1
|
Islam M, Shen F, Regmi D, Petersen K, Karim MRU, Du D. Tau liquid-liquid phase separation: At the crossroads of tau physiology and tauopathy. J Cell Physiol 2024; 239:e30853. [PMID: 35980344 PMCID: PMC9938090 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal deposition of tau in neurons is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders. In the past decades, extensive efforts have been made to explore the mechanistic pathways underlying the development of tauopathies. Recently, the discovery of tau droplet formation by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has received a great deal of attention. It has been reported that tau condensates have a biological role in promoting and stabilizing microtubule (MT) assembly. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that the transition of phase-separated tau droplets to a gel-like state and then to fibrils is associated with the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we outline LLPS, the structural disorder that facilitates tau droplet formation, the effects of posttranslational modification of tau on condensate formation, the physiological function of tau droplets, the pathways from droplet to toxic fibrils, and the therapeutic strategies for tauopathies that might evolve from toxic droplets. We expect a deeper understanding of tau LLPS will provide additional insights into tau physiology and tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Majedul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Fengyun Shen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Deepika Regmi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Katherine Petersen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Md Raza Ul Karim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| | - Deguo Du
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sahayaraj AE, Abdul Vahid A, Dhara A, Babu AT, Vijayan V. Role of G326 in Determining the Aggregation Propensity of R3 Tau Repeat: Insights from Studies on R1R3 Tau Construct. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4325-4335. [PMID: 38676652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The Microtubule-binding repeat region (MTBR) of Tau has been studied extensively due to its pathological implications in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. The pathological property of MTBR is mainly due to the R3 repeat's high propensity for self-aggregation, highlighting the critical molecular grammar of the repeat. Utilizing the R1R3 construct (WT) and its G326E mutant (EE), we determine the distinct characteristics of various peptide segments that modulate the aggregation propensity of the R3 repeat using NMR spectroscopy. Through time-dependent experiments, we have identified 317KVTSKCGS324 in R3 repeat as the aggregation initiating motif (AIM) due to its role at the initial stages of aggregation. The G326E mutation induces changes in conformation and dynamics at the AIM, thereby effectively abrogating the aggregation propensity of the R1R3 construct. We further corroborate our findings through MD simulations and propose that AIM is a robust site of interest for tauopathy drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Asmita Dhara
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Ann Teres Babu
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zheng H, Sun H, Cai Q, Tai HC. The Enigma of Tau Protein Aggregation: Mechanistic Insights and Future Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4969. [PMID: 38732197 PMCID: PMC11084794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094969] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau protein misfolding and aggregation are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and over twenty neurodegenerative disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of tau aggregation in vivo remain incompletely understood. There are two types of tau aggregates in the brain: soluble aggregates (oligomers and protofibrils) and insoluble filaments (fibrils). Compared to filamentous aggregates, soluble aggregates are more toxic and exhibit prion-like transmission, providing seeds for templated misfolding. Curiously, in its native state, tau is a highly soluble, heat-stable protein that does not form fibrils by itself, not even when hyperphosphorylated. In vitro studies have found that negatively charged molecules such as heparin, RNA, or arachidonic acid are generally required to induce tau aggregation. Two recent breakthroughs have provided new insights into tau aggregation mechanisms. First, as an intrinsically disordered protein, tau is found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) both in vitro and inside cells. Second, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed diverse fibrillar tau conformations associated with different neurodegenerative disorders. Nonetheless, only the fibrillar core is structurally resolved, and the remainder of the protein appears as a "fuzzy coat". From this review, it appears that further studies are required (1) to clarify the role of LLPS in tau aggregation; (2) to unveil the structural features of soluble tau aggregates; (3) to understand the involvement of fuzzy coat regions in oligomer and fibril formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hwan-Ching Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sari L, Bali S, Joachimiak LA, Lin MM. Hairpin trimer transition state of amyloid fibril. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2756. [PMID: 38553453 PMCID: PMC10980705 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein fibril self-assembly is a universal transition implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Although fibril structure/growth are well characterized, fibril nucleation is poorly understood. Here, we use a computational-experimental approach to resolve fibril nucleation. We show that monomer hairpin content quantified from molecular dynamics simulations is predictive of experimental fibril formation kinetics across a tau motif mutant library. Hairpin trimers are predicted to be fibril transition states; one hairpin spontaneously converts into the cross-beta conformation, templating subsequent fibril growth. We designed a disulfide-linked dimer mimicking the transition state that catalyzes fibril formation, measured by ThT fluorescence and TEM, of wild-type motif - which does not normally fibrillize. A dimer compatible with extended conformations but not the transition-state fails to nucleate fibril at any concentration. Tau repeat domain simulations show how long-range interactions sequester this motif in a mutation-dependent manner. This work implies that different fibril morphologies could arise from disease-dependent hairpin seeding from different loci.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Levent Sari
- Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sofia Bali
- Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lukasz A Joachimiak
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Milo M Lin
- Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sato K, Takayama KI, Inoue S. Stress granule-mediated RNA regulatory mechanism in Alzheimer's disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24 Suppl 1:7-14. [PMID: 37726158 DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14663] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms experience a range of stresses. To cope effectively with these stresses, eukaryotic cells have evolved a sophisticated mechanism involving the formation of stress granules (SGs), which play a crucial role in protecting various types of RNA species under stress, such as mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). SGs are non-membranous cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, and the RNAs they contain are translationally stalled. Importantly, SGs have been thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). SGs also contain multiple RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), several of which have been implicated in AD progression. SGs are transient structures that dissipate after stress relief. However, the chronic stresses associated with aging lead to the persistent formation of SGs and subsequently to solid-like pathological SGs, which could impair cellular RNA metabolism and also act as a nidus for the aberrant aggregation of AD-associated proteins. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive summary of the physical basis of SG-enriched RNAs and SG-resident RBPs. We then review the characteristics of AD-associated gene transcripts and their similarity to the SG-enriched RNAs. Furthermore, we summarize and discuss the functional implications of SGs in neuronal RNA metabolism and the aberrant aggregation of AD-associated proteins mediated by SG-resident RBPs in the context of AD pathogenesis. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 7-14.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Sato
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
- Integrated Research Initiative for Living Well with Dementia, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Takayama
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Department of Systems Aging Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lövestam S, Li D, Wagstaff JL, Kotecha A, Kimanius D, McLaughlin SH, Murzin AG, Freund SMV, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Disease-specific tau filaments assemble via polymorphic intermediates. Nature 2024; 625:119-125. [PMID: 38030728 PMCID: PMC10764278 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06788-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Intermediate species in the assembly of amyloid filaments are believed to play a central role in neurodegenerative diseases and may constitute important targets for therapeutic intervention1,2. However, structural information about intermediate species has been scarce and the molecular mechanisms by which amyloids assemble remain largely unknown. Here we use time-resolved cryogenic electron microscopy to study the in vitro assembly of recombinant truncated tau (amino acid residues 297-391) into paired helical filaments of Alzheimer's disease or into filaments of chronic traumatic encephalopathy3. We report the formation of a shared first intermediate amyloid filament, with an ordered core comprising residues 302-316. Nuclear magnetic resonance indicates that the same residues adopt rigid, β-strand-like conformations in monomeric tau. At later time points, the first intermediate amyloid disappears and we observe many different intermediate amyloid filaments, with structures that depend on the reaction conditions. At the end of both assembly reactions, most intermediate amyloids disappear and filaments with the same ordered cores as those from human brains remain. Our results provide structural insights into the processes of primary and secondary nucleation of amyloid assembly, with implications for the design of new therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Li
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Abhay Kotecha
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Diamond MI. Travels with tau prions. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:83-88. [PMID: 37950616 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Tau was originally identified as a microtubule associated protein, and subsequently recognized to constitute the fibrillar assemblies found in Alzheimer disease and related neurodegenerative tauopathies. Point mutations in the microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) gene cause dominantly inherited tauopathies, and most predispose it to aggregate. This indicates tau aggregation underlies pathogenesis of tauopathies. Our work has suggested that tau functions as a prion, forming unique intracellular pathological assemblies that subsequently move to other cells, inducing further aggregation that underlies disease progression. Remarkably, in simple cells tau forms stably propagating aggregates of distinct conformation, termed strains. Each strain induces a unique and, in some cases, transmissible, neuropathological phenotype upon inoculation into a mouse model. After binding heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the plasma membrane, tau assemblies enter cells via macropinocytosis. From within a vesicle, if not trafficked to the endolysosomal system, tau subsequently enters the cytoplasm, where it becomes a template for its own replication, apparently after processing by valosin containing protein. The smallest seed unit is a stable monomer, which suggests that initial folding events in tau presage subsequent pathological aggregation. The study of tau prions has raised important questions about basic cell biological processes that underlie their replication and propagation, with implications for therapy of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Malyshka D, Jimenez-Harrison D, Kuret J. Sedimentation and Laser Light Scattering Methods for Quantifying Synthetic Tau Aggregation Propensity. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:117-129. [PMID: 38512664 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_7] [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] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau aggregation assays detect and quantify the conversion of soluble tau monomers into species having filamentous or oligomeric structure. Assays for filamentous aggregates in cross-β-sheet conformation leverage optical, biochemical, or biophysical methods, each with their own advantages and throughput capacity. Here we provide protocols for two medium-throughput assays based on sedimentation and laser light scattering and compare their performance, their utility for characterizing tau aggregation dynamics, and their limitations relative to other approaches. Additionally, a protocol for transmission electron microscopy analysis is updated so as to be compatible with the truncated tau variants that have emerged as powerful tools for interrogating the structural basis of tau polymorphism. Together these methods contribute to a rich tool kit for interrogating tau aggregation kinetics and propensity over a wide range of experimental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Malyshka
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Daniela Jimenez-Harrison
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeff Kuret
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chakraborty P, Rivière G, Hebestreit A, de Opakua AI, Vorberg IM, Andreas LB, Zweckstetter M. Acetylation discriminates disease-specific tau deposition. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5919. [PMID: 37739953 PMCID: PMC10517010 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41672-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic aggregation of the protein tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and several other tauopathies. Tauopathies are characterized by the deposition of specific tau isoforms as disease-related tau filament structures. The molecular processes that determine isoform-specific deposition of tau are however enigmatic. Here we show that acetylation of tau discriminates its isoform-specific aggregation. We reveal that acetylation strongly attenuates aggregation of four-repeat tau protein, but promotes amyloid formation of three-repeat tau. We further identify acetylation of lysine 298 as a hot spot for isoform-specific tau aggregation. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy demonstrates that amyloid fibrils formed by unmodified and acetylated three-repeat tau differ in structure indicating that site-specific acetylation modulates tau structure. The results implicate acetylation as a critical regulator that guides the selective aggregation of three-repeat tau and the development of tau isoform-specific neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pijush Chakraborty
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gwladys Rivière
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alina Hebestreit
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Alain Ibáñez de Opakua
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ina M Vorberg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany
| | - Loren B Andreas
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Faßberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Faßberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang C, Terrigno M, Li J, Distler T, Pandya NJ, Ebeling M, Tyanova S, Hoozemans JJM, Dijkstra AA, Fuchs L, Xiang S, Bonni A, Grüninger F, Jagasia R. Increased G3BP2-Tau interaction in tauopathies is a natural defense against Tau aggregation. Neuron 2023; 111:2660-2674.e9. [PMID: 37385246 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Many RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), particularly those associated with RNA granules, promote pathological protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we demonstrate that G3BP2, a core component of stress granules, directly interacts with Tau and inhibits Tau aggregation. In the human brain, the interaction of G3BP2 and Tau is dramatically increased in multiple tauopathies, and it is independent of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Surprisingly, Tau pathology is significantly elevated upon loss of G3BP2 in human neurons and brain organoids. Moreover, we found that G3BP2 masks the microtubule-binding region (MTBR) of Tau, thereby inhibiting Tau aggregation. Our study defines a novel role for RBPs as a line of defense against Tau aggregation in tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Congwei Wang
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Marco Terrigno
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Juan Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026 Anhui, China
| | - Tania Distler
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nikhil J Pandya
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Ebeling
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefka Tyanova
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeroen J M Hoozemans
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anke A Dijkstra
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Luisa Fuchs
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shengqi Xiang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026 Anhui, China
| | - Azad Bonni
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fiona Grüninger
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ravi Jagasia
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 4070 Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rasmussen HØ, Nielsen J, de Poli A, Otzen DE, Pedersen JS. Tau Fibrillation Induced by Heparin or a Lysophospholipid Show Different Initial Oligomer Formation. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168194. [PMID: 37437877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The protein tau is involved in several neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, where tau content and fibrillation have been linked to disease progression. Tau colocalizes with phospholipids and glycosaminoglycans in vivo. We investigated if and how tau fibrillation can be induced by two lysophospholipids, namely the zwitterionic 1-myristoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (LPC) and the anionic 1-myristoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (LPG) as well as the glycosaminoglycan heparin. We used a range of biophysical techniques including small-angle X-ray scattering, Thioflavin T fluorescence, and SDS-PAGE, collecting data at various time points to obtain structural information on each phase of the fibrillation. We find that LPC does not induce fibrillation or interact with tau. Low concentrations of LPG induce fibrillation by formation of small hydrophobic clusters with monomeric tau. At higher LPG concentrations, a core-shell complex is formed where tau wraps around LPG micelles with regions extending away from the micelles. For heparin, loosely associated oligomers are formed rapidly with around ten tau molecules. Fibrils formed with either LPG or heparin show similar final cross-section dimensions. Furthermore, SDS-resistant oligomers are observed for both LPG and heparin. Our study demonstrates that tau fibrillation can be induced by two different biologically relevant cofactors leading to structurally different initial states but similar cross-sectional dimensions for the fibrils. Structural information about initial states prior to fibril formation is important both to gain a better understanding of the onset of fibrillation in vivo, and for the development of targeted drugs that can reduce or abolish tau fibrillation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Østergaard Rasmussen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Janni Nielsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Angela de Poli
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel E Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Jan Skov Pedersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Maiti S, Heyden M. Model-Dependent Solvation of the K-18 Domain of the Intrinsically Disordered Protein Tau. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7220-7230. [PMID: 37556237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
A known imbalance between intra-protein and protein-water interactions in many empirical force fields results in collapsed conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins in explicit solvent simulations that disagree with experiments. Multiple strategies have been introduced in the literature to modify protein-water interactions, which improve agreement between experiments and simulations. In this work, we combine simulations with standard and modified force fields with a spatially resolved analysis of solvation free energy contributions and compare the consequences of each strategy. We find that enhanced Lennard-Jones (LJ) interactions between protein atoms and water oxygens primarily improve the solvation of nonpolar functional groups of the protein. In contrast, modified electrostatics in the water model or strengthened LJ interactions between the protein and water hydrogens mainly affect the hydration of polar functional groups. Modified electrostatics further impact the average orientation of water molecules in the hydration shell. As a result, protein-water interactions with the first hydration layers are strengthened, while interactions with water molecules in higher hydration shells are weakened. Hence, distinct strategies to balance intra-protein and protein-water interactions in simulations have qualitatively different effects on protein solvation. These differences are not necessarily captured by comparisons to experiments that report on global parameters describing protein conformational ensembles, e.g., the radius of gyration, but will influence the tendency of a protein to form aggregates or phase-separated droplets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sthitadhi Maiti
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Matthias Heyden
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Pinzi L, Bisi N, Sorbi C, Franchini S, Tonali N, Rastelli G. Insights into the Structural Conformations of the Tau Protein in Different Aggregation Status. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114544. [PMID: 37299020 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a protein characterized by large structural portions displaying extended conformational changes. Unfortunately, the accumulation of this protein into toxic aggregates in neuronal cells leads to a number of severe pathologies, collectively named tauopathies. In the last decade, significant research advancements were achieved, including a better understanding of Tau structures and their implication in different tauopathies. Interestingly, Tau is characterized by a high structural variability depending on the type of disease, the crystallization conditions, and the formation of pathologic aggregates obtained from in vitro versus ex vivo samples. In this review, we reported an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of Tau structures reported in the Protein Data Bank, with a special focus on discussing the connections between structural features, different tauopathies, different crystallization conditions, and the use of in vitro or ex vivo samples. The information reported in this article highlights very interesting links between all these aspects, which we believe may be of particular relevance for a more informed structure-based design of compounds able to modulate Tau aggregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Pinzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Bisi
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris-Saclay, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Claudia Sorbi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Franchini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Tonali
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris-Saclay, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Giulio Rastelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ramirez LM, Zweckstetter M. Molecular-level interplay between intrinsically disordered clients and Hsp90. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102304. [PMID: 37068388 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Proteostasis is maintained by a network of molecular chaperones, a prominent member of which is the 90-kilodalton heat shock protein Hsp90. The chaperone function of Hsp90 has been extensively reviewed previously, emphasizing its ATPase activity and remodeling of folded client proteins. Experimental evidence implicating Hsp90 in neurodegenerative diseases has bolstered interest in the noncanonical chaperoning of intrinsically disordered protein (IDPs), however the interplay between Hsp90 and its disordered clients remains poorly understood. In this review we describe recent advances that have contributed to our understanding of the intricate mechanisms characterizing Hsp90-mediated chaperoning of the IDPs tau and α-synuclein and survey emerging insights into the modulation of the chaperone-client interplay in the context of neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Marie Ramirez
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Gӧttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Gӧttingen, Germany; Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Gӧttingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cecon E, Oishi A, Luka M, Ndiaye-Lobry D, François A, Lescuyer M, Panayi F, Dam J, Machado P, Jockers R. Novel repertoire of tau biosensors to monitor pathological tau transformation and seeding activity in living cells. eLife 2023; 12:78360. [PMID: 36917493 PMCID: PMC10014071 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregates of the tau protein are a well-known hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, collectively referred to as tauopathies, including frontal temporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Monitoring the transformation process of tau from physiological monomers into pathological oligomers or aggregates in a high-throughput, quantitative manner and in a cellular context is still a major challenge in the field. Identifying molecules able to interfere with those processes is of high therapeutic interest. Here, we developed a series of inter- and intramolecular tau biosensors based on the highly sensitive Nanoluciferase (Nluc) binary technology (NanoBiT) able to monitor the pathological conformational change and self-interaction of tau in living cells. Our repertoire of tau biosensors reliably reports i. molecular proximity of physiological full-length tau at microtubules; ii. changes in tau conformation and self-interaction associated with tau phosphorylation, as well as iii. tau interaction induced by seeds of recombinant tau or from mouse brain lysates of a mouse model of tau pathology. By comparing biosensors comprising different tau forms (i.e. full-length or short fragments, wild-type, or the disease-associated tau(P301L) variant) further insights into the tau transformation process are obtained. Proof-of-concept data for the high-throughput suitability and identification of molecules interfering with the pathological tau transformation processes are presented. This novel repertoire of tau biosensors is aimed to boost the disclosure of molecular mechanisms underlying pathological tau transformation in living cells and to discover new drug candidates for tau-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erika Cecon
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | - Atsuro Oishi
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | - Marine Luka
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | | | | | - Mathias Lescuyer
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | | | - Julie Dam
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| | | | - Ralf Jockers
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université de ParisParisFrance
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zou Y, Guan L, Tan J, Qi B, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Sun Y. Atomistic Insights into the Inhibitory Mechanism of Tyrosine Phosphorylation against the Aggregation of Human Tau Fragment PHF6. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:335-345. [PMID: 36594671 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau into intracellular fibrillary inclusions is characterized as the hallmark of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The hexapeptide 306VQIVYK311 (PHF6) of R3 plays an important role in the aggregation of tau. Recent experimental studies reported that phosphorylation of residue tyrosine 310 (Y310) could decrease the propensity of PHF6 to form fibrils and inhibit tau aggregation. However, the underlying inhibitory mechanism is not well understood. In this work, we systematically investigated the influences of phosphorylation on the conformational ensembles and oligomerization dynamics of PHF6 by performing extensive all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our replica exchange MD simulations demonstrate that Y310 phosphorylation could effectively suppress the formation of β-structure and shift PHF6 oligomers toward coil-rich aggregates. The interaction analyses show that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions among PHF6 peptides, as well as Y310-Y310 π-π stacking and I308-Y310 CH-π interactions, are weakened by phosphorylation. Additional microsecond MD simulations show that Y310 phosphorylation could inhibit the oligomerization of PHF6 by preventing the formation of large β-sheet oligomers and multi-layer β-sheet aggregates. This study provides mechanistic insights into the phosphorylation-inhibited tau aggregation, which may be helpful for the in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Lulu Guan
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingwang Tan
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Bote Qi
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunxiang Sun
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Sahayaraj AE, Viswanathan R, Pinhero F, Abdul Vahid A, Vijayan V. Sequence-Dependent Conformational Properties of PGGG Motif in Tau Repeats: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Narrow Pick Filament. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:136-147. [PMID: 36512636 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases correlated with the presence of pathological Tau fibrils as a diagnostic marker. The microtubule-binding repeat region of Tau protein, which includes R1, R2, R3, and R4 repeats, constitutes the core of these fibrils. Each repeat consists of a semiconserved C-terminal hexapeptide flanked by KxGS and PGGG motifs. Previous studies have shown the influence of these peptides on protein aggregation, yet their repeat-specific properties are less explored. Using molecular dynamics, we probed the sequence-specific influence of the C-terminal hexapeptide (264ENLKHQ269) in determining the compact local conformation of the R1 repeat of the narrow Pick filament (NPF) with a homologous E264G mutation. In addition to that, we also studied the influence of 262S phosphorylation on this conformation as the phosphorylation is proposed to alleviate the pathogenesis of Pick's disease. Interestingly, we determined that E264G mutation induces a conformational shift of 270PGGG273 from a turn to a random coil. This conformational dependence is experimentally verified with the R1R3-E264G mutant construct, which displayed accelerated aggregation compared with the R1R3 wild-type construct. A significant delay in aggregation of the R1R3-G326E mutant further demonstrates the importance of 326G in determining the conformation of the R3 repeat. Thus, we conclude that the conformational properties of the PGGG motif in Tau repeats are strongly dependent on the repeat-specific sequence of the C-terminal hexapeptide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Renjith Viswanathan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Faina Pinhero
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Maina MB, Al-Hilaly YK, Serpell LC. Dityrosine cross-linking and its potential roles in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1132670. [PMID: 37034163 PMCID: PMC10075315 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1132670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a significant source of damage that accumulates during aging and contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Oxidation of proteins can give rise to covalent links between adjacent tyrosines known as dityrosine (DiY) cross-linking, amongst other modifications, and this observation suggests that DiY could serve as a biomarker of accumulated oxidative stress over the lifespan. Many studies have focused on understanding the contribution of DiY to AD pathogenesis and have revealed that DiY crosslinks can be found in both Aβ and tau deposits - the two key proteins involved in the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, respectively. However, there is no consensus yet in the field on the impact of DiY on Aβ and tau function, aggregation, and toxicity. Here we review the current understanding of the role of DiY on Aβ and tau gathered over the last 20 years since the first observation, and discuss the effect of this modification for Aβ and tau aggregation, and its potential as a biomarker for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud B. Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre, College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria
| | - Youssra K. Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Louise C. Serpell,
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Jin W, Lu C, Zhu Y, Zhao J, Zhang W, Wang L, Linhardt RJ, Wang C, Zhang F. Fucoidans inhibited tau interaction and cellular uptake. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 299:120176. [PMID: 36876791 PMCID: PMC10506861 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Tau spreading in Alzheimer's disease is mediated by cell surface heparan sulfate (HS). As a class of sulfated polysaccharides, fucoidans might compete with HS to bind tau, resulting in the cessation of tau spreading. The structural determinants of fucoidans for competition with HS binding to tau are not well understood. Sixty previously prepared fucoidans/glycans with different structural determinants were used to determine their binding abilities to tau using SPR and AlphaLISA. Finally, it was found that fucoidans had two fractions (sulfated galactofucan (SJ-I) and sulfated heteropolysaccharide (SJ-GX-3)), which exhibited strong binding abilities than heparin. Tau cellular uptake assays using wild type mouse lung endothelial cell lines were performed. It was shown SJ-I and SJ-GX-3 inhibited tau-cell interaction and tau cellular uptake, suggesting that fucoidans might be good candidates for inhibiting tau spreading. NMR titration mapped fucoidans binding sites, which could provide the theoretical basis for the design of tau spreading inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Jin
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Chenghui Lu
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; Department of Biological Science, Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gerez JA, Prymaczok NC, Kadavath H, Ghosh D, Bütikofer M, Fleischmann Y, Güntert P, Riek R. Protein structure determination in human cells by in-cell NMR and a reporter system to optimize protein delivery or transexpression. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1322. [PMID: 36460747 PMCID: PMC9718737 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04251-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Most experimental methods for structural biology proceed in vitro and therefore the contribution of the intracellular environment on protein structure and dynamics is absent. Studying proteins at atomic resolution in living mammalian cells has been elusive due to the lack of methodologies. In-cell nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (in-cell NMR) is an emerging technique with the power to do so. Here, we improved current methods of in-cell NMR by the development of a reporter system that allows monitoring the delivery of exogenous proteins into mammalian cells, a process that we called here "transexpression". The reporter system was used to develop an efficient protocol for in-cell NMR which enables spectral acquisition with higher quality for both disordered and folded proteins. With this method, the 3D atomic resolution structure of the model protein GB1 in human cells was determined with a backbone root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 1.1 Å.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Gerez
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | - Dhiman Ghosh
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Peter Güntert
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, 192-0397, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Roland Riek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Shapeshifting tau: from intrinsically disordered to paired-helical filaments. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:1001-1011. [PMID: 36373666 PMCID: PMC9760425 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tau is an intrinsically disordered protein that has the ability to self-assemble to form paired helical and straight filaments in Alzheimer's disease, as well as the ability to form additional distinct tau filaments in other tauopathies. In the presence of microtubules, tau forms an elongated form associated with tubulin dimers via a series of imperfect repeats known as the microtubule binding repeats. Tau has recently been identified to have the ability to phase separate in vitro and in cells. The ability of tau to adopt a wide variety of conformations appears fundamental both to its biological function and also its association with neurodegenerative diseases. The recently highlighted involvement of low-complexity domains in liquid-liquid phase separation provides a critical link between the soluble function and the insoluble dysfunctional properties of tau.
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhu Y, Gandy L, Zhang F, Liu J, Wang C, Blair LJ, Linhardt RJ, Wang L. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Tauopathy. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1792. [PMID: 36551220 PMCID: PMC9776397 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and are characterized by intraneuronal tau inclusion in the brain and the patient's cognitive decline with obscure pathogenesis. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a major type of extracellular matrix, have been believed to involve in tauopathies. The heparan sulfate proteoglycans co-deposit with tau in Alzheimer's patient brain, directly bind to tau and modulate tau secretion, internalization, and aggregation. This review summarizes the current understanding of the functions and the modulated molecular pathways of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in tauopathies, as well as the implication of dysregulated heparan sulfate proteoglycan expression in tau pathology and the potential of targeting heparan sulfate proteoglycan-tau interaction as a novel therapeutic option.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Lauren Gandy
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Laura J. Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Islam M, Argueta E, Wojcikiewicz EP, Du D. Effects of Charged Polyelectrolytes on Amyloid Fibril Formation of a Tau Fragment. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:3034-3043. [PMID: 36219395 PMCID: PMC10249396 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00374] [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] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau is involved in more than 20 different neurological disorders characterized by aberrant intracellular aggregation of tau in the brain. Here, we investigated the aggregation of a novel 20-residue model peptide, tau298-317, which is derived from the key microtubule binding domain of the full sequence tau. Our results show that tau298-317 highly mimics the physical and aggregation properties of tau. Under normal physiological conditions, the peptide maintains a disordered random coil without aggregation. The presence of polyanionic heparin (Hep) significantly promotes the aggregation of this peptide to form amyloid fibrils. The Hep-induced aggregation is sensitive to the ionic strength of the solution and the introduction of the negatively charged phosphate group on a serine (Ser305) residue in the sequence, suggesting an important role of electrostatic interactions in the mechanism of Hep-mediated aggregation. In addition, two positively charged polysaccharides, chitosan (CHT) and its quaternary derivative N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC), were found to effectively inhibit Hep-induced aggregation of tau298-317 in a concentration-dependent manner. Attractive electrostatic interactions between the positively charged moieties in CHT/TMC and the negatively charged residues of Hep play a critical role in inhibiting Hep-peptide interactions and suppressing peptide aggregation. Our results suggest that positively charged polyelectrolytes with optimized charged groups and charge distribution patterns can serve as effective molecular candidates to block tau-Hep interactions and prevent aggregation of tau induced by Hep and other polyanions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Majedul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Emily Argueta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Ewa P. Wojcikiewicz
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Deguo Du
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Dey S, MacAinsh M, Zhou HX. Sequence-Dependent Backbone Dynamics of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:6310-6323. [PMID: 36084347 PMCID: PMC9561007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
For intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), a pressing question is how sequence codes for function. Dynamics serves as a crucial link, reminiscent of the role of structure in sequence-function relations of structured proteins. To define general rules governing sequence-dependent backbone dynamics, we carried out long molecular dynamics simulations of eight IDPs. Blocks of residues exhibiting large amplitudes in slow dynamics are rigidified by local inter-residue interactions or secondary structures. A long region or an entire IDP can be slowed down by long-range contacts or secondary-structure packing. On the other hand, glycines promote fast dynamics and either demarcate rigid blocks or facilitate multiple modes of local and long-range inter-residue interactions. The sequence-dependent backbone dynamics endows IDPs with versatile response to binding partners, with some blocks recalcitrant while others readily adapting to intermolecular interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Dey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Matthew MacAinsh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Huan-Xiang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
The Role of Disordered Regions in Orchestrating the Properties of Multidomain Proteins: The SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein and Its Interaction with Enoxaparin. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091302. [PMID: 36139141 PMCID: PMC9496478 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel and efficient strategies need to be developed to interfere with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the most promising pharmaceutical targets is the nucleocapsid protein (N), responsible for genomic RNA packaging. N is composed of two folded domains and three intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). The globular RNA binding domain (NTD) and the tethered IDRs are rich in positively charged residues. The study of the interaction of N with polyanions can thus help to elucidate one of the key driving forces responsible for its function, i.e., electrostatics. Heparin, one of the most negatively charged natural polyanions, has been used to contrast serious cases of COVID-19 infection, and we decided to study its interaction with N at the molecular level. We focused on the NTR construct, which comprises the NTD and two flanking IDRs, and on the NTD construct in isolation. We characterized this interaction using different nuclear magnetic resonance approaches and isothermal titration calorimetry. With these tools, we were able to identify an extended surface of NTD involved in the interaction. Moreover, we assessed the importance of the IDRs in increasing the affinity for heparin, highlighting how different tracts of these flexible regions modulate the interaction.
Collapse
|
26
|
Annadurai N, Malina L, Malohlava J, Hajdúch M, Das V. Tau R2 and R3 are essential regions for tau aggregation, seeding and propagation. Biochimie 2022; 200:79-86. [PMID: 35623497 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are characterised by intracellular deposits of fibrillar tau tangles. However, the interneuronal spread of pathological tau species precedes the development of major tau burdens. Two amyloid motifs, VQIINK in repeat 2 and VQIVYK in repeat 3, of tau repeat domain, assemble into β-sheet-rich fibrils on their own but alone do not form seed-competent fibrils. In contrast, the entire R3 region self-aggregates and forms seed-competent fibrils. Our study aimed to identify the minimal regions in the tau repeat domain that define seeding and its impact on intracellular tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Using peptides of individual repeats, we show that R2, like R3, forms seed-competent fibrils when assembled in the presence of heparin. However, R3, but not R2, forms seed-competent fibrils when assembled without heparin, even though both R2 and R3 have identical N-terminal hexapeptide and cysteine residue sequences. Moreover, cysteine to alanine substitution in R3 abrogates its self-aggregation and seeding potency. Tau RD P301S biosensor cells and Tau P301L (0N4R)-expressing HEK293 cells seeded with R2 and R3 fibrils show the induction of pathological phosphorylation of tau at Ser262/Ser396/Ser404 positions and oligomerisation of native tau. Protein fractions of biosensor cells seeded with R2 and R3 fibrils reseed endogenous tau aggregation when introduced into a fresh set of biosensor cells. Our findings suggest that R3 may be the minimal region for pathological seed generation under physiological conditions, whereas R2 might need polyanionic cofactors to generate pathogenic seeds. Lastly, R2 and R3 fibrils induce template-induced misfolding and pathological hyperphosphorylation of intracellular tau, making intracellular tau seed-competent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Malina
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Malohlava
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Krizkovskeho 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Krizkovskeho 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hernández F, Ferrer I, Pérez M, Zabala JC, Del Rio JA, Avila J. Tau aggregation. Neuroscience 2022; 518:64-69. [PMID: 35525497 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Here we revisit tau protein aggregation at primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. In addition, the presence of non-aggregated tau protein, which has been recently discovered, is also commented on.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Bellvitge, University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Pérez
- Departamento de Anatomía Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Zabala
- Department of Molecular Biology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39005 Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Del Rio
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Alzheimer’s Disease and Tau Self-Assembly: In the Search of the Missing Link. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084192. [PMID: 35457009 PMCID: PMC9032712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive impairment, apathy, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Two main pathological hallmarks have been described: neurofibrillary tangles, consisting of tau oligomers (hyperphosphorylated tau) and Aβ plaques. The influence of protein kinases and phosphatases on the hyperphosphorylation of tau is already known. Hyperphosphorylated tau undergoes conformational changes that promote its self-assembly. However, the process involving these mechanisms is yet to be elucidated. In vitro recombinant tau can be aggregated by the action of polyanions, such as heparin, arachidonic acid, and more recently, the action of polyphosphates. However, how that process occurs in vivo is yet to be understood. In this review, searching the most accurate and updated literature on the matter, we focus on the precise molecular events linking tau modifications, its misfolding and the initiation of its pathological self-assembly. Among these, we can identify challenges regarding tau phosphorylation, the link between tau heteroarylations and the onset of its self-assembly, as well as the possible metabolic pathways involving natural polyphosphates, that may play a role in tau self-assembly.
Collapse
|
29
|
Rutledge BS, Choy WY, Duennwald ML. Folding or holding?-Hsp70 and Hsp90 chaperoning of misfolded proteins in neurodegenerative disease. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101905. [PMID: 35398094 PMCID: PMC9079180 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The toxic accumulation of misfolded proteins as inclusions, fibrils, or aggregates is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. However, how molecular chaperones, such as heat shock protein 70 kDa (Hsp70) and heat shock protein 90 kDa (Hsp90), defend cells against the accumulation of misfolded proteins remains unclear. The ATP-dependent foldase function of both Hsp70 and Hsp90 actively transitions misfolded proteins back to their native conformation. By contrast, the ATP-independent holdase function of Hsp70 and Hsp90 prevents the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Foldase and holdase functions can protect against the toxicity associated with protein misfolding, yet we are only beginning to understand the mechanisms through which they modulate neurodegeneration. This review compares recent structural findings regarding the binding of Hsp90 to misfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins, such as tau, α-synuclein, and Tar DNA-binding protein 43. We propose that Hsp90 and Hsp70 interact with these proteins through an extended and dynamic interface that spans the surface of multiple domains of the chaperone proteins. This contrasts with many other Hsp90–client protein interactions for which only a single bound conformation of Hsp90 is proposed. The dynamic nature of these multidomain interactions allows for polymorphic binding of multiple conformations to vast regions of Hsp90. The holdase functions of Hsp70 and Hsp90 may thus allow neuronal cells to modulate misfolded proteins more efficiently by reducing the long-term ATP running costs of the chaperone budget. However, it remains unclear whether holdase functions protect cells by preventing aggregate formation or can increase neurotoxicity by inadvertently stabilizing deleterious oligomers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wing-Yiu Choy
- Department of Biochemistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin L Duennwald
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Stelzl L, Pietrek LM, Holla A, Oroz J, Sikora M, Köfinger J, Schuler B, Zweckstetter M, Hummer G. Global Structure of the Intrinsically Disordered Protein Tau Emerges from Its Local Structure. JACS AU 2022; 2:673-686. [PMID: 35373198 PMCID: PMC8970000 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The paradigmatic disordered protein tau plays an important role in neuronal function and neurodegenerative diseases. To disentangle the factors controlling the balance between functional and disease-associated conformational states, we build a structural ensemble of the tau K18 fragment containing the four pseudorepeat domains involved in both microtubule binding and amyloid fibril formation. We assemble 129-residue-long tau K18 chains with atomic detail from an extensive fragment library constructed with molecular dynamics simulations. We introduce a reweighted hierarchical chain growth (RHCG) algorithm that integrates experimental data reporting on the local structure into the assembly process in a systematic manner. By combining Bayesian ensemble refinement with importance sampling, we obtain well-defined ensembles and overcome the problem of exponentially varying weights in the integrative modeling of long-chain polymeric molecules. The resulting tau K18 ensembles capture nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shift and J-coupling measurements. Without further fitting, we achieve very good agreement with measurements of NMR residual dipolar couplings. The good agreement with experimental measures of global structure such as single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiencies is improved further by ensemble refinement. By comparing wild-type and mutant ensembles, we show that pathogenic single-point P301L, P301S, and P301T mutations shift the population from the turn-like conformations of the functional microtubule-bound state to the extended conformations of disease-associated tau fibrils. RHCG thus provides us with an atomically detailed view of the population equilibrium between functional and aggregation-prone states of tau K18, and demonstrates that global structural characteristics of this intrinsically disordered protein emerge from its local structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukas
S. Stelzl
- Department
of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute
of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty
of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz, Gresemundweg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- KOMET 1, Institute of Physics, Johannes
Gutenberg University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Lisa M. Pietrek
- Department
of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute
of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrea Holla
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Javier Oroz
- German
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Rocasolano
Institute for Physical Chemistry, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mateusz Sikora
- Department
of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute
of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Kolingasse 14-16, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jürgen Köfinger
- Department
of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute
of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department
of Physics, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department
for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck
Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Faßberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department
of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute
of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute
for Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Parolini F, Tira R, Barracchia CG, Munari F, Capaldi S, D'Onofrio M, Assfalg M. Ubiquitination of Alzheimer's-related tau protein affects liquid-liquid phase separation in a site- and cofactor-dependent manner. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 201:173-181. [PMID: 35016968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.12.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The formation of biomolecular condensates has emerged as a crucial player both in neuronal physiology and neurodegeneration. Phase separation of the Alzheimer's related protein tau into liquid condensates is facilitated by polyanions and is regulated by post-translational modifications. Given the central role of ubiquitination in proteostasis regulation and signaling, we investigated the behavior of monoubiquitinated tau during formation of condensates. We ubiquitinated the lysine-rich, four-repeat domain of tau either unspecifically via enzymatic conjugation or in a position-specific manner by semisynthesis. Ubiquitin conjugation at specific sites weakened multivalent tau/RNA interactions and disfavored tau/heparin condensation. Yet, heterogeneous ubiquitination was tolerated during phase separation and stabilized droplets against aggregation-linked dissolution. Thus, we demonstrated that cofactor chemistry and site of modification affect the mesoscopic and molecular signatures of ubiquitinated tau condensates. Our findings suggest that ubiquitination could influence the physiological states and pathological transformations of tau in cellular condensates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Tira
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Effect of Trehalose and Ceftriaxone on the Stability of Aggregating-Prone Tau Peptide Containing PHF6* Sequence: An SRCD Study. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062932. [PMID: 35328353 PMCID: PMC8951053 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The tau protein, a soluble protein associated with microtubules, which is involved in the assembly and stabilization of cytoskeletal elements, was found to form neurofibrillary tangles in different neurodegenerative diseases. Insoluble tau aggregates were observed to be organized in paired helical filaments (PHFs) and straight filaments (SFs). Recently, two small sequences (306–311 and 275–280) in the microtubule-binding region (MTBR), named PHF6 and PHF6*, respectively, were found to be essential for tau aggregation. Since a possible therapeutic approach consists of impairing amyloid formation either by stabilizing the native proteins or reducing the level of amyloid precursors, here we use synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) at Diamond B23 beamline to evaluate the inhibitory effects of two small molecules, trehalose and ceftriaxone, against the aggregation of a small peptide containing the PHF6* sequence. Our results indicate that both these molecules, ceftriaxone and trehalose, increased the stability of the peptide toward aggregation, in particular that induced by heparin. With trehalose being present in many fruits, vegetables, algae and processed foods, these results support the need to investigate whether a diet richer in trehalose might exert a protective effect toward pathologies linked to protein misfolding.
Collapse
|
33
|
Lövestam S, Koh FA, van Knippenberg B, Kotecha A, Murzin AG, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Assembly of recombinant tau into filaments identical to those of Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. eLife 2022; 11:76494. [PMID: 35244536 PMCID: PMC8983045 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundant filamentous inclusions of tau are characteristic of more than 20 neurodegenerative diseases that are collectively termed tauopathies. Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of tau amyloid filaments from human brain revealed that distinct tau folds characterise many different diseases. A lack of laboratory-based model systems to generate these structures has hampered efforts to uncover the molecular mechanisms that underlie tauopathies. Here, we report in vitro assembly conditions with recombinant tau that replicate the structures of filaments from both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), as determined by cryo-EM. Our results suggest that post-translational modifications of tau modulate filament assembly, and that previously observed additional densities in AD and CTE filaments may arise from the presence of inorganic salts, like phosphates and sodium chloride. In vitro assembly of tau into disease-relevant filaments will facilitate studies to determine their roles in different diseases, as well as the development of compounds that specifically bind to these structures or prevent their formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Lövestam
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Alexey G Murzin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Islam M, Shen F, Regmi D, Du D. Therapeutic Strategies for Tauopathies and Drug Repurposing as a Potential Approach. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 198:114979. [PMID: 35219701 PMCID: PMC9159505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.114979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal tau in the brain. To date, there are no disease-modifying therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for the treatment of tauopathies. In the past decades, extensive efforts have been provided to develop disease-modifying therapies to treat tauopathies. Specifically, exploring existing drugs with the intent of repurposing for the treatment of tauopathies affords a reasonable alternative to discover potent drugs for treating these formidable diseases. Drug repurposing will not only reduce formulation and development stage effort and cost but will also take a key advantage of the established toxicological studies, which is one of the main causes of clinical trial failure of new molecules. In this review, we provide an overview of the current treatment strategies for tauopathies and the recent progress in drug repurposing as an alternative approach to treat tauopathies.
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
![]()
Thanks to recent
improvements in NMR spectrometer hardware and
pulse sequence design, modern 13C NMR has become a useful
tool for biomolecular applications. The complete assignment of a protein
can be accomplished by using 13C detected multinuclear
experiments and it can provide unique information relevant for the
study of a variety of different biomolecules including paramagnetic
proteins and intrinsically disordered proteins. A wide range of NMR
observables can be measured, concurring to the structural and dynamic
characterization of a protein in isolation, as part of a larger complex,
or even inside a living cell. We present the different properties
of 13C with respect to 1H, which provide the
rationale for the experiments developed and their application, the
technical aspects that need to be faced, and the many experimental
variants designed to address different cases. Application areas where
these experiments successfully complement proton NMR are also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella C Felli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff" and Magnetic Resonance Center, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Roberta Pierattelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff" and Magnetic Resonance Center, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Chidambaram H, Das R, Chinnathambi S. G-Protein coupled Purinergic P2Y12 receptor interacts and internalizes TauRD-mediated by membrane-associated actin cytoskeleton remodelling in microglia. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
|
37
|
Limorenko G, Lashuel HA. Revisiting the grammar of Tau aggregation and pathology formation: how new insights from brain pathology are shaping how we study and target Tauopathies. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 51:513-565. [PMID: 34889934 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00127b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence continues to point towards Tau aggregation and pathology formation as central events in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other Tauopathies. Despite significant advances in understanding the morphological and structural properties of Tau fibrils, many fundamental questions remain about what causes Tau to aggregate in the first place. The exact roles of cofactors, Tau post-translational modifications, and Tau interactome in regulating Tau aggregation, pathology formation, and toxicity remain unknown. Recent studies have put the spotlight on the wide gap between the complexity of Tau structures, aggregation, and pathology formation in the brain and the simplicity of experimental approaches used for modeling these processes in research laboratories. Embracing and deconstructing this complexity is an essential first step to understanding the role of Tau in health and disease. To help deconstruct this complexity and understand its implication for the development of effective Tau targeting diagnostics and therapies, we firstly review how our understanding of Tau aggregation and pathology formation has evolved over the past few decades. Secondly, we present an analysis of new findings and insights from recent studies illustrating the biochemical, structural, and functional heterogeneity of Tau aggregates. Thirdly, we discuss the importance of adopting new experimental approaches that embrace the complexity of Tau aggregation and pathology as an important first step towards developing mechanism- and structure-based therapies that account for the pathological and clinical heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease and Tauopathies. We believe that this is essential to develop effective diagnostics and therapies to treat these devastating diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cytotoxic tau released from lung microvascular endothelial cells upon infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa promotes neuronal tauopathy. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101482. [PMID: 34896150 PMCID: PMC8718960 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients who recover from nosocomial pneumonia oftentimes exhibit long-lasting cognitive impairment comparable with what is observed in Alzheimer’s disease patients. We previously hypothesized that the lung endothelium contributes to infection-related neurocognitive dysfunction, because bacteria-exposed endothelial cells release a form(s) of cytotoxic tau that is sufficient to impair long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. However, the full-length lung and endothelial tau isoform(s) have yet to be resolved and it remains unclear whether the infection-induced endothelial cytotoxic tau triggers neuronal tau aggregation. Here, we demonstrate that lung endothelial cells express a big tau isoform and three additional tau isoforms that are similar to neuronal tau, each containing four microtubule-binding repeat domains, and that tau is expressed in lung capillaries in vivo. To test whether infection elicits endothelial tau capable of causing transmissible tau aggregation, the cells were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The infection-induced tau released from endothelium into the medium-induced neuronal tau aggregation in reporter cells, including reporter cells that express either the four microtubule-binding repeat domains or the full-length tau. Infection-induced release of pathological tau variant(s) from endothelium, and the ability of the endothelial-derived tau to cause neuronal tau aggregation, was abolished in tau knockout cells. After bacterial lung infection, brain homogenates from WT mice, but not from tau knockout mice, initiated tau aggregation. Thus, we conclude that bacterial pneumonia initiates the release of lung endothelial-derived cytotoxic tau, which is capable of propagating a neuronal tauopathy.
Collapse
|
39
|
Acosta DM, Mancinelli C, Bracken C, Eliezer D. Post-translational modifications within tau paired helical filament nucleating motifs perturb microtubule interactions and oligomer formation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101442. [PMID: 34838590 PMCID: PMC8741514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translationally modified tau is the primary component of tau neurofibrillary tangles, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Post-translational modifications within the tau microtubule binding domain (MBD), which encompasses two hexapeptide motifs that act as critical nucleating regions for tau aggregation, can potentially modulate tau aggregation as well as interactions with microtubules (MTs) and membranes. Here we characterize the effects of a recently discovered tau PTM, lysine succinylation, on tau-tubulin interactions, and compare these to the effects of two previously reported MBD modifications, lysine acetylation and tyrosine phosphorylation. As generation of site-specific PTMs in proteins is challenging, we used short synthetic peptides to quantify the effects on tubulin binding of three site-specific PTMs located within the PHF6* (residues 275-280) and PHF6 (residues 306-311) hexapeptide motifs: K280 acetylation, Y310 phosphorylation and K311 succinylation. We compared these effects to those observed for MBD PTM-mimetic point mutations K280Q, Y310E and K311E. Finally, we evaluated the effects of these PTM-mimetic mutations on MBD membrane binding and membrane-induced fibril and oligomer formation. We found that all three PTMs perturb tau MT binding, with Y310 phosphorylation exerting the strongest effect. PTM mimetic mutations partially recapitulated the effects of the PTMs on MT binding and also disrupted tau membrane binding and membrane induced oligomer and fibril formation. These results imply that these PTMs, including the novel and AD-specific succinylation of tau K311, may influence both the physiological and pathological interactions of tau and thus represent targets for therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Acosta
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Chiara Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Clay Bracken
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Eliezer
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Kitoka K, Skrabana R, Gasparik N, Hritz J, Jaudzems K. NMR Studies of Tau Protein in Tauopathies. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:761227. [PMID: 34859051 PMCID: PMC8632555 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.761227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are the most troublesome of all age-related chronic conditions, as there are no well-established disease-modifying therapies for their prevention and treatment. Spatio-temporal distribution of tau protein pathology correlates with cognitive decline and severity of the disease, therefore, tau protein has become an appealing target for therapy. Current knowledge of the pathological effects and significance of specific species in the tau aggregation pathway is incomplete although more and more structural and mechanistic insights are being gained using biophysical techniques. Here, we review the application of NMR to structural studies of various tau forms that appear in its aggregation process, focusing on results obtained from solid-state NMR. Furthermore, we discuss implications from these studies and their prospective contribution to the development of new tauopathy therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Kitoka
- Laboratory of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Gasparik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Hritz
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Laboratory of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Target-binding behavior of IDPs via pre-structured motifs. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 183:187-247. [PMID: 34656329 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Pre-Structured Motifs (PreSMos) are transient secondary structures observed in many intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and serve as protein target-binding hot spots. The prefix "pre" highlights that PreSMos exist a priori in the target-unbound state of IDPs as the active pockets of globular proteins pre-exist before target binding. Therefore, a PreSMo is an "active site" of an IDP; it is not a spatial pocket, but rather a secondary structural motif. The classical and perhaps the most effective approach to understand the function of a protein has been to determine and investigate its structure. Ironically or by definition IDPs do not possess structure (here structure refers to tertiary structure only). Are IDPs then entirely structureless? The PreSMos provide us with an atomic-resolution answer to this question. For target binding, IDPs do not rely on the spatial pockets afforded by tertiary or higher structures. Instead, they utilize the PreSMos possessing particular conformations that highly presage the target-bound conformations. PreSMos are recognized or captured by targets via conformational selection (CS) before their conformations eventually become stabilized via structural induction into more ordered bound structures. Using PreSMos, a number of, if not all, IDPs can bind targets following a sequential pathway of CS followed by an induced fit (IF). This chapter presents several important PreSMos implicated in cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and other diseases along with discussions on their conformational details that mediate target binding, a structural rationale for unstructured proteins.
Collapse
|
42
|
Dong X, Qi R, Qiao Q, Li X, Li F, Wan J, Zhang Q, Wei G. Heparin remodels the microtubule-binding repeat R3 of Tau protein towards fibril-prone conformations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:20406-20418. [PMID: 34494046 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp02651h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal aggregation of proteins into pathological amyloid fibrils is implicated in a wide range of devastating human neurodegenerative diseases. Intracellular fibrillary inclusions formed by Tau protein are characterized as the hallmark of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Heparin has been often used to trigger Tau aggregation in in vitro studies. However, the conformational changes induced by heparin and the underlying mechanism of promotion of Tau aggregation by heparin are not well understood. Structural characterization of Tau oligomers in the early stage of fibrillation is of great importance but remains challenging due to their dynamic and heterogeneous nature. R3, the third microtubule-binding repeat of Tau, contains the fibril-nucleating core (PHF6) and is crucial for Tau aggregation. In this study, utilizing extensive all-atom replica-exchange molecular dynamic simulations, we explored the conformational ensembles of R3 monomer/dimer in the absence and presence of heparin. Our results show that without heparin, both monomeric and dimeric R3 preferentially adopt collapsed β-sheet-containing conformations and PHF6 plays an important role in the formation of interchain β-sheet structures, while in the presence of heparin, R3 can populate relatively extended disordered states where chain dimension is similar to that of R3 in Tau filaments. Through electrostatic, hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, heparin has a preference for interacting with residues V306/Q307/K317/K321/H329/H330/K331 which distribute throughout the entire sequence of R3, in turn acting as a template to extend R3 conformations. More importantly, heparin alters intramolecular/intermolecular interaction patterns of R3 and increases the intermolecular contact regions. Our results suggest that heparin remodels the conformations of R3 towards fibril-prone structures by increasing chain dimension and intermolecular contact regions, which may shed light on the atomic mechanism of heparin-induced amyloid fibrillization of Tau protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Dong
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ruxi Qi
- Cryo-EM Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Qiao
- Digital Medical Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangying Li
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Zhu L, Gong Y, Lju H, Sun G, Zhang Q, Qian Z. Mechanisms of melatonin binding and destabilizing the protofilament and filament of tau R3-R4 domains revealed by molecular dynamics simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:20615-20626. [PMID: 34514491 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03142b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau protein is considered to be an important pathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Failure of medicine targeting Aβ has drawn more attention to the influence of tau protein and its fibrillization on neurodegeneration. Increasing evidence shows that melatonin (Mel) can effectively inhibit the formation of tau fibrils and disassemble preformed tau fibrils. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. In this work, we investigated the kinetics of melatonin binding and destabilizing the tetrameric protofilament and octameric filament of tau R3-R4 domains by performing microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that Mel is able to disrupt the C-shaped structure of the tau protofilament and filament, and destabilizes the association between N- and C-termini. Mel predominantly binds to β1 and β6-β8 regions and favors contact with the elongation surface, which is dominantly driven by hydrogen bonding interactions and facilitated by other interactions. The strong π-π stacking interaction of Mel with Y310 impedes the intramolecular CH-π interaction between I308 and Y310, and the cation-π interaction of Mel with R379 interferes with the formation of the D348-R379 salt bridge. Moreover, Mel occupies the protofilament surface in the tetrameric protofilament and prevents the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between residues K331 and Q336 in the octameric filament. Our work provides molecular insights into Mel hindering tau fibrillization or destabilizing the protofilament and filament, and the revealed inhibitory mechanisms provide useful clues for the design of efficient anti-amyloid agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Yehong Gong
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hao Lju
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Gongwu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhenyu Qian
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education) and School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Wang D, Huang X, Yan L, Zhou L, Yan C, Wu J, Su Z, Huang Y. The Structure Biology of Tau and Clue for Aggregation Inhibitor Design. Protein J 2021; 40:656-668. [PMID: 34401998 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-021-10017-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that is mainly expressed in central and peripheral nerve systems. Tau binds to tubulin and regulates assembly and stabilization of microtubule, thus playing a critical role in neuron morphology, axon development and navigation. Tau is highly stable under normal conditions; however, there are several factors that can induce or promote aggregation of tau, forming neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are toxic to neurons, which may be related to a series of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, tau is widely accepted as an important therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases. While the monomeric structure of tau is highly disordered, the aggregate structure of tau is formed by closed packing of β-stands. Studies on the structure of tau and the structural transition mechanism provide valuable information on the occurrence, development, and therapy of tauopathies. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the structural investigation of tau and based on which we discuss aggregation inhibitor design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Xianlong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Lu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Luoqi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Chang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Jinhu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Irwin R, Faust O, Petrovic I, Wolf SG, Hofmann H, Rosenzweig R. Hsp40s play complementary roles in the prevention of tau amyloid formation. eLife 2021; 10:69601. [PMID: 34369377 PMCID: PMC8437434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein, tau, is the major subunit of neurofibrillary tangles associated with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. In the cell, however, tau aggregation can be prevented by a class of proteins known as molecular chaperones. While numerous chaperones are known to interact with tau, though, little is known regarding the mechanisms by which these prevent tau aggregation. Here, we describe the effects of ATP-independent Hsp40 chaperones, DNAJA2 and DNAJB1, on tau amyloid-fiber formation and compare these to the small heat shock protein HSPB1. We find that the chaperones play complementary roles, with each preventing tau aggregation differently and interacting with distinct sets of tau species. Whereas HSPB1 only binds tau monomers, DNAJB1 and DNAJA2 recognize aggregation-prone conformers and even mature fibers. In addition, we find that both Hsp40s bind tau seeds and fibers via their C-terminal domain II (CTDII), with DNAJA2 being further capable of recognizing tau monomers by a second, distinct site in CTDI. These results lay out the mechanisms by which the diverse members of the Hsp40 family counteract the formation and propagation of toxic tau aggregates and highlight the fact that chaperones from different families/classes play distinct, yet complementary roles in preventing pathological protein aggregation. Several neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, are characterized by the build-up of protein clumps known as aggregates. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, a key protein, called tau, aggregates to form fibers that are harmful to neuronal cells in the brain. One of the ways our cells can prevent this from occurring is through the action of proteins known as molecular chaperones, which can bind to tau proteins and prevent them from sticking together. Tau can take on many forms. For example, a single tau protein on its own, known as a monomer, is unstructured. In patients with Alzheimer’s, these monomers join together into small clusters, known as seeds, that rapidly aggregate and accumulate into rigid, structured fibers. One chaperone, HSPB1, is known to bind to tau monomers and prevent them from being incorporated into fibers. Recently, another group of chaperones, called J-domain proteins, was also found to interact with tau. However, it was unclear how these chaperones prevent aggregation and whether they bind to tau in a similar manner as HSPB1. To help answer this question, Irwin, Faust et al. studied the effect of two J-domain proteins, as well as the chaperone HSBP1, on tau aggregation. This revealed that, unlike HSBP1, the two J-domain proteins can bind to multiple forms of tau, including when it has already aggregated in to seeds and fibers. This suggests that these chaperones can stop the accumulation of fibers at several different stages of the aggregation process. Further experiments examining which sections of the J-domain proteins bind to tau, showed that both attach to fibers via the same region. However, the two J-domain proteins are not identical in their interaction with tau. While one of them uses a distinct region to bind to tau monomers, the other does not bind to single tau proteins at all. These results demonstrate how different cellular chaperones can complement one another in order to inhibit harmful protein aggregation. Further studies will be needed to understand the full role of J-domain proteins in preventing tau from accumulating into fibers, as well as their potential as drug targets for developing new treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rose Irwin
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ofrah Faust
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Chatterjee P, Cho MK, Bui HTD, Ham S. Atomic Level Investigations of Early Aggregation of Tau43 in Water
II
.
Tau43‐Aβ42
vs.
Tau43‐
Tau43
Dimerizations. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Prathit Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, The Research Institute of Natural Sciences Sookmyung Women's University Seoul 04310 Korea
| | - Myung Keun Cho
- Department of Chemistry, The Research Institute of Natural Sciences Sookmyung Women's University Seoul 04310 Korea
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences Seoul National University, Gwanak‐ro 1, Gwanak‐ku Seoul 08826 Korea
| | - Huong T. D. Bui
- Department of Chemistry, The Research Institute of Natural Sciences Sookmyung Women's University Seoul 04310 Korea
| | - Sihyun Ham
- Department of Chemistry, The Research Institute of Natural Sciences Sookmyung Women's University Seoul 04310 Korea
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Chatterjee P, Le T, Bui HTD, Cho MK, Ham S. Atomic Level Investigations of Early Aggregation of Tau43 in Water I. Conformational Propensity of Monomeric Tau43. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Prathit Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry The Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Cheongpa‐ro 47‐Gil 100, Yongsan‐Ku Seoul 04310 Korea
| | - Thi‐Diem Le
- Department of Chemistry The Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Cheongpa‐ro 47‐Gil 100, Yongsan‐Ku Seoul 04310 Korea
| | - Huong T. D. Bui
- Department of Chemistry The Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Cheongpa‐ro 47‐Gil 100, Yongsan‐Ku Seoul 04310 Korea
| | - Myung Keun Cho
- Department of Chemistry The Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Cheongpa‐ro 47‐Gil 100, Yongsan‐Ku Seoul 04310 Korea
- Department of Chemistry College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak‐ro 1, Gwanak‐ku Seoul 08826 Korea
| | - Sihyun Ham
- Department of Chemistry The Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Sookmyung Women's University, Cheongpa‐ro 47‐Gil 100, Yongsan‐Ku Seoul 04310 Korea
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Azouz M, Feuillie C, Lafleur M, Molinari M, Lecomte S. Interaction of Tau construct K18 with model lipid membranes. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:4244-4253. [PMID: 36132846 PMCID: PMC9417262 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00055a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, resulting from the aggregation of the tubulin associated unit protein (Tau), which holds a vital role in maintaining neuron integrity in a healthy brain. The development of such aggregates and their deposition in the brain seem to correlate with the onset of neurodegeneration processes. The misfolding and subsequent aggregation of the protein into paired helical filaments that further form the tangles, lead to dysfunction of the protein with neuronal loss and cognitive decline. The aggregation of the protein then seems to be a causative factor of the neurodegeneration associated with AD. The hypothesis of an involvement of the membrane in modulating the misfolding and assembly of Tau into paired helical filaments attracts increasing interests. To provide more insight about how lipids can modulate the interactions with Tau, we have conducted a comprehensive Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) study involving supported lipid bilayers of controlled compositions with the Tau microtubule-binding construct K18. Particularly, the effects of zwitterionic and negatively charged phospholipids on the interaction have been investigated. Deleterious solubilization effects have been evidenced on fluid zwitterionic membranes as well as an inability of K18 to fragment gel phases. The role of negative lipids in the aggregation of the peptide and the particular ability of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in inducing K18 fibrillization on membranes are also reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Azouz
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-Objects, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, INP Bordeaux, UMR5248 allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 33600 Pessac France
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal C.P. 6128 Québec Canada H3C 3J7
| | - Cécile Feuillie
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-Objects, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, INP Bordeaux, UMR5248 allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 33600 Pessac France
| | - Michel Lafleur
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal Succursale Centre-Ville Montréal C.P. 6128 Québec Canada H3C 3J7
| | - Michaël Molinari
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-Objects, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, INP Bordeaux, UMR5248 allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 33600 Pessac France
| | - Sophie Lecomte
- Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-Objects, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, INP Bordeaux, UMR5248 allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 33600 Pessac France
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Neurotoxicity of oligomers of phosphorylated Tau protein carrying tauopathy-associated mutation is inhibited by prion protein. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166209. [PMID: 34246750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are manifested by the deposition of well-characterized amyloid aggregates of Tau protein in the brain. However, it is rather unlikely that these aggregates constitute the major form of Tau responsible for neurodegenerative changes. Currently, it is postulated that the intermediates termed as soluble oligomers, assembled on the amyloidogenic pathway, are the most neurotoxic form of Tau. However, Tau oligomers reported so far represent a population of poorly characterized, heterogeneous and unstable assemblies. In this study, to obtain the oligomers, we employed the aggregation-prone K18 fragment of Tau protein with deletion of Lys280 (K18Δ280) linked to a hereditary tauopathy. We have described a new procedure of inducing aggregation of mutated K18 which leads either to the formation of nontoxic amyloid fibrils or neurotoxic globular oligomers, depending on its phosphorylation status. We demonstrate that PKA-phosphorylated K18Δ280 oligomers are toxic to hippocampal neurons, which is manifested by loss of dendritic spines and neurites, and impairment of cell-membrane integrity leading to cell death. We also show that N1, the soluble N-terminal fragment of prion protein (PrP), protects neurons from the oligomers-induced cytotoxicity. Our findings support the hypothesis on the neurotoxicity of Tau oligomers and neuroprotective role of PrP-derived fragments in AD and other tauopathies. These observations could be useful in the development of therapeutic strategies for these diseases.
Collapse
|
50
|
He H, Liu Y, Sun Y, Ding F. Misfolding and Self-Assembly Dynamics of Microtubule-Binding Repeats of the Alzheimer-Related Protein Tau. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:2916-2925. [PMID: 34032430 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pathological aggregation of intrinsically disordered tau protein, driven by the interactions between microtubule-binding (MTB) domains, is associated with Alzheimer's disease. The MTB domain contains either three or four repeats with sequence similarities. Compared to amyloid β, many aspects of the misfolding and aggregation mechanisms of tau are largely unknown. In this study, we systematically investigated the dynamics of monomer misfolding and dimerization of each MTB repeat using atomistic discrete molecular dynamic simulations. Our results revealed that all the four repeat monomers (R1-R4) were very dynamic, featuring frequent conformational conversion and lacking stable conformations. While R1, R2, and R4 monomers occasionally adopted partially helical conformations, R3 monomers frequently formed β-sheets. In dimerization simulations, R3 displayed the strongest aggregation propensity with high β-sheet contents, while R1 was the least prone to aggregation. The R2 and R4 dimers contained both helix and β-sheet structures. The β-sheets in R4 assemblies were dominant with β-hairpin conformation. In R2 and R3 dimers, intermolecular β-sheets were mainly driven by residues around the paired helical filament (PHF) regions. Residues around the PHF6* in R2 and PHF6 in R3 had significantly higher intermolecular contacts than other regions, suggesting that these residues play a key role in the amyloid aggregation of tau. Our results on the structural ensembles and early aggregation dynamics of each tau MTB repeat will help understand the nucleation and fibrillization of tau.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan He
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Yuying Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Yunxiang Sun
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| |
Collapse
|