Multiple proteolytic events in caspase-6 self-activation impact conformations of discrete structural regions

In vivo CRISPR base editing for treatment of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited and ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat within exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which produces a mutant protein that destroys striatal and cortical neurons. Importantly, a critical event in the pathogenesis of HD is the proteolytic cleavage of the mutant HTT protein by caspase-6, which generates fragments of the N-terminal domain of the protein that form highly toxic aggregates. Given the role that proteolysis of the mutant HTT protein plays in HD, strategies for preventing this process hold potential for treating the disorder. By screening 141 CRISPR base editor variants targeting splice elements in the HTT gene, we identified platforms capable of producing HTT protein isoforms resistant to caspase-6-mediated proteolysis via editing of the splice acceptor sequence for exon 13. When delivered to the striatum of a rodent HD model, these base editors induced efficient exon skipping and decreased the formation of the N-terminal fragments, which in turn reduced HTT protein aggregation and attenuated striatal and cortical atrophy. Collectively, these results illustrate the potential for CRISPR base editing to decrease the toxicity of the mutant HTT protein for HD.

Predicting the structural basis of targeted protein degradation by integrating molecular dynamics simulations with structural mass spectrometry

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a promising approach in drug discovery for degrading proteins implicated in diseases. A key step in this process is the formation of a ternary complex where a heterobifunctional molecule induces proximity of an E3 ligase to a protein of interest (POI), thus facilitating ubiquitin transfer to the POI. In this work, we characterize 3 steps in the TPD process. (1) We simulate the ternary complex formation of SMARCA2 bromodomain and VHL E3 ligase by combining hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry with weighted ensemble molecular dynamics (MD). (2) We characterize the conformational heterogeneity of the ternary complex using Hamiltonian replica exchange simulations and small-angle X-ray scattering. (3) We assess the ubiquitination of the POI in the context of the full Cullin-RING Ligase, confirming experimental ubiquitinomics results. Differences in degradation efficiency can be explained by the proximity of lysine residues on the POI relative to ubiquitin.

Caspase-6-cleaved tau is relevant in Alzheimer's disease and marginal in four-repeat tauopathies: diagnostic and therapeutic implications

AIM

Tau truncation (tr-tau) by active caspase-6 (aCasp-6) generates tau fragments that may be toxic. Yet, the relationship between aCasp-6, different forms of tr-tau, and hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation in human brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies remains unclear.

METHODS

We generated two neoepitope monoclonal antibodies against tr-tau sites (D402 and D13) targeted by aCasp-6. Then, we used 5-plex immunofluorescence to quantify the neuronal and astroglial burden of aCasp-6, tr-tau, p-tau, and their co-occurrence in healthy controls, AD, and primary tauopathies.

RESULTS

Casp-6 activation was strongest in AD and Pick's disease (PiD), but almost absent in 4-repeat (4R) tauopathies. In neurons, the tr-tau burden was much more abundant in AD and PiD than in 4R tauopathies and disproportionally higher when normalizing by p-tau pathology. Tr-tau astrogliopathy was detected in low numbers in 4R tauopathies. Unexpectedly, about half of tr-tau positive neurons in AD and PiD lacked p-tau aggregates, a finding we confirmed using several p-tau antibodies.

CONCLUSIONS

Early modulation of aCasp-6 to reduce tr-tau pathology is a promising therapeutic strategy for AD and PiD, but is unlikely to benefit 4R tauopathies. The large percentage of tr-tau-positive neurons lacking p-tau suggests that many vulnerable neurons to tau pathology go undetected when using conventional p-tau antibodies. Therapeutic strategies against tr-tau pathology could be necessary to modulate the extent of tau abnormalities in AD. The disproportionally higher burden of tr-tau in AD and PiD supports the development of biofluid biomarkers against tr-tau to detect AD and PiD and differentiate them from 4R tauopathies at a patient level.

Caspase-9 Activation of Procaspase-3 but Not Procaspase-6 Is Based on the Local Context of Cleavage Site Motifs and on Sequence

Studying the interactions between a protease and its protein substrates at a molecular level is crucial for identifying the factors facilitating selection of particular proteolytic substrates and not others. These selection criteria include both the sequence and the local context of the substrate cleavage site where the active site of the protease initially binds and then performs proteolytic cleavage. Caspase-9, an initiator of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, mediates activation of executioner procaspase-3 by cleavage of the intersubunit linker (ISL) at site ¹⁷²IETD↓S. Although procaspase-6, another executioner, possesses two ISL cleavage sites (site 1, ¹⁷⁶DVVD↓N; site 2, ¹⁹⁰TEVD↓A), neither is directly cut by caspase-9. Thus, caspase-9 directly activates procaspase-3 but not procaspase-6. To elucidate this selectivity of caspase-9, we engineered constructs of procaspase-3 (e.g., swapping the ISL site, ¹⁷²IETD↓S, with DVVDN and TEVDA) and procaspase-6 (e.g., swapping site 1, ¹⁷⁶DVVD↓N, and site 2, ¹⁹⁰TEVD↓A, with IETDS). Using the substrate digestion data of these constructs, we show here that the P4-P1' sequence of procaspase-6 ISL site 1 (DVVDN) can be accessed but not cleaved by caspase-9. We also found that caspase-9 can recognize the P4-P1' sequence of procaspase-6 ISL site 2 (TEVDA); however, the local context of this cleavage site is the critical factor that prevents proteolytic cleavage. Overall, our data have demonstrated that both the sequence and the local context of the ISL cleavage sites play a vital role in preventing the activation of procaspase-6 directly by caspase-9.

Understanding the molecular role of syndecan-1 in the regulation of caspase-6 during the progression of cardiac arrhythmia

The role of caspase-6 in heart disease is not well understood, particularly with respect to cardiac arrhythmia. Also, the function of syndecan-1 in the stimulation of inflammation or a regenerative response after cardiac injury is unclear. Leptin receptor-deficient (C57BL/KS-lepr^db/lepr^db) mice were used in the present study. In addition to developing type 2 diabetes, they also develop initial- and end-stage cardiac arrhythmia after 5 and 8 months, respectively. The initial and end-stage arrhythmias were confirmed through progressive variations in the PP intervals observable in electrocardiograms. Histopathological images of the cardiac tissue exhibited scattered and loosened cardiac cells at the initial stage of cardiac arrhythmia, whereas tissue hardness and extensive structural changes in cardiomyocytes were evident at the end stage. At the molecular level, the progressive upregulation of caspase-6 was observed as the cardiac arrhythmia progressed. In the initial stage of arrhythmia, immunohistochemistry revealed that caspase-6 was expressed at the surface of cardiac cells, suggesting that caspase-6 targeted the extracellular matrix, leading to a loosening of the cardiac tissue structure. In the end stage of cardiac arrhythmia, caspase-6 expression was abundant in the cytoplasm, as well as at the cell surface, suggesting that caspase-6 may have cleaved intermediate filaments, paving the way for cellular morphological changes and apoptosis. Notably, syndecan-1 was upregulated 5.8-fold in the initial stage of cardiac arrhythmia, but downregulated at the end stage. Syndecan-1 may restrict the expression of caspase-6 in the initial stage of cardiac arrhythmia, while its downregulation at the end stage may allow destructive changes via caspase-6 overexpression. Furthermore, the knockdown of syndecan-1 using small interfering RNA enhanced the expression of caspase-6 in the cardiac tissue by factors of 1.8 and 1.2 at the initial and end stages of cardiac arrhythmia, respectively, compared with that in non-silenced cardiac tissue. Therefore, it may be concluded that syndecan-1 plays a major role in the regulation of caspase-6 during the pathological stages of cardiac arrhythmia.

Entamoeba histolytica exploits the autophagy pathway in macrophages to trigger inflammation in disease pathogenesis

The mechanism whereby Entamoeba histolytica (Eh) binding with macrophages at the intercellular junction triggers aggressive pro-inflammatory responses in disease pathogenesis is not well understood. The host intracellular protein degradation process autophagy and its regulatory proteins are involved in maintenance of cellular homeostasis and excessive inflammatory responses. In this study we unraveled how Eh hijacks the autophagy process in macrophages to dysregulate pro-inflammatory responses. Direct contact of live Eh with macrophages activated caspase-6 that induced rapid proteolytic degradation of the autophagy ATG16L1 protein complex independent of NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-3/8 activation. Crohn's disease susceptible ATG16L1 T300A variant was highly susceptible to Eh-mediated degradation that augmented pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice. Quantitative proteomics revealed downregulation of autophagy and vesicle-mediated transport and upregulation of cysteine-type endopeptidase pathways in response to Eh. We conclude during Eh-macrophage outside-in signaling, ATG16L1 protein complex plays an overlooked regulatory role in shaping the pro-inflammatory landscape in amebiasis.

Exogenous Introduction of Initiator and Executioner Caspases Results in Different Apoptotic Outcomes

The balance of pro-apoptotic and pro-survival proteins defines a cell's fate. These processes are controlled through an interdependent and finely tuned protein network that enables survival or leads to apoptotic cell death. The caspase family of proteases is central to this apoptotic network, with initiator and executioner caspases, and their interaction partners, regulating and executing apoptosis. In this work, we interrogate and modulate this network by exogenously introducing specific initiator or executioner caspase proteins. Each caspase is exogenously introduced using redox-responsive polymeric nanogels. Although caspase-3 might be expected to be the most effective due to the centrality of its role in apoptosis and its heightened catalytic efficiency relative to other family members, we observed that caspase-7 and caspase-9 are the most effective at inducing apoptotic cell death. By critically analyzing the introduced activity of the delivered caspase, the pattern of substrate cleavage, as well as the ability to activate endogenous caspases, we conclude that the efficacy of each caspase correlated with the levels of pro-survival factors that both directly and indirectly impact the introduced caspase. These findings lay the groundwork for developing methods for exogenous introduction of caspases as a therapeutic option that can be tuned to the apoptotic balance in a proliferating cell.

Rare CASP6N73T variant associated with hippocampal volume exhibits decreased proteolytic activity, synaptic transmission defect, and neurodegeneration

Caspase-6 (Casp6) is implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD) cognitive impairment and pathology. Hippocampal atrophy is associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Here, a rare functional exonic missense CASP6 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), causing the substitution of asparagine with threonine at amino acid 73 in Casp6 (Casp6N73T), was associated with hippocampal subfield CA1 volume preservation. Compared to wild type Casp6 (Casp6WT), recombinant Casp6N73T altered Casp6 proteolysis of natural substrates Lamin A/C and α-Tubulin, but did not alter cleavage of the Ac-VEID-AFC Casp6 peptide substrate. Casp6N73T-transfected HEK293T cells showed elevated Casp6 mRNA levels similar to Casp6WT-transfected cells, but, in contrast to Casp6WT, did not accumulate active Casp6 subunits nor show increased Casp6 enzymatic activity. Electrophysiological and morphological assessments showed that Casp6N73T recombinant protein caused less neurofunctional damage and neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons than Casp6WT. Lastly, CASP6 mRNA levels were increased in several AD brain regions confirming the implication of Casp6 in AD. These studies suggest that the rare Casp6N73T variant may protect against hippocampal atrophy due to its altered catalysis of natural protein substrates and intracellular instability thus leading to less Casp6-mediated damage to neuronal structure and function.

The intricate biophysical puzzle of caspase-1 activation

This review takes a closer look at the structural components of the molecules involved in the processes leading to caspase-1 activation. Interleukins 1β and 18 (IL-1β, IL-18) are well-known proinflammatory cytokines that are produced following cleavage of their respective precursor proteins by the cysteine protease caspase-1. Active caspase-1 is the final step of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a three-protein intracellular complex involved in inflammation and induction of pyroptosis (a proinflammatory cell-death process). NLRP3 activators facilitate assembly of the inflammasome complex and subsequent activation of caspase-1 by autoproteolysis. However, the definitive structural components of active caspase-1 are still unclear and new data add to the complexity of this process. This review outlines the historical and recent findings that provide supporting evidence for the structural aspects of caspase-1 autoproteolysis and activation.

Newly Identified Function of Caspase-6 in ZBP1-mediated Innate Immune Responses, NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation, PANoptosis, and Host Defense

Caspase-6 was discovered decades ago, but its roles in biological processes remain largely unknown. Recently, we have demonstrated that caspase-6 plays a critical role in influenza A virus (IAV)-induced cell death and innate immune responses. During IAV infection, Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) initiates ZBP1-PANoptosome assembly to drive inflammasome activation and cell death, and we showed that caspase-6 interacts with RIPK3 to enhance the interaction between RIPK3 and ZBP1, thus promoting PANoptosome assembly. Moreover, the caspase activity of caspase-6 is not required for tins process, suggesting a caspase-independent function of caspase-6 during IAV infection. Additionally, we found that caspase-6 is required for the alternative activation of alveolar macrophages in response to IAV infection. Our findings provide an opportunity to reconsider the physiological role of caspase-6.

Activation of Caspase-6 Is Promoted by a Mutant Huntingtin Fragment and Blocked by an Allosteric Inhibitor Compound

Aberrant activation of caspase-6 (C6) in the absence of other hallmarks of apoptosis has been demonstrated in cells and tissues from patients with Huntington disease (HD) and animal models. C6 activity correlates with disease progression in patients with HD and the cleavage of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein is thought to strongly contribute to disease pathogenesis. Here we show that the mHTT_1-586 fragment generated by C6 cleavage interacts with the zymogen form of the enzyme, stabilizing a conformation that contains an active site and is prone to full activation. This shift toward enhanced activity can be prevented by a small-molecule inhibitor that blocks the interaction between C6 and mHTT_1-586. Molecular docking studies suggest that the inhibitor binds an allosteric site in the C6 zymogen. The interaction of mHTT_1-586 with C6 may therefore promote a self-reinforcing, feedforward cycle of C6 zymogen activation and mHTT cleavage driving HD pathogenesis.

Specificity for latent C termini links the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP to caspases

Protein-protein interactions between E3 ubiquitin ligases and protein termini help shape the proteome. These interactions are sensitive to proteolysis, which alters the ensemble of cellular N and C termini. Here we describe a mechanism wherein caspase activity reveals latent C termini that are then recognized by the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP. Using expanded knowledge of CHIP's binding specificity, we predicted hundreds of putative interactions arising from caspase activity. Subsequent validation experiments confirmed that CHIP binds the latent C termini at tau^D421 and caspase-6^D179. CHIP binding to tau^D421, but not tau^FL, promoted its ubiquitination, while binding to caspase-6^D179 mediated ubiquitin-independent inhibition. Given that caspase activity generates tau^D421 in Alzheimer's disease (AD), these results suggested a concise model for CHIP regulation of tau homeostasis. Indeed, we find that loss of CHIP expression in AD coincides with the accumulation of tau^D421 and caspase-6^D179. These results illustrate an unanticipated link between caspases and protein homeostasis.

Tri-arginine exosite patch of caspase-6 recruits substrates for hydrolysis

Caspases are cysteine-aspartic proteases involved in the regulation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and a number of other biological processes. Despite overall similarities in structure and active-site composition, caspases show striking selectivity for particular protein substrates. Exosites are emerging as one of the mechanisms by which caspases can recruit, engage, and orient these substrates for proper hydrolysis. Following computational analyses and database searches for candidate exosites, we utilized site-directed mutagenesis to identify a new exosite in caspase-6 at the hinge between the disordered N-terminal domain (NTD), residues 23-45, and core of the caspase-6 structure. We observed that substitutions of the tri-arginine patch Arg-42-Arg-44 or the R44K cancer-associated mutation in caspase-6 markedly alter its rates of protein substrate hydrolysis. Notably, turnover of protein substrates but not of short peptide substrates was affected by these exosite alterations, underscoring the importance of this region for protein substrate recruitment. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS-mediated interrogation of the intrinsic dynamics of these enzymes suggested the presence of a substrate-binding platform encompassed by the NTD and the 240's region (containing residues 236-246), which serves as a general exosite for caspase-6-specific substrate recruitment. In summary, we have identified an exosite on caspase-6 that is critical for protein substrate recognition and turnover and therefore highly relevant for diseases such as cancer in which caspase-6-mediated apoptosis is often disrupted, and in neurodegeneration in which caspase-6 plays a central role.

Caspase-9 CARD : core domain interactions require a properly formed active site

Caspase-9 is a critical factor in the initiation of apoptosis and as a result is tightly regulated by many mechanisms. Caspase-9 contains a Caspase Activation and Recruitment Domain (CARD), which enables caspase-9 to form a tight interaction with the apoptosome, a heptameric activating platform. The caspase-9 CARD has been thought to be principally involved in recruitment to the apoptosome, but its roles outside this interaction have yet to be uncovered. In this work, we show that the CARD is involved in physical interactions with the catalytic core of caspase-9 in the absence of the apoptosome; this interaction requires a properly formed caspase-9 active site. The active sites of caspases are composed of four extremely mobile loops. When the active-site loops are not properly ordered, the CARD and core domains of caspase-9 do not interact and behave independently, like loosely tethered beads. When the active-site loop bundle is properly ordered, the CARD domain interacts with the catalytic core, forming a single folding unit. Taken together, these findings provide mechanistic insights into a new level of caspase-9 regulation, prompting speculation that the CARD may also play a role in the recruitment or recognition of substrate.