Applying Hsp104 to protein-misfolding disorders

Design principles to tailor Hsp104 therapeutics

The hexameric AAA+ disaggregase, Hsp104, collaborates with Hsp70 and Hsp40 via its autoregulatory middle domain (MD) to solubilize aggregated protein conformers. However, how ATP- or ADP-specific MD configurations regulate Hsp104 hexamers remains poorly understood. Here, we define an ATP-specific network of interprotomer contacts between nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) and MD helix L1, which tunes Hsp70 collaboration. Manipulating this network can: (a) reduce Hsp70 collaboration without enhancing activity; (b) generate Hsp104 hypomorphs that collaborate selectively with class B Hsp40s; (c) produce Hsp70-independent potentiated variants; or (d) create species barriers between Hsp104 and Hsp70. Conversely, ADP-specific intraprotomer contacts between MD helix L2 and NBD1 restrict activity, and their perturbation frequently potentiates Hsp104. Importantly, adjusting the NBD1:MD helix L1 rheostat via rational design enables finely tuned collaboration with Hsp70 to safely potentiate Hsp104, minimize off-target toxicity, and counteract FUS proteinopathy in human cells. Thus, we establish important design principles to tailor Hsp104 therapeutics.

Quantitative NMR analysis of the mechanism and kinetics of chaperone Hsp104 action on amyloid-β42 aggregation and fibril formation

The chaperone Hsp104, a member of the Hsp100/Clp family of translocases, prevents fibril formation of a variety of amyloidogenic peptides in a paradoxically substoichiometric manner. To understand the mechanism whereby Hsp104 inhibits fibril formation, we probed the interaction of Hsp104 with the Alzheimer's amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) peptide using a variety of biophysical techniques. Hsp104 is highly effective at suppressing the formation of Thioflavin T (ThT) reactive mature fibrils that are readily observed by atomic force (AFM) and electron (EM) microscopies. Quantitative kinetic analysis and global fitting was performed on serially recorded 1H-15N correlation spectra to monitor the disappearance of Aβ42 monomers during the course of aggregation over a wide range of Hsp104 concentrations. Under the conditions employed (50 μM Aβ42 at 20 °C), Aβ42 aggregation occurs by a branching mechanism: an irreversible on-pathway leading to mature fibrils that entails primary and secondary nucleation and saturating elongation; and a reversible off-pathway to form nonfibrillar oligomers, unreactive to ThT and too large to be observed directly by NMR, but too small to be visualized by AFM or EM. Hsp104 binds reversibly with nanomolar affinity to sparsely populated Aβ42 nuclei present in nanomolar concentrations, generated by primary and secondary nucleation, thereby completely inhibiting on-pathway fibril formation at substoichiometric ratios of Hsp104 to Aβ42 monomers. Tight binding to sparsely populated nuclei likely constitutes a general mechanism for substoichiometric inhibition of fibrillization by a variety of chaperones. Hsp104 also impacts off-pathway oligomerization but to a much smaller degree initially reducing and then increasing the rate of off-pathway oligomerization.

Proteostasis and Ribostasis Impairment as Common Cell Death Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Diseases

The cellular homeostasis of proteins (proteostasis) and RNA metabolism (ribostasis) are essential for maintaining both the structure and function of the brain. However, aging, cellular stress conditions, and genetic contributions cause disturbances in proteostasis and ribostasis that lead to protein misfolding, insoluble aggregate deposition, and abnormal ribonucleoprotein granule dynamics. In addition to neurons being primarily postmitotic, nondividing cells, they are more susceptible to the persistent accumulation of abnormal aggregates. Indeed, defects associated with the failure to maintain proteostasis and ribostasis are common pathogenic components of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Furthermore, the neuronal deposition of misfolded and aggregated proteins can cause both increased toxicity and impaired physiological function, which lead to neuronal dysfunction and cell death. There is recent evidence that irreversible liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is responsible for the pathogenic aggregate formation of disease-related proteins, including tau, α-synuclein, and RNA-binding proteins, including transactive response DNA-binding protein 43, fused in sarcoma, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1. Investigations of LLPS and its control therefore suggest that chaperone/disaggregase, which reverse protein aggregation, are valuable therapeutic targets for effective treatments for neurological diseases. Here we review and discuss recent studies to highlight the importance of understanding the common cell death mechanisms of proteostasis and ribostasis in neurodegenerative diseases.

Mapping the degradation pathway of a disease-linked aspartoacylase variant

Canavan disease is a severe progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by swelling and spongy degeneration of brain white matter. The disease is genetically linked to polymorphisms in the aspartoacylase (ASPA) gene, including the substitution C152W. ASPA C152W is associated with greatly reduced protein levels in cells, yet biophysical experiments suggest a wild-type like thermal stability. Here, we use ASPA C152W as a model to investigate the degradation pathway of a disease-causing protein variant. When we expressed ASPA C152W in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we found a decreased steady state compared to wild-type ASPA as a result of increased proteasomal degradation. However, molecular dynamics simulations of ASPA C152W did not substantially deviate from wild-type ASPA, indicating that the native state is structurally preserved. Instead, we suggest that the C152W substitution interferes with the de novo folding pathway resulting in increased proteasomal degradation before reaching its stable conformation. Systematic mapping of the protein quality control components acting on misfolded and aggregation-prone species of C152W, revealed that the degradation is highly dependent on the molecular chaperone Hsp70, its co-chaperone Hsp110 as well as several quality control E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases, including Ubr1. In addition, the disaggregase Hsp104 facilitated refolding of aggregated ASPA C152W, while Cdc48 mediated degradation of insoluble ASPA protein. In human cells, ASPA C152W displayed increased proteasomal turnover that was similarly dependent on Hsp70 and Hsp110. Our findings underscore the use of yeast to determine the protein quality control components involved in the degradation of human pathogenic variants in order to identify potential therapeutic targets.

Therapeutic genetic variation revealed in diverse Hsp104 homologs

The AAA+ protein disaggregase, Hsp104, increases fitness under stress by reversing stress-induced protein aggregation. Natural Hsp104 variants might exist with enhanced, selective activity against neurodegenerative disease substrates. However, natural Hsp104 variation remains largely unexplored. Here, we screened a cross-kingdom collection of Hsp104 homologs in yeast proteotoxicity models. Prokaryotic ClpG reduced TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein toxicity, whereas prokaryotic ClpB and hyperactive variants were ineffective. We uncovered therapeutic genetic variation among eukaryotic Hsp104 homologs that specifically antagonized TDP-43 condensation and toxicity in yeast and TDP-43 aggregation in human cells. We also uncovered distinct eukaryotic Hsp104 homologs that selectively antagonized α-synuclein condensation and toxicity in yeast and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in C. elegans. Surprisingly, this therapeutic variation did not manifest as enhanced disaggregase activity, but rather as increased passive inhibition of aggregation of specific substrates. By exploring natural tuning of this passive Hsp104 activity, we elucidated enhanced, substrate-specific agents that counter proteotoxicity underlying neurodegeneration.

Pathophysiological implications of RNP granules in frontotemporal dementia and ALS

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of chronic, progressive, age-related disorders that are becoming increasingly prevalent in the ageing population. Despite the variety of clinical features observed, neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by protein aggregation and deposition at the molecular level. The nature of such intracellular protein aggregates is dependent on disease type and specific to disease subtype. Frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are two overlapping neurodegenerative diseases, exhibiting pathological aggregates commonly composed of the proteins: Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) or Transactive Response DNA Binding Protein of 43 KDa (TDP-43). The presence of these protein aggregates in late disease stages is suggestive of a converging underlying mechanism of pathology across diseases involving disrupted proteostasis. Despite this, at present there are no effective therapeutics for the diseases, with current treatment strategies generally tending to be only for symptom management. An area of research that has gained increased interest in recent years is the formation and maintenance of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules. These are membraneless organelles that consist of RNA and protein elements, which can be either constitutively expressed (such as nuclear paraspeckles) or upregulated under conditions of cellular stress as an adaptive response (such as cytoplasmic stress granules). RNA-binding proteins are a key component of RNP granules, and crucially some of which, for example FUS and TDP-43, are also neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins. Therefore, a better understanding of RNA-binding proteins in RNP granule formation and the regulation and maintenance of RNP granule biophysical properties and dynamics may provide insights into mechanisms contributing to disrupted proteostasis in neurodegenerative pathology; and thus open up new avenues for therapeutic discovery and development. This review will focus on stress granule and paraspeckle RNP granules, and discuss their possible contribution to pathology in cases of frontotemporal dementia and ALS.

Prions and Prion-like assemblies in neurodegeneration and immunity: The emergence of universal mechanisms across health and disease

Prion-like behaviour is an abrupt process, an "all-or-nothing" transition between a monomeric species and an "infinite" fibrillated form. Once a nucleation point is formed, the process is unstoppable as fibrils self-propagate by recruiting and converting all monomers into the amyloid fold. After the "mad cow" episode, prion diseases have made the headlines, but more and more prion-like behaviours have emerged in neurodegenerative diseases, where formation of fibrils and large conglomerates of proteins deeply disrupt the cell homeostasis. More interestingly, in the last decade, examples emerged to suggest that prion-like conversion can be used as a positive gain of function, for memory storage or structural scaffolding. More recent experiments show that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg and that, for example, prion-like amplification is found in many pathways of the immune response. In innate immunity, receptors on the cellular surface or within the cells 'sense' danger and propagate this information as signal, through protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between 'receptor', 'adaptor' and 'effector' proteins. In innate immunity, the smallest signal of a foreign element or pathogen needs to trigger a macroscopic signal output, and it was found that adaptor polymerize to create an extreme signal amplification. Interestingly, our body uses multiple structural motifs to create large signalling platform; a few innate proteins use amyloid scaffolds but most of the polymers discovered are composed by self-assembly in helical filaments. Some of these helical assemblies even have intercellular "contamination" in a "true" prion action, as demonstrated for ASC specks and MyD88 filaments. Here, we will describe the current knowledge in neurodegenerative diseases and innate immunity and show how these two very different fields can cross-seed discoveries.

Yeast Models for Amyloids and Prions: Environmental Modulation and Drug Discovery

Amyloids are self-perpetuating protein aggregates causing neurodegenerative diseases in mammals. Prions are transmissible protein isoforms (usually of amyloid nature). Prion features were recently reported for various proteins involved in amyloid and neural inclusion disorders. Heritable yeast prions share molecular properties (and in the case of polyglutamines, amino acid composition) with human disease-related amyloids. Fundamental protein quality control pathways, including chaperones, the ubiquitin proteasome system and autophagy are highly conserved between yeast and human cells. Crucial cellular proteins and conditions influencing amyloids and prions were uncovered in the yeast model. The treatments available for neurodegenerative amyloid-associated diseases are few and their efficiency is limited. Yeast models of amyloid-related neurodegenerative diseases have become powerful tools for high-throughput screening for chemical compounds and FDA-approved drugs that reduce aggregation and toxicity of amyloids. Although some environmental agents have been linked to certain amyloid diseases, the molecular basis of their action remains unclear. Environmental stresses trigger amyloid formation and loss, acting either via influencing intracellular concentrations of the amyloidogenic proteins or via heterologous inducers of prions. Studies of environmental and physiological regulation of yeast prions open new possibilities for pharmacological intervention and/or prophylactic procedures aiming on common cellular systems rather than the properties of specific amyloids.

AAA+ Protein-Based Technologies to Counter Neurodegenerative Disease

Protein misfolding and overloaded proteostasis networks underlie a range of neurodegenerative diseases. No cures exist for these diseases, but developing effective therapeutic agents targeting the toxic, misfolded protein species in disease is one promising strategy. AAA+ (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) protein translocases, which naturally unfold and translocate substrate proteins, could be potent therapeutic agents to disassemble toxic protein conformers in neurodegenerative disease. Here, we discuss repurposing AAA+ protein translocases Hsp104 and proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN) to alleviate the toxicity from protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disease. Hsp104 effectively protects various animal models from neurodegeneration underpinned by protein misfolding, and enhanced Hsp104 variants strongly counter neurodegenerative disease-associated protein misfolding toxicity in yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammalian cells. Similarly, a recently engineered PAN variant (PANet) mitigates photoreceptor degeneration instigated by protein misfolding in a mouse model of retinopathy. Further study and engineering of AAA+ translocases like Hsp104 and PAN will reveal promising agents to combat protein misfolding toxicity in neurodegenerative disease.

Potentiating Hsp104 activity via phosphomimetic mutations in the middle domain

Hsp104 is a hexameric AAA + ATPase and protein disaggregase found in yeast, which can be potentiated via mutations in its middle domain (MD) to counter toxic phase separation by TDP-43, FUS and α-synuclein connected to devastating neurodegenerative disorders. Subtle missense mutations in the Hsp104 MD can enhance activity, indicating that post-translational modification of specific MD residues might also potentiate Hsp104. Indeed, several serine and threonine residues throughout Hsp104 can be phosphorylated in vivo. Here, we introduce phosphomimetic aspartate or glutamate residues at these positions and assess Hsp104 activity. Remarkably, phosphomimetic T499D/E and S535D/E mutations in the MD enable Hsp104 to counter TDP-43, FUS and α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity in yeast, whereas T499A/V/I and S535A do not. Moreover, Hsp104T499E and Hsp104S535E exhibit enhanced ATPase activity and Hsp70-independent disaggregase activity in vitro. We suggest that phosphorylation of T499 or S535 may elicit enhanced Hsp104 disaggregase activity in a reversible and regulated manner.

Biomolecular Assemblies: Moving from Observation to Predictive Design

Biomolecular assembly is a key driving force in nearly all life processes, providing structure, information storage, and communication within cells and at the whole organism level. These assembly processes rely on precise interactions between functional groups on nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and small molecules, and can be fine-tuned to span a range of time, length, and complexity scales. Recognizing the power of these motifs, researchers have sought to emulate and engineer biomolecular assemblies in the laboratory, with goals ranging from modulating cellular function to the creation of new polymeric materials. In most cases, engineering efforts are inspired or informed by understanding the structure and properties of naturally occurring assemblies, which has in turn fueled the development of predictive models that enable computational design of novel assemblies. This Review will focus on selected examples of protein assemblies, highlighting the story arc from initial discovery of an assembly, through initial engineering attempts, toward the ultimate goal of predictive design. The aim of this Review is to highlight areas where significant progress has been made, as well as to outline remaining challenges, as solving these challenges will be the key that unlocks the full power of biomolecules for advances in technology and medicine.

Studying Huntington's Disease in Yeast: From Mechanisms to Pharmacological Approaches

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to progressive neuronal loss, provoking impaired motor control, cognitive decline, and dementia. So far, HD remains incurable, and available drugs are effective only for symptomatic management. HD is caused by a mutant form of the huntingtin protein, which harbors an elongated polyglutamine domain and is highly prone to aggregation. However, many aspects underlying the cytotoxicity of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) remain elusive, hindering the efficient development of applicable interventions to counteract HD. An important strategy to obtain molecular insights into human disorders in general is the use of eukaryotic model organisms, which are easy to genetically manipulate and display a high degree of conservation regarding disease-relevant cellular processes. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a long-standing and successful history in modeling a plethora of human maladies and has recently emerged as an effective tool to study neurodegenerative disorders, including HD. Here, we summarize some of the most important contributions of yeast to HD research, specifically concerning the elucidation of mechanistic features of mHTT cytotoxicity and the potential of yeast as a platform to screen for pharmacological agents against HD.

Archaeal Unfoldase Counteracts Protein Misfolding Retinopathy in Mice

Deregulation of cellular proteostasis due to the failure of the ubiquitin proteasome system to dispose of misfolded aggregation-prone proteins is a hallmark of various neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Microorganisms have evolved to survive massive protein misfolding and aggregation triggered by heat shock using their protein-unfolding ATPases (unfoldases) from the Hsp100 family. Because the Hsp100 chaperones are absent in homoeothermic mammals, we hypothesized that the vulnerability of mammalian neurons to misfolded proteins could be mitigated by expressing a xenogeneic unfoldase. To test this idea, we expressed proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN), a protein-unfolding ATPase from thermophilic Archaea, which is homologous to the 19S eukaryotic proteasome and similar to the Hsp100 family chaperones in rod photoreceptors of mice. We found that PAN had no obvious effect in healthy rods; however, it effectively counteracted protein-misfolding retinopathy in Gγ1 knock-out mice. We conclude that archaeal PAN can rescue a protein-misfolding neurodegenerative disease, likely by recognizing misfolded mammalian proteins.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study demonstrates successful therapeutic application of an archaeal molecular chaperone in an animal model of neurodegenerative disease. Introducing the archaeal protein-unfolding ATPase proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN) into the retinal photoreceptors of mice protected these neurons from the cytotoxic effect of misfolded proteins. We propose that xenogeneic protein-unfolding chaperones could be equally effective against other types of neurodegenerative diseases of protein-misfolding etiology.

The molecular language of membraneless organelles

Eukaryotic cells organize their intracellular components into organelles that can be membrane-bound or membraneless. A large number of membraneless organelles, including nucleoli, Cajal bodies, P-bodies, and stress granules, exist as liquid droplets within the cell and arise from the condensation of cellular material in a process termed liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Beyond a mere organizational tool, concentrating cellular components into membraneless organelles tunes biochemical reactions and improves cellular fitness during stress. In this review, we provide an overview of the molecular underpinnings of the formation and regulation of these membraneless organelles. This molecular understanding explains emergent properties of these membraneless organelles and shines new light on neurodegenerative diseases, which may originate from disturbances in LLPS and membraneless organelles.

Yeast as a Model to Unravel Mechanisms Behind FUS Toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a multifunctional DNA/RNA-binding protein predominantly localized in the cell nucleus. However, FUS has been shown to accumulate and form aggregates in the cytoplasm when mislocalized there due to mutations. These FUS protein aggregates are known as pathological hallmarks in a subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) cases. In this review, we discussed recent research developments on elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind FUS protein aggregation and toxicity. We mainly focus on studies using the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model system, especially on results acquired from yeast genome-wide screens addressing FUS aggregation and toxicity. Human homologs of the FUS toxicity suppressors, identified from these studies, indicate a strong relevance and correlation to a human disease model. By using yeast as a FUS cytotoxicity model these studies provided valuable clues on potential novel targets for therapeutic intervention in ALS.

Amyloid assembly and disassembly

Amyloid fibrils are protein homopolymers that adopt diverse cross-β conformations. Some amyloid fibrils are associated with the pathogenesis of devastating neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Conversely, functional amyloids play beneficial roles in melanosome biogenesis, long-term memory formation and release of peptide hormones. Here, we showcase advances in our understanding of amyloid assembly and structure, and how distinct amyloid strains formed by the same protein can cause distinct neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss how mutant steric zippers promote deleterious amyloidogenesis and aberrant liquid-to-gel phase transitions. We also highlight effective strategies to combat amyloidogenesis and related toxicity, including: (1) small-molecule drugs (e.g. tafamidis) to inhibit amyloid formation or (2) stimulate amyloid degradation by the proteasome and autophagy, and (3) protein disaggregases that disassemble toxic amyloid and soluble oligomers. We anticipate that these advances will inspire therapeutics for several fatal neurodegenerative diseases.

Summary: This Review showcases important advances in our understanding of amyloid structure, assembly and disassembly, which are inspiring novel therapeutic strategies for amyloid disorders.

Variant-specific and reciprocal Hsp40 functions in Hsp104-mediated prion elimination

The amyloid-based prions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are heritable aggregates of misfolded proteins, passed to daughter cells following fragmentation by molecular chaperones including the J-protein Sis1, Hsp70 and Hsp104. Overexpression of Hsp104 efficiently cures cell populations of the prion [PSI+ ] by an alternative Sis1-dependent mechanism that is currently the subject of significant debate. Here, we broadly investigate the role of J-proteins in this process by determining the impact of amyloid polymorphisms (prion variants) on the ability of well-studied Sis1 constructs to compensate for Sis1 and ask whether any other S. cerevisiae cytosolic J-proteins are also required for this process. Our comprehensive screen, examining all 13 members of the yeast cytosolic/nuclear J-protein complement, uncovered significant variant-dependent genetic evidence for a role of Apj1 (antiprion DnaJ) in this process. For strong, but not weak [PSI+ ] variants, depletion of Apj1 inhibits Hsp104-mediated curing. Overexpression of either Apj1 or Sis1 enhances curing, while overexpression of Ydj1 completely blocks it. We also demonstrated that Sis1 was the only J-protein necessary for the propagation of at least two weak [PSI+ ] variants and no J-protein alteration, or even combination of alterations, affected the curing of weak [PSI+ ] variants, suggesting the possibility of biochemically distinct, variant-specific Hsp104-mediated curing mechanisms.

A non-transcriptional role for the glucocorticoid receptor in mediating the cell stress response

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is essential for the stress response in mammals. We investigated potential non-transcriptional roles of GR in cellular stress response using fission yeast as a model.We surprisingly discovered marked heat stress resistance in yeast ectopically expressing human GR, which required expression of both the N-terminal transactivation domain, and the C-terminal ligand binding domain, but not the DNA-binding domain of the GR. This effect was not affected by GR ligand exposure, and occurred without significant GR nuclear accumulation. Mechanistically, the GR survival effect required Hsp104, and, indeed, GR expression increased Hsp104 expression. Proteomic analysis revealed GR binding to translasome components, including eIF3, a known partner for Sty1, a pattern of protein interaction which we confirmed using yeast two-hybrid studies.Taken together, we find evidence for a novel pathway conferring stress resistance in yeast that can be activated by the human GR, acting by protein-protein mechanisms in the cytoplasm. This suggests that in organisms where GR is natively expressed, GR likely contributes to stress responses through non-transcriptional mechanisms in addition to its well-established transcriptional responses.

RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in health and disease

Approximately 70 human RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) contain a prion-like domain (PrLD). PrLDs are low-complexity domains that possess a similar amino acid composition to prion domains in yeast, which enable several proteins, including Sup35 and Rnq1, to form infectious conformers, termed prions. In humans, PrLDs contribute to RBP function and enable RBPs to undergo liquid-liquid phase transitions that underlie the biogenesis of various membraneless organelles. However, this activity appears to render RBPs prone to misfolding and aggregation connected to neurodegenerative disease. Indeed, numerous RBPs with PrLDs, including TDP-43 (transactivation response element DNA-binding protein 43), FUS (fused in sarcoma), TAF15 (TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15), EWSR1 (Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1), and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A1 and A2 (hnRNPA1 and hnRNPA2), have now been connected via pathology and genetics to the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and multisystem proteinopathy. Here, we review the physiological and pathological roles of the most prominent RBPs with PrLDs. We also highlight the potential of protein disaggregases, including Hsp104, as a therapeutic strategy to combat the aberrant phase transitions of RBPs with PrLDs that likely underpin neurodegeneration.

Expanding role of molecular chaperones in regulating α-synuclein misfolding; implications in Parkinson's disease

Protein misfolding under stressful environmental conditions cause several cellular problems owing to the disturbed cellular protein homeostasis, which may further lead to neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Amyloid lateral sclerosis and Huntington disease (HD). The presence of cellular defense mechanisms like molecular chaperones and proteasomal degradation systems prevent protein misfolding and aggregation. Molecular chaperones plays primary role in preventing protein misfolding by mediating proper native folding, unfolding and refolding of the polypeptides along with vast number of cellular functions. In past few years, the understanding of molecular chaperone mechanisms has been expanded enormously although implementation to prevent protein aggregation diseases is still deficient. We in this review evaluated major classes of molecular chaperones and their mechanisms relevant for preventing protein aggregation, specific case of α-synuclein aggregation. We also evaluate the molecular chaperone function as a novel therapeutic approach and the chaperone inhibitors or activators as small molecular drug targets.

Engineering and Evolution of Molecular Chaperones and Protein Disaggregases with Enhanced Activity

Cells have evolved a sophisticated proteostasis network to ensure that proteins acquire and retain their native structure and function. Critical components of this network include molecular chaperones and protein disaggregases, which function to prevent and reverse deleterious protein misfolding. Nevertheless, proteostasis networks have limits, which when exceeded can have fatal consequences as in various neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A promising strategy is to engineer proteostasis networks to counter challenges presented by specific diseases or specific proteins. Here, we review efforts to enhance the activity of individual molecular chaperones or protein disaggregases via engineering and directed evolution. Remarkably, enhanced global activity or altered substrate specificity of various molecular chaperones, including GroEL, Hsp70, ClpX, and Spy, can be achieved by minor changes in primary sequence and often a single missense mutation. Likewise, small changes in the primary sequence of Hsp104 yield potentiated protein disaggregases that reverse the aggregation and buffer toxicity of various neurodegenerative disease proteins, including α-synuclein, TDP-43, and FUS. Collectively, these advances have revealed key mechanistic and functional insights into chaperone and disaggregase biology. They also suggest that enhanced chaperones and disaggregases could have important applications in treating human disease as well as in the purification of valuable proteins in the pharmaceutical sector.

Engineering enhanced protein disaggregases for neurodegenerative disease

Protein misfolding and aggregation underpin several fatal neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). There are no treatments that directly antagonize the protein-misfolding events that cause these disorders. Agents that reverse protein misfolding and restore proteins to native form and function could simultaneously eliminate any deleterious loss-of-function or toxic gain-of-function caused by misfolded conformers. Moreover, a disruptive technology of this nature would eliminate self-templating conformers that spread pathology and catalyze formation of toxic, soluble oligomers. Here, we highlight our efforts to engineer Hsp104, a protein disaggregase from yeast, to more effectively disaggregate misfolded proteins connected with PD, ALS, and FTD. Remarkably subtle modifications of Hsp104 primary sequence yielded large gains in protective activity against deleterious α-synuclein, TDP-43, FUS, and TAF15 misfolding. Unusually, in many cases loss of amino acid identity at select positions in Hsp104 rather than specific mutation conferred a robust therapeutic gain-of-function. Nevertheless, the misfolding and toxicity of EWSR1, an RNA-binding protein with a prion-like domain linked to ALS and FTD, could not be buffered by potentiated Hsp104 variants, indicating that further amelioration of disaggregase activity or sharpening of substrate specificity is warranted. We suggest that neuroprotection is achievable for diverse neurodegenerative conditions via surprisingly subtle structural modifications of existing chaperones.

Mechanistic Insights into Hsp104 Potentiation

Potentiated variants of Hsp104, a protein disaggregase from yeast, can dissolve protein aggregates connected to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the mechanisms underlying Hsp104 potentiation remain incompletely defined. Here, we establish that 2-3 subunits of the Hsp104 hexamer must bear an A503V potentiating mutation to elicit enhanced disaggregase activity in the absence of Hsp70. We also define the ATPase and substrate-binding modalities needed for potentiated Hsp104(A503V) activity in vitro and in vivo. Hsp104(A503V) disaggregase activity is strongly inhibited by the Y257A mutation that disrupts substrate binding to the nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) pore loop and is abolished by the Y662A mutation that disrupts substrate binding to the NBD2 pore loop. Intriguingly, Hsp104(A503V) disaggregase activity responds to mixtures of ATP and adenosine 5'-(γ-thio)-triphosphate (a slowly hydrolyzable ATP analogue) differently from Hsp104. Indeed, an altered pattern of ATP hydrolysis and altered allosteric signaling between NBD1 and NBD2 are likely critical for potentiation. Hsp104(A503V) variants bearing inactivating Walker A or Walker B mutations in both NBDs are inoperative. Unexpectedly, however, Hsp104(A503V) retains potentiated activity upon introduction of sensor-1 mutations that reduce ATP hydrolysis at NBD1 (T317A) or NBD2 (N728A). Hsp104(T317A/A503V) and Hsp104(A503V/N728A) rescue TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43), FUS (fused in sarcoma), and α-synuclein toxicity in yeast. Thus, Hsp104(A503V) displays a more robust activity that is unperturbed by sensor-1 mutations that greatly reduce Hsp104 activity in vivo. Indeed, ATPase activity at NBD1 or NBD2 is sufficient for Hsp104 potentiation. Our findings will empower design of ameliorated therapeutic disaggregases for various neurodegenerative diseases.

Disparate Mutations Confer Therapeutic Gain of Hsp104 Function

Hsp104, a protein disaggregase from yeast, can be engineered and potentiated to counter TDP-43, FUS, or α-synuclein misfolding and toxicity implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Here, we reveal that extraordinarily disparate mutations potentiate Hsp104. Remarkably, diverse single missense mutations at 20 different positions interspersed throughout the middle domain (MD) and small domain of nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) confer a therapeutic gain of Hsp104 function. Moreover, potentiation emerges from deletion of MD helix 3 or 4 or via synergistic missense mutations in the MD distal loop and helix 4. We define the most critical aspect of Hsp104 potentiation as enhanced disaggregase activity in the absence of Hsp70 and Hsp40. We suggest that potentiation likely stems from a loss of a fragilely constrained autoinhibited state that enables precise spatiotemporal regulation of disaggregase activity.

Mechanistic and Structural Insights into the Prion-Disaggregase Activity of Hsp104

Hsp104 is a dynamic ring translocase and hexameric AAA+ protein found in yeast, which couples ATP hydrolysis to disassembly and reactivation of proteins trapped in soluble preamyloid oligomers, disordered protein aggregates, and stable amyloid or prion conformers. Here, we highlight advances in our structural understanding of Hsp104 and how Hsp104 deconstructs Sup35 prions. Although the atomic structure of Hsp104 hexamers remains uncertain, volumetric reconstruction of Hsp104 hexamers in ATPγS, ADP-AlFx (ATP hydrolysis transition-state mimic), and ADP via small-angle x-ray scattering has revealed a peristaltic pumping motion upon ATP hydrolysis. This pumping motion likely drives directional substrate translocation across the central Hsp104 channel. Hsp104 initially engages Sup35 prions immediately C-terminal to their cross-β structure. Directional pulling by Hsp104 then resolves N-terminal cross-β structure in a stepwise manner. First, Hsp104 fragments the prion. Second, Hsp104 unfolds cross-β structure. Third, Hsp104 releases soluble Sup35. Deletion of the Hsp104 N-terminal domain yields a hypomorphic disaggregase, Hsp104(∆N), with an altered pumping mechanism. Hsp104(∆N) fragments Sup35 prions without unfolding cross-β structure or releasing soluble Sup35. Moreover, Hsp104(∆N) activity cannot be enhanced by mutations in the middle domain that potentiate disaggregase activity. Thus, the N-terminal domain is critical for the full repertoire of Hsp104 activities.

Yeast proteinopathy models: a robust tool for deciphering the basis of neurodegeneration

Protein quality control or proteostasis is an essential determinant of basic cell health and aging. Eukaryotic cells have evolved a number of proteostatic mechanisms to ensure that proteins retain functional conformation, or are rapidly degraded when proteins misfold or self-aggregate. Disruption of proteostasis is now widely recognized as a key feature of aging related illness, specifically neurodegenerative disease. For example, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) each target and afflict distinct neuronal cell subtypes, yet this diverse array of human pathologies share the defining feature of aberrant protein aggregation within the affected cell population. Here, we review the use of budding yeast as a robust proxy to study the intersection between proteostasis and neurodegenerative disease. The humanized yeast model has proven to be an amenable platform to identify both, conserved proteostatic mechanisms across eukaryotic phyla and novel disease specific molecular dysfunction. Moreover, we discuss the intriguing concept that yeast specific proteins may be utilized as bona fide therapeutic agents, to correct proteostasis errors across various forms of neurodegeneration.

Swa2, the yeast homolog of mammalian auxilin, is specifically required for the propagation of the prion variant [URE3-1]

Yeast prions require a core set of chaperone proteins including Sis1, Hsp70 and Hsp104 to generate new amyloid templates for stable propagation, yet emerging studies indicate that propagation of some prions requires additional chaperone activities, demonstrating chaperone specificity beyond the common amyloid requirements. To comprehensively assess such prion-specific requirements for the propagation of the [URE3] prion variant [URE3-1], we screened 12 yeast cytosolic J-proteins, and here we report a novel role for the J-protein Swa2/Aux1. Swa2 is the sole yeast homolog of the mammalian protein auxilin, which, like Swa2, functions in vesicle-mediated endocytosis by disassembling the structural lattice formed by the protein clathrin. We found that, in addition to Sis1, [URE3-1] is specifically dependent upon Swa2, but not on any of the 11 other J-proteins. Further, we show that [URE3-1] propagation requires both a functional J-domain and the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, but surprisingly does not require Swa2-clathrin binding. Because the J-domain of Swa2 can be replaced with the J-domains of other proteins, our data strongly suggest that prion-chaperone specificity arises from the Swa2 TPR domain and supports a model where Swa2 acts through Hsp70, most likely to provide additional access points for Hsp104 to promote prion template generation.

Repurposing Hsp104 to Antagonize Seminal Amyloid and Counter HIV Infection

Naturally occurring proteolytic fragments of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP248-286 and PAP85-120) and semenogelins (SEM1 and SEM2) form amyloid fibrils in seminal fluid, which capture HIV virions and promote infection. For example, PAP248-286 fibrils, termed SEVI (semen-derived enhancer of viral infection), can potentiate HIV infection by several orders of magnitude. Here, we design three disruptive technologies to rapidly antagonize seminal amyloid by repurposing Hsp104, an amyloid-remodeling nanomachine from yeast. First, Hsp104 and an enhanced engineered variant, Hsp104(A503V), directly remodel SEVI and PAP85-120 fibrils into non-amyloid forms. Second, we elucidate catalytically inactive Hsp104 scaffolds that do not remodel amyloid structure, but cluster SEVI, PAP85-120, and SEM1(45-107) fibrils into larger assemblies. Third, we modify Hsp104 to interact with the chambered protease ClpP, which enables coupled remodeling and degradation to irreversibly clear SEVI and PAP85-120 fibrils. Each strategy diminished the ability of seminal amyloid to promote HIV infection, and could have therapeutic utility.

Dictyostelium discoideum has a highly Q/N-rich proteome and shows an unusual resilience to protein aggregation

Many protein-misfolding diseases are caused by proteins carrying prion-like domains. These proteins show sequence similarity to yeast prion proteins, which can interconvert between an intrinsically disordered and an aggregated prion state. The natural presence of prions in yeast has provided important insight into disease mechanisms and cellular proteostasis. However, little is known about prions in other organisms, and it is not yet clear whether the findings in yeast can be generalized. Using bioinformatics tools, we show that Dictyostelium discoideum has the highest content of prion-like proteins of all organisms investigated to date, suggesting that its proteome has a high overall aggregation propensity. To study mechanisms regulating these proteins, we analyze the behavior of several well-characterized prion-like proteins, such as an expanded version of human huntingtin exon 1 (Q103) and the prion domain of the yeast prion protein Sup35 (NM), in D. discoideum. We find that these proteins remain soluble and are innocuous to D. discoideum, in contrast to other organisms, where they form cytotoxic cytosolic aggregates. However, when exposed to conditions that compromise molecular chaperones, these proteins aggregate and become cytotoxic. We show that the disaggregase Hsp101, a molecular chaperone of the Hsp100 family, dissolves heat-induced aggregates and promotes thermotolerance. Furthermore, prion-like proteins accumulate in the nucleus, where they are targeted by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Our data suggest that D. discoideum has undergone specific adaptations that increase the proteostatic capacity of this organism and allow for an efficient regulation of its prion-like proteome.

Dicer and Hsp104 function in a negative feedback loop to confer robustness to environmental stress

Epigenetic mechanisms can be influenced by environmental cues and thus evoke phenotypic variation. This plasticity can be advantageous for adaptation but also detrimental if not tightly controlled. Although having attracted considerable interest, it remains largely unknown if and how environmental cues such as temperature trigger epigenetic alterations. Using fission yeast, we demonstrate that environmentally induced discontinuous phenotypic variation is buffered by a negative feedback loop that involves the RNase Dicer and the protein disaggregase Hsp104. In the absence of Hsp104, Dicer accumulates in cytoplasmic inclusions and heterochromatin becomes unstable at elevated temperatures, an epigenetic state inherited for many cell divisions after the heat stress. Loss of Dicer leads to toxic aggregation of an exogenous prionogenic protein. Our results highlight the importance of feedback regulation in building epigenetic memory and uncover Hsp104 and Dicer as homeostatic controllers that buffer environmentally induced stochastic epigenetic variation and toxic aggregation of prionogenic proteins.

Isolating potentiated Hsp104 variants using yeast proteinopathy models

Many protein-misfolding disorders can be modeled in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proteins such as TDP-43 and FUS, implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and α-synuclein, implicated in Parkinson's disease, are toxic and form cytoplasmic aggregates in yeast. These features recapitulate protein pathologies observed in patients with these disorders. Thus, yeast are an ideal platform for isolating toxicity suppressors from libraries of protein variants. We are interested in applying protein disaggregases to eliminate misfolded toxic protein conformers. Specifically, we are engineering Hsp104, a hexameric AAA+ protein from yeast that is uniquely capable of solubilizing both disordered aggregates and amyloid and returning the proteins to their native conformations. While Hsp104 is highly conserved in eukaryotes and eubacteria, it has no known metazoan homologue. Hsp104 has only limited ability to eliminate disordered aggregates and amyloid fibers implicated in human disease. Thus, we aim to engineer Hsp104 variants to reverse the protein misfolding implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. We have developed methods to screen large libraries of Hsp104 variants for suppression of proteotoxicity in yeast. As yeast are prone to spontaneous nonspecific suppression of toxicity, a two-step screening process has been developed to eliminate false positives. Using these methods, we have identified a series of potentiated Hsp104 variants that potently suppress the toxicity and aggregation of TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein. Here, we describe this optimized protocol, which could be adapted to screen libraries constructed using any protein backbone for suppression of toxicity of any protein that is toxic in yeast.

Suramin inhibits Hsp104 ATPase and disaggregase activity

Hsp104 is a hexameric AAA+ protein that utilizes energy from ATP hydrolysis to dissolve disordered protein aggregates as well as amyloid fibers. Interestingly, Hsp104 orthologues are found in all kingdoms of life except animals. Thus, Hsp104 could represent an interesting drug target. Specific inhibition of Hsp104 activity might antagonize non-metazoan parasites that depend on a potent heat shock response, while producing little or no side effects to the host. However, no small molecule inhibitors of Hsp104 are known except guanidinium chloride. Here, we screen over 16,000 small molecules and identify 16 novel inhibitors of Hsp104 ATPase activity. Excluding compounds that inhibited Hsp104 activity by non-specific colloidal effects, we defined Suramin as an inhibitor of Hsp104 ATPase activity. Suramin is a polysulphonated naphthylurea and is used as an antiprotozoal drug for African Trypanosomiasis. Suramin also interfered with Hsp104 disaggregase, unfoldase, and translocase activities, and the inhibitory effect of Suramin was not rescued by Hsp70 and Hsp40. Suramin does not disrupt Hsp104 hexamers and does not effectively inhibit ClpB, the E. coli homolog of Hsp104, establishing yet another key difference between Hsp104 and ClpB behavior. Intriguingly, a potentiated Hsp104 variant, Hsp104^A503V, is more sensitive to Suramin than wild-type Hsp104. By contrast, Hsp104 variants bearing inactivating sensor-1 mutations in nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) 1 or 2 are more resistant to Suramin. Thus, Suramin depends upon ATPase events at both NBDs to exert its maximal effect. Suramin could develop into an important mechanistic probe to study Hsp104 structure and function.

Advances in therapeutics for neurodegenerative tauopathies: moving toward the specific targeting of the most toxic tau species

Neurodegenerative disease is one of the greatest health concerns today and with no effective treatment in sight, it is crucial that researchers find a safe and successful therapeutic. While neurofibrillary tangles are considered the primary tauopathy hallmark, more evidence continues to come to light to suggest that soluble, intermediate tau aggregates--tau oligomers--are the most toxic species in disease. These intermediate tau species may also be responsible for the spread of pathology, suggesting that oligomeric tau may be the best therapeutic target. Here, we summarize results for the modulation of tau by molecular chaperones, small molecules and aggregation inhibitors, post-translational modifications, immunotherapy, other techniques, and future directions.

Potentiated Hsp104 variants suppress toxicity of diverse neurodegenerative disease-linked proteins

Protein misfolding is implicated in numerous lethal neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson disease (PD). There are no therapies that reverse these protein-misfolding events. We aim to apply Hsp104, a hexameric AAA+ protein from yeast, to target misfolded conformers for reactivation. Hsp104 solubilizes disordered aggregates and amyloid, but has limited activity against human neurodegenerative disease proteins. Thus, we have previously engineered potentiated Hsp104 variants that suppress aggregation, proteotoxicity and restore proper protein localization of ALS and PD proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and mitigate neurodegeneration in an animal PD model. Here, we establish that potentiated Hsp104 variants possess broad substrate specificity and, in yeast, suppress toxicity and aggregation induced by wild-type TDP-43, FUS and α-synuclein, as well as missense mutant versions of these proteins that cause neurodegenerative disease. Potentiated Hsp104 variants also rescue toxicity and aggregation of TAF15 but not EWSR1, two RNA-binding proteins with a prion-like domain that are connected with the development of ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Thus, potentiated Hsp104 variants are not entirely non-specific. Indeed, they do not unfold just any natively folded protein. Rather, potentiated Hsp104 variants are finely tuned to unfold proteins bearing short unstructured tracts that are not recognized by wild-type Hsp104. Our studies establish the broad utility of potentiated Hsp104 variants.

Reversing deleterious protein aggregation with re-engineered protein disaggregases

Aberrant protein folding is severely problematic and manifests in numerous disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson disease (PD), Huntington disease (HD), and Alzheimer disease (AD). Patients with each of these disorders are characterized by the accumulation of mislocalized protein deposits. Treatments for these disorders remain palliative, and no available therapeutics eliminate the underlying toxic conformers. An intriguing approach to reverse deleterious protein misfolding is to upregulate chaperones to restore proteostasis. We recently reported our work to re-engineer a prion disaggregase from yeast, Hsp104, to reverse protein misfolding implicated in human disease. These potentiated Hsp104 variants suppress TDP-43, FUS, and α-synuclein toxicity in yeast, eliminate aggregates, reverse cellular mislocalization, and suppress dopaminergic neurodegeneration in an animal model of PD. Here, we discuss this work and its context, as well as approaches for further developing potentiated Hsp104 variants for application in reversing protein-misfolding disorders.

The metazoan protein disaggregase and amyloid depolymerase system: Hsp110, Hsp70, Hsp40, and small heat shock proteins

A baffling aspect of metazoan proteostasis is the lack of an Hsp104 ortholog that rapidly disaggregates and reactivates misfolded polypeptides trapped in stress induced disordered aggregates, preamyloid oligomers, or amyloid fibrils. By contrast, in bacteria, protozoa, chromista, fungi, and plants, Hsp104 orthologs are highly conserved and confer huge selective advantages in stress tolerance. Moreover, in fungi, the amyloid remodeling activity of Hsp104 has enabled deployment of prions for various beneficial modalities. Thus, a longstanding conundrum has remained unanswered: how do metazoan cells renature aggregated proteins or resolve amyloid fibrils without Hsp104? Here, we highlight recent advances that unveil the metazoan protein-disaggregase machinery, comprising Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40, which synergize to dissolve disordered aggregates, but are unable to rapidly solubilize stable amyloid fibrils. However, Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40 exploit the slow monomer exchange dynamics of amyloid, and can slowly depolymerize amyloid fibrils from their ends in a manner that is stimulated by small heat shock proteins. Upregulation of this system could have key therapeutic applications in various protein-misfolding disorders. Intriguingly, yeast Hsp104 can interface with metazoan Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40 to rapidly eliminate disease associated amyloid. Thus, metazoan proteostasis is receptive to augmentation with exogenous disaggregases, which opens a number of therapeutic opportunities.

Biochemical characterization of protein quality control mechanisms during disease progression in the C22 mouse model of CMT1A

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is a hereditary demyelinating neuropathy linked with duplication of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene. Transgenic C22 mice, a model of CMT1A, display many features of the human disease, including slowed nerve conduction velocity and demyelination of peripheral nerves. How overproduction of PMP22 leads to compromised myelin and axonal pathology is not fully understood, but likely involves subcellular alterations in protein homoeostatic mechanisms within affected Schwann cells. The subcellular response to abnormally localized PMP22 includes the recruitment of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS), autophagosomes and heat-shock proteins (HSPs). Here we assessed biochemical markers of these protein homoeostatic pathways in nerves from PMP22-overexpressing neuropathic mice between the ages of 2 and 12 months to ascertain their potential contribution to disease progression. In nerves of 3-week-old mice, using endoglycosidases and Western blotting, we found altered processing of the exogenous human PMP22, an abnormality that becomes more prevalent with age. Along with the ongoing accrual of misfolded PMP22, the activity of the proteasome becomes compromised and proteins required for autophagy induction and lysosome biogenesis are up-regulated. Moreover, cytosolic chaperones are consistently elevated in nerves from neuropathic mice, with the most prominent change in HSP70. The gradual alterations in protein homoeostatic response are accompanied by Schwann cell de-differentiation and macrophage infiltration. Together, these results show that while subcellular protein quality control mechanisms respond appropriately to the presence of the overproduced PMP22, with aging they are unable to prevent the accrual of misfolded proteins.

In peripheral nerves of neuropathic C22 mice the frequency of cytosolic PMP22 aggregates increases with age, which elicits a response from protein quality control mechanisms. The combined effects of aging and neuropathic genotype exacerbate disease progression leading to nerve defects.

Surface adsorption considerations when working with amyloid fibrils in multiwell plates and Eppendorf tubes

The accumulation of cross-β-sheet amyloid fibrils is the hallmark of amyloid diseases. Recently, we reported the discovery of amyloid disaggregase activities in extracts from mammalian cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. However, we have discovered a problem with the interpretation of our previous results as Aβ disaggregation in vitro. Here, we show that Aβ fibrils adsorb to the plastic surface of multiwell plates and Eppendorf tubes. This adsorption is markedly increased in the presence of complex biological mixtures subjected to a denaturing air-water interface. The time-dependent loss of thioflavin T fluorescence that we interpreted previously as disaggregation is due to increased adsorption of Aβ amyloid to the surfaces of multiwell plates and Eppendorf tubes in the presence of biological extracts. As the proteins in biological extracts denature over time at the air-water interface due to agitation/shaking, their adsorption increases, in turn promoting adsorption of amyloid fibrils. We delineate important control experiments that quantify the extent of amyloid adsorption to the surface of plastic and quartz containers. Based on the results described in this article, we conclude that our interpretation of the kinetic fibril disaggregation assay data previously reported in Bieschke et al., Protein Sci 2009;18:2231-2241 and Murray et al., Protein Sci 2010;19:836-846 is invalid when used as evidence for a disaggregase activity. Thus, we correct the two prior publications reporting that worm or mammalian cell extracts disaggregate Aβ amyloid fibrils in vitro at 37°C (see Corrigenda in this issue of Protein Science). We apologize for misinterpreting our previous data and for any confounding experimental efforts this may have caused.

Hsp104 suppresses polyglutamine-induced degeneration post onset in a drosophila MJD/SCA3 model

There are no effective therapeutics that antagonize or reverse the protein-misfolding events underpinning polyglutamine (PolyQ) disorders, including Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type-3 (SCA3). Here, we augment the proteostasis network of Drosophila SCA3 models with Hsp104, a powerful protein disaggregase from yeast, which is bafflingly absent from metazoa. Hsp104 suppressed eye degeneration caused by a C-terminal ataxin-3 (MJD) fragment containing the pathogenic expanded PolyQ tract, but unexpectedly enhanced aggregation and toxicity of full-length pathogenic MJD. Hsp104 suppressed toxicity of MJD variants lacking a portion of the N-terminal deubiquitylase domain and full-length MJD variants unable to engage polyubiquitin, indicating that MJD-ubiquitin interactions hinder protective Hsp104 modalities. Importantly, in staging experiments, Hsp104 suppressed toxicity of a C-terminal MJD fragment when expressed after the onset of PolyQ-induced degeneration, whereas Hsp70 was ineffective. Thus, we establish the first disaggregase or chaperone treatment administered after the onset of pathogenic protein-induced degeneration that mitigates disease progression.

Operational plasticity enables hsp104 to disaggregate diverse amyloid and nonamyloid clients

It is not understood how Hsp104, a hexameric AAA+ ATPase from yeast, disaggregates diverse structures, including stress-induced aggregates, prions, and α-synuclein conformers connected to Parkinson disease. Here, we establish that Hsp104 hexamers adapt different mechanisms of intersubunit collaboration to disaggregate stress-induced aggregates versus amyloid. To resolve disordered aggregates, Hsp104 subunits collaborate noncooperatively via probabilistic substrate binding and ATP hydrolysis. To disaggregate amyloid, several subunits cooperatively engage substrate and hydrolyze ATP. Importantly, Hsp104 variants with impaired intersubunit communication dissolve disordered aggregates, but not amyloid. Unexpectedly, prokaryotic ClpB subunits collaborate differently than Hsp104 and couple probabilistic substrate binding to cooperative ATP hydrolysis, which enhances disordered aggregate dissolution but sensitizes ClpB to inhibition and diminishes amyloid disaggregation. Finally, we establish that Hsp104 hexamers deploy more subunits to disaggregate Sup35 prion strains with more stable "cross-β" cores. Thus, operational plasticity enables Hsp104 to robustly dissolve amyloid and nonamyloid clients, which impose distinct mechanical demands.

Global stress response in a prokaryotic model of DJ-1-associated Parkinsonism

YajL is the most closely related Escherichia coli homolog of Parkinsonism-associated protein DJ-1, a protein with a yet-undefined function in the oxidative-stress response. YajL protects cells against oxidative-stress-induced protein aggregation and functions as a covalent chaperone for the thiol proteome, including FeS proteins. To clarify the cellular responses to YajL deficiency, transcriptional profiling of the yajL mutant was performed. Compared to the parental strain, the yajL mutant overexpressed genes coding for chaperones, proteases, chemical chaperone transporters, superoxide dismutases, catalases, peroxidases, components of thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems, iron transporters, ferritins and FeS cluster biogenesis enzymes, DNA repair proteins, RNA chaperones, and small regulatory RNAs. It also overexpressed the RNA polymerase stress sigma factors sigma S (multiple stresses) and sigma 32 (protein stress) and activated the OxyR and SoxRS oxidative-stress transcriptional regulators, which together trigger the global stress response. The yajL mutant also overexpressed genes involved in septation and adopted a shorter and rounder shape characteristic of stressed bacteria. Biochemical experiments showed that this upregulation of many stress genes resulted in increased expression of stress proteins and improved biochemical function. Thus, protein defects resulting from the yajL mutation trigger the onset of a robust and global stress response in a prokaryotic model of DJ-1-associated Parkinsonism.

A new perspective on Hsp104-mediated propagation and curing of the yeast prion [PSI (+) ]

Most prions in yeast form amyloid fibrils that must be severed by the protein disaggregase Hsp104 to be propagated and transmitted efficiently to newly formed buds. Only one yeast prion, [PSI (+) ], is cured by Hsp104 overexpression. We investigated the interaction between Hsp104 and Sup35, the priongenic protein in yeast that forms the [PSI (+) ] prion.1 We found that a 20-amino acid segment within the highly-charged, unstructured middle domain of Sup35 contributes to the physical interaction between the middle domain and Hsp104. When this segment was deleted from Sup35, the efficiency of [PSI (+) ] severing was substantially reduced, resulting in larger Sup35 particles and weakening of the [PSI (+) ] phenotype. Furthermore, [PSI (+) ] in these cells was completely resistant to Hsp104 curing. The affinity of Hsp104 was considerably weaker than that of model Hsp104-binding proteins and peptides, implying that Sup35 prions are not ideal substrates for Hsp104-mediated remodeling. In light of this finding, we present a modified model of Hsp104-mediated [PSI (+) ] propagation and curing that requires only partial remodeling of Sup35 assembled into amyloid fibrils.

Small heat shock proteins potentiate amyloid dissolution by protein disaggregases from yeast and humans

The authors define how small heat-shock proteins synergize to regulate the assembly and disassembly of a beneficial prion, and then they exploit this knowledge to identify the human amyloid depolymerase.

How small heat shock proteins (sHsps) might empower proteostasis networks to control beneficial prions or disassemble pathological amyloid is unknown. Here, we establish that yeast sHsps, Hsp26 and Hsp42, inhibit prionogenesis by the [PSI⁺] prion protein, Sup35, via distinct and synergistic mechanisms. Hsp42 prevents conformational rearrangements within molten oligomers that enable de novo prionogenesis and collaborates with Hsp70 to attenuate self-templating. By contrast, Hsp26 inhibits self-templating upon binding assembled prions. sHsp binding destabilizes Sup35 prions and promotes their disaggregation by Hsp104, Hsp70, and Hsp40. In yeast, Hsp26 or Hsp42 overexpression prevents [PSI⁺] induction, cures [PSI⁺], and potentiates [PSI⁺]-curing by Hsp104 overexpression. In vitro, sHsps enhance Hsp104-catalyzed disaggregation of pathological amyloid forms of α-synuclein and polyglutamine. Unexpectedly, in the absence of Hsp104, sHsps promote an unprecedented, gradual depolymerization of Sup35 prions by Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40. This unanticipated amyloid-depolymerase activity is conserved from yeast to humans, which lack Hsp104 orthologues. A human sHsp, HspB5, stimulates depolymerization of α-synuclein amyloid by human Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40. Thus, we elucidate a heretofore-unrecognized human amyloid-depolymerase system that could have applications in various neurodegenerative disorders.

Amyloid fibers are protein aggregates that are associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, for which there are no effective treatments. They can also play beneficial roles; in yeast, for example, they are associated with increased survival and the evolution of new traits. Amyloid fibers are also central to many revolutionary concepts and important questions in biology and nanotechnology, including long-term memory formation and versatile self-organizing nanostructures. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand how we can promote beneficial amyloid assembly, or reverse pathogenic assembly, at will. In this study, we define the mechanisms by which small heat-shock proteins synergize to regulate the assembly and disassembly of a beneficial yeast prion. We then exploit this knowledge to discover an amyloid depolymerase machinery that is conserved from yeast to humans. Remarkably, the human small heat shock protein, HspB5, stimulates Hsp110, Hsp70, and Hsp40 chaperones to gradually depolymerize amyloid fibers formed by α-synuclein (which are implicated in Parkinson's disease) from their ends on a biologically relevant timescale. This newly identified and highly conserved amyloid-depolymerase system could have important therapeutic applications for various neurodegenerative disorders.

The Surprising Role of Amyloid Fibrils in HIV Infection

Despite its discovery over 30 years ago, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to threaten public health worldwide. Semen is the principal vehicle for the transmission of this retrovirus and several endogenous peptides in semen, including fragments of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP248-286 and PAP85-120) and semenogelins (SEM1 and SEM2), assemble into amyloid fibrils that promote HIV infection. For example, PAP248-286 fibrils, termed SEVI (Semen derived Enhancer of Viral Infection), potentiate HIV infection by up to 105-fold. Fibrils enhance infectivity by facilitating virion attachment and fusion to target cells, whereas soluble peptides have no effect. Importantly, the stimulatory effect is greatest at low viral titers, which mimics mucosal transmission of HIV, where relatively few virions traverse the mucosal barrier. Devising a method to rapidly reverse fibril formation (rather than simply inhibit it) would provide an innovative and urgently needed preventative strategy for reducing HIV infection via the sexual route. Targeting a host-encoded protein conformer represents a departure from traditional microbicidal approaches that target the viral machinery, and could synergize with direct antiviral approaches. Here, we review the identification of these amyloidogenic peptides, their mechanism of action, and various strategies for inhibiting their HIV-enhancing effects.

Prion formation by a yeast GLFG nucleoporin

The self-assembly of proteins into higher order structures is both central to normal biology and a dominant force in disease. Certain glutamine/asparagine (Q/N)-rich proteins in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae assemble into self-replicating amyloid-like protein polymers, or prions, that act as genetic elements in an entirely protein-based system of inheritance. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) contains multiple Q/N-rich proteins whose self-assembly has also been proposed to underlie structural and functional properties of the NPC. Here we show that an essential sequence feature of these proteins—repeating GLFG motifs—strongly promotes their self-assembly into amyloids with characteristics of prions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Nup100 can form bona fide prions, thus establishing a previously undiscovered ability of yeast GLFG nucleoporins to adopt this conformational state in vivo.

The tip of the iceberg: RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in neurodegenerative disease

Prions are self-templating protein conformers that are naturally transmitted between individuals and promote phenotypic change. In yeast, prion-encoded phenotypes can be beneficial, neutral or deleterious depending upon genetic background and environmental conditions. A distinctive and portable 'prion domain' enriched in asparagine, glutamine, tyrosine and glycine residues unifies the majority of yeast prion proteins. Deletion of this domain precludes prionogenesis and appending this domain to reporter proteins can confer prionogenicity. An algorithm designed to detect prion domains has successfully identified 19 domains that can confer prion behavior. Scouring the human genome with this algorithm enriches a select group of RNA-binding proteins harboring a canonical RNA recognition motif (RRM) and a putative prion domain. Indeed, of 210 human RRM-bearing proteins, 29 have a putative prion domain, and 12 of these are in the top 60 prion candidates in the entire genome. Startlingly, these RNA-binding prion candidates are inexorably emerging, one by one, in the pathology and genetics of devastating neurodegenerative disorders, including: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U), Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. For example, FUS and TDP-43, which rank 1st and 10th among RRM-bearing prion candidates, form cytoplasmic inclusions in the degenerating motor neurons of ALS patients and mutations in TDP-43 and FUS cause familial ALS. Recently, perturbed RNA-binding proteostasis of TAF15, which is the 2nd ranked RRM-bearing prion candidate, has been connected with ALS and FTLD-U. We strongly suspect that we have now merely reached the tip of the iceberg. We predict that additional RNA-binding prion candidates identified by our algorithm will soon surface as genetic modifiers or causes of diverse neurodegenerative conditions. Indeed, simple prion-like transfer mechanisms involving the prion domains of RNA-binding proteins could underlie the classical non-cell-autonomous emanation of neurodegenerative pathology from originating epicenters to neighboring portions of the nervous system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled RNA-Binding Proteins.

Insight into molecular basis of curing of [PSI+] prion by overexpression of 104-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp104)

Yeast prions are a powerful model for understanding the dynamics of protein aggregation associated with a number of human neurodegenerative disorders. The AAA+ protein disaggregase Hsp104 can sever the amyloid fibrils produced by yeast prions. This action results in the propagation of "seeds" that are transmitted to daughter cells during budding. Overexpression of Hsp104 eliminates the [PSI+] prion but not other prions. Using biochemical methods we identified Hsp104 binding sites in the highly charged middle domain of Sup35, the protein determinant of [PSI+]. Deletion of a short segment of the middle domain (amino acids 129-148) diminishes Hsp104 binding and strongly affects the ability of the middle domain to stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsp104. In yeast, [PSI+] maintained by Sup35 lacking this segment, like other prions, is propagated by Hsp104 but cannot be cured by Hsp104 overexpression. These results provide new insight into the enigmatic specificity of Hsp104-mediated curing of yeast prions and sheds light on the limitations of the ability of Hsp104 to eliminate aggregates produced by other aggregation-prone proteins.

The mammalian disaggregase machinery: Hsp110 synergizes with Hsp70 and Hsp40 to catalyze protein disaggregation and reactivation in a cell-free system

Bacteria, fungi, protozoa, chromista and plants all harbor homologues of Hsp104, a AAA+ ATPase that collaborates with Hsp70 and Hsp40 to promote protein disaggregation and reactivation. Curiously, however, metazoa do not possess an Hsp104 homologue. Thus, whether animal cells renature large protein aggregates has long remained unclear. Here, it is established that mammalian cytosol prepared from different sources possesses a potent, ATP-dependent protein disaggregase and reactivation activity, which can be accelerated and stimulated by Hsp104. This activity did not require the AAA+ ATPase, p97. Rather, mammalian Hsp110 (Apg-2), Hsp70 (Hsc70 or Hsp70) and Hsp40 (Hdj1) were necessary and sufficient to slowly dissolve large disordered aggregates and recover natively folded protein. This slow disaggregase activity was conserved to yeast Hsp110 (Sse1), Hsp70 (Ssa1) and Hsp40 (Sis1 or Ydj1). Hsp110 must engage substrate, engage Hsp70, promote nucleotide exchange on Hsp70, and hydrolyze ATP to promote disaggregation of disordered aggregates. Similarly, Hsp70 must engage substrate and Hsp110, and hydrolyze ATP for protein disaggregation. Hsp40 must harbor a functional J domain to promote protein disaggregation, but the J domain alone is insufficient. Optimal disaggregase activity is achieved when the Hsp40 can stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsp110 and Hsp70. Finally, Hsp110, Hsp70 and Hsp40 fail to rapidly remodel amyloid forms of the yeast prion protein, Sup35, or the Parkinson's disease protein, alpha-synuclein. However, Hsp110, Hsp70 and Hsp40 enhanced the activity of Hsp104 against these amyloid substrates. Taken together, these findings suggest that Hsp110 fulfils a subset of Hsp104 activities in mammals. Moreover, they suggest that Hsp104 can collaborate with the mammalian disaggregase machinery to rapidly remodel amyloid conformers.

Purification of hsp104, a protein disaggregase

Hsp104 is a hexameric AAA+ protein(1) from yeast, which couples ATP hydrolysis to protein disaggregation (Fig. 1). This activity imparts two key selective advantages. First, renaturation of disordered aggregates by Hsp104 empowers yeast survival after various protein-misfolding stresses, including heat shock. Second, remodeling of cross-beta amyloid fibrils by Hsp104 enables yeast to exploit myriad prions (infectious amyloids) as a reservoir of beneficial and heritable phenotypic variation. Remarkably, Hsp104 directly remodels preamyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils, including those comprised of the yeast prion proteins Sup35 and Ure2). This amyloid-remodeling functionality is a specialized facet of yeast Hsp104. The E. coli orthologue, ClpB, fails to remodel preamyloid oligomers or amyloid fibrils. Hsp104 orthologues are found in all kingdoms of life except, perplexingly, animals. Indeed, whether animal cells possess any enzymatic system that couples protein disaggregation to renaturation (rather than degradation) remains unknown. Thus, we and others have proposed that Hsp104 might be developed as a therapeutic agent for various neurodegenerative diseases connected with the misfolding of specific proteins into toxic preamyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils. There are no treatments that directly target the aggregated species associated with these diseases. Yet, Hsp104 dissolves toxic oligomers and amyloid fibrils composed of alpha-synuclein, which are connected with Parkinson's Disease as well as amyloid forms of PrP. Importantly, Hsp104 reduces protein aggregation and ameliorates neurodegeneration in rodent models of Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's disease. Ideally, to optimize therapy and minimize side effects, Hsp104 would be engineered and potentiated to selectively remodel specific aggregates central to the disease in question. However, the limited structural and mechanistic understanding of how Hsp104 disaggregates such a diverse repertoire of aggregated structures and unrelated proteins frustrates these endeavors. To understand the structure and mechanism of Hsp104, it is essential to study the pure protein and reconstitute its disaggregase activity with minimal components. Hsp104 is a 102 kDa protein with a pI of -5.3, which hexamerizes in the presence of ADP or ATP, or at high protein concentrations in the absence of nucleotide. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for the purification of highly active, stable Hsp104 from E. coli. The use of E. coli allows simplified large-scale production and our method can be performed quickly and reliably for numerous Hsp104 variants. Our protocol increases Hsp104 purity and simplifies His(6)-tag removal compared to a previous purification method from E. coli. Moreover, our protocol is more facile and convenient than two more recent protocols.