and may pave the way towards structure-based drug design for both clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Niu
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, China
| | - Xinrui Gui
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shuang Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, China
| | - Bernd Reif
- Bavarian NMR Center (B NMRZ), Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München (TUM), Garching, 85747, Germany
- Institute of Structural Biology (STB), Helmholtz-Zentrum, München (HMGU), Neuherberg, 85764, Germany
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3
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Oasa S, Kouznetsova VL, Tsigelny IF, Terenius L. Small molecular decoys in Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1658-1659. [PMID: 38103228 PMCID: PMC10960305 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.389643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sho Oasa
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Igor F. Tsigelny
- San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lars Terenius
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Żukowska J, Moss SJ, Subramanian V, Acharya KR. Molecular basis of selective amyloid-β degrading enzymes in Alzheimer's disease. FEBS J 2024; 291:2999-3029. [PMID: 37622248 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of the small 42-residue long peptide amyloid-β (Aβ) has been proposed as a major trigger for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Within the brain, the concentration of Aβ peptide is tightly controlled through production and clearance mechanisms. Substantial experimental evidence now shows that reduced levels of Aβ clearance are present in individuals living with AD. This accumulation of Aβ can lead to the formation of large aggregated amyloid plaques-one of two detectable hallmarks of the disease. Aβ-degrading enzymes (ADEs) are major players in the clearance of Aβ. Stimulating ADE activity or expression, in order to compensate for the decreased clearance in the AD phenotype, provides a promising therapeutic target. It has been reported in mice that upregulation of ADEs can reduce the levels of Aβ peptide and amyloid plaques-in some cases, this led to improved cognitive function. Among several known ADEs, neprilysin (NEP), endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) and angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE) from the zinc metalloprotease family have been identified as important. These ADEs have the capacity to digest soluble Aβ which, in turn, cannot form the toxic oligomeric species. While they are known for their amyloid degradation, they exhibit complexity through promiscuous nature and a broad range of substrates that they can degrade. This review highlights current structural and functional understanding of these key ADEs, giving some insight into the molecular interactions that leads to the hydrolysis of peptide substrates, the crucial tasks performed by them and the potential for therapeutic use in the future.
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5
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Yin X, Zhou H, Cao T, Yang X, Meng F, Dai X, Wang Y, Li S, Zhai W, Yang Z, Chen N, Zhou R. Rational Design of Dual-Functionalized Gd@C 82 Nanoparticles to Relieve Neuronal Cytotoxicity in Alzheimer's Disease via Inhibition of Aβ Aggregation. ACS NANO 2024; 18:15416-15431. [PMID: 38840269 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Particularly, the structured oligomeric species rich in β-sheet formations were implicated in neuronal organelle damage. Addressing this formidable challenge requires identifying candidates capable of inhibiting peptide aggregation or disaggregating preformed oligomers for effective antiaggregation-based AD therapy. Here, we present a dual-functional nanoinhibitor meticulously designed to target the aggregation driving force and amyloid fibril spatial structure. Leveraging the exceptional structural stability and facile tailoring capability of endohedral metallofullerene Gd@C82, we introduce desired hydrogen-binding sites and charged groups, which are abundant on its surface for specific designs. Impressively, these designs endow the resultant functionalized-Gd@C82 nanoparticles (f-Gd@C82 NPs) with high capability of redirecting peptide self-assembly toward disordered, off-pathway species, obstructing the early growth of protofibrils, and disaggregating the preformed well-ordered protofibrils or even mature Aβ fibrils. This results in considerable alleviation of Aβ peptide-induced neuronal cytotoxicity, rescuing neuronal death and synaptic loss in primary neuron models. Notably, these modifications significantly improved the dispersibility of f-Gd@C82 NPs, thus substantially enhancing its bioavailability. Moreover, f-Gd@C82 NPs demonstrate excellent cytocompatibility with various cell lines and possess the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier in mice. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations illuminate the inhibition and disaggregation mechanisms. Our design successfully overcomes the limitations of other nanocandidates, which often overly rely on hydrophobic interactions or photothermal conversion properties, and offers a viable direction for developing anti-AD agents through the inhibition and even reversal of Aβ aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhua Yin
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Tiantian Cao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Suzhou Institute of Trade and Commerce, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Xiner Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Fei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xing Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sijie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wangsong Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zaixing Yang
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ning Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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6
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Gómez-Castro CZ, Quintanar L, Vela A. An N-terminal acidic β-sheet domain is responsible for the metal-accumulation properties of amyloid-β protofibrils: a molecular dynamics study. J Biol Inorg Chem 2024; 29:407-425. [PMID: 38811408 PMCID: PMC11186886 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-024-02061-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The influence of metal ions on the structure of amyloid- β (Aβ) protofibril models was studied through molecular dynamics to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying metal-induced Aβ aggregation relevant in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The models included 36-, 48-, and 188-mers of the Aβ42 sequence and two disease-modifying variants. Primary structural effects were observed at the N-terminal domain, as it became susceptible to the presence of cations. Specially when β-sheets predominate, this motif orients N-terminal acidic residues toward one single face of the β-sheet, resulting in the formation of an acidic region that attracts cations from the media and promotes the folding of the N-terminal region, with implications in amyloid aggregation. The molecular phenotype of the protofibril models based on Aβ variants shows that the AD-causative D7N mutation promotes the formation of N-terminal β-sheets and accumulates more Zn2+, in contrast to the non-amyloidogenic rodent sequence that hinders the β-sheets and is more selective for Na+ over Zn2+ cations. It is proposed that forming an acidic β-sheet domain and accumulating cations is a plausible molecular mechanism connecting the elevated affinity and concentration of metals in Aβ fibrils to their high content of β-sheet structure at the N-terminal sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Z Gómez-Castro
- Conahcyt-Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Km 4.5 Carr. Pachuca-Tulancingo, Mineral de La Reforma, 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico.
| | - Liliana Quintanar
- Department of Chemistry, Cinvestav, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, CDMX, San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico.
| | - Alberto Vela
- Department of Chemistry, Cinvestav, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, CDMX, San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico.
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7
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Meyer N, Torrent J, Balme S. Characterizing Prion-Like Protein Aggregation: Emerging Nanopore-Based Approaches. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400058. [PMID: 38644684 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Prion-like protein aggregation is characteristic of numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This process involves the formation of aggregates ranging from small and potentially neurotoxic oligomers to highly structured self-propagating amyloid fibrils. Various approaches are used to study protein aggregation, but they do not always provide continuous information on the polymorphic, transient, and heterogeneous species formed. This review provides an updated state-of-the-art approach to the detection and characterization of a wide range of protein aggregates using nanopore technology. For each type of nanopore, biological, solid-state polymer, and nanopipette, discuss the main achievements for the detection of protein aggregates as well as the significant contributions to the understanding of protein aggregation and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Meyer
- Institut Européen des Membranes, UMR5635 University of Montpellier ENCSM CNRS, Place Eugène Bataillon, Cedex 5, Montpellier, 34095, France
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, 34095, France
| | - Joan Torrent
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, 34095, France
| | - Sébastien Balme
- Institut Européen des Membranes, UMR5635 University of Montpellier ENCSM CNRS, Place Eugène Bataillon, Cedex 5, Montpellier, 34095, France
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8
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Klingstedt T, Lantz L, Shirani H, Ge J, Hanrieder J, Vidal R, Ghetti B, Nilsson KPR. Thiophene-Based Ligands for Specific Assignment of Distinct Aβ Pathologies in Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1581-1595. [PMID: 38523263 PMCID: PMC10995944 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00021] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregated species of amyloid-β (Aβ) are one of the pathological hallmarks in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and ligands that selectively target different Aβ deposits are of great interest. In this study, fluorescent thiophene-based ligands have been used to illustrate the features of different types of Aβ deposits found in AD brain tissue. A dual-staining protocol based on two ligands, HS-276 and LL-1, with different photophysical and binding properties, was developed and applied on brain tissue sections from patients affected by sporadic AD or familial AD associated with the PSEN1 A431E mutation. When binding to Aβ deposits, the ligands could easily be distinguished for their different fluorescence, and distinct staining patterns were revealed for these two types of AD. In sporadic AD, HS-276 consistently labeled all immunopositive Aβ plaques, whereas LL-1 mainly stained cored and neuritic Aβ deposits. In the PSEN1 A431E cases, each ligand was binding to specific types of Aβ plaques. The ligand-labeled Aβ deposits were localized in distinct cortical layers, and a laminar staining pattern could be seen. Biochemical characterization of the Aβ aggregates in the individual layers also showed that the variation of ligand binding properties was associated with certain Aβ peptide signatures. For the PSEN1 A431E cases, it was concluded that LL-1 was binding to cotton wool plaques, whereas HS-276 mainly stained diffuse Aβ deposits. Overall, our findings showed that a combination of ligands was essential to identify distinct aggregated Aβ species associated with different forms of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therése Klingstedt
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping
University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Linda Lantz
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping
University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Hamid Shirani
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping
University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Junyue Ge
- Department
of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology,
The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg,
Mölndal Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Jörg Hanrieder
- Department
of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology,
The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg,
Mölndal Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
- Department
of Neurodegenerative Diseases, University
College London Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United
Kingdom
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - K. Peter R. Nilsson
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping
University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
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9
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Zhou W, O’Neill CL, Ding T, Zhang O, Rudra JS, Lew MD. Resolving the Nanoscale Structure of β-Sheet Peptide Self-Assemblies Using Single-Molecule Orientation-Localization Microscopy. ACS NANO 2024; 18:8798-8810. [PMID: 38478911 PMCID: PMC11025465 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic peptides that self-assemble into cross-β fibrils are versatile building blocks for engineered biomaterials due to their modularity and biocompatibility, but their structural and morphological similarities to amyloid species have been a long-standing concern for their translation. Further, their polymorphs are difficult to characterize by using spectroscopic and imaging techniques that rely on ensemble averaging to achieve high resolution. Here, we utilize Nile red (NR), an amyloidophilic fluorogenic probe, and single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to characterize fibrils formed by the designed amphipathic enantiomers KFE8L and KFE8D and the pathological amyloid-beta peptide Aβ42. Importantly, NR SMOLM reveals the helical (bilayer) ribbon structure of both KFE8 and Aβ42 and quantifies the precise tilt of the fibrils' inner and outer backbones in relevant buffer conditions without the need for covalent labeling or sequence mutations. SMOLM also distinguishes polymorphic branched and curved morphologies of KFE8, whose backbones exhibit much more heterogeneity than those of typical straight fibrils. Thus, SMOLM is a powerful tool to interrogate the structural differences and polymorphism between engineered and pathological cross-β-rich fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Conor L. O’Neill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Tianben Ding
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Oumeng Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jai S. Rudra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Matthew D. Lew
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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10
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Yokoyama K, Barbour E, Hirschkind R, Martinez Hernandez B, Hausrath K, Lam T. Protein Corona Formation and Aggregation of Amyloid β 1-40-Coated Gold Nanocolloids. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:1728-1746. [PMID: 38194428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrillogenesis is a pathogenic protein aggregation process that occurs through a highly ordered process of protein-protein interactions. To better understand the protein-protein interactions involved in amyloid fibril formation, we formed nanogold colloid aggregates by stepwise additions of ∼2 nmol of amyloid β 1-40 peptide (Aβ1-40) at pH ∼3.7 and ∼25 °C. The processes of protein corona formation and building of gold colloid [diameters (d) of 20 and 80 nm] aggregates were confirmed by a red-shift of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band, λpeak, as the number of Aβ1-40 peptides [N(Aβ1-40)] increased. The normalized red-shift of λpeak, Δλ, was correlated with the degree of protein aggregation, and this process was approximated as the adsorption isotherm explained by the Langmuir-Freundlich model. As the coverage fraction (θ) was analyzed as a function of ϕ, which is the N(Aβ1-40) per total surface area of nanogold colloids available for adsorption, the parameters for explaining the Langmuir-Freundlich model were in good agreement for both 20 and 80 nm gold, indicating that ϕ could define the stage of the aggregation process. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging was conducted at designated values of ϕ and suggested that a protein-gold surface interaction during the initial adsorption stage may be dependent on the nanosize. The 20 nm gold case seems to prefer a relatively smaller contacting section, such as a -C-N or C═C bond, but a plane of the benzene ring may play a significant role for 80 nm gold. Regardless of the size of the particles, the β-sheet and random coil conformations were considered to be used to form gold colloid aggregates. The methodology developed in this study allows for new insights into protein-protein interactions at distinct stages of aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazushige Yokoyama
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
| | - Eli Barbour
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
| | - Rachel Hirschkind
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
| | - Bryan Martinez Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
| | - Kaylee Hausrath
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
| | - Theresa Lam
- Department of Chemistry, The State University of New York Geneseo College, 1 College Circle, Geneseo, New York 14454, United States
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11
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Sasanian N, Sharma R, Lubart Q, Kk S, Ghaeidamini M, Dorfman KD, Esbjörner EK, Westerlund F. Probing physical properties of single amyloid fibrils using nanofluidic channels. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:18737-18744. [PMID: 37953701 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02740f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibril formation is central to the pathology of many diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Amyloid fibrils can also have functional and scaffolding roles, for example in bacterial biofilms, and have also been exploited as useful biomaterials. Despite being linear protein homopolymers, amyloid fibrils can exhibit significant structural and morphological polymorphism, making it relevant to study them on the single fibril level. We here introduce the concept of nanofluidic channel analysis to the study of single, fluorescently-labeled amyloid fibrils in solution, monitoring the extension and emission intensity of individual fibrils confined in nanochannels with a depth of 300 nm and a width that gradually increases from 300 to 3000 nm. The change in fibril extension with channel width permitted accurate determination of the persistence length of individual fibrils using Odijk's theory for strongly confined polymers. The technique was applied to amyloid fibrils prepared from the Alzheimer's related peptide amyloid-β(1-42) and the Parkinson's related protein α-synuclein, obtaining mean persistence lengths of 5.9 ± 4.5 μm and 3.0 ± 1.6 μm, respectively. The broad distributions of fibril persistence lengths indicate that amyloid fibril polymorphism can manifest in their physical properties. Interestingly, the α-synuclein fibrils had lower persistence lengths than the amyloid-β(1-42) fibrils, despite being thicker. Furthermore, there was no obvious within-sample correlation between the fluorescence emission intensity per unit length of the labelled fibrils and their persistence lengths, suggesting that stiffness may not be proportional to thickness. We foresee that the nanofluidics methodology established here will be a useful tool to study amyloid fibrils on the single fibril level to gain information on heterogeneity in their physical properties and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima Sasanian
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Rajhans Sharma
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Quentin Lubart
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Sriram Kk
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Marziyeh Ghaeidamini
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Kevin D Dorfman
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Elin K Esbjörner
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Fredrik Westerlund
- Division of Chemical Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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12
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Kulichikhin KY, Malikova OA, Zobnina AE, Zalutskaya NM, Rubel AA. Interaction of Proteins Involved in Neuronal Proteinopathies. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1954. [PMID: 37895336 PMCID: PMC10608209 DOI: 10.3390/life13101954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathy is characterized by the accumulation of aggregates of a specific protein in a target organ, tissue, or cell. The aggregation of the same protein can cause different pathologies as single protein can adopt various amyloidogenic, disease-specific conformations. The conformation governs the interaction of amyloid aggregates with other proteins that are prone to misfolding and, thus, determines disease-specific spectrum of concomitant pathologies. In this regard, a detailed description of amyloid protein conformation as well as spectrum of its interaction with other proteins become a key point for drafting of precise description of the disease. The majority of clinical cases of neuronal proteinopathies is caused by the aggregation of rather limited range of amyloidogenic proteins. Here, we provided the characterization of pathologies, related to the aggregation of amyloid β peptide, tau protein, α-synuclein, TDP-43, and amylin, giving a short description of pathologies themselves, recent advances in elucidation of misfolded protein conformation, with emphasis on those protein aggregates extracted from biological samples, what is known about the interaction of this proteins, and the influence of this interaction on the progression of underlying disease and comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Y. Kulichikhin
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.A.M.); (A.E.Z.)
| | - Oksana A. Malikova
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.A.M.); (A.E.Z.)
| | - Anastasia E. Zobnina
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.A.M.); (A.E.Z.)
| | - Natalia M. Zalutskaya
- V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, 192019 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Aleksandr A. Rubel
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (O.A.M.); (A.E.Z.)
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13
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Zhou W, O’Neill CL, Ding T, Zhang O, Rudra JS, Lew MD. Resolving the nanoscale structure of β-sheet assemblies using single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.557571. [PMID: 37745382 PMCID: PMC10515885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.557571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic peptides that self-assemble into cross-β fibrils have remarkable utility as engineered biomaterials due to their modularity and biocompatibility, but their structural and morphological similarity to amyloid species has been a long-standing concern for their translation. Further, their polymorphs are difficult to characterize using spectroscopic and imaging techniques that rely on ensemble averaging to achieve high resolution. Here, we utilize single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to characterize fibrils formed by the designed amphipathic enantiomers, KFE8L and KFE8D, and the pathological amyloid-beta peptide Aβ42. SMOLM reveals that the orientations of Nile red, as it transiently binds to both KFE8 and Aβ42, are consistent with a helical (bilayer) ribbon structure and convey the precise tilt of the fibrils' inner and outer backbones. SMOLM also finds polymorphic branched and curved morphologies of KFE8 whose backbones exhibit much more heterogeneity than those of more typical straight fibrils. Thus, SMOLM is a powerful tool to interrogate the structural differences and polymorphism between engineered and pathological cross β-rich fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyan Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Conor L. O’Neill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Tianben Ding
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Oumeng Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Jai S. Rudra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Matthew D. Lew
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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14
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McGregor L, Soler-López M. Structural basis of bioenergetic protein complexes in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102573. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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15
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Chakraborty D, Straub JE, Thirumalai D. Energy landscapes of Aβ monomers are sculpted in accordance with Ostwald's rule of stages. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd6921. [PMID: 36947617 PMCID: PMC10032606 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add6921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The transition from a disordered to an assembly-competent monomeric state (N*) in amyloidogenic sequences is a crucial event in the aggregation cascade. Using a well-calibrated model for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), we show that the N* states, which bear considerable resemblance to the polymorphic fibril structures found in experiments, not only appear as excitations in the free energy landscapes of Aβ40 and Aβ42, but also initiate the aggregation cascade. For Aβ42, the transitions to the different N* states are in accord with Ostwald's rule of stages, with the least stable structures forming ahead of thermodynamically favored ones. The Aβ40 and Aβ42 monomer landscapes exhibit different extents of local frustration, which we show have profound implications in dictating subsequent self-assembly. Using kinetic transition networks, we illustrate that the most favored dimerization routes proceed via N* states. We argue that Ostwald's rule also holds for the aggregation of fused in sarcoma and polyglutamine proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debayan Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin TX 78712, USA
| | - John E. Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, MA 022155, USA
| | - D. Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin TX 78712, USA
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16
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Lee M, Yau WM, Louis JM, Tycko R. Structures of brain-derived 42-residue amyloid-β fibril polymorphs with unusual molecular conformations and intermolecular interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218831120. [PMID: 36893281 PMCID: PMC10089215 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218831120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrils formed by the 42-residue amyloid-β peptide (Aβ42), a main component of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD), are known to be polymorphic, i.e., to contain multiple possible molecular structures. Previous studies of Aβ42 fibrils, including fibrils prepared entirely in vitro or extracted from brain tissue and using solid-state NMR (ssNMR) or cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) methods, have found polymorphs with differences in amino acid sidechain orientations, lengths of structurally ordered segments, and contacts between cross-β subunit pairs within a single filament. Despite these differences, Aβ42 molecules adopt a common S-shaped conformation in all previously described high-resolution Aβ42 fibril structures. Here we report two cryo-EM-based structures of Aβ42 fibrils that are qualitatively different, in samples derived from AD brain tissue by seeded growth. In type A fibrils, residues 12 to 42 adopt a ν-shaped conformation, with both intra-subunit and intersubunit hydrophobic contacts to form a compact core. In type B fibrils, residues 2 to 42 adopt an υ-shaped conformation, with only intersubunit contacts and internal pores. Type A and type B fibrils have opposite helical handedness. Cryo-EM density maps and molecular dynamics simulations indicate intersubunit K16-A42 salt bridges in type B fibrils and partially occupied K28-A42 salt bridges in type A fibrils. The coexistence of two predominant polymorphs, with differences in N-terminal dynamics, is supported by ssNMR data, as is faithful propagation of structures from first-generation to second-generation brain-seeded Aβ42 fibril samples. These results demonstrate that Aβ42 fibrils can exhibit a greater range of structural variations than seen in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myungwoon Lee
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892-0520
| | - Wai-Ming Yau
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892-0520
| | - John M. Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892-0520
| | - Robert Tycko
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892-0520
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17
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Abstract
Perturbation of cell membranes by amyloid β (Ab) peptide oligomers is one possible mechanism of cytotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease, but the structure of such Ab-membrane complexes is unknown. Here we examine the stability of several putative structures by implicit membrane and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The structures include (a) a variety of models proposed by other researchers in the past, (b) a heptameric β barrel determined by grafting the Ab sequence onto α-hemolysin, (c) a similar structure with modified strand orientation and turn location based on an experimental β-hairpin structure, (d) oligomers inserting C-terminal β hairpins into one leaflet of the bilayer, (e) oligomers forming parallel C-terminal β barrels, and (f) a helical hexamer made of C-terminal fragments. The α-hemolysin-grafted structure and its alternately oriented variant are stable in the membrane and form an aqueous pore. In contrast, the C-terminal parallel barrels are not stable, presumably due to excessive hydrophobicity of their inner surface. The helical hexamer also failed to stabilize an aqueous pore for the same reason. The C-terminal hairpin-inserting structures remain stably inserted but, again, do not form an aqueous pore. Our results suggest that only β-barrels inserting a combination of C-terminal and other residues can form stable aqueous pores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliasghar Sepehri
- Department of Chemistry, City College of New York, CUNY, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York10031, United States
| | - Themis Lazaridis
- Department of Chemistry, City College of New York, CUNY, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York10031, United States.,Graduate Programs in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York10016, United States
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18
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Condello C, Merz GE, Aoyagi A, DeGrado WF, Prusiner SB. Aβ and Tau Prions Causing Alzheimer's Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2561:293-337. [PMID: 36399277 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2655-9_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Studies show that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have both Aβ and tau prions, and thus, AD is a double-prion disease. AD patients with the greatest longevity exhibited low levels of both Aβ and tau prions; tau prions were nearly absent in the brains of almost half of the patients who lived beyond 80 years of age. Using cellular bioassays for prions in postmortem samples, we found that both Aβ and tau proteins misfold into prions leading to AD, which is either a sporadic or familial dementing disorder. Although AD is transmissible experimentally, there is no evidence that AD is either communicable or contagious. Since the progression of AD correlates poorly with insoluble Aβ in the central nervous system (CNS), it was difficult to distinguish between inert amyloids and Aβ prions. To measure the progression of AD, we devised rapid bioassays to measure the abundance of isoform-specific Aβ prions in the brains of transgenic (Tg) mice and in postmortem human CNS samples from AD victims and people who died of other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). We found significant correlations between the longevity of individuals with AD, sex, and genetic background, despite the fact that all postmortem brain tissue had essentially the same confirmed neuropathology.Although brains from all AD patients had measurable levels of Aβ prions at death, the oldest individuals had lower Aβ prion levels than the younger ones. Additionally, the long-lived individuals had low tau prion levels that correlated with the extent of phosphorylated tau (p-tau). Unexpectedly, a longevity-dependent decrease in tau prions was found in spite of increasing amounts of total insoluble tau. When corrected for the abundance of insoluble tau, the tau prion levels decreased exponentially with respect to the age at death with a half-time of approximately one decade, and this correlated with the abundance of phosphorylated tau.Even though our findings with tau prions were not unexpected, they were counterintuitive; thus, tau phosphorylation and tau prion activity decreased exponentially with longevity in patients with AD ranging from ages 37 to 99 years. Our findings demonstrated an inverse correlation between longevity in AD patients and the abundance of neurotoxic tau prions. Moreover, our discovery may have profound implications for the selection of phenotypically distinct patient populations and the development of diagnostics and effective therapeutics for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Condello
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Gregory E Merz
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Atsushi Aoyagi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - William F DeGrado
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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19
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Wu KY, Doan D, Medrano M, Chang CEA. Modeling structural interconversion in Alzheimers' amyloid beta peptide with classical and intrinsically disordered protein force fields. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10005-10022. [PMID: 34152264 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1939163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the aggregation mechanism in amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) peptide is imperative for developing therapeutic drugs to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. Because of the high flexibility and lack of native tertiary structures of Aβ42, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations may help elucidate the peptide's dynamics with atomic details and collectively improve ensembles not seen in experiments. We applied microsecond-timescale MD simulations to investigate the dynamics and conformational changes of Aβ42 by using a newly developed Amber force field (ff14IDPSFF). We compared the ff14IDPSFF and the regular ff14SB force field by examining the conformational changes of two distinct Aβ42 monomers in explicit solvent. Conformational ensembles obtained by simulations depend on the force field and initial structure, Aβ42α-helix or Aβ42β-strand. The ff14IDPSFF sampled a high ratio of disordered structures and diverse β-strand secondary structures; in contrast, ff14SB favored helicity during the Aβ42α-helix simulations. The conformations obtained from Aβ42β-strand simulations maintained a balanced content in the disordered and helical structures when simulated by ff14SB, but the conformers clearly favored disordered and β-sheet structures simulated by ff14IDPSFF. The results obtained with ff14IDPSFF qualitatively reproduced the NMR chemical shifts well. In-depth peptide and cluster analysis revealed some characteristic features that may be linked to early onset of the fibril-like structure. The C-terminal region (mainly M35-V40) featured in-registered anti-parallel β-strand (β-hairpin) conformations with tested systems. Our work should expand the knowledge of force field and structure dependency in MD simulations and reveals the underlying structural mechanism-function relationship in Aβ42 peptides. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kingsley Y Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - David Doan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Marco Medrano
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Chia-En A Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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20
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Gupta S, Raskatov JA, Ralston CY. A Hybrid Structural Method for Investigating Low Molecular Weight Oligomeric Structures of Amyloid Beta. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200333. [PMID: 35980391 PMCID: PMC9729406 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Spurred in part by the failure of recent therapeutics targeting amyloid β plaques in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), attention is increasingly turning to the oligomeric forms of this peptide that form early in the aggregation process. However, while numerous amyloid β fibril structures have been characterized, primarily by NMR spectroscopy and cryo-EM, obtaining structural information on the low molecular weight forms of amyloid β that presumably precede and/or seed fibril formation has proved challenging. These transient forms are heterogeneous, and depend heavily on experimental conditions such as buffer, temperature, concentration, and degree of quiescence during measurement. Here, we present the concept for a new approach to delineating structural features of early-stage low molecular weight amyloid β oligomers, using a solvent accessibility assay in conjunction with simultaneous fluorescence measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayan Gupta
- Molecular Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA 94720 (USA)
| | - Jevgenij A. Raskatov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Physical Science Building 356, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (USA)
| | - Corie Y. Ralston
- Molecular Foundry Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley CA 94720 (USA)
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21
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A new polymorphism of human amylin fibrils with similar protofilaments and a conserved core. iScience 2022; 25:105705. [PMID: 36567711 PMCID: PMC9772857 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic amyloid deposits composed of a fibrillar form of the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) are the pathological hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although various cryo-EM structures of polymorphic hIAPP fibrils were reported, the underlying polymorphic mechanism of hIAPP remains elusive. Meanwhile, the structure of hIAPP fibrils with all residues visible in the fibril core is not available. Here, we report the full-length structures of two different polymorphs of hIAPP fibrils, namely slim form (SF, dimer) and thick form (TF, tetramer), formed in a salt-free environment, which share a similar ζ-shaped protofilament but differ in inter-protofilament interfaces. In the absence of salt, electrostatic interactions were found to play a dominant role in stabilizing the fibril structure, suggesting an antagonistic effect between electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions in different salt concentrations environments. Our results shed light on understanding the mechanism of amyloid fibril polymorphism.
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22
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Abelein A, Ciofi-Baffoni S, Mörman C, Kumar R, Giachetti A, Piccioli M, Biverstål H. Molecular Structure of Cu(II)-Bound Amyloid-β Monomer Implicated in Inhibition of Peptide Self-Assembly in Alzheimer's Disease. JACS AU 2022; 2:2571-2584. [PMID: 36465548 PMCID: PMC9709942 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Metal ions, such as copper and zinc ions, have been shown to strongly modulate the self-assembly of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into insoluble fibrils, and elevated concentrations of metal ions have been found in amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's patients. Among the physiological transition metal ions, Cu(II) ions play an outstanding role since they can trigger production of neurotoxic reactive oxygen species. In contrast, structural insights into Cu(II) coordination of Aβ have been challenging due to the paramagnetic nature of Cu(II). Here, we employed specifically tailored paramagnetic NMR experiments to determine NMR structures of Cu(II) bound to monomeric Aβ. We found that monomeric Aβ binds Cu(II) in the N-terminus and combined with molecular dynamics simulations, we could identify two prevalent coordination modes of Cu(II). For these, we report here the NMR structures of the Cu(II)-bound Aβ complex, exhibiting heavy backbone RMSD values of 1.9 and 2.1 Å, respectively. Further, applying aggregation kinetics assays, we identified the specific effect of Cu(II) binding on the Aβ nucleation process. Our results show that Cu(II) efficiently retards Aβ fibrillization by predominately reducing the rate of fibril-end elongation at substoichiometric ratios. A detailed kinetic analysis suggests that this specific effect results in enhanced Aβ oligomer generation promoted by Cu(II). These results can quantitatively be understood by Cu(II) interaction with the Aβ monomer, forming an aggregation inert complex. In fact, this mechanism is strikingly similar to other transition metal ions, suggesting a common mechanism of action of retarding Aβ self-assembly, where the metal ion binding to monomeric Aβ is a key determinant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Abelein
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Huddinge141 83, Sweden
| | - Simone Ciofi-Baffoni
- Magnetic
Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino50019 , Florence, Italy
| | - Cecilia Mörman
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Huddinge141 83, Sweden
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories, Stockholm University, Stockholm106 91, Sweden
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Huddinge141 83, Sweden
| | - Andrea Giachetti
- Magnetic
Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino50019 , Florence, Italy
| | - Mario Piccioli
- Magnetic
Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino50019 , Florence, Italy
| | - Henrik Biverstål
- Department
of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska
Institutet, Huddinge141 83, Sweden
- Department
of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute
of Organic Synthesis, RigaLV-1006, Latvia
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23
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Abstract
It is known that oligomers of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Aβ has two isoforms: Aβ40 and Aβ42. Although the difference between Aβ40 and Aβ42 is only two additional C-terminal residues, Aβ42 aggregates much faster than Aβ40. It is unknown what role the C-terminal two residues play in accelerating aggregation. Since Aβ42 is more toxic than Aβ40, its oligomerization process needs to be clarified. Moreover, clarifying the differences between the oligomerization processes of Aβ40 and Aβ42 is essential to elucidate the key factors of oligomerization. Therefore, to investigate the dimerization process, which is the early oligomerization process, Hamiltonian replica-permutation molecular dynamics simulations were performed for Aβ40 and Aβ42. We identified a key residue, Arg5, for the Aβ42 dimerization. The two additional residues in Aβ42 allow the C-terminus to form contact with Arg5 because of the electrostatic attraction between them, and this contact stabilizes the β-hairpin. This β-hairpin promotes dimer formation through the intermolecular β-bridges. Thus, we examined the effects of amino acid substitutions of Arg5, thereby confirming that the mutations remarkably suppressed the aggregation of Aβ42. Moreover, the mutations of Arg5 suppressed the Aβ40 aggregation. It was found by analyzing the simulations that Arg5 is important for Aβ40 to form intermolecular contacts. Thus, it was clarified that the role of Arg5 in the oligomerization process varies due to the two additional C-terminal residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru
G. Itoh
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Department
of Structural Molecular Science, SOKENDAI
(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Department
of Functional Molecular Science, SOKENDAI
(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya
City University, Nagoya, Aichi 465-8603, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Department
of Functional Molecular Science, SOKENDAI
(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya
City University, Nagoya, Aichi 465-8603, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Institute
for Molecular Science, National Institutes
of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Exploratory
Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,Department
of Structural Molecular Science, SOKENDAI
(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan,
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24
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Dehabadi MH, Caflisch A, Ilie IM, Firouzi R. Interactions of Curcumin's Degradation Products with the Aβ 42 Dimer: A Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7627-7637. [PMID: 36148988 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) dimers are the smallest toxic species along the amyloid-aggregation pathway and among the most populated oligomeric accumulations present in the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). A proposed therapeutic strategy to avoid the aggregation of Aβ into higher-order structures is to develop molecules that inhibit the early stages of aggregation, i.e., dimerization. Under physiological conditions, the Aβ dimer is highly dynamic and does not attain a single well-defined structure but is rather characterized by an ensemble of conformations. In a recent study, a highly heterogeneous library of conformers of the Aβ dimer was generated by an efficient sampling method with constraints based on ion mobility mass spectrometry data. Here, we make use of the Aβ dimer library to study the interaction with two curcumin degradation products, ferulic aldehyde and vanillin, by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Ensemble docking and MD simulations are used to provide atomistic detail of the interactions between the curcumin degradation products and the Aβ dimer. The simulations show that the aromatic residues of Aβ, and in particular 19FF20, interact with ferulic aldehyde and vanillin through π-π stacking. The binding of these small molecules induces significant changes on the 16KLVFF20 region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Haji Dehabadi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ioana M Ilie
- Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rohoullah Firouzi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajohesh Boulevard, 1496813151 Tehran, Iran
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25
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Yang H, Li J, Li X, Ma L, Hou M, Zhou H, Zhou R. Based on molecular structures: Amyloid-β generation, clearance, toxicity and therapeutic strategies. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:927530. [PMID: 36117918 PMCID: PMC9470852 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.927530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) has long been considered as one of the most important pathogenic factors in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the specific pathogenic mechanism of Aβ is still not completely understood. In recent years, the development of structural biology technology has led to new understandings about Aβ molecular structures, Aβ generation and clearance from the brain and peripheral tissues, and its pathological toxicity. The purpose of the review is to discuss Aβ metabolism and toxicity, and the therapeutic strategy of AD based on the latest progress in molecular structures of Aβ. The Aβ structure at the atomic level has been analyzed, which provides a new and refined perspective to comprehend the role of Aβ in AD and to formulate therapeutic strategies of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Yang
- Department of Neurology, Army Medical Center of PLA, Chongqing, China
| | - Jinping Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Linqiu Ma
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Mingliang Hou
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Huadong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Army Medical Center of PLA, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Rui Zhou,
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Yagi-Utsumi M, Kato K. Conformational Variability of Amyloid-β and the Morphological Diversity of Its Aggregates. Molecules 2022; 27:4787. [PMID: 35897966 PMCID: PMC9369837 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein folding is the most fundamental and universal example of biomolecular self-organization and is characterized as an intramolecular process. In contrast, amyloidogenic proteins can interact with one another, leading to protein aggregation. The energy landscape of amyloid fibril formation is characterized by many minima for different competing low-energy structures and, therefore, is much more enigmatic than that of multiple folding pathways. Thus, to understand the entire energy landscape of protein aggregation, it is important to elucidate the full picture of conformational changes and polymorphisms of amyloidogenic proteins. This review provides an overview of the conformational diversity of amyloid-β (Aβ) characterized from experimental and theoretical approaches. Aβ exhibits a high degree of conformational variability upon transiently interacting with various binding molecules in an unstructured conformation in a solution, forming an α-helical intermediate conformation on the membrane and undergoing a structural transition to the β-conformation of amyloid fibrils. This review also outlines the structural polymorphism of Aβ amyloid fibrils depending on environmental factors. A comprehensive understanding of the energy landscape of amyloid formation considering various environmental factors will promote drug discovery and therapeutic strategies by controlling the fibril formation pathway and targeting the consequent morphology of aggregated structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems and Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems and Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
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27
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Golan N, Engelberg Y, Landau M. Structural Mimicry in Microbial and Antimicrobial Amyloids. Annu Rev Biochem 2022; 91:403-422. [PMID: 35729071 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-105157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable variety of microbial species of human pathogens and microbiomes generates significant quantities of secreted amyloids, which are structured protein fibrils that serve diverse functions related to virulence and interactions with the host. Human amyloids are associated largely with fatal neurodegenerative and systemic aggregation diseases, and current research has put forward the hypothesis that the interspecies amyloid interactome has physiological and pathological significance. Moreover, functional and molecular-level connections between antimicrobial activity and amyloid structures suggest a neuroimmune role for amyloids that are otherwise known to be pathological. Compared to the extensive structural information that has been accumulated for human amyloids, high-resolution structures of microbial and antimicrobial amyloids are only emerging. These recent structures reveal both similarities and surprising departures from the typical amyloid motif, in accordance with their diverse activities, and advance the discovery of novel antivirulence and antimicrobial agents. In addition, the structural information has led researchers to postulate that amyloidogenic sequences are natural targets for structural mimicry, for instance in host-microbe interactions. Microbial amyloid research could ultimately be used to fight aggressive infections and possibly processes leading to autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Golan
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel;
| | - Yizhaq Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel;
| | - Meytal Landau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; .,European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Center for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
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28
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Taylor AIP, Staniforth RA. General Principles Underpinning Amyloid Structure. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:878869. [PMID: 35720732 PMCID: PMC9201691 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.878869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are a pathologically and functionally relevant state of protein folding, which is generally accessible to polypeptide chains and differs fundamentally from the globular state in terms of molecular symmetry, long-range conformational order, and supramolecular scale. Although amyloid structures are challenging to study, recent developments in techniques such as cryo-EM, solid-state NMR, and AFM have led to an explosion of information about the molecular and supramolecular organization of these assemblies. With these rapid advances, it is now possible to assess the prevalence and significance of proposed general structural features in the context of a diverse body of high-resolution models, and develop a unified view of the principles that control amyloid formation and give rise to their unique properties. Here, we show that, despite system-specific differences, there is a remarkable degree of commonality in both the structural motifs that amyloids adopt and the underlying principles responsible for them. We argue that the inherent geometric differences between amyloids and globular proteins shift the balance of stabilizing forces, predisposing amyloids to distinct molecular interaction motifs with a particular tendency for massive, lattice-like networks of mutually supporting interactions. This general property unites previously characterized structural features such as steric and polar zippers, and contributes to the long-range molecular order that gives amyloids many of their unique properties. The shared features of amyloid structures support the existence of shared structure-activity principles that explain their self-assembly, function, and pathogenesis, and instill hope in efforts to develop broad-spectrum modifiers of amyloid function and pathology.
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29
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Hu J, Zhao Y, Li Y. Rationally designed amyloid inhibitors based on amyloid-related structural studies. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.06.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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30
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Liu XY, Wang XJ, Shi L, Liu YH, Wang L, Li K, Bu Q, Cen XB, Yu XQ. Rational Design of Quinoxalinone-Based Red-Emitting Probes for High-Affinity and Long-Term Visualizing Amyloid-β In Vivo. Anal Chem 2022; 94:7665-7673. [PMID: 35578920 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with insidious onset, and the deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) is believed to be one of the main cause. Fluorescence imaging is a promising technique for this task, but the Aβ gold standard probe ThT developed based on this still has shortcomings. The development of a new fluorescent probe to detect Aβ plaques is thought to be essential. Herein, a series of red to near-infrared emitting fluorescent probes QNO-ADs with newly quinoxalinone skeleton are designed to detect Aβ plaques. They all demonstrate excellent optical properties and high binding affinity (∼Kd = 20 nM) to Aβ aggregates. As the most outstanding candidate, QNO-AD-3 shows significant signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio at the level of in vitro binding studies, and the brilliant fluorescence staining results in favor of grasping the approximate distribution of Aβ plaques in the brain slice. In vivo Aβ plaques imaging suggests that QNO-AD-3 can cross the BBB and have a long retention time in the brain with low biological toxicity. In addition, the results of docking theoretical calculation also provide some references for the design of Aβ probe. Overall, given the high affinity of QNO-AD-3 and the ability to monitor Aβ plaques for a long time that is not common now, we believe QNO-AD-3 will be an effective tool for an Aβ-related matrix and AD disease research in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Jie Wang
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Wang
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Li
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Bu
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Bo Cen
- National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Qi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, People's Republic of China.,Department of Chemistry, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, People's Republic of China
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31
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Jang J, Park CB. Magnetoelectric dissociation of Alzheimer's β-amyloid aggregates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn1675. [PMID: 35544560 PMCID: PMC9094672 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn1675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The abnormal self-assembly of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides and their deposition in the brain is a major pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent chronic neurodegenerative disease affecting nearly 50 million people worldwide. Here, we report a newly discovered function of magnetoelectric nanomaterials for the dissociation of highly stable Aβ aggregates under low-frequency magnetic field. We synthesized magnetoelectric BiFeO3-coated CoFe2O4 (BCFO) nanoparticles, which emit excited charge carriers in response to low-frequency magnetic field without generating heat. We demonstrated that the magnetoelectric coupling effect of BCFO nanoparticles successfully dissociates Aβ aggregates via water and dissolved oxygen molecules. Our cytotoxicity evaluation confirmed the alleviating effect of magnetoelectrically excited BCFO nanoparticles on Aβ-associated toxicity. We found high efficacy of BCFO nanoparticles for the clearance of microsized Aβ plaques in ex vivo brain tissues of an AD mouse model. This study shows the potential of magnetoelectric materials for future AD treatment using magnetic field.
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32
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Lutter L, Al-Hilaly YK, Serpell CJ, Tuite MF, Wischik CM, Serpell LC, Xue WF. Structural Identification of Individual Helical Amyloid Filaments by Integration of Cryo-Electron Microscopy-Derived Maps in Comparative Morphometric Atomic Force Microscopy Image Analysis. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167466. [PMID: 35077765 PMCID: PMC9005780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The presence of amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of more than 50 human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases and systemic amyloidoses. A key unresolved challenge in understanding the involvement of amyloid in disease is to explain the relationship between individual structural polymorphs of amyloid fibrils, in potentially mixed populations, and the specific pathologies with which they are associated. Although cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy methods have been successfully employed in recent years to determine the structures of amyloid fibrils with high resolution detail, they rely on ensemble averaging of fibril structures in the entire sample or significant subpopulations. Here, we report a method for structural identification of individual fibril structures imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM) by integration of high-resolution maps of amyloid fibrils determined by cryo-EM in comparative AFM image analysis. This approach was demonstrated using the hitherto structurally unresolved amyloid fibrils formed in vitro from a fragment of tau (297-391), termed 'dGAE'. Our approach established unequivocally that dGAE amyloid fibrils bear no structural relationship to heparin-induced tau fibrils formed in vitro. Furthermore, our comparative analysis resulted in the prediction that dGAE fibrils are structurally closely related to the paired helical filaments (PHFs) isolated from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain tissue characterised by cryo-EM. These results show the utility of individual particle structural analysis using AFM, provide a workflow of how cryo-EM data can be incorporated into AFM image analysis and facilitate an integrated structural analysis of amyloid polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Lutter
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK. https://twitter.com/LiisaLutter
| | - Youssra K Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Falmer, Brighton, UK; Chemistry Department, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Christopher J Serpell
- School of Physical Sciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NH Canterbury, UK. https://twitter.com/@SerpellLab
| | - Mick F Tuite
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK
| | - Claude M Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, UK
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Falmer, Brighton, UK. https://twitter.com/@Serpell1
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK.
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33
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Singh K, Kaur A, Goyal D, Goyal B. Mechanistic insights into the mitigation of Aβ aggregation and protofibril destabilization by a D–enantiomeric decapeptide rk10. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:21975-21994. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02601e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
According to clinical studies, the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is linked to the abnormal aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into toxic soluble oligomers, protofibrils as well as mature fibrils....
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34
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Iakovleva I, Hall M, Oelker M, Sandblad L, Anan I, Sauer-Eriksson AE. Structural basis for transthyretin amyloid formation in vitreous body of the eye. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7141. [PMID: 34880242 PMCID: PMC8654999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27481-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of ATTR fibrils in multiple organs. However, the structure of ATTR fibrils from the eye is poorly understood. Here, we used cryo-EM to structurally characterize vitreous body ATTR fibrils. These structures were distinct from previously characterized heart fibrils, even though both have the same mutation and type A pathology. Differences were observed at several structural levels: in both the number and arrangement of protofilaments, and the conformation of the protein fibril in each layer of protofilaments. Thus, our results show that ATTR protein structure and its assembly into protofilaments in the type A fibrils can vary between patients carrying the same mutation. By analyzing and matching the interfaces between the amino acids in the ATTR fibril with those in the natively folded TTR, we are able to propose a mechanism for the structural conversion of TTR into a fibrillar form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Iakovleva
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Michael Hall
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Melanie Oelker
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Linda Sandblad
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Intissar Anan
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden ,grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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35
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Singh A, Khatun S, Pawar N, Gupta AN. Interactive patches over amyloid-β oligomers mediate fractal self-assembly. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:064404. [PMID: 35030868 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.064404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The monomeric units of intrinsically disordered proteins self-assemble into oligomers, protofilaments, and eventually fibrils which may turn into amyloid. The aggregation of these proteins is primarily studied in bulk with no restriction on their degrees of freedom. Herein we experimentally demonstrate that amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation under diffusion-limited conditions leads to its fractal self-assembly. Confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion x-ray analysis were used to confirm that the fractal self-assemblies were formed from Aβ rather than the salt present in the two supporting media: deionized water and phosphate buffered saline. The results from the molecular docking experiments implicated that electrostatic and hydrophobic patches on the solvent-accessible surface area of the Aβ oligomers mediate the fractal self-assembly. These implications were tested with laser light scattering experiments on the oligomers formed by breaking mature fibrils of Aβ through sonication, which were observed to self-assemble into fractals when sonicated solutions were drop casted. The electrostatic interactions modulate the fractal morphologies with pH of the solution, which leads to a morphological phase transition observed through the variation in their fractal dimension. These transitions provide experimental evidence for the existing theoretical framework in terms of different kinetic models. The higher surface-to-volume ratio of these fractal self-assemblies may have applications in drug delivery, biosensing, and other biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Singh
- Biophysics and Soft Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - Suparna Khatun
- Biophysics and Soft Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - Nisha Pawar
- Biophysics and Soft Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | - Amar Nath Gupta
- Biophysics and Soft Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, 721302, India
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36
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Cytotoxic Aβ Protofilaments Are Generated in the Process of Aβ Fibril Disaggregation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312780. [PMID: 34884584 PMCID: PMC8657853 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) has demonstrated that amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers are toxic molecules against neural cells. Thus, determining the generation mechanism of toxic Aβ oligomers is crucial for understanding AD pathogenesis. Aβ fibrils were reported to be disaggregated by treatment with small compounds, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and dopamine (DA), and a loss of fibril shape and decrease in cytotoxicity were observed. However, the characteristics of intermediate products during the fibril disaggregation process are poorly understood. In this study, we found that cytotoxic Aβ aggregates are generated during a moderate disaggregation process of Aβ fibrils. A cytotoxicity assay revealed that Aβ fibrils incubated with a low concentration of EGCG and DA showed higher cytotoxicity than Aβ fibrils alone. Atomic force microscopy imaging and circular dichroism spectrometry showed that short and narrow protofilaments, which were highly stable in the β-sheet structure, were abundant in these moderately disaggregated samples. These results indicate that toxic Aβ protofilaments are generated during disaggregation from amyloid fibrils, suggesting that disaggregation of Aβ fibrils by small compounds may be one of the possible mechanisms for the generation of toxic Aβ aggregates in the brain.
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37
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Matuszyk MM, Garwood CJ, Ferraiuolo L, Simpson JE, Staniforth RA, Wharton SB. Biological and methodological complexities of beta-amyloid peptide: Implications for Alzheimer's disease research. J Neurochem 2021; 160:434-453. [PMID: 34767256 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although controversial, the amyloid cascade hypothesis remains central to the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field and posits amyloid-beta (Aβ) as the central factor initiating disease onset. In recent years, there has been an increase in emphasis on studying the role of low molecular weight aggregates, such as oligomers, which are suggested to be more neurotoxic than fibrillary Aβ. Other Aβ isoforms, such as truncated Aβ, have also been implicated in disease. However, developing a clear understanding of AD pathogenesis has been hampered by the complexity of Aβ biochemistry in vitro and in vivo. This review explores factors contributing to the lack of consistency in experimental approaches taken to model Aβ aggregation and toxicity and provides an overview of the different techniques available to analyse Aβ, such as electron and atomic force microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dye-based assays, size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE. The review also explores how different types of Aβ can influence Aβ aggregation and toxicity, leading to variation in experimental outcomes, further highlighting the need for standardisation in Aβ preparations and methods used in current research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna M Matuszyk
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Claire J Garwood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Julie E Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Stephen B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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38
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Chen Y, Li X, Zhan C, Lao Z, Li F, Dong X, Wei G. A Comprehensive Insight into the Mechanisms of Dopamine in Disrupting Aβ Protofibrils and Inhibiting Aβ Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:4007-4019. [PMID: 34472835 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrillary aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) are the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clearing Aβ deposition or inhibiting Aβ aggregation is a promising approach to treat AD. Experimental studies reported that dopamine (DA), an important neurotransmitter, can inhibit Aβ aggregation and disrupt Aβ fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain mostly elusive. Herein, we investigated the effect of DA on Aβ42 protofibrils at three different DA-to-Aβ molar ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 10:1) using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations demonstrate that protonated DA at a DA-to-Aβ ratio of 2:1 exhibits stronger Aβ protofibril disruptive capacity than that at a molar-ratio of 1:1 by mostly disrupting the F4-L34-V36 hydrophobic core. When the ratio of DA-to-Aβ increases to 10:1, DA has a high probability to bind to the outer surface of protofibril and has negligible effect on the protofibril structure. Interestingly, at the same DA-to-Aβ ratio (10:1), a mixture of protonated (DA+) and deprotonated (DA0) DA molecules significantly disrupts Aβ protofibrils by the binding of DA0 to the F4-L34-V36 hydrophobic core. Replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations of Aβ42 dimer show that DA+ inhibits the formation of β-sheets, K28-A42/K28-D23 salt-bridges, and interpeptide hydrophobic interactions and results in disordered coil-rich Aβ dimers, which would inhibit the subsequent fibrillization of Aβ. Further analyses reveal that DA disrupts Aβ protofibril and prevents Aβ dimerization mostly through π-π stacking interactions with residues F4, H6, and H13, hydrogen bonding interactions with negatively charged residues D7, E11, E22 and D23, and cation-π interactions with residues R5. This study provides a complete picture of the molecular mechanisms of DA in disrupting Aβ protofibril and inhibiting Aβ aggregation, which could be helpful for the design of potent drug candidates for the treatment/intervention of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chendi Zhan
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zenghui Lao
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangying Li
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuewei Dong
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People’s Republic of China
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39
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Lee MC, Liao YH, Chen SH, Chen YR. Amyloid-β40 E22K fibril in familial Alzheimer's disease is more thermostable and susceptible to seeding. IUBMB Life 2021; 74:739-747. [PMID: 34724333 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent and devastating neurodegenerative disease occurred in the elderly. One of the pathogenic hallmarks is senile plaques composed of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils. Single mutations resided in Aβ were found in familial AD (FAD) patients that have early onset of the disease. The molecular details and properties of each FAD Aβ variants are still elusive. Here, we employed collective spectroscopic techniques to examine the properties of various Aβ40 fibrils. We generated fibrils of wild type (WT) and three FAD mutants on residue E22 including E22G, E22K, and E22Q. We monitored fibril formation by thioflavin T (ThT) assay, examined secondary structure by Fourier transform infrared and far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, imaged fibril morphology by transmission electron microscopy, and evaluated ThT-binding kinetics. In the thermal experiments, we found E22K fibrils resisted to high temperature and retained significant β-sheet content than the others. E22K fibril seeds after high-temperature treatment still possess the seeding property, whereas WT fibril seeds are disturbed after the treatment. Therefore, in this study we demonstrated the mutation at E22K increases the thermal stability and seeding function of amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Che Lee
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hung Liao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hui Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Ru Chen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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40
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Aggregation and structure of amyloid β-protein. Neurochem Int 2021; 151:105208. [PMID: 34655726 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by major pathological hallmarks in the brain, including plaques composed of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein. Genetic studies, biochemical data, and animal models have suggested that Aβ is a critical species in the pathogenesis of AD. Aβ molecules aggregate to form oligomers, protofibrils (PFs), and mature fibrils. Because of their instability and structural heterogeneity, the misfolding and aggregation of Aβ is a highly complex process, leading to a variety of aggregates with different structures and morphologies. However, the elucidation of Aβ molecules is essential because they are believed to play an important role in AD pathogenesis. Recent combination studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have primarily revealed more detailed information about their aggregation process, including fibril extension and secondary nucleation, and the structural polymorphism of the fibrils under a variety of some conditions, including the actual brain. This review attempts to summarize the existing information on the major properties of the structure and aggregation of Aβ.
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41
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Li F, Zhan C, Dong X, Wei G. Molecular mechanisms of resveratrol and EGCG in the inhibition of Aβ 42 aggregation and disruption of Aβ 42 protofibril: similarities and differences. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:18843-18854. [PMID: 34612422 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01913a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) into fibrillary deposits is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and inhibiting Aβ aggregation and clearing Aβ fibrils are considered as promising strategies to treat AD. It has been reported that resveratrol (RSV) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), two of the most extensively studied natural polyphenols, are able to inhibit Aβ fibrillization and remodel the preformed fibrillary aggregates into amorphous, non-toxic species. However, the mechanisms by which RSV inhibits Aβ42 aggregation and disrupts Aβ42 protofibril, as well as the inhibitory/disruptive mechanistic similarities and differences between RSV and EGCG, remain mostly elusive. Herein, we performed extensive all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on Aβ42 dimers (the early aggregation state of Aβ42) and protofibrils (the intermediate of Aβ42 fibril formation and elongation) in the absence/presence of RSV or EGCG molecules. Our simulations show that both RSV and EGCG can bind with Aβ42 monomers and inhibit the dimerization of Aβ42. The binding of RSV with Aβ42 peptide is mostly viaπ-π stacking interactions, while the binding of EGCG with Aβ42 is mainly through hydrophobic, π-π stacking, and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Moreover, both RSV and EGCG disrupt the β-sheet structure and K28-A42 salt bridges, leading to a disruption of Aβ42 protofibril structure. RSV mainly binds with residues whose side-chains point inwards from the surface of the protofibril, while EGCG mostly binds with residues whose side-chains point outwards from the surface of the protofibril. Furthermore, RSV interacts with Aβ42 protofibrils mostly viaπ-π stacking interactions, while EGCG interacts with Aβ42 protofibrils mainly via hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions. For comparison, we also explore the effects of RSV/EGCG molecules on the aggregation inhibition and protofibril disruption of the Iowa mutant (D23N) Aβ. Our findings may pave the way for the design of more effective drug candidates as well as the utilization of cocktail therapy using RSV and EGCG for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangying Li
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China.
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42
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Zambrano P, Suwalsky M, Jemiola-Rzeminska M, Gallardo-Nelson MJ, Strzalka K, Muñoz-Torrero D. Protective Role of a Donepezil-Huprine Hybrid against the β-Amyloid (1-42) Effect on Human Erythrocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179563. [PMID: 34502472 PMCID: PMC8431064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aβ(1-42) peptide is a neurotoxic agent strongly associated with the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Current treatments are still of very low effectiveness, and deaths from AD are increasing worldwide. Huprine-derived molecules have a high affinity towards the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), act as potent Aβ(1-42) peptide aggregation inhibitors, and improve the behavior of experimental animals. AVCRI104P4 is a multitarget donepezil-huprine hybrid that improves short-term memory in a mouse model of AD and exerts protective effects in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans that express Aβ(1-42) peptide. At present, there is no information about the effects of this compound on human erythrocytes. Thus, we considered it important to study its effects on the cell membrane and erythrocyte models, and to examine its protective effect against the toxic insult induced by Aβ(1-42) peptide in this cell and models. This research was developed using X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) on molecular models of the human erythrocyte membrane constituted by lipid bilayers built of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE). They correspond to phospholipids representative of those present in the external and internal monolayers, respectively, of most plasma and neuronal membranes. The effect of AVCRI104P4 on human erythrocyte morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results showed a protective effect of AVCRI104P4 against the toxicity induced by Aβ(1-42) peptide in human erythrocytes and molecular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Zambrano
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-89-8578-2374
| | - Mario Suwalsky
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile;
| | - Malgorzata Jemiola-Rzeminska
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland; (M.J.-R.); (K.S.)
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Kazimierz Strzalka
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland; (M.J.-R.); (K.S.)
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food, Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), E-08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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43
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Raskatov JA, Foley A, Louis JM, Yau WM, Tycko R. Constraints on the Structure of Fibrils Formed by a Racemic Mixture of Amyloid-β Peptides from Solid-State NMR, Electron Microscopy, and Theory. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:13299-13313. [PMID: 34375097 PMCID: PMC8456612 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c06339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that racemic mixtures of 40- and 42-residue amyloid-β peptides (d,l-Aβ40 and d,l-Aβ42) form amyloid fibrils with accelerated kinetics and enhanced stability relative to their homochiral counterparts (l-Aβ40 and l-Aβ42), suggesting a "chiral inactivation" approach to abrogating the neurotoxicity of Aβ oligomers (Aβ-CI). Here we report a structural study of d,l-Aβ40 fibrils, using electron microscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Two- and three-dimensional solid-state NMR spectra indicate molecular conformations in d,l-Aβ40 fibrils that resemble those in known l-Aβ40 fibril structures. However, quantitative measurements of 13C-13C and 15N-13C distances in selectively labeled d,l-Aβ40 fibril samples indicate a qualitatively different supramolecular structure. While cross-β structures in mature l-Aβ40 fibrils are comprised of in-register, parallel β-sheets, our data indicate antiparallel β-sheets in d,l-Aβ40 fibrils, with alternation of d and l molecules along the fibril growth direction, i.e., antiparallel "rippled sheet" structures. The solid-state NMR data suggest the coexistence of d,l-Aβ40 fibril polymorphs with three different registries of intermolecular hydrogen bonds within the antiparallel rippled sheets. DFT calculations support an energetic preference for antiparallel alignments of the β-strand segments identified by solid-state NMR. These results provide insight into the structural basis for Aβ-CI and establish the importance of rippled sheets in self-assembly of full-length, naturally occurring amyloidogenic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jevgenij A. Raskatov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Alejandro Foley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - John M. Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Wai-Ming Yau
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Robert Tycko
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
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44
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Pagnon de la Vega M, Giedraitis V, Michno W, Kilander L, Güner G, Zielinski M, Löwenmark M, Brundin R, Danfors T, Söderberg L, Alafuzoff I, Nilsson LNG, Erlandsson A, Willbold D, Müller SA, Schröder GF, Hanrieder J, Lichtenthaler SF, Lannfelt L, Sehlin D, Ingelsson M. The Uppsala APP deletion causes early onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease by altering APP processing and increasing amyloid β fibril formation. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/606/eabc6184. [PMID: 34380771 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc6184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Point mutations in the amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) cause familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) by increasing generation or altering conformation of amyloid β (Aβ). Here, we describe the Uppsala APP mutation (Δ690-695), the first reported deletion causing autosomal dominant AD. Affected individuals have an age at symptom onset in their early forties and suffer from a rapidly progressing disease course. Symptoms and biomarkers are typical of AD, with the exception of normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42 and only slightly pathological amyloid-positron emission tomography signals. Mass spectrometry and Western blot analyses of patient CSF and media from experimental cell cultures indicate that the Uppsala APP mutation alters APP processing by increasing β-secretase cleavage and affecting α-secretase cleavage. Furthermore, in vitro aggregation studies and analyses of patient brain tissue samples indicate that the longer form of mutated Aβ, AβUpp1-42Δ19-24, accelerates the formation of fibrils with unique polymorphs and their deposition into amyloid plaques in the affected brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Pagnon de la Vega
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vilmantas Giedraitis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Wojciech Michno
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 43180 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, UK
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gökhan Güner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Mara Zielinski
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Malin Löwenmark
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - RoseMarie Brundin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Torsten Danfors
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Radiology, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Irina Alafuzoff
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars N G Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Erlandsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, State University, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Stephan A Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gunnar F Schröder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Physics Department, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jörg Hanrieder
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 43180 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Lannfelt
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden.
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45
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Zhao H, Huang X, Tong Z. Formaldehyde-Crosslinked Nontoxic Aβ Monomers to Form Toxic Aβ Dimers and Aggregates: Pathogenicity and Therapeutic Perspectives. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:3376-3390. [PMID: 34396700 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of senile plaques in the brain. However, medicines targeting amyloid-beta (Aβ) have not achieved the expected clinical effects. This review focuses on the formation mechanism of the Aβ dimer (the basic unit of oligomers and fibrils) and its tremendous potential as a drug target. Recently, age-associated formaldehyde and Aβ-derived formaldehyde have been found to crosslink the nontoxic Aβ monomer to form the toxic dimers, oligomers and fibrils. Particularly, Aβ-induced formaldehyde accumulation and formaldehyde-promoted Aβ aggregation form a vicious cycle. Subsequently, formaldehyde initiates Aβ toxicity in both the early-and late-onset AD. These facts also explain why AD drugs targeting only Aβ do not have the desired therapeutic effects. Development of the nanoparticle-based medicines targeting both formaldehyde and Aβ dimer is a promising strategy for improving the drug efficacy by penetrating blood-brain barrier and extracellular space into the cortical neurons in AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Xuerong Huang
- Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital 3, Department of Neurology, Wenzhou, 325200, China
| | - Zhiqian Tong
- Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
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46
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Zielinski M, Röder C, Schröder GF. Challenges in sample preparation and structure determination of amyloids by cryo-EM. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:100938. [PMID: 34224730 PMCID: PMC8335658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloids share a common architecture but play disparate biological roles in processes ranging from bacterial defense mechanisms to protein misfolding diseases. Their structures are highly polymorphic, which makes them difficult to study by X-ray diffraction or NMR spectroscopy. Our understanding of amyloid structures is due in large part to recent advances in the field of cryo-EM, which allows for determining the polymorphs separately. In this review, we highlight the main stepping stones leading to the substantial number of high-resolution amyloid fibril structures known today as well as recent developments regarding automation and software in cryo-EM. We discuss that sample preparation should move closer to physiological conditions to understand how amyloid aggregation and disease are linked. We further highlight new approaches to address heterogeneity and polymorphism of amyloid fibrils in EM image processing and give an outlook to the upcoming challenges in researching the structural biology of amyloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Zielinski
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christine Röder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gunnar F Schröder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7) and JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Physics Department, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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47
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Masrati G, Landau M, Ben-Tal N, Lupas A, Kosloff M, Kosinski J. Integrative Structural Biology in the Era of Accurate Structure Prediction. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167127. [PMID: 34224746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Characterizing the three-dimensional structure of macromolecules is central to understanding their function. Traditionally, structures of proteins and their complexes have been determined using experimental techniques such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, or cryo-electron microscopy-applied individually or in an integrative manner. Meanwhile, however, computational methods for protein structure prediction have been improving their accuracy, gradually, then suddenly, with the breakthrough advance by AlphaFold2, whose models of monomeric proteins are often as accurate as experimental structures. This breakthrough foreshadows a new era of computational methods that can build accurate models for most monomeric proteins. Here, we envision how such accurate modeling methods can combine with experimental structural biology techniques, enhancing integrative structural biology. We highlight the challenges that arise when considering multiple structural conformations, protein complexes, and polymorphic assemblies. These challenges will motivate further developments, both in modeling programs and in methods to solve experimental structures, towards better and quicker investigation of structure-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Masrati
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Meytal Landau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg 22607, Germany
| | - Nir Ben-Tal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Andrei Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Mickey Kosloff
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mt. Carmel, 3498838 Haifa, Israel.
| | - Jan Kosinski
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg 22607, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg 22607, Germany; Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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48
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Lutter L, Aubrey LD, Xue WF. On the Structural Diversity and Individuality of Polymorphic Amyloid Protein Assemblies. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167124. [PMID: 34224749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The prediction of highly ordered three-dimensional structures of amyloid protein fibrils from the amino acid sequences of their monomeric self-assembly precursors constitutes a challenging and unresolved aspect of the classical protein folding problem. Because of the polymorphic nature of amyloid assembly whereby polypeptide chains of identical amino acid sequences under identical conditions are capable of self-assembly into a spectrum of different fibril structures, the prediction of amyloid structures from an amino acid sequence requires a detailed and holistic understanding of its assembly free energy landscape. The full extent of the structure space accessible to the cross-β molecular architecture of amyloid must also be resolved. Here, we review the current understanding of the diversity and the individuality of amyloid structures, and how the polymorphic landscape of amyloid links to biology and disease phenotypes. We present a comprehensive review of structural models of amyloid fibrils derived by cryo-EM, ssNMR and AFM to date, and discuss the challenges ahead for resolving the structural basis and the biological consequences of polymorphic amyloid assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Lutter
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK
| | - Liam D Aubrey
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, CT2 7NJ Canterbury, UK.
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49
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Lau HHC, Ingelsson M, Watts JC. The existence of Aβ strains and their potential for driving phenotypic heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:17-39. [PMID: 32743745 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Reminiscent of the human prion diseases, there is considerable clinical and pathological variability in Alzheimer's disease, the most common human neurodegenerative condition. As in prion disorders, protein misfolding and aggregation is a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's disease, where the initiating event is thought to be the self-assembly of Aβ peptide into aggregates that deposit in the central nervous system. Emerging evidence suggests that Aβ, similar to the prion protein, can polymerize into a conformationally diverse spectrum of aggregate strains both in vitro and within the brain. Moreover, certain types of Aβ aggregates exhibit key hallmarks of prion strains including divergent biochemical attributes and the ability to induce distinct pathological phenotypes when intracerebrally injected into mouse models. In this review, we discuss the evidence demonstrating that Aβ can assemble into distinct strains of aggregates and how such strains may be primary drivers of the phenotypic heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease.
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50
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Wang K, Na L, Duan M. The Pathogenesis Mechanism, Structure Properties, Potential Drugs and Therapeutic Nanoparticles against the Small Oligomers of Amyloid-β. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 21:151-167. [PMID: 32938351 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200916123000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people in the world. The abnormal aggregation of amyloid β protein (Aβ) is regarded as the key event in AD onset. Meanwhile, the Aβ oligomers are believed to be the most toxic species of Aβ. Recent studies show that the Aβ dimers, which are the smallest form of Aβ oligomers, also have the neurotoxicity in the absence of other oligomers in physiological conditions. In this review, we focus on the pathogenesis, structure and potential therapeutic molecules against small Aβ oligomers, as well as the nanoparticles (NPs) in the treatment of AD. In this review, we firstly focus on the pathogenic mechanism of Aβ oligomers, especially the Aβ dimers. The toxicity of Aβ dimer or oligomers, which attributes to the interactions with various receptors and the disruption of membrane or intracellular environments, were introduced. Then the structure properties of Aβ dimers and oligomers are summarized. Although some structural information such as the secondary structure content is characterized by experimental technologies, detailed structures are still absent. Following that, the small molecules targeting Aβ dimers or oligomers are collected; nevertheless, all of these ligands have failed to come into the market due to the rising controversy of the Aβ-related "amyloid cascade hypothesis". At last, the recent progress about the nanoparticles as the potential drugs or the drug delivery for the Aβ oligomers are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Liu Na
- School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Mojie Duan
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
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