1
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Zhang Z, Gehin C, Abriata LA, Dal Peraro M, Lashuel H. Differential Effects of Post-translational Modifications on the Membrane Interaction of Huntingtin Protein. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:2408-2419. [PMID: 38752226 PMCID: PMC11191595 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00091] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine stretch near the N-terminus of the huntingtin (HTT) protein, rendering the protein more prone to aggregate. The first 17 residues in HTT (Nt17) interact with lipid membranes and harbor multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) that can modulate HTT conformation and aggregation. In this study, we used a combination of biophysical studies and molecular simulations to investigate the effect of PTMs on the helicity of Nt17 in the presence of various lipid membranes. We demonstrate that anionic lipids such as PI4P, PI(4,5)P2, and GM1 significantly enhance the helical structure of unmodified Nt17. This effect is attenuated by single acetylation events at K6, K9, or K15, whereas tri-acetylation at these sites abolishes Nt17-membrane interaction. Similarly, single phosphorylation at S13 and S16 decreased but did not abolish the POPG and PIP2-induced helicity, while dual phosphorylation at these sites markedly diminished Nt17 helicity, regardless of lipid composition. The helicity of Nt17 with phosphorylation at T3 is insensitive to the membrane environment. Oxidation at M8 variably affects membrane-induced helicity, highlighting a lipid-dependent modulation of the Nt17 structure. Altogether, our findings reveal differential effects of PTMs and crosstalks between PTMs on membrane interaction and conformation of HTT. Intriguingly, the effects of phosphorylation at T3 or single acetylation at K6, K9, and K15 on Nt17 conformation in the presence of certain membranes do not mirror that observed in the absence of membranes. Our studies provide novel insights into the complex relationship between Nt17 structure, PTMs, and membrane binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidian Zhang
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of
Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering,
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Laboratory
for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Gehin
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of
Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering,
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Luciano A Abriata
- Laboratory
for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Laboratory
for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Hilal Lashuel
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of
Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering,
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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2
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Khoshnan A. Gut Microbiota as a Modifier of Huntington's Disease Pathogenesis. J Huntingtons Dis 2024:JHD240012. [PMID: 38728199 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-240012] [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: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT) protein is expressed in most cell lineages, and the toxicity of mutant HTT in multiple organs may contribute to the neurological and psychiatric symptoms observed in Huntington's disease (HD). The proteostasis and neurotoxicity of mutant HTT are influenced by the intracellular milieu and responses to environmental signals. Recent research has highlighted a prominent role of gut microbiota in brain and immune system development, aging, and the progression of neurological disorders. Several studies suggest that mutant HTT might disrupt the homeostasis of gut microbiota (known as dysbiosis) and impact the pathogenesis of HD. Dysbiosis has been observed in HD patients, and in animal models of the disease it coincides with mutant HTT aggregation, abnormal behaviors, and reduced lifespan. This review article aims to highlight the potential toxicity of mutant HTT in organs and pathways within the microbiota-gut-immune-central nervous system (CNS) axis. Understanding the functions of Wild-Type (WT) HTT and the toxicity of mutant HTT in these organs and the associated networks may elucidate novel pathogenic pathways, identify biomarkers and peripheral therapeutic targets for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Khoshnan
- Keck School of Medicine, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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van der Wel PC. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance in the structural study of polyglutamine aggregation. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:719-731. [PMID: 38563485 PMCID: PMC11088915 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230731] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The aggregation of proteins into amyloid-like fibrils is seen in many neurodegenerative diseases. Recent years have seen much progress in our understanding of these misfolded protein inclusions, thanks to advances in techniques such as solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). However, multiple repeat-expansion-related disorders have presented special challenges to structural elucidation. This review discusses the special role of ssNMR analysis in the study of protein aggregates associated with CAG repeat expansion disorders. In these diseases, the misfolding and aggregation affect mutant proteins with expanded polyglutamine segments. The most common disorder, Huntington's disease (HD), is connected to the mutation of the huntingtin protein. Since the discovery of the genetic causes for HD in the 1990s, steady progress in our understanding of the role of protein aggregation has depended on the integrative and interdisciplinary use of multiple types of structural techniques. The heterogeneous and dynamic features of polyQ protein fibrils, and in particular those formed by huntingtin N-terminal fragments, have made these aggregates into challenging targets for structural analysis. ssNMR has offered unique insights into many aspects of these amyloid-like aggregates. These include the atomic-level structure of the polyglutamine core, but also measurements of dynamics and solvent accessibility of the non-core flanking domains of these fibrils' fuzzy coats. The obtained structural insights shed new light on pathogenic mechanisms behind this and other protein misfolding diseases.
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4
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Li W, Li HL, Wang JZ, Liu R, Wang X. Abnormal protein post-translational modifications induces aggregation and abnormal deposition of protein, mediating neurodegenerative diseases. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:22. [PMID: 38347638 PMCID: PMC10863199 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01189-y] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein post-translational modifications (PPTMs) refer to a series of chemical modifications that occur after the synthesis of protein. Proteins undergo different modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, and so on. These modifications can alter the protein's structure, function, and interaction, thereby regulating its biological activity. In neurodegenerative diseases, several proteins undergo abnormal post-translational modifications, which leads to aggregation and abnormal deposition of protein, thus resulting in neuronal death and related diseases. For example, the main pathological features of Alzheimer's disease are the aggregation of beta-amyloid protein and abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein. The abnormal ubiquitination and loss of α-synuclein are related to the onset of Parkinson's disease. Other neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and so on are also connected with abnormal PPTMs. Therefore, studying the abnormal PPTMs in neurodegenerative diseases is critical for understanding the mechanism of these diseases and the development of significant therapeutic strategies. This work reviews the implications of PPTMs in neurodegenerative diseases and discusses the relevant therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hong-Lian Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, JS, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, JS, China.
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Wuhan, China.
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5
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Gamage YI, Pan J. Elucidating the Influence of Lipid Composition on Bilayer Perturbations Induced by the N-terminal Region of the Huntingtin Protein. BIOPHYSICA 2023; 3:582-597. [PMID: 38737720 PMCID: PMC11087071 DOI: 10.3390/biophysica3040040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the membrane interactions of the N-terminal 17 residues of the huntingtin protein (HttN) is essential for unraveling its role in cellular processes and its impact on huntingtin misfolding. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine the effects of lipid specificity in mediating bilayer perturbations induced by HttN. Across various lipid environments, the peptide consistently induced bilayer disruptions in the form of holes. Notably, our results unveiled that cholesterol enhanced bilayer perturbation induced by HttN, while phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids suppressed hole formation. Furthermore, anionic phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin lipids, along with cholesterol at high concentrations, promoted the formation of double-bilayer patches. This unique structure suggests that the synergy among HttN, anionic lipids, and cholesterol can enhance bilayer fusion, potentially by facilitating lipid intermixing between adjacent bilayers. Additionally, our AFM-based force spectroscopy revealed that HttN enhanced the mechanical stability of lipid bilayers, as evidenced by an elevated bilayer puncture force. These findings illuminate the complex interplay between HttN and lipid membranes and provide useful insights into the role of lipid composition in modulating membrane interactions with the huntingtin protein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jianjun Pan
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
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6
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Thompson LM, Orr HT. HD and SCA1: Tales from two 30-year journeys since gene discovery. Neuron 2023; 111:3517-3530. [PMID: 37863037 PMCID: PMC10842341 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.036] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the more transformative findings in human genetics was the discovery that the expansion of unstable nucleotide repeats underlies a group of inherited neurological diseases. A subset of these unstable repeat neurodegenerative diseases is due to the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat encoding a stretch of glutamines, i.e., the polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat neurodegenerative diseases. Among the CAG/polyQ repeat diseases are Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), in which the expansions are within widely expressed proteins. Although both HD and SCA1 are autosomal dominantly inherited, and both typically cause mid- to late-life-onset movement disorders with cognitive decline, they each are characterized by distinct clinical characteristics and predominant sites of neuropathology. Importantly, the respective affected proteins, Huntingtin (HTT, HD) and Ataxin 1 (ATXN1, SCA1), have unique functions and biological properties. Here, we review HD and SCA1 with a focus on how their disease-specific and shared features may provide informative insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA.
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7
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Cariulo C, Martufi P, Verani M, Toledo-Sherman L, Lee R, Dominguez C, Petricca L, Caricasole A. IKBKB reduces huntingtin aggregation by phosphorylating serine 13 via a non-canonical IKK pathway. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302006. [PMID: 37553253 PMCID: PMC10410066 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
N-terminal phosphorylation at residues T3 and S13 is believed to have important beneficial implications for the biological and pathological properties of mutant huntingtin, where inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit beta (IKBKB) was identified as a candidate regulator of huntingtin N-terminal phosphorylation. The paucity of mechanistic information on IKK pathways, together with the lack of sensitive methods to quantify endogenous huntingtin phosphorylation, prevented detailed study of the role of IKBKB in Huntington's disease. Using novel ultrasensitive assays, we demonstrate that IKBKB can regulate endogenous S13 huntingtin phosphorylation in a manner, dependent on its kinase activity and known regulators. We found that the ability of IKBKB to phosphorylate endogenous huntingtin S13 is mediated through a non-canonical interferon regulatory factor3-mediated IKK pathway, distinct from the established involvement of IKBKB in mutant huntingtin's pathological mechanisms mediated via the canonical pathway. Furthermore, increased huntingtin S13 phosphorylation by IKBKB resulted in decreased aggregation of mutant huntingtin in cells, again dependent on its kinase activity. These findings point to a non-canonical IKK pathway linking S13 huntingtin phosphorylation to the pathological properties of mutant huntingtin aggregation, thought to be significant to Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cariulo
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Martufi
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Verani
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- Rainwatercf.org Tau Consortium, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Fort Worth, TX, USA
- UCLA, Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ramee Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Lara Petricca
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Caricasole
- Neuroscience Unit, Translational and Discovery Research Department, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
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8
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Bonavita R, Scerra G, Di Martino R, Nuzzo S, Polishchuk E, Di Gennaro M, Williams SV, Caporaso MG, Caiazza C, Polishchuk R, D’Agostino M, Fleming A, Renna M. The HSPB1-p62/SQSTM1 functional complex regulates the unconventional secretion and transcellular spreading of the HD-associated mutant huntingtin protein. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2269-2291. [PMID: 36971475 PMCID: PMC10321397 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Conformational diseases, such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington diseases, are part of a common class of neurological disorders characterized by the aggregation and progressive accumulation of proteins bearing aberrant conformations. Huntington disease (HD) has autosomal dominant inheritance and is caused by mutations leading to an abnormal expansion in the polyglutamine (polyQ) tract of the huntingtin (HTT) protein, leading to the formation of HTT inclusion bodies in neurons of affected patients. Interestingly, recent experimental evidence is challenging the conventional view by which the disease pathogenesis is solely a consequence of the intracellular accumulation of mutant protein aggregates. These studies reveal that transcellular transfer of mutated huntingtin protein is able to seed oligomers involving even the wild-type (WT) forms of the protein. To date, there is still no successful strategy to treat HD. Here, we describe a novel functional role for the HSPB1-p62/SQSTM1 complex, which acts as a cargo loading platform, allowing the unconventional secretion of mutant HTT by extracellular vesicles. HSPB1 interacts preferentially with polyQ-expanded HTT compared with the WT protein and affects its aggregation. Furthermore, HSPB1 levels correlate with the rate of mutant HTT secretion, which is controlled by the activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Finally, we show that these HTT-containing vesicular structures are biologically active and able to be internalized by recipient cells, therefore providing an additional mechanism to explain the prion-like spreading properties of mutant HTT. These findings might also have implications for the turn-over of other disease-associated, aggregation-prone proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - R Di Martino
- Institute for Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology “G. Salvatore,” National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - S Nuzzo
- IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy
| | - E Polishchuk
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - M Di Gennaro
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - S V Williams
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DY Cambridge, UK
| | - M G Caporaso
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - C Caiazza
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - R Polishchuk
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - M D’Agostino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - A Fleming
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DY Cambridge, UK
| | - M Renna
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, School of Medicine, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via S. Pansini, 5, Building 19, Corpi Bassi Sud (I floor), 80131 Naples, Italy. Tel: +39 081/7463623, Fax: +39 081-7463205;
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9
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Control of protein stability by post-translational modifications. Nat Commun 2023; 14:201. [PMID: 36639369 PMCID: PMC9839724 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35795-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 85.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) can occur on specific amino acids localized within regulatory domains of target proteins, which control a protein's stability. These regions, called degrons, are often controlled by PTMs, which act as signals to expedite protein degradation (PTM-activated degrons) or to forestall degradation and stabilize a protein (PTM-inactivated degrons). We summarize current knowledge of the regulation of protein stability by various PTMs. We aim to display the variety and breadth of known mechanisms of regulation as well as highlight common themes in PTM-regulated degrons to enhance potential for identifying novel drug targets where druggable targets are currently lacking.
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10
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Lemarié FL, Sanders SS, Nguyen Y, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Full-length huntingtin is palmitoylated at multiple sites and post-translationally myristoylated following caspase-cleavage. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1086112. [PMID: 36711022 PMCID: PMC9880554 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1086112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Huntingtin is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications which regulate its cellular functions and degradation. We have previously identified a palmitoylation site at cysteine 214 (C214), catalyzed by the enzymes ZDHHC17 and ZDHHC13. Reduced palmitoylation level of mutant huntingtin is linked to toxicity and loss of function. Moreover, we have described N-terminal myristoylation by the N-myristoyltransferases of a short fragment of huntingtin (HTT553-586) at glycine 553 (G553) following proteolysis at aspartate 552 (D552). Results: Here, we show that huntingtin is palmitoylated at numerous cysteines: C105, C433, C3134 and C3144. In addition, we confirm that full-length huntingtin is cleaved at D552 and post-translationally myristoylated at G553. Importantly, blocking caspase cleavage at the critical and pathogenic aspartate 586 (D586) significantly increases posttranslational myristoylation of huntingtin. In turn, myristoylation of huntingtin promotes the co-interaction between C-terminal and N-terminal huntingtin fragments, which is also protective. Discussion: This suggests that the protective effect of inhibiting caspase-cleavage at D586 may be mediated through post-translational myristoylation of huntingtin at G553.
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11
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Layburn FE, Tan AY, Mehrabi NF, Curtis MA, Tippett LJ, Turner CP, Riguet N, Aeschbach L, Lashuel HA, Dragunow M, Faull RL, Singh-Bains MK. N-terminal mutant huntingtin deposition correlates with CAG repeat length and symptom onset, but not neuronal loss in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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12
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White A, McGlone A, Gomez-Pastor R. Protein Kinase CK2 and Its Potential Role as a Therapeutic Target in Huntington's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:1979. [PMID: 36009526 PMCID: PMC9406209 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene, for which no disease modifying therapies are currently available. Much of the recent research has focused on developing therapies to directly lower HTT expression, and while promising, these therapies have presented several challenges regarding administration and efficacy. Another promising therapeutic approach is the modulation of HTT post-translational modifications (PTMs) that are dysregulated in disease and have shown to play a key role in HTT toxicity. Among all PTMs, modulation of HTT phosphorylation has been proposed as an attractive therapeutic option due to the possibility of orally administering specific kinase effectors. One of the kinases described to participate in HTT phosphorylation is Protein Kinase CK2. CK2 has recently emerged as a target for the treatment of several neurological and psychiatric disorders, although its role in HD remains controversial. While pharmacological studies in vitro inhibiting CK2 resulted in reduced HTT phosphorylation and increased toxicity, genetic approaches in mouse models of HD have provided beneficial effects. In this review we discuss potential therapeutic approaches related to the manipulation of HTT-PTMs with special emphasis on the role of CK2 as a therapeutic target in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rocio Gomez-Pastor
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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13
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Molecular Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Huntington's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061432. [PMID: 35740453 PMCID: PMC9219859 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease described 150 years ago by George Huntington. The genetic defect was identified in 1993 to be an expanded CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 4. In the following almost 30 years, a considerable amount of research, using mainly animal models or in vitro experiments, has tried to unravel the complex molecular cascades through which the transcription of the mutant protein leads to neuronal loss, especially in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and identified excitotoxicity, transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired proteostasis, altered axonal trafficking and reduced availability of trophic factors to be crucial contributors. This review discusses the pathogenic cascades described in the literature through which mutant huntingtin leads to neuronal demise. However, due to the ubiquitous presence of huntingtin, astrocytes are also dysfunctional, and neuroinflammation may additionally contribute to Huntington’s disease pathology. The quest for therapies to delay the onset and reduce the rate of Huntington’s disease progression is ongoing, but is based on findings from basic research.
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14
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Wilbertz JH, Frappier J, Muller S, Gratzer S, Englaro W, Stanek LM, Calamini B. Time-resolved FRET screening identifies small molecular modifiers of mutant Huntingtin conformational inflexibility in patient-derived cells. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:219-228. [PMID: 35058188 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common monogenic neurodegenerative disease and is fatal. CAG repeat expansions in mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) exon 1 encode for polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches and influence age of onset and disease severity, depending on their length. mHTT is more structured compared to wild-type (wt) HTT, resulting in a decreased N-terminal conformational flexibility. mHTT inflexibility may contribute to both gain of function toxicity, due to increased mHTT aggregation propensity, but also to loss of function phenotypes, due to decreased interactions with binding partners. High-throughput-screening techniques to identify mHTT flexibility states and potential flexibility modifying small molecules are currently lacking. Here, we propose a novel approach for identifying small molecules that restore mHTT's conformational flexibility in human patient fibroblasts. We have applied a well-established antibody-based time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) immunoassay, which measures endogenous HTT flexibility using two validated HTT-specific antibodies, to a high-throughput screening platform. By performing a small-scale compound screen, we identified several small molecules that can partially rescue mHTT inflexibility, presumably by altering HTT post-translational modifications. Thus, we demonstrated that the HTT TR-FRET immunoassay can be miniaturized and applied to a compound screening workflow in patient cells. This automated assay can now be used in large screening campaigns to identify previously unknown HD drugs and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lisa M Stanek
- Sanofi Rare and Neurological Diseases, Framingham, MA, United States
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15
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Vagiona AC, Mier P, Petrakis S, Andrade-Navarro MA. Analysis of Huntington's Disease Modifiers Using the Hyperbolic Mapping of the Protein Interaction Network. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5853. [PMID: 35628660 PMCID: PMC9144261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by the production of a mutant huntingtin (HTT) with an abnormally long poly-glutamine (polyQ) tract, forming aggregates and inclusions in neurons. Previous work by us and others has shown that an increase or decrease in polyQ-triggered aggregates can be passive simply due to the interaction of proteins with the aggregates. To search for proteins with active (functional) effects, which might be more effective in finding therapies and mechanisms of HD, we selected among the proteins that interact with HTT a total of 49 pairs of proteins that, while being paralogous to each other (and thus expected to have similar passive interaction with HTT), are located in different regions of the protein interaction network (suggesting participation in different pathways or complexes). Three of these 49 pairs contained members with opposite effects on HD, according to the literature. The negative members of the three pairs, MID1, IKBKG, and IKBKB, interact with PPP2CA and TUBB, which are known negative factors in HD, as well as with HSP90AA1 and RPS3. The positive members of the three pairs interact with HSPA9. Our results provide potential HD modifiers of functional relevance and reveal the dynamic aspect of paralog evolution within the interaction network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimilia-Christina Vagiona
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (A.-C.V.); (P.M.)
| | - Pablo Mier
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (A.-C.V.); (P.M.)
| | - Spyros Petrakis
- Institute of Applied Biosciences/Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany; (A.-C.V.); (P.M.)
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16
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Srinivasan E, Ram V, Rajasekaran R. A review on Huntington protein Insight into protein aggregation and therapeutic interventions. Curr Drug Metab 2022; 23:260-282. [PMID: 35319359 DOI: 10.2174/1389200223666220321103942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a distressing, innate neurodegenerative disease that descends from CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene causing behavioral changes, motor dysfunction, and dementia in children and adults. Mutation in huntingtin (HTT) protein has been suggested to cause neuron loss in the cortex and striatum through various mechanisms including abnormal regulation of transcription, proteasomal dysfunction, post-translational modification, and other events, regulating toxicity. Pathogenesis of HD involves cleavage of the huntingtin protein followed by the neuronal accumulation of its aggregated form. Several research groups made possible efforts to reduce huntingtin gene expression, protein accumulation, and protein aggregation using inhibitors and molecular chaperones as developing drugs against HD. Herein, we review the mechanism proposed towards the formation of HTT protein aggregation and the impact of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Srinivasan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore - 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai - 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Vavish Ram
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore - 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore - 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
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17
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Vieweg S, Mahul-Mellier AL, Ruggeri FS, Riguet N, DeGuire SM, Chiki A, Cendrowska U, Dietler G, Lashuel HA. The Nt17 Domain and its Helical Conformation Regulate the Aggregation, Cellular Properties and Neurotoxicity of Mutant Huntingtin Exon 1. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167222. [PMID: 34492254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence points to the N-terminal domain comprising the first 17 amino acids of the Huntingtin protein (Nt17) as a key regulator of its aggregation, cellular properties and toxicity. In this study, we further investigated the interplay between Nt17 and the polyQ domain repeat length in regulating the aggregation and inclusion formation of exon 1 of the Huntingtin protein (Httex1). In addition, we investigated the effect of removing Nt17 or modulating its local structure on the membrane interactions, neuronal uptake, and toxicity of monomeric or fibrillar Httex1. Our results show that the polyQ and Nt17 domains synergistically modulate the aggregation propensity of Httex1 and that the Nt17 domain plays important roles in shaping the surface properties of mutant Httex1 fibrils and regulating their poly-Q-dependent growth, lateral association and neuronal uptake. Removal of Nt17 or disruption of its transient helical conformations slowed the aggregation of monomeric Httex1 in vitro, reduced inclusion formation in cells, enhanced the neuronal uptake and nuclear accumulation of monomeric Httex1 proteins, and was sufficient to prevent cell death induced by Httex1 72Q overexpression. Finally, we demonstrate that the uptake of Httex1 fibrils into primary neurons and the resulting toxicity are strongly influenced by mutations and phosphorylation events that influence the local helical propensity of Nt17. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the Nt17 domain serves as one of the key master regulators of Htt aggregation, internalization, and toxicity and represents an attractive target for inhibiting Htt aggregate formation, inclusion formation, and neuronal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Vieweg
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Laure Mahul-Mellier
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesco S Ruggeri
- Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathan Riguet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sean M DeGuire
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Urszula Cendrowska
- Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Dietler
- Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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18
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Herrmann F, Hessmann M, Schaertl S, Berg-Rosseburg K, Brown CJ, Bursow G, Chiki A, Ebneth A, Gehrmann M, Hoeschen N, Hotze M, Jahn S, Johnson PD, Khetarpal V, Kiselyov A, Kottig K, Ladewig S, Lashuel H, Letschert S, Mills MR, Petersen K, Prime ME, Scheich C, Schmiedel G, Wityak J, Liu L, Dominguez C, Muñoz-Sanjuán I, Bard JA. Pharmacological characterization of mutant huntingtin aggregate-directed PET imaging tracer candidates. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17977. [PMID: 34504195 PMCID: PMC8429736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene coding for the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The misfolding and consequential aggregation of CAG-expanded mutant HTT (mHTT) underpin HD pathology. Our interest in the life cycle of HTT led us to consider the development of high-affinity small-molecule binders of HTT oligomerized/amyloid-containing species that could serve as either cellular and in vivo imaging tools or potential therapeutic agents. We recently reported the development of PET tracers CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 as suitable for imaging mHTT aggregates, and here we present an in-depth pharmacological investigation of their binding characteristics. We have implemented an array of in vitro and ex vivo radiometric binding assays using recombinant HTT, brain homogenate-derived HTT aggregates, and brain sections from mouse HD models and humans post-mortem to investigate binding affinities and selectivity against other pathological proteins from indications such as Alzheimer’s disease and spinocerebellar ataxia 1. Radioligand binding assays and autoradiography studies using brain homogenates and tissue sections from HD mouse models showed that CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 specifically bind mHTT aggregates that accumulate with age and disease progression. Finally, we characterized CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 regarding their off-target selectivity and binding affinity to beta amyloid plaques in brain sections and homogenates from Alzheimer’s disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christopher J Brown
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Madlen Hotze
- Evotec SE, Essener Bogen 7, 22419, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter D Johnson
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | - Vinod Khetarpal
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Alex Kiselyov
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | | | | | - Hilal Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Matthew R Mills
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | - Michael E Prime
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RZ, UK
| | | | | | - John Wityak
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuán
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Jonathan A Bard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA.
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19
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Lemarié FL, Caron NS, Sanders SS, Schmidt ME, Nguyen YTN, Ko S, Xu X, Pouladi MA, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Rescue of aberrant huntingtin palmitoylation ameliorates mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 158:105479. [PMID: 34390831 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. HTT is subject to multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate its cellular function. Mutating specific PTM sites within mutant HTT (mHTT) in HD mouse models can modulate disease phenotypes, highlighting the key role of HTT PTMs in the pathogenesis of HD. These findings have led to increased interest in developing small molecules to modulate HTT PTMs in order to decrease mHTT toxicity. However, the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological modulation of HTT PTMs in preclinical HD models remains largely unknown. HTT is palmitoylated at cysteine 214 by the huntingtin-interacting protein 14 (HIP14 or ZDHHC17) and 14-like (HIP14L or ZDHHC13) acyltransferases. Here, we assessed if HTT palmitoylation should be regarded as a therapeutic target to treat HD by (1) investigating palmitoylation dysregulation in rodent and human HD model systems, (2) measuring the impact of mHTT-lowering therapy on brain palmitoylation, and (3) evaluating if HTT palmitoylation can be pharmacologically modulated. We show that palmitoylation of mHTT and some HIP14/HIP14L-substrates is decreased early in multiple HD mouse models, and that mHTT palmitoylation decreases further with aging. Lowering mHTT in the brain of YAC128 mice is not sufficient to rescue aberrant palmitoylation. However, we demonstrate that mHTT palmitoylation can be normalized in COS-7 cells, in YAC128 cortico-striatal primary neurons and HD patient-derived lymphoblasts using an acyl-protein thioesterase (APT) inhibitor. Moreover, we show that modulating palmitoylation reduces mHTT aggregation and mHTT-induced cytotoxicity in COS-7 cells and YAC128 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yen T N Nguyen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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20
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Chiki A, Zhang Z, Rajasekhar K, Abriata LA, Rostami I, Krapp LF, Boudeffa D, Dal Peraro M, Lashuel HA. Investigating Crosstalk Among PTMs Provides Novel Insight Into the Structural Basis Underlying the Differential Effects of Nt17 PTMs on Mutant Httex1 Aggregation. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:686086. [PMID: 34381813 PMCID: PMC8352439 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.686086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) within the first 17 amino acids (Nt17) of the Huntingtin protein (Htt) have been shown to inhibit the aggregation and attenuate the toxicity of mutant Htt proteins in vitro and in various models of Huntington’s disease. Here, we expand on these studies by investigating the effect of methionine eight oxidation (oxM8) and its crosstalk with lysine 6 acetylation (AcK6) or threonine 3 phosphorylation (pT3) on the aggregation of mutant Httex1 (mHttex1). We show that M8 oxidation delays but does not inhibit the aggregation and has no effect on the final morphologies of mHttex1aggregates. The presence of both oxM8 and AcK6 resulted in dramatic inhibition of Httex1 fibrillization. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation studies show that PTMs that lower the mHttex1 aggregation rate (oxM8, AcK6/oxM8, pT3, pT3/oxM8, and pS13) result in increased population of a short N-terminal helix (first eight residues) in Nt17 or decreased abundance of other helical forms, including long helix and short C-terminal helix. PTMs that did not alter the aggregation rate (AcK6) of mHttex1 exhibit a similar distribution of helical conformation as the unmodified peptides. These results show that the relative abundance of N- vs. C-terminal helical conformations and long helices, rather than the overall helicity of Nt17, better explains the effect of different Nt17 PTMs on mHttex1; thus, explaining the lack of correlation between the effect of PTMs on the overall helicity of Nt17 and mHttex1 aggregation in vitro. Taken together, our results provide novel structural insight into the differential effects of single PTMs and crosstalk between different PTMs in regulating mHttex1 aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zhidian Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kolla Rajasekhar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luciano A Abriata
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Iman Rostami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Lucien F Krapp
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Driss Boudeffa
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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21
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Moon SP, Balana AT, Pratt MR. Consequences of post-translational modifications on amyloid proteins as revealed by protein semisynthesis. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 64:76-89. [PMID: 34175787 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alterations to the global levels of certain types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) are commonly observed in neurodegenerative diseases. The net influence of these PTM changes to the progression of these diseases can be deduced from cellular and animal studies. However, at the molecular level, how one PTM influences a given protein is not uniform and cannot be easily generalized from systemic observations, thus requiring protein-specific interrogations. Given that protein aggregation is a shared pathological hallmark in neurodegeneration, it is important to understand how these PTMs affect the behavior of amyloid-forming proteins. For this purpose, protein semisynthesis techniques, largely via native chemical and expressed protein ligation, have been widely used. These approaches have thus far led to our increased understanding of the site-specific consequences of certain PTMs to amyloidogenic proteins' endogenous function, their propensity for aggregation, and the structural variations these PTMs induce toward the aggregates formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P Moon
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Aaron T Balana
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Matthew R Pratt
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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22
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Chiki A, Ricci J, Hegde R, Abriata LA, Reif A, Boudeffa D, Lashuel HA. Site-Specific Phosphorylation of Huntingtin Exon 1 Recombinant Proteins Enabled by the Discovery of Novel Kinases. Chembiochem 2021; 22:217-231. [PMID: 32805086 PMCID: PMC8698011 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) within the first 17 amino acids (Nt17) of exon 1 of the Huntingtin protein (Httex1) play important roles in modulating its cellular properties and functions in health and disease. In particular, phosphorylation of threonine and serine residues (T3, S13, and/or S16) has been shown to inhibit Htt aggregation in vitro and inclusion formation in cellular and animal models of Huntington's disease (HD). In this paper, we describe a new and simple methodology for producing milligram quantities of highly pure wild-type or mutant Httex1 proteins that are site-specifically phosphorylated at T3 or at both S13 and S16. This advance was enabled by 1) the discovery and validation of novel kinases that efficiently phosphorylate Httex1 at S13 and S16 (TBK1), at T3 (GCK) or T3 and S13 (TNIK and HGK), and 2) the development of an efficient methodology for producing recombinant native Httex1 proteins by using a SUMO-fusion expression and purification strategy.[26] As a proof of concept, we demonstrate how this method can be applied to produce Httex1 proteins that are both site-specifically phosphorylated and fluorescently or isotopically labeled. Together, these advances should increase access to these valuable tools and expand the range of methods and experimental approaches that can be used to elucidate the mechanisms by which phosphorylation influences Httex1 or HTT structure, aggregation, interactome, and function(s) in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Jonathan Ricci
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Ramanath Hegde
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Luciano A. Abriata
- Protein Production and Structure Core Facility and Laboratory for Biomolecular ModelingEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)1015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Andreas Reif
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Driss Boudeffa
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences Brain Mind InstituteEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)Station 191015LausanneSwitzerland
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23
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Analysis of mutant and total huntingtin expression in Huntington's disease murine models. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22137. [PMID: 33335120 PMCID: PMC7746729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78790-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenetic neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine region within the huntingtin (HTT) protein, but there is still an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive pathology. Expression of the mutant form of HTT is a key aspect of diseased tissues, and the most promising therapeutic approaches aim to lower expanded HTT levels. Consequently, the investigation of HTT expression in time and in multiple tissues, with assays that accurately quantify expanded and non-expanded HTT, are required to delineate HTT homeostasis and to best design and interpret pharmacodynamic readouts for HTT lowering therapeutics. Here we evaluate mutant polyglutamine-expanded (mHTT) and polyglutamine-independent HTT specific immunoassays for validation in human HD and control fibroblasts and use to elucidate the CSF/brain and peripheral tissue expression of HTT in preclinical HD models.
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24
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Groover SE, Beasley M, Ramamurthy V, Legleiter J. Phosphomimetic Mutations Impact Huntingtin Aggregation in the Presence of a Variety of Lipid Systems. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4681-4693. [PMID: 33256402 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the abnormal expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the first exon of the htt protein (htt). PolyQ expansion triggers the aggregation of htt into a variety of structures, including oligomers and fibrils. This aggregation is impacted by the first 17 N-terminal amino acids (Nt17) of htt that directly precedes the polyQ domain. Beyond impacting aggregation, Nt17 associates with lipid membranes by forming an amphipathic α-helix. Post-translational modifications within Nt17 are known to modify HD pathology, and in particular, phosphorylation at T3, S13, and/or S16 retards fibrillization and ameliorates the phenotype in HD models. Due to Nt17's propensity to interact with lipid membranes, the impact of introducing phosphomimetic mutations (T3D, S13D, and S16D) into htt-exon1 on aggregation in the presence of a variety of model lipid membranes (total brain lipid extract, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-1'-rac-glycerol) was investigated. Phosphomimetic mutations altered htt's interaction with and aggregation in the presence of lipids; however, this was dependent on the lipid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon E Groover
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Maryssa Beasley
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Visvanathan Ramamurthy
- Department of Ophthalmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
| | - Justin Legleiter
- The C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, 217 Clark Hall, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States.,Rockefeller Neurosciences Institutes, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, P.O. Box 9303, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, United States
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25
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Hegde RN, Chiki A, Petricca L, Martufi P, Arbez N, Mouchiroud L, Auwerx J, Landles C, Bates GP, Singh-Bains MK, Dragunow M, Curtis MA, Faull RL, Ross CA, Caricasole A, Lashuel HA. TBK1 phosphorylates mutant Huntingtin and suppresses its aggregation and toxicity in Huntington's disease models. EMBO J 2020; 39:e104671. [PMID: 32757223 PMCID: PMC7459410 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020104671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation of the N‐terminal domain of the huntingtin (HTT) protein has emerged as an important regulator of its localization, structure, aggregation, clearance and toxicity. However, validation of the effect of bona fide phosphorylation in vivo and assessing the therapeutic potential of targeting phosphorylation for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD) require the identification of the enzymes that regulate HTT phosphorylation. Herein, we report the discovery and validation of a kinase, TANK‐binding kinase 1 (TBK1), that efficiently phosphorylates full‐length and N‐terminal HTT fragments in vitro (at S13/S16), in cells (at S13) and in vivo. TBK1 expression in HD models (cells, primary neurons, and Caenorhabditis elegans) increases mutant HTT exon 1 phosphorylation and reduces its aggregation and cytotoxicity. We demonstrate that the TBK1‐mediated neuroprotective effects are due to phosphorylation‐dependent inhibition of mutant HTT exon 1 aggregation and an increase in autophagic clearance of mutant HTT. These findings suggest that upregulation and/or activation of TBK1 represents a viable strategy for the treatment of HD by simultaneously lowering mutant HTT levels and blocking its aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanath Narayana Hegde
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lara Petricca
- Department of Neuroscience, IRBM Science Park, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Martufi
- Department of Neuroscience, IRBM Science Park, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laurent Mouchiroud
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Landles
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gillian P Bates
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Malvindar K Singh-Bains
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mike Dragunow
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Lm Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Boatz JC, Piretra T, Lasorsa A, Matlahov I, Conway JF, van der Wel PCA. Protofilament Structure and Supramolecular Polymorphism of Aggregated Mutant Huntingtin Exon 1. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4722-4744. [PMID: 32598938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of the polyglutamine domain in the first exon of huntingtin (HttEx1). The extent of expansion correlates with disease progression and formation of amyloid-like protein deposits within the brain. The latter display polymorphism at the microscopic level, both in cerebral tissue and in vitro. Such polymorphism can dramatically influence cytotoxicity, leading to much interest in the conditions and mechanisms that dictate the formation of polymorphs. We examine conditions that govern HttEx1 polymorphism in vitro, including concentration and the role of the non-polyglutamine flanking domains. Using electron microscopy, we observe polymorphs that differ in width and tendency for higher-order bundling. Strikingly, aggregation yields different polymorphs at low and high concentrations. Narrow filaments dominate at low concentrations that may be more relevant in vivo. We dissect the role of N- and C-terminal flanking domains using protein with the former (httNT or N17) largely removed. The truncated protein is generated by trypsin cleavage of soluble HttEx1 fusion protein, which we analyze in some detail. Dye binding and solid-state NMR studies reveal changes in fibril surface characteristics and flanking domain mobility. Higher-order interactions appear facilitated by the C-terminal tail, while the polyglutamine forms an amyloid core resembling those of other polyglutamine deposits. Fibril-surface-mediated branching, previously attributed to secondary nucleation, is reduced in absence of httNT. A new model for the architecture of the HttEx1 filaments is presented and discussed in context of the assembly mechanism and biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Boatz
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 5th Ave, Biomedical Science Tower 3, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Talia Piretra
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 5th Ave, Biomedical Science Tower 3, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Alessia Lasorsa
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Irina Matlahov
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 5th Ave, Biomedical Science Tower 3, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - James F Conway
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 5th Ave, Biomedical Science Tower 3, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Patrick C A van der Wel
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 5th Ave, Biomedical Science Tower 3, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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27
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Lontay B, Kiss A, Virág L, Tar K. How Do Post-Translational Modifications Influence the Pathomechanistic Landscape of Huntington's Disease? A Comprehensive Review. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124282. [PMID: 32560122 PMCID: PMC7349273 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of motor control and cognitive ability, which eventually leads to death. The mutant huntingtin protein (HTT) exhibits an expansion of a polyglutamine repeat. The mechanism of pathogenesis is still not fully characterized; however, evidence suggests that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of HTT and upstream and downstream proteins of neuronal signaling pathways are involved. The determination and characterization of PTMs are essential to understand the mechanisms at work in HD, to define possible therapeutic targets better, and to challenge the scientific community to develop new approaches and methods. The discovery and characterization of a panoply of PTMs in HTT aggregation and cellular events in HD will bring us closer to understanding how the expression of mutant polyglutamine-containing HTT affects cellular homeostasis that leads to the perturbation of cell functions, neurotoxicity, and finally, cell death. Hence, here we review the current knowledge on recently identified PTMs of HD-related proteins and their pathophysiological relevance in the formation of abnormal protein aggregates, proteolytic dysfunction, and alterations of mitochondrial and metabolic pathways, neuroinflammatory regulation, excitotoxicity, and abnormal regulation of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Lontay
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (B.L.); (A.K.); (L.V.)
| | - Andrea Kiss
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (B.L.); (A.K.); (L.V.)
| | - László Virág
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (B.L.); (A.K.); (L.V.)
- MTA-DE Cell Biology and Signaling Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Tar
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (B.L.); (A.K.); (L.V.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-52-412345
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28
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Protein changes in synaptosomes of Huntington's disease knock-in mice are dependent on age and brain region. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104950. [PMID: 32439598 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular changes at synapses are thought to underly the deficits in motor and cognitive dysfunction seen in Huntington's disease (HD). Previously we showed in synaptosome preparations age dependent changes in levels of selected proteins examined by western blot assay in the striatum of Q140/Q140 HD mice. To assess if CAG repeat length influenced protein changes at the synapse, we examined synaptosomes from 6-month old heterozygote HD mice with CAG repeat lengths ranging from 50 to 175. Analysis of 19 selected proteins showed that increasing CAG repeat length in huntingtin (HTT) increased the number of affected proteins in HD striatal synaptosomes. Moreover, SDS-soluble total HTT (WT plus mutant HTT) and pThr3 HTT were reduced with increasing CAG repeat length, and there was no pSer421 mutant HTT detected in any HD mice. A LC-MS/MS and bioinfomatics study of synaptosomes from 2 and 6-month old striatum and cortex of Q140/Q7 HD mice showed enrichment of synaptic proteins and an influence of age, gender and brain region on the number of protein changes. HD striatum at 6 months had the most protein changes that included many HTT protein interactors, followed by 2-month old HD striatum, 2-month old HD cortex and 6-month HD cortex. SDS-insoluble mutant HTT was detected in HD striatal synaptosomes consistent with the presence of aggregates. Proteins changed in cortex differed from those in striatum. Pathways affected in HD striatal synaptosomes that were not identified in whole striatal lysates of the same HD mouse model included axon guidance, focal adhesion, neurotrophin signaling, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, endocytosis, and synaptic vesicle cycle. Results suggest that synaptosomes prepared from HD mice are highly informative for monitoring protein changes at the synapse and may be preferred for assessing the effects of experimental therapies on synaptic function in HD.
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29
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Gatto EM, Rojas NG, Persi G, Etcheverry JL, Cesarini ME, Perandones C. Huntington disease: Advances in the understanding of its mechanisms. Clin Park Relat Disord 2020; 3:100056. [PMID: 34316639 PMCID: PMC8298812 DOI: 10.1016/j.prdoa.2020.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a devastating monogenic autosomal dominant disorder. HD is caused by a CAG expansion in exon 1 of the gene coding for huntingtin, placed in the short arm of chromosome 4. Despite its well-defined genetic origin, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the disease are unclear and complex. Here, we review some of the currently known functions of the wild-type huntingtin protein and discuss the deleterious effects that arise from the expansion of the CAG repeats, which are translated into an abnormally long polyglutamine tract. Also, we present a modern view on the molecular biology of HD as a representative of the group of polyglutamine diseases, with an emphasis on conformational changes of mutant huntingtin, disturbances in its cellular processing, and proteolytic stress in degenerating neurons. The main pathogenetic mechanisms of neurodegeneration in HD are discussed in detail, such as autophagy, impaired mitochondrial biogenesis, lysosomal dysfunction, organelle and protein transport, inflammation, oxidative stress, and transcription factor modulation. However, other unraveling mechanisms are still unknown. This practical and brief review summarizes some of the currently known functions of the wild-type huntingtin protein and the recent findings related to the mechanisms involved in HD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia M Gatto
- Institute of Neuroscience Buenos Aires (INEBA), Argentina.,Sanatorio de la Trinidad Mitre, Argentina
| | | | - Gabriel Persi
- Institute of Neuroscience Buenos Aires (INEBA), Argentina.,Sanatorio de la Trinidad Mitre, Argentina
| | | | | | - Claudia Perandones
- National Administration of Laboratories and Institutes of Health, ANLIS, Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Argentina
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30
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Do Post-Translational Modifications Influence Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10040232. [PMID: 32290481 PMCID: PMC7226274 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10040232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates represents a universal hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein structure and function. Dysregulated PTMs may influence the propensity for protein aggregation in NDD-proteinopathies. To investigate this, we systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate effects of PTMs on aggregation propensity for major proteins linked to the pathogenesis and/or progression of NDDs. A search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science Core Collection was conducted to retrieve studies that investigated an association between PTMs and protein aggregation in seven NDDs: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinocerebellar ataxias, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, and multiple sclerosis. Together, 1222 studies were identified, of which 69 met eligibility criteria. We identified that the following PTMs, in isolation or combination, potentially act as modulators of proteinopathy in NDDs: isoaspartate formation in Aβ, phosphorylation of Aβ or tau in AD; acetylation, 4-hydroxy-2-neonal modification, O-GlcNAcylation or phosphorylation of α-synuclein in PD; acetylation or phosphorylation of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 in ALS, and SUMOylation of superoxide dismutase-1 in ALS; and phosphorylation of huntingtin in HD. The potential pharmacological manipulation of these aggregation-modulating PTMs represents an as-yet untapped source of therapy to treat NDDs.
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31
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Abrogation of prenucleation, transient oligomerization of the Huntingtin exon 1 protein by human profilin I. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:5844-5852. [PMID: 32127471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922264117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human profilin I reduces aggregation and concomitant toxicity of the polyglutamine-containing N-terminal region of the huntingtin protein encoded by exon 1 (httex1) and responsible for Huntington's disease. Here, we investigate the interaction of profilin with httex1 using NMR techniques designed to quantitatively analyze the kinetics and equilibria of chemical exchange at atomic resolution, including relaxation dispersion, exchange-induced shifts, and lifetime line broadening. We first show that the presence of two polyproline tracts in httex1, absent from a shorter huntingtin variant studied previously, modulates the kinetics of the transient branched oligomerization pathway that precedes nucleation, resulting in an increase in the populations of the on-pathway helical coiled-coil dimeric and tetrameric species (τex ≤ 50 to 70 μs), while leaving the population of the off-pathway (nonproductive) dimeric species largely unaffected (τex ∼750 μs). Next, we show that the affinity of a single molecule of profilin to the polyproline tracts is in the micromolar range (K diss ∼ 17 and ∼ 31 μM), but binding of a second molecule of profilin is negatively cooperative, with the affinity reduced ∼11-fold. The lifetime of a 1:1 complex of httex1 with profilin, determined using a shorter huntingtin variant containing only a single polyproline tract, is shown to be on the submillisecond timescale (τ ex ∼ 600 μs and K diss ∼ 50 μM). Finally, we demonstrate that, in stable profilin-httex1 complexes, the productive oligomerization pathway, leading to the formation of helical coiled-coil httex1 tetramers, is completely abolished, and only the pathway resulting in "nonproductive" dimers remains active, thereby providing a mechanistic basis for how profilin reduces aggregation and toxicity of httex1.
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32
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Ultrasensitive quantitative measurement of huntingtin phosphorylation at residue S13. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 521:549-554. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.09.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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33
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Karanji AK, Beasely M, Sharif D, Ranjbaran A, Legleiter J, Valentine SJ. Investigating the interactions of the first 17 amino acid residues of Huntingtin with lipid vesicles using mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2020; 55:e4470. [PMID: 31756784 PMCID: PMC7342490 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The first 17 amino acid residues of Huntingtin protein (Nt17 of htt) are thought to play an important role in the protein's function; Nt17 is one of two membrane binding domains in htt. In this study the binding ability of Nt17 peptide with vesicles comprised of two subclasses of phospholipids is studied using electrospray ionization - mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Overall, the peptide is shown to have a greater propensity to interact with vesicles of phosphatidylcholine (PC) rather than phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids. Mass spectra show an increase in lipid-bound peptide adducts where the ordering of the number of such specie is 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) > 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) > 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3 phosphoethanolamine (POPE). MD simulations suggest that the compactness of the bilayer plays a role in governing peptide interactions. The peptide shows greater disruption of the DOPC bilayer order at the surface and interacts with the hydrophobic tails of lipid molecules via hydrophobic residues. Conversely, the POPE vesicle remains ordered and lipids display transient interactions with the peptide through the formation of hydrogen bonds with hydrophilic residues. The POPC system displays intermediate behavior with regard to the degree of peptide-membrane interaction. Finally, the simulations suggest a helix stabilizing effect resulting from the interactions between hydrophobic residues and the lipid tails of the DOPC bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Kiani Karanji
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
| | - Maryssa Beasely
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
| | - Daud Sharif
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
| | - Ali Ranjbaran
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown WV 26506
| | - Justin Legleiter
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
- Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 9304, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
- NanoSAFE, P.O. Box 6223, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Stephen J. Valentine
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
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34
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Yalinca H, Gehin CJC, Oleinikovas V, Lashuel HA, Gervasio FL, Pastore A. The Role of Post-translational Modifications on the Energy Landscape of Huntingtin N-Terminus. Front Mol Biosci 2019; 6:95. [PMID: 31632982 PMCID: PMC6779701 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2019.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a polymorphic tract of polyglutamine repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin protein, which is thought to be responsible for protein aggregation and neuronal death. The polyglutamine tract is preceded by a 17-residue sequence that is intrinsically disordered. This region is subject to phosphorylation, acetylation and other post-translational modifications in vivo, which modulate its secondary structure, aggregation and, subcellular localization. We used Molecular Dynamics simulations with a novel Hamiltonian-replica-exchange-based enhanced sampling method, SWISH, and an optimal combination of water and protein force fields to study the effects of phosphorylation and acetylation as well as cross-talk between these modifications on the huntingtin N-terminus. The simulations, validated by circular dichroism, were used to formulate a mechanism by which the modifications influence helical conformations. Our findings have implications for understanding the structural basis underlying the effect of PTMs in the aggregation and cellular properties of huntingtin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Havva Yalinca
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Julie Caroline Gehin
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Luigi Gervasio
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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35
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Wanker EE, Ast A, Schindler F, Trepte P, Schnoegl S. The pathobiology of perturbed mutant huntingtin protein-protein interactions in Huntington's disease. J Neurochem 2019; 151:507-519. [PMID: 31418858 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mutations are at the root of many human diseases. Still, we largely do not exactly understand how they trigger pathogenesis. One, more recent, hypothesis has been that they comprehensively perturb protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and significantly alter key biological processes. Under this premise, many rare genetic disorders with Mendelian inheritance, like Huntington's disease and several spinocerebellar ataxias, are likely to be caused by complex genotype-phenotype relationships involving abnormal PPIs. These altered PPI networks and their effects on cellular pathways are poorly understood at the molecular level. In this review, we focus on PPIs that are perturbed by the expanded pathogenic polyglutamine tract in huntingtin (HTT), the protein which, in its mutated form, leads to the autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative Huntington's disease. One aspect of perturbed mutant HTT interactions is the formation of abnormal protein species such as fibrils or large neuronal inclusions as a result of homotypic and heterotypic aberrant molecular interactions. This review focuses on abnormal PPIs that are associated with the assembly of mutant HTT aggregates in cells and their potential relevance in disease. Furthermore, the mechanisms and pathobiological processes that may contribute to phenotype development, neuronal dysfunction and toxicity in Huntington's disease brains are also discussed. This article is part of the Special Issue "Proteomics".
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich E Wanker
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Ast
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Schindler
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Trepte
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sigrid Schnoegl
- Neuroproteomics, Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Cariulo C, Martufi P, Verani M, Azzollini L, Bruni G, Weiss A, Deguire SM, Lashuel HA, Scaricamazza E, Sancesario GM, Schirinzi T, Mercuri NB, Sancesario G, Caricasole A, Petricca L. Phospho-S129 Alpha-Synuclein Is Present in Human Plasma but Not in Cerebrospinal Fluid as Determined by an Ultrasensitive Immunoassay. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:889. [PMID: 31507364 PMCID: PMC6714598 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation and aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein is believed to be a cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Phosphorylation of alpha-synuclein at S129 is known to be associated with the pathological misfolding process, but efforts to investigate the relevance of this post-translational modification for pathology have been frustrated by difficulties in detecting and quantifying it in relevant samples. We report novel, ultrasensitive immunoassays based on single-molecule counting technology, useful for detecting alpha-synuclein and its S129 phosphorylated form in clinical samples in the low pg/ml range. Using human CSF and plasma samples, we find levels of alpha-synuclein comparable to those previously reported. However, while alpha-synuclein phosphorylated on S129 could easily be detected in human plasma, where its detection is extremely sensitive to protein phosphatases, its levels in CSF were undetectable, with a possible influence of a matrix effect. In plasma samples from a small test cohort comprising 5 PD individuals and five age-matched control individuals we find that pS129 alpha-synuclein levels are increased in PD plasma samples, in line with previous reports. We conclude that pS129 alpha-synuclein is not detectable in CSF and recommend the addition of phosphatase inhibitors to plasma samples at the time of collection. Moreover, the findings obtained on the small cohort of clinical plasma samples point to plasma pS129 alpha-synuclein levels as a candidate diagnostic biomarker in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paola Martufi
- Department of Neuroscience, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Sean M Deguire
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eugenia Scaricamazza
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | | | - Tommaso Schirinzi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sancesario
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lara Petricca
- Department of Neuroscience, IRBM S.p.A., Rome, Italy
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Herrera F, Branco-Santos J, Outeiro T. Threonine 3 regulates Serine 13/16 phosphorylation in the huntingtin exon 1. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.19185/matters.201905000005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Harding RJ, Loppnau P, Ackloo S, Lemak A, Hutchinson A, Hunt B, Holehouse AS, Ho JC, Fan L, Toledo-Sherman L, Seitova A, Arrowsmith CH. Design and characterization of mutant and wildtype huntingtin proteins produced from a toolkit of scalable eukaryotic expression systems. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:6986-7001. [PMID: 30842263 PMCID: PMC6497952 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.007204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene mutated in individuals with Huntington's disease (HD) encodes the 348-kDa huntingtin (HTT) protein. Pathogenic HD CAG-expansion mutations create a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract at the N terminus of HTT that expands above a critical threshold of ∼35 glutamine residues. The effect of these HD mutations on HTT is not well understood, in part because it is difficult to carry out biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies of this large protein. To facilitate such studies, here we have generated expression constructs for the scalable production of HTT in multiple eukaryotic expression systems. Our set of HTT expression clones comprised both N- and C-terminally FLAG-tagged HTT constructs with polyQ lengths representative of the general population, HD patients, and juvenile HD patients, as well as the more extreme polyQ expansions used in some HD tissue and animal models. Our expression system yielded milligram quantities of pure recombinant HTT protein, including many of the previously mapped post-translational modifications. We characterized both apo and HTT-HTT-associated protein 40 (HAP40) complex samples produced with this HD resource, demonstrating that this toolkit can be used to generate physiologically meaningful HTT complexes. We further demonstrate that these resources can produce sufficient material for protein-intensive experiments, such as small-angle X-ray scattering, providing biochemical insight into full-length HTT protein structure. The work outlined and the tools generated here lay a foundation for further biochemical and structural work on the HTT protein and for studying its functional interactions with other biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J Harding
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,
| | - Peter Loppnau
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Suzanne Ackloo
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alexander Lemak
- the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ashley Hutchinson
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Brittany Hunt
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biological Systems Engineering, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130
| | - Jolene C Ho
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lixin Fan
- the Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, SAXS Core of NCI, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21701, and
| | | | - Alma Seitova
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- From the Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,
- the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
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39
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Zhu F, Nair RR, Fisher EMC, Cunningham TJ. Humanising the mouse genome piece by piece. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1845. [PMID: 31015419 PMCID: PMC6478830 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09716-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand human health and disease, researchers create a wide variety of mouse models that carry human DNA. With recent advances in genome engineering, the targeted replacement of mouse genomic regions with orthologous human sequences has become increasingly viable, ranging from finely tuned humanisation of individual nucleotides and amino acids to the incorporation of many megabases of human DNA. Here, we examine emerging technologies for targeted genomic humanisation, we review the spectrum of existing genomically humanised mouse models and the insights such models have provided, and consider the lessons learned for designing such models in the future. Generation of transgenic mice has become routine in studying gene function and disease mechanisms, but often this is not enough to fully understand human biology. Here, the authors review the current state of the art of targeted genomic humanisation strategies and their advantages over classic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhu
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Remya R Nair
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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40
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Soares TR, Reis SD, Pinho BR, Duchen MR, Oliveira JMA. Targeting the proteostasis network in Huntington's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 49:92-103. [PMID: 30502498 PMCID: PMC6320389 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion mutation in the huntingtin protein. Expansions above 40 polyglutamine repeats are invariably fatal, following a symptomatic period characterised by choreiform movements, behavioural abnormalities, and cognitive decline. While mutant huntingtin (mHtt) is widely expressed from early life, most patients with HD present in mid-adulthood, highlighting the role of ageing in disease pathogenesis. mHtt undergoes proteolytic cleavage, misfolding, accumulation, and aggregation into inclusion bodies. The emerging model of HD pathogenesis proposes that the chronic production of misfolded mHtt overwhelms the chaperone machinery, diverting other misfolded clients to the proteasome and the autophagy pathways, ultimately leading to a global collapse of the proteostasis network. Multiple converging hypotheses also implicate ageing and its impact in the dysfunction of organelles as additional contributing factors to the collapse of proteostasis in HD. In particular, mitochondrial function is required to sustain the activity of ATP-dependent chaperones and proteolytic machinery. Recent studies elucidating mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum interactions and uncovering a dedicated proteostasis machinery in mitochondria, suggest that mitochondria play a more active role in the maintenance of cellular proteostasis than previously thought. The enhancement of cytosolic proteostasis pathways shows promise for HD treatment, protecting cells from the detrimental effects of mHtt accumulation. In this review, we consider how mHtt and its post translational modifications interfere with protein quality control pathways, and how the pharmacological and genetic modulation of components of the proteostasis network impact disease phenotypes in cellular and in vivo HD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tânia R Soares
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sara D Reis
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Brígida R Pinho
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Michael R Duchen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK; Consortium for Mitochondrial Research (CfMR), University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Jorge M A Oliveira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal; Consortium for Mitochondrial Research (CfMR), University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK.
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41
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Quantification of Total and Mutant Huntingtin Protein Levels in Biospecimens Using a Novel alphaLISA Assay. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-MNT-0234-18. [PMID: 30310861 PMCID: PMC6179573 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0234-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) amplification in the huntingtin protein (HTT). Currently there is no effective therapy available for HD; however, several efforts are directed to develop and optimize HTT-lowering methods to improve HD phenotypes. To validate these approaches, there is an immediate need for reliable, sensitive, and easily accessible methods to quantify HTT expression. Using the AlphaLISA platform, we developed two novel sensitive and robust assays for quantification of HTT in biological samples using commercially available antibodies. The first, a polyQ-independent assay, measures the total pool of HTT, while the second, a polyQ-dependent assay, preferentially detects the mutant form of HTT. Using purified HTT protein standards and brain homogenates from an HD mouse model, we determine a lower limit of quantification of 1 and 3 pm and optimal reproducibility with CV values lower than 7% for intra- and 20% for interassay. In addition, we used the assays to quantify HTT in neural stem cells generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro and in human brain tissue lysates. Finally, we could detect changes in HTT levels in a mouse model where mutant HTT was conditionally deleted in neural tissue, verifying the potential to monitor the outcome of HTT-lowering strategies. This analytical platform is ideal for high-throughput screens and thus has an added value for the HD community as a tool to optimize novel therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating HTT protein levels.
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Abstract
The 25 years since the identification of the gene responsible for Huntington disease (HD) have stood witness to profound discoveries about the nature of the disease and its pathogenesis. Despite this progress, however, the development of disease-modifying therapies has thus far been slow. Preclinical validation of the therapeutic potential of disrupted pathways in HD has led to the advancement of pharmacological agents, both novel and repurposed, for clinical evaluation. The most promising therapeutic approaches include huntingtin (HTT) lowering and modification as well as modulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic transmission. With clinical trials for many of these approaches imminent or currently ongoing, the coming years are promising not only for HD but also for more prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, in which many of these pathways have been similarly implicated.
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DeGuire SM, Ruggeri FS, Fares MB, Chiki A, Cendrowska U, Dietler G, Lashuel HA. N-terminal Huntingtin (Htt) phosphorylation is a molecular switch regulating Htt aggregation, helical conformation, internalization, and nuclear targeting. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:18540-18558. [PMID: 30185623 PMCID: PMC6290154 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.004621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder resulting from a CAG repeat expansion in the first exon of the gene encoding the Huntingtin protein (Htt). Phosphorylation of this protein region (Httex1) has been shown to play important roles in regulating the structure, toxicity, and cellular properties of N-terminal fragments and full-length Htt. However, increasing evidence suggests that phosphomimetic substitutions in Htt result in inconsistent findings and do not reproduce all aspects of true phosphorylation. Here, we investigated the effects of bona fide phosphorylation at Ser-13 or Ser-16 on the structure, aggregation, membrane binding, and subcellular properties of the Httex1-Q18A variant and compared these effects with those of phosphomimetic substitutions. We show that phosphorylation at either Ser-13 and/or Ser-16 or phosphomimetic substitutions at both these residues inhibit the aggregation of mutant Httex1, but that only phosphorylation strongly disrupts the amphipathic α-helix of the N terminus and prompts the internalization and nuclear targeting of preformed Httex1 aggregates. In synthetic peptides, phosphorylation at Ser-13, Ser-16, or both residues strongly disrupted the amphipathic α-helix of the N-terminal 17 residues (Nt17) of Httex1 and Nt17 membrane binding. Experiments with peptides bearing different combinations of phosphorylation sites within Nt17 revealed a phosphorylation-dependent switch that regulates the Httex1 structure, involving cross-talk between phosphorylation at Thr-3 and Ser-13 or Ser-16. Our results provide crucial insights into the role of phosphorylation in regulating Httex1 structure and function, and underscore the critical importance of identifying the enzymes responsible for regulating Htt phosphorylation, and their potential as therapeutic targets for managing Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M DeGuire
- From the Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - Francesco S Ruggeri
- the Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics of Biological Systems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed-Bilal Fares
- From the Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - Anass Chiki
- From the Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - Urszula Cendrowska
- the Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics of Biological Systems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Dietler
- the Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Physics of Biological Systems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- From the Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
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Xiang C, Zhang S, Dong X, Ma S, Cong S. Transcriptional Dysregulation and Post-translational Modifications in Polyglutamine Diseases: From Pathogenesis to Potential Therapeutic Strategies. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:153. [PMID: 29867345 PMCID: PMC5962650 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are hereditary neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormal expansion of a trinucleotide CAG repeat in the coding region of their respective associated genes. PolyQ diseases mainly display progressive degeneration of the brain and spinal cord. Nine polyQ diseases are known, including Huntington's disease (HD), spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), and six forms of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). HD is the best characterized polyQ disease. Many studies have reported that transcriptional dysregulation and post-translational disruptions, which may interact with each other, are central features of polyQ diseases. Post-translational modifications, such as the acetylation of histones, are closely associated with the regulation of the transcriptional activity. A number of groups have studied the interactions between the polyQ proteins and transcription factors. Pharmacological drugs or genetic manipulations aimed at correcting the dysregulation have been confirmed to be effective in the treatment of polyQ diseases in many animal and cellular models. For example, histone deaceylase inhibitors have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects in cases of HD, SBMA, DRPLA, and SCA3. In this review, we describe the transcriptional and post-translational dysregulation in polyQ diseases with special focus on HD, and we summarize and comment on potential treatment approaches targeting disruption of transcription and post-translation processes in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Shuyan Cong
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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