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Zajkowski T, Lee MD, Sharma S, Vallota-Eastman A, Kuska M, Malczewska M, Rothschild LJ. Conserved functions of prion candidates suggest a primeval role of protein self-templating. Proteins 2023; 91:1298-1315. [PMID: 37519023 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-based prions have simple structures, a wide phylogenetic distribution, and a plethora of functions in contemporary organisms, suggesting they may be an ancient phenomenon. However, this hypothesis has yet to be addressed with a systematic, computational, and experimental approach. Here we present a framework to help guide future experimental verification of candidate prions with conserved functions to understand their role in the early stages of evolution and potentially in the origins of life. We identified candidate prions in all high-quality proteomes available in UniProt computationally, assessed their phylogenomic distributions, and analyzed candidate-prion functional annotations. Of the 27 980 560 proteins scanned, 228 561 were identified as candidate prions (~0.82%). Among these candidates, there were 84 Gene Ontology (GO) terms conserved across the three domains of life. We found that candidate prions with a possible role in adaptation were particularly well-represented within this group. We discuss unifying features of candidate prions to elucidate the primeval roles of prions and their associated functions. Candidate prions annotated as transcription factors, DNA binding, and kinases are particularly well suited to generating diverse responses to changes in their environment and could allow for adaptation and population expansion into more diverse environments. We hypothesized that a relationship between these functions and candidate prions could be evolutionarily ancient, even if individual prion domains themselves are not evolutionarily conserved. Candidate prions annotated with these universally occurring functions potentially represent the oldest extant prions on Earth and are therefore excellent experimental targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Zajkowski
- Universities Space Research Association at NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
- Polish Astrobiology Society, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michael D Lee
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Siddhant Sharma
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alec Vallota-Eastman
- Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Mikołaj Kuska
- Polish Astrobiology Society, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Malczewska
- Polish Astrobiology Society, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lynn J Rothschild
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, USA
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Muacevic A, Adler JR, Nigh G, McCullough PA. A Potential Role of the Spike Protein in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Narrative Review. Cureus 2023; 15:e34872. [PMID: 36788995 PMCID: PMC9922164 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.34872] [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] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human prion protein and prion-like protein misfolding are widely recognized as playing a causal role in many neurodegenerative diseases. Based on in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence relating to prion and prion-like disease, we extrapolate from the compelling evidence that the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 contains extended amino acid sequences characteristic of a prion-like protein to infer its potential to cause neurodegenerative disease. We propose that vaccine-induced spike protein synthesis can facilitate the accumulation of toxic prion-like fibrils in neurons. We outline various pathways through which these proteins could be expected to distribute throughout the body. We review both cellular pathologies and the expression of disease that could become more frequent in those who have undergone mRNA vaccination. Specifically, we describe the spike protein's contributions, via its prion-like properties, to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases; to clotting disorders within the vasculature; to further disease risk due to suppressed prion protein regulation in the context of widely prevalent insulin resistance; and to other health complications. We explain why these prion-like characteristics are more relevant to vaccine-related mRNA-induced spike proteins than natural infection with SARS-CoV-2. We note with an optimism an apparent loss of prion-like properties among the current Omicron variants. We acknowledge that the chain of pathological events described throughout this paper is only hypothetical and not yet verified. We also acknowledge that the evidence we usher in, while grounded in the research literature, is currently largely circumstantial, not direct. Finally, we describe the implications of our findings for the general public, and we briefly discuss public health recommendations we feel need urgent consideration. An earlier version of this article was previously posted to the Authorea preprint server on August 16, 2022.
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Pintado-Grima C, Santos J, Iglesias V, Manglano-Artuñedo Z, Pallarès I, Ventura S. Exploring cryptic amyloidogenic regions in prion-like proteins from plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1060410. [PMID: 36726678 PMCID: PMC9885169 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1060410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Prion-like domains (PrLDs) are intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of low sequence complexity with a similar composition to yeast prion domains. PrLDs-containing proteins have been involved in different organisms' regulatory processes. Regions of moderate amyloid propensity within IDRs have been shown to assemble autonomously into amyloid fibrils. These sequences tend to be rich in polar amino acids and often escape from the detection of classical bioinformatics screenings that look for highly aggregation-prone hydrophobic sequence stretches. We defined them as cryptic amyloidogenic regions (CARs) and recently developed an integrated database that collects thousands of predicted CARs in IDRs. CARs seem to be evolutionary conserved among disordered regions because of their potential to stablish functional contacts with other biomolecules. Here we have focused on identifying and characterizing CARs in prion-like proteins (pCARs) from plants, a lineage that has been poorly studied in comparison with other prionomes. We confirmed the intrinsic amyloid potential for a selected pCAR from Arabidopsis thaliana and explored functional enrichments and compositional bias of pCARs in plant prion-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Pintado-Grima
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Santos
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentín Iglesias
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zoe Manglano-Artuñedo
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irantzu Pallarès
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Behbahanipour M, García-Pardo J, Ventura S. Decoding the role of coiled-coil motifs in human prion-like proteins. Prion 2021; 15:143-154. [PMID: 34428113 PMCID: PMC8386614 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1961569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are self-propagating proteins that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans. However, increasing evidence suggests that eukaryotic cells exploit prion conformational conversion for functional purposes. A recent study delineated a group of twenty prion-like proteins in humans, characterized by the presence of low-complexity glutamine-rich sequences with overlapping coiled-coil (CCs) motifs. This is the case of Mediator complex subunit 15 (MED15), which is overexpressed in a wide range of human cancers. Biophysical studies demonstrated that the prion-like domain (PrLD) of MED15 forms homodimers in solution, sustained by CCs interactions. Furthermore, the same coiled-coil (CC) region plays a crucial role in the PrLD structural transition to a transmissible β-sheet amyloid state. In this review, we discuss the role of CCs motifs and their contribution to amyloid transitions in human prion-like domains (PrLDs), while providing a comprehensive overview of six predicted human prion-like proteins involved in transcription, gene expression, or DNA damage response and associated with human disease, whose PrLDs contain or overlap with CCs sequences. Finally, we try to rationalize how these molecular signatures might relate to both their function and involvement in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molood Behbahanipour
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier García-Pardo
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut De Biotecnologia I De Biomedicina (Ibb) and Departament De Bioquímica I Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Salladini E, Gondelaud F, Nilsson JF, Pesce G, Bignon C, Murrali MG, Fabre R, Pierattelli R, Kajava AV, Horvat B, Gerlier D, Mathieu C, Longhi S. Identification of a Region in the Common Amino-terminal Domain of Hendra Virus P, V, and W Proteins Responsible for Phase Transition and Amyloid Formation. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1324. [PMID: 34572537 PMCID: PMC8471210 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Henipaviruses are BSL-4 zoonotic pathogens responsible in humans for severe encephalitis. Their V protein is a key player in the evasion of the host innate immune response. We previously showed that the Henipavirus V proteins consist of a long intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain (NTD) and a β-enriched C-terminal domain (CTD). These terminals are critical for V binding to DDB1, which is a cellular protein that is a component of the ubiquitin ligase E3 complex, as well as binding to MDA5 and LGP2, which are two host sensors of viral RNA. Here, we serendipitously discovered that the Hendra virus V protein undergoes a liquid-to-hydrogel phase transition and identified the V region responsible for this phenomenon. This region, referred to as PNT3 and encompassing residues 200-310, was further investigated using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches. Congo red binding assays, together with negative-staining transmisison electron microscopy (TEM) studies, show that PNT3 forms amyloid-like fibrils. Fibrillation abilities are dramatically reduced in a rationally designed PNT3 variant in which a stretch of three contiguous tyrosines, falling within an amyloidogenic motif, were replaced by three alanines. Worthy to note, Congo red staining experiments provided hints that these amyloid-like fibrils form not only in vitro but also in cellula after transfection or infection. The present results set the stage for further investigations aimed at assessing the functional role of phase separation and fibrillation by the Henipavirus V proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Salladini
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Frank Gondelaud
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Juliet F. Nilsson
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Giulia Pesce
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Christophe Bignon
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
| | - Maria Grazia Murrali
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM) and Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; (M.G.M.); (R.P.)
| | - Roxane Fabre
- Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France;
| | - Roberta Pierattelli
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM) and Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; (M.G.M.); (R.P.)
| | - Andrey V. Kajava
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR 5237, CNRS, Université Montpellier, 34293 Montpellier, France;
| | - Branka Horvat
- Team Immunobiology of the Viral Infections, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Université de Lyon, INSERM, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France; (B.H.); (D.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Denis Gerlier
- Team Immunobiology of the Viral Infections, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Université de Lyon, INSERM, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France; (B.H.); (D.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Cyrille Mathieu
- Team Immunobiology of the Viral Infections, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Université de Lyon, INSERM, U1111, CNRS, UMR 5308, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France; (B.H.); (D.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Sonia Longhi
- Laboratory Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Aix Marseille University, CEDEX 9, 13288 Marseille, France; (E.S.); (F.G.); (J.F.N.); (G.P.); (C.B.)
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Gil‐Garcia M, Iglesias V, Pallarès I, Ventura S. Prion-like proteins: from computational approaches to proteome-wide analysis. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:2400-2417. [PMID: 34057308 PMCID: PMC8409284 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are self-perpetuating proteins able to switch between a soluble state and an aggregated-and-transmissible conformation. These proteinaceous entities have been widely studied in yeast, where they are involved in hereditable phenotypic adaptations. The notion that such proteins could play functional roles and be positively selected by evolution has triggered the development of computational tools to identify prion-like proteins in different kingdoms of life. These algorithms have succeeded in screening multiple proteomes, allowing the identification of prion-like proteins in a diversity of unrelated organisms, evidencing that the prion phenomenon is well conserved among species. Interestingly enough, prion-like proteins are not only connected with the formation of functional membraneless protein-nucleic acid coacervates, but are also linked to human diseases. This review addresses state-of-the-art computational approaches to identify prion-like proteins, describes proteome-wide analysis efforts, discusses these unique proteins' functional role, and illustrates recently validated examples in different domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Gil‐Garcia
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia MolecularInstitut de Biotecnologia i de BiomedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaSpain
| | - Valentín Iglesias
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia MolecularInstitut de Biotecnologia i de BiomedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaSpain
| | - Irantzu Pallarès
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia MolecularInstitut de Biotecnologia i de BiomedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaSpain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia MolecularInstitut de Biotecnologia i de BiomedicinaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaSpain
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MED15 prion-like domain forms a coiled-coil responsible for its amyloid conversion and propagation. Commun Biol 2021; 4:414. [PMID: 33772081 PMCID: PMC7997880 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A disordered to β-sheet transition was thought to drive the functional switch of Q/N-rich prions, similar to pathogenic amyloids. However, recent evidence indicates a critical role for coiled-coil (CC) regions within yeast prion domains in amyloid formation. We show that many human prion-like domains (PrLDs) contain CC regions that overlap with polyQ tracts. Most of the proteins bearing these domains are transcriptional coactivators, including the Mediator complex subunit 15 (MED15) involved in bridging enhancers and promoters. We demonstrate that the human MED15-PrLD forms homodimers in solution sustained by CC interactions and that it is this CC fold that mediates the transition towards a β-sheet amyloid state, its chemical or genetic disruption abolishing aggregation. As in functional yeast prions, a GFP globular domain adjacent to MED15-PrLD retains its structural integrity in the amyloid state. Expression of MED15-PrLD in human cells promotes the formation of cytoplasmic and perinuclear inclusions, kidnapping endogenous full-length MED15 to these aggregates in a prion-like manner. The prion-like properties of MED15 are conserved, suggesting novel mechanisms for the function and malfunction of this transcription coactivator.
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Alnakhli SH, Wand H, Law M, Sarros S, Stehmann C, Senesi M, Klug GM, Simpson M, Lewis V, Masters CL, Collins SJ. Intra-cerebral haemorrhage but not neurodegenerative disease appears over-represented in deaths of Australian cadaveric pituitary hormone recipients. J Clin Neurosci 2020; 81:78-82. [PMID: 33222975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.09.021] [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: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Recent scientific reports and epidemiological studies have engendered mounting concerns regarding the potential human-to-human transmissibility of non-prion neurodegenerative and related diseases. This study investigated whether recipients of cadaveric pituitary hormone treatments are at increased risk of death from non-prion neurodegenerative and related diseases. METHODS A retrospective national cohort study based on death certificates of recipients of the cadaveric pituitary hormone treatments (n = 184) as part of the Australian Human Pituitary Hormone Program (AHPHP; n = 2940) 1967-1985. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) from non-prion neurodegenerative and other diseases were estimated based on the Australian population. RESULTS Allowing for potential diagnostic mis-attributions, there was no significant increase in the SMR from non-prion central nervous system (CNS) neurodegenerative disease, especially dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease (0.47; [95% CI: 0.19, 1.12] P = 0.081). The SMR for intra-cerebral haemorrhage, potentially related to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), was increased (2.77; [95% CI: 1.12-5.75] P = 0.009), although accommodation of possible mis-diagnosis through conflation of this category with other stroke causes of death emphasising likely intra-cranial haemorrhage showed no persisting significant increase in mortality in cadaveric pituitary hormone recipients, including all deaths recorded as due to intra-cranial haemorrhage (1.72; [95% CI: 0.80, 3.26] P = 0.123). CONCLUSION In the setting of recent evidence strongly supporting the likelihood of brain-to-brain horizontal transmission and subsequent propagation and deposition of abnormally folded proteins associated with non-prion neurodegenerative and related disorders, this study offers further tentative support for deaths directly stemming from transmission of non-prion disease related to cadaveric pituitary hormone treatment. Acknowledging the limitations of the present study, however, ongoing detailed assessments of this potential risk are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan H Alnakhli
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Handan Wand
- The Kirby Institute (formerly National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research), University of New South Wales, Coogee 2034, Australia
| | - Matthew Law
- The Kirby Institute (formerly National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research), University of New South Wales, Coogee 2034, Australia
| | - Shannon Sarros
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Christiane Stehmann
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Matteo Senesi
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Genevieve M Klug
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Marion Simpson
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Victoria Lewis
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Colin L Masters
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Steven J Collins
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR), The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia.
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Nil Z, Hervás R, Gerbich T, Leal P, Yu Z, Saraf A, Sardiu M, Lange JJ, Yi K, Unruh J, Slaughter B, Si K. Amyloid-like Assembly Activates a Phosphatase in the Developing Drosophila Embryo. Cell 2020; 178:1403-1420.e21. [PMID: 31491385 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion-like proteins can assume distinct conformational and physical states in the same cell. Sequence analysis suggests that prion-like proteins are prevalent in various species; however, it remains unclear what functional space they occupy in multicellular organisms. Here, we report the identification of a prion-like protein, Herzog (CG5830), through a multimodal screen in Drosophila melanogaster. Herzog functions as a membrane-associated phosphatase and controls embryonic patterning, likely being involved in TGF-β/BMP and FGF/EGF signaling pathways. Remarkably, monomeric Herzog is enzymatically inactive and becomes active upon amyloid-like assembly. The prion-like domain of Herzog is necessary for both its assembly and membrane targeting. Removal of the prion-like domain impairs activity, while restoring assembly on the membrane using a heterologous prion-like domain and membrane-targeting motif can restore phosphatase activity. This study provides an example of a prion-like domain that allows an enzyme to gain essential functionality via amyloid-like assembly to control animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelha Nil
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Rubén Hervás
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Therese Gerbich
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Paulo Leal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Mihaela Sardiu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Kexi Yi
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Brian Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Kausik Si
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000E 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Ebo JS, Guthertz N, Radford SE, Brockwell DJ. Using protein engineering to understand and modulate aggregation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:157-166. [PMID: 32087409 PMCID: PMC7132541 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Protein aggregation occurs through a variety of mechanisms, initiated by the unfolded, non-native, or even the native state itself. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of protein aggregation is challenging, given the array of competing interactions that control solubility, stability, cooperativity and aggregation propensity. An array of methods have been developed to interrogate protein aggregation, spanning computational algorithms able to identify aggregation-prone regions, to deep mutational scanning to define the entire mutational landscape of a protein's sequence. Here, we review recent advances in this exciting and emerging field, focussing on protein engineering approaches that, together with improved computational methods, hold promise to predict and control protein aggregation linked to human disease, as well as facilitating the manufacture of protein-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Ebo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Nicolas Guthertz
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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11
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Iglesias V, Paladin L, Juan-Blanco T, Pallarès I, Aloy P, Tosatto SCE, Ventura S. In silico Characterization of Human Prion-Like Proteins: Beyond Neurological Diseases. Front Physiol 2019; 10:314. [PMID: 30971948 PMCID: PMC6445884 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion-like behavior has been in the spotlight since it was first associated with the onset of mammalian neurodegenerative diseases. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that this mechanism could be behind the regulation of processes such as transcription and translation in multiple species. Here, we perform a stringent computational survey to identify prion-like proteins in the human proteome. We detected 242 candidate polypeptides and computationally assessed their function, protein–protein interaction networks, tissular expression, and their link to disease. Human prion-like proteins constitute a subset of modular polypeptides broadly expressed across different cell types and tissues, significantly associated with disease, embedded in highly connected interaction networks, and involved in the flow of genetic information in the cell. Our analysis suggests that these proteins might play a relevant role not only in neurological disorders, but also in different types of cancer and viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Iglesias
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lisanna Paladin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Teresa Juan-Blanco
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Program in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irantzu Pallarès
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Aloy
- Joint IRB-BSC-CRG Program in Computational Biology, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvio C E Tosatto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Padua, Italy
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Díaz-Caballero M, Navarro S, Fuentes I, Teixidor F, Ventura S. Minimalist Prion-Inspired Polar Self-Assembling Peptides. ACS NANO 2018; 12:5394-5407. [PMID: 29812908 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b00417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Nature provides copious examples of self-assembling supramolecular nanofibers. Among them, amyloid structures have found amazing applications as advanced materials in fields such as biomedicine and nanotechnology. Prions are a singular subset of proteins able to switch between a soluble conformation and an amyloid state. The ability to transit between these two conformations is encoded in the so-called prion domains (PrDs), which are long and disordered regions of low complexity, enriched in polar and uncharged amino acids such as Gln, Asn, Tyr, Ser, and Gly. The polar nature of PrDs results in slow amyloid formation, which allows kinetic control of fiber assembly. This approach has been exploited for fabrication of multifunctional materials because in contrast to most amyloids, PrDs lack hydrophobic stretches that can nucleate their aggregation, their assembly depends on the establishment of a large number of weak interactions along the complete domain. The length and low complexity of PrDs make their chemical synthesis for applied purposed hardly affordable. Here, we designed four minimalist polar binary patterned peptides inspired in PrDs, which include the [Q/N/G/S]-Y-[Q/N/G/S] motif frequently observed in these domains: NYNYNYN, QYQYQYQ, SYSYSYS, and GYGYGYG. Despite their small size, they all recapitulate the properties of full-length PrDs, self-assembling into nontoxic amyloids under physiological conditions. Thus, they constitute small building blocks for the construction of tailored prion-inspired nanostructures. We exploited Tyr residues in these peptides to generate highly stable dityrosine cross-linked assemblies for the immobilization of metal nanoparticles in the fibrils surface and to develop an electrocatalytic amyloid scaffold. Moreover, we show that the shorter and more polar NYNNYN, QYQQYQ, and SYSSYS hexapeptides also self-assemble into amyloid-like structures, consistent with the presence of these tandem motifs in human prion-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Díaz-Caballero
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona , Spain
| | - Susanna Navarro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona , Spain
| | - Isabel Fuentes
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, Campus UAB , 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona , Spain
| | - Francesc Teixidor
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, Campus UAB , 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona , Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular , Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona , Spain
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13
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Abstract
AbstractPrions are proteins that can self-propagate, leading to the misfolding of proteins. In addition to the previously demonstrated pathogenic roles of prions during the development of different mammalian diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, they have recently been shown to represent an important functional component in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and bacteriophages, confirming the previously unexplored important regulatory and functional roles. However, an in-depth analysis of these domains in eukaryotic viruses has not been performed. Here, we examined the presence of prion-like proteins in eukaryotic viruses that play a primary role in different ecosystems and that are associated with emerging diseases in humans. We identified relevant functional associations in different viral processes and regularities in their presence at different taxonomic levels. Using the prion-like amino-acid composition computational algorithm, we detected 2679 unique putative prion-like domains within 2,742,160 publicly available viral protein sequences. Our findings indicate that viral prion-like proteins can be found in different viruses of insects, plants, mammals, and humans. The analysis performed here demonstrated common patterns in the distribution of prion-like domains across viral orders and families, and revealed probable functional associations with different steps of viral replication and interaction with host cells. These data allow the identification of the viral prion-like proteins as potential novel regulators of viral infections.
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14
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Abstract
Prions are proteins that can self-propagate, leading to the misfolding of proteins. In addition to the previously demonstrated pathogenic roles of prions during the development of different mammalian diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, they have recently been shown to represent an important functional component in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and bacteriophages, confirming the previously unexplored important regulatory and functional roles. However, an in-depth analysis of these domains in eukaryotic viruses has not been performed. Here, we examined the presence of prion-like proteins in eukaryotic viruses that play a primary role in different ecosystems and that are associated with emerging diseases in humans. We identified relevant functional associations in different viral processes and regularities in their presence at different taxonomic levels. Using the prion-like amino-acid composition computational algorithm, we detected 2679 unique putative prion-like domains within 2,742,160 publicly available viral protein sequences. Our findings indicate that viral prion-like proteins can be found in different viruses of insects, plants, mammals, and humans. The analysis performed here demonstrated common patterns in the distribution of prion-like domains across viral orders and families, and revealed probable functional associations with different steps of viral replication and interaction with host cells. These data allow the identification of the viral prion-like proteins as potential novel regulators of viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Tetz
- Human Microbiology Institute, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Victor Tetz
- Human Microbiology Institute, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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15
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Batlle C, de Groot NS, Iglesias V, Navarro S, Ventura S. Characterization of Soft Amyloid Cores in Human Prion-Like Proteins. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12134. [PMID: 28935930 PMCID: PMC5608858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09714-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion-like behaviour is attracting much attention due to the growing evidences that amyloid-like self-assembly may reach beyond neurodegeneration and be a conserved functional mechanism. The best characterized functional prions correspond to a subset of yeast proteins involved in translation or transcription. Their conformational promiscuity is encoded in Prion Forming Domains (PFDs), usually long and intrinsically disordered protein segments of low complexity. The compositional bias of these regions seems to be important for the transition between soluble and amyloid-like states. We have proposed that the presence of cryptic soft amyloid cores embedded in yeast PFDs can also be important for their assembly and demonstrated their existence and self-propagating abilities. Here, we used an orthogonal approach in the search of human domains that share yeast PFDs compositional bias and exhibit a predicted nucleating core, identifying 535 prion-like candidates. We selected seven proteins involved in transcriptional or translational regulation and associated to disease to characterize the properties of their amyloid cores. All of them self-assemble spontaneously into amyloid-like structures able to propagate their polymeric state. This provides support for the presence of short sequences able to trigger conformational conversion in prion-like human proteins, potentially regulating their functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Batlle
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Natalia Sanchez de Groot
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentin Iglesias
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Susanna Navarro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain.
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