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Mendoza R, Ferrer-Miralles N, Corchero JL. Eukaryotic Aggresomes: Protocols and Tips for Their Production, Purification , and Handling. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2406:417-435. [PMID: 35089572 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1859-2_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aggresomes are insoluble protein aggregates found in eukaryotic cells when the intracellular machinery is overtitered by, for example, the overexpression of a recombinant protein. These protein nanoparticles have become excellent models in studies devoted to elucidate protein aggregation processes in eukaryotic cells, like those involved in "conformational disorders" linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Since the presence of such protein aggregates is a hallmark of these conditions, they constitute an excellent target for new therapeutic approaches for such devastating pathologies. Moreover, and following the pathway opened a few years ago by bacterial inclusion bodies, eukaryotic aggresomes have been proposed as a new type of carrier-free, self-immobilized biocatalysts for use in biotechnology and biomedicine. Altogether, unraveling the characteristics and putative applications of naturally occurring protein aggregates has received an increasing interest during the last years. For that, availability of protocols allowing the production and purification of aggresomes constitute a valuable tool to boost research in the abovementioned fields. In this chapter, we describe both upstream and downstream protocols to obtain aggresomes produced in human cells, using as a model the recombinant human enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (GLA), together with technical tips and advices when working and analyzing eukaryotic aggresomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Mendoza
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Corchero
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Gil-Garcia M, Ventura S. Coiled-Coil Based Inclusion Bodies and Their Potential Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:734068. [PMID: 34485264 PMCID: PMC8415879 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.734068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of recombinant proteins using microbial cell factories is frequently associated with the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs). These proteinaceous entities can be sometimes a reservoir of stable and active protein, might display good biocompatibility, and are produced efficiently and cost-effectively. Thus, these submicrometric particles are increasingly exploited as functional biomaterials for biotechnological and biomedical purposes. The fusion of aggregation-prone sequences to the target protein is a successful strategy to sequester soluble recombinant polypeptides into IBs. Traditionally, the use of these IB-tags results in the formation of amyloid-like scaffolds where the protein of interest is trapped. This amyloid conformation might compromise the protein's activity and be potentially cytotoxic. One promising alternative to overcome these limitations exploits the coiled-coil fold, composed of two or more α-helices and widely used by nature to create supramolecular assemblies. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art of functional IBs technology, focusing on the coiled-coil-assembly strategy, describing its advantages and applications, delving into future developments and necessary improvements in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Gil-Garcia
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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3
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Skretas G, Ventura S. Editorial: Protein Aggregation and Solubility in Microorganisms (Archaea, Bacteria and Unicellular Eukaryotes): Implications and Applications. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:620239. [PMID: 33329506 PMCID: PMC7734127 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.620239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Skretas
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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4
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Gil-Garcia M, Navarro S, Ventura S. Coiled-coil inspired functional inclusion bodies. Microb Cell Fact 2020; 19:117. [PMID: 32487230 PMCID: PMC7268670 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01375-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recombinant protein expression in bacteria often leads to the formation of intracellular insoluble protein deposits, a major bottleneck for the production of soluble and active products. However, in recent years, these bacterial protein aggregates, commonly known as inclusion bodies (IBs), have been shown to be a source of stable and active protein for biotechnological and biomedical applications. The formation of these functional IBs is usually facilitated by the fusion of aggregation-prone peptides or proteins to the protein of interest, leading to the formation of amyloid-like nanostructures, where the functional protein is embedded. RESULTS In order to offer an alternative to the classical amyloid-like IBs, here we develop functional IBs exploiting the coiled-coil fold. An in silico analysis of coiled-coil and aggregation propensities, net charge, and hydropathicity of different potential tags identified the natural homo-dimeric and anti-parallel coiled-coil ZapB bacterial protein as an optimal candidate to form assemblies in which the native state of the fused protein is preserved. The protein itself forms supramolecular fibrillar networks exhibiting only α-helix secondary structure. This non-amyloid self-assembly propensity allows generating innocuous IBs in which the recombinant protein of interest remains folded and functional, as demonstrated using two different fluorescent proteins. CONCLUSIONS Here, we present a proof of concept for the use of a natural coiled-coil domain as a versatile tool for the production of functional IBs in bacteria. This α-helix-based strategy excludes any potential toxicity drawback that might arise from the amyloid nature of β-sheet-based IBs and renders highly active and homogeneous submicrometric particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Gil-Garcia
- 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
| | - 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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5
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Caballero AB, Espargaró A, Pont C, Busquets MA, Estelrich J, Muñoz-Torrero D, Gamez P, Sabate R. Bacterial Inclusion Bodies for Anti-Amyloid Drug Discovery: Current and Future Screening Methods. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:563-576. [PMID: 30924417 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666190329120007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation is linked to an increasing number of human disorders from nonneurological pathologies such as type-2 diabetes to neurodegenerative ones such as Alzheimer or Parkinson's diseases. Thirty-six human proteins have shown the capacity to aggregate into pathological amyloid structures. To date, it is widely accepted that amyloid folding/aggregation is a universal process present in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. In the last decade, several studies have unequivocally demonstrated that bacterial inclusion bodies - insoluble protein aggregates usually formed during heterologous protein overexpression in bacteria - are mainly composed of overexpressed proteins in amyloid conformation. This fact shows that amyloid-prone proteins display a similar aggregation propensity in humans and bacteria, opening the possibility to use bacteria as simple models to study amyloid aggregation process and the potential effect of both anti-amyloid drugs and pro-aggregative compounds. Under these considerations, several in vitro and in cellulo methods, which exploit the amyloid properties of bacterial inclusion bodies, have been proposed in the last few years. Since these new methods are fast, simple, inexpensive, highly reproducible, and tunable, they have aroused great interest as preliminary screening tools in the search for anti-amyloid (beta-blocker) drugs for conformational diseases. The aim of this mini-review is to compile recently developed methods aimed at tracking amyloid aggregation in bacteria, discussing their advantages and limitations, and the future potential applications of inclusion bodies in anti-amyloid drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Caballero
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Espargaró
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Caterina Pont
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Antònia Busquets
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Estelrich
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Gamez
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Kuo YC, Rajesh R. Challenges in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: recent progress and treatment strategies of pharmaceuticals targeting notable pathological factors. Expert Rev Neurother 2019; 19:623-652. [DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1621750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chih Kuo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Rajendiran Rajesh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China
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7
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Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation into amyloid conformations have been described to underlie the onset of several human neurodegenerative diseases. Although a large number of biophysical approaches are available to study amyloids in vitro, we still need robust methods to address their self-assembly in living cells. In this context, simple cellular models, like bacteria and yeast, expressing recombinant amyloidogenic proteins are emerging as convenient systems for studying the formation of protein inclusions, their toxicity, propagation, and interactions. We describe here a simple and fast flow cytometry method able to detect intracellular inclusions, as well as to analyze the distribution of the amyloidogenic protein of interest in intact cells. Using specific fluorescent amyloid-dyes, such as thioflavin-S and ProteoStat, or the fusion of fluorescent molecules, such as GFP, the technique can be applied in the quantification of intracellular amyloid content, for the screening of antiamyloidogenic compounds, and to test epigenetic or environmental conditions able to modulate amyloid deposition in vivo.
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8
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Villar-Piqué A, Schmitz M, Candelise N, Ventura S, Llorens F, Zerr I. Molecular and Clinical Aspects of Protein Aggregation Assays in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:7588-7605. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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9
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Espargaró A, Ginex T, Vadell MDM, Busquets MA, Estelrich J, Muñoz-Torrero D, Luque FJ, Sabate R. Combined in Vitro Cell-Based/in Silico Screening of Naturally Occurring Flavonoids and Phenolic Compounds as Potential Anti-Alzheimer Drugs. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2017; 80:278-289. [PMID: 28128562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia in people over 65 years. One of the major culprits in AD is the self-aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), which has stimulated the search for small molecules able to inhibit Aβ aggregation. In this context, we recently reported a simple, but effective in vitro cell-based assay to evaluate the potential antiaggregation activity of putative Aβ aggregation inhibitors. In this work this assay was used together with docking and molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the anti-Aβ aggregation activity of several naturally occurring flavonoids and phenolic compounds. The results showed that rosmarinic acid, melatonin, and o-vanillin displayed zero or low inhibitory capacity, curcumin was found to have an intermediate inhibitory potency, and apigenin and quercetin showed potent antiaggregation activity. Finally, the suitability of the combined in vitro cell-based/in silico approach to distinguish between active and inactive compounds was further assessed for an additional set of flavonols and dihydroflavonols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Espargaró
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tiziana Ginex
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences, and Gastronomy, School of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedicine, Campus Torribera, University of Barcelona , Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Maria Del Mar Vadell
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria A Busquets
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Estelrich
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Javier Luque
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences, and Gastronomy, School of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedicine, Campus Torribera, University of Barcelona , Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona , E-08028, Barcelona, Spain
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10
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Hoarau M, Malbert Y, Irague R, Hureau C, Faller P, Gras E, André I, Remaud-Siméon M. A Robust and Efficient Production and Purification Procedure of Recombinant Alzheimers Disease Methionine-Modified Amyloid-β Peptides. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161209. [PMID: 27532547 PMCID: PMC4988814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
An improved production and purification method for Alzheimer’s disease related methionine-modified amyloid-β 1–40 and 1–42 peptides is proposed, taking advantage of the formation of inclusion body in Escherichia coli. A Thioflavin-S assay was set-up to evaluate inclusion body formation during growth and optimize culture conditions for amyloid-β peptides production. A simple and fast purification protocol including first the isolation of the inclusion bodies and second, two cycles of high pH denaturation/ neutralization combined with an ultrafiltration step on 30-kDa cut-off membrane was established. Special attention was paid to purity monitoring based on a rational combination of UV spectrophotometry and SDS-PAGE analyses at the various stages of the process. It revealed that this chromatography-free protocol affords good yield of high quality peptides in term of purity. The resulting peptides were fully characterized and are appropriate models for highly reproducible in vitro aggregation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Hoarau
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INPT, Toulouse, France
| | - Yannick Malbert
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Romain Irague
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Christelle Hureau
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INPT, Toulouse, France
| | - Peter Faller
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INPT, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel Gras
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INPT, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabelle André
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Magali Remaud-Siméon
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et Procédés, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
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11
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Ventura S. Editorial: Protein Solubility and Aggregation in Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1178. [PMID: 27524982 PMCID: PMC4965451 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Caballero AB, Terol-Ordaz L, Espargaró A, Vázquez G, Nicolás E, Sabaté R, Gamez P. Histidine-Rich Oligopeptides To Lessen Copper-Mediated Amyloid-β Toxicity. Chemistry 2016; 22:7268-80. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201600286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana B. Caballero
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry; University of Barcelona; Martí i Franquès 1-11 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Laia Terol-Ordaz
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry; University of Barcelona; Martí i Franquès 1-11 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Alba Espargaró
- Department of Physical Chemistry; Faculty of Pharmacy and; Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB); University of Barcelona; Avda. Joan XXIII 27-31 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Guillem Vázquez
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry; University of Barcelona; Martí i Franquès 1-11 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Ernesto Nicolás
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry; University of Barcelona; Martí i Franquès 1-11 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Raimon Sabaté
- Department of Physical Chemistry; Faculty of Pharmacy and; Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB); University of Barcelona; Avda. Joan XXIII 27-31 08028 Barcelona Spain
| | - Patrick Gamez
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry; University of Barcelona; Martí i Franquès 1-11 08028 Barcelona Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA); Passeig Lluís Companys 23 08010 Barcelona Spain
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13
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Villar-Piqué A, Espargaró A, Ventura S, Sabate R. In vivo amyloid aggregation kinetics tracked by time-lapse confocal microscopy in real-time. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:172-7. [PMID: 26580000 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid polymerization underlies an increasing number of human diseases. Despite this process having been studied extensively in vitro, aggregation is a difficult process to track in vivo due to methodological limitations and the slow kinetics of aggregation reactions in cells and tissues. Herein we exploit the amyloid properties of the inclusions bodies (IBs) formed by amyloidogenic proteins in bacteria to address the kinetics of in vivo amyloid aggregation. To this aim we used time-lapse confocal microscopy and a fusion of the amyloid-beta peptide (A β42) with a fluorescent reporter. This strategy allowed us to follow the intracellular kinetics of amyloid-like aggregation in real-time and to discriminate between variants exhibiting different in vivo aggregation propensity. Overall, the approach opens the possibility to assess the impact of point mutations as well as potential anti-aggregation drugs in the process of amyloid formation in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Villar-Piqué
- Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, Spain
| | - Alba Espargaró
- Departament de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN²UB), Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellatera, Spain.
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Departament de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN²UB), Spain.
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14
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Villar-Pique A, Navarro S, Ventura S. Characterization of amyloid-like properties in bacterial intracellular aggregates. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1258:99-122. [PMID: 25447861 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2205-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregation into amyloid conformations is associated with more than 50 different human disorders. Recent studies demonstrate that the expression in bacteria of amyloid proteins results in the formation of intracellular aggregates structurally related to those underlying human diseases. The ease with which prokaryotic organisms can be genetically and biochemically manipulated makes them useful systems for studying how and why protein aggregates inside the cell, providing a tractable environment to rationally model in vivo amyloid formation. In this chapter we present an overview of the methods used to characterize the kinetic, structural, and functional properties of amyloid-like bacterial intracellular aggregates and how they can be employed to screen for lead compounds that might modulate amyloid deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Villar-Pique
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Navarro S, Ventura S. Fluorescent dye ProteoStat to detect and discriminate intracellular amyloid-like aggregates in Escherichia coli. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:1259-66. [PMID: 25112199 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The formation of amyloid aggregates is linked to the onset of an increasing number of human disorders. Thus, there is an increasing need for methodologies able to provide insights into protein deposition and its modulation. Many approaches exist to study amyloids in vitro, but the techniques available for the study of amyloid aggregation in cells are still limited and non-specific. In this study we developed a methodology for the detection of amyloid-like aggregates inside cells that discriminates these ordered assemblies from other intracellular aggregates. We chose bacteria as model system, since the inclusion bodies formed by amyloid proteins in the cytosol of bacteria resemble toxic amyloids both structurally and functionally. Using confocal microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and flow cytometry, we show that the recently developed red fluorescent dye ProteoStat can detect the presence of intracellular amyloid-like deposits in living bacterial cells with high specificity, even when the target proteins are expressed at low levels. This methodology allows quantitation of the intracellular amyloid content, shows the potential to replace in vitro screenings in the search for therapeutic anti-amyloidogenic compounds, and might be useful for identifying conditions that prevent the aggregation of therapeutic recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Navarro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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16
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Abstract
The conformational diseases, linked to protein aggregation into amyloid conformations, range from non-infectious neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), to highly infectious ones, such as human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). They are commonly known as prion diseases. However, since all amyloids could be considered prions (from those involved in cell-to-cell transmission to those responsible for real neuronal invasion), it is necessary to find an underlying cause of the different capacity to infect that each of the proteins prone to form amyloids has. As proposed here, both the intrinsic cytotoxicity and the number of nuclei of aggregation per cell could be key factors in this transmission capacity of each amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimon Sabate
- Conformational Diseases Group; Department of Physical Chemistry; Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Barcelona (UB); Barcelona, Spain; Institut of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona (IN2UB); Barcelona, Spain
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17
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18
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Seras-Franzoso J, Peebo K, García-Fruitós E, Vázquez E, Rinas U, Villaverde A. Improving protein delivery of fibroblast growth factor-2 from bacterial inclusion bodies used as cell culture substrates. Acta Biomater 2014; 10:1354-9. [PMID: 24361427 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial inclusion bodies (IBs) have recently been used to generate biocompatible cell culture interfaces, with diverse effects on cultured cells such as cell adhesion enhancement, stimulation of cell growth or induction of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Additionally, novel applications of IBs as sustained protein delivery systems with potential applications in regenerative medicine have been successfully explored. In this scenario, with IBs gaining significance in the biomedical field, the fine tuning of this functional biomaterial is crucial. In this work, the effect of temperature on fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) IB production and performance has been evaluated. FGF-2 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli at 25 and 37 °C, producing IBs with differences in size, particle structure and biological activity. Cell culture topographies made with FGF-2 IBs biofabricated at 25 °C showed higher levels of biological activity as well as a looser supramolecular structure, enabling a higher protein release from the particles. In addition, the controlled use of FGF-2 protein particles enabled the generation of functional topographies with multiple biological activities being effective on diverse cell types.
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Ramón A, Señorale-Pose M, Marín M. Inclusion bodies: not that bad…. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:56. [PMID: 24592259 PMCID: PMC3924032 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of inclusion bodies (IBs) constitute a frequent event during the production of heterologous proteins in bacterial hosts. Although the mechanisms leading to their formation are not completely understood, empirical data have been exploited trying to predict the aggregation propensity of specific proteins while a great number of strategies have been developed to avoid the generation of IBs. However, in many cases, the formation of such aggregates can be considered an advantage for basic research as for protein production. In this review, we focus on this positive side of IBs formation in bacteria. We present a compilation on recent advances on the understanding of IBs formation and their utilization as a model to understand protein aggregation and to explore strategies to control this process. We include recent information about their composition and structure, their use as an attractive approach to produce low cost proteins and other promising applications in Biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ramón
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mario Señorale-Pose
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mónica Marín
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Montevideo, Uruguay
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Ferrer-Miralles N, Rodríguez-Carmona E, Corchero JL, García-Fruitós E, Vázquez E, Villaverde A. Engineering protein self-assembling in protein-based nanomedicines for drug delivery and gene therapy. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2013; 35:209-21. [DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2013.833163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Villar-Piqué A, Ventura S. Protein aggregation propensity is a crucial determinant of intracellular inclusion formation and quality control degradation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1833:2714-2724. [PMID: 23856334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein aggregation is linked to many pathological conditions, including several neurodegenerative diseases. The aggregation propensities of proteins are thought to be controlled to a large extent by the physicochemical properties encoded in the primary sequence. We have previously exploited a set of amyloid β peptide (Aβ42) variants exhibiting a continuous gradient of intrinsic aggregation propensities to demonstrate that this rule applies in vivo in bacteria. In the present work we have characterized the behavior of these Aβ42 mutants when expressed in yeast. In contrast to bacteria, the intrinsic aggregation propensity is gated by yeast, in such a way that this property correlates with the formation of intracellular inclusions only above a specific aggregation threshold. Proteins displaying solubility levels above this threshold escape the inclusion formation pathway. In addition, the most aggregation-prone variants are selectively cleared by the yeast quality control degradation machinery. Thus, both inclusion formation and proteolysis target the same aggregation-prone variants and cooperate to minimize the presence of these potentially dangerous species in the cytosol. The demonstration that sorting to these pathways in eukaryotes is strongly influenced by protein primary sequence should facilitate the development of rational approaches to predict and hopefully prevent in vivo protein deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Villar-Piqué
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
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22
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Screening and identification of genetic loci involved in producing more/denser inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2013; 12:43. [PMID: 23638724 PMCID: PMC3668246 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-12-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many proteins and peptides have been used in therapeutic or industrial applications. They are often produced in microbial production hosts by fermentation. Robust protein production in the hosts and efficient downstream purification are two critical factors that could significantly reduce cost for microbial protein production by fermentation. Producing proteins/peptides as inclusion bodies in the hosts has the potential to achieve both high titers in fermentation and cost-effective downstream purification. Manipulation of the host cells such as overexpression/deletion of certain genes could lead to producing more and/or denser inclusion bodies. However, there are limited screening methods to help to identify beneficial genetic changes rendering more protein production and/or denser inclusion bodies. RESULTS We report development and optimization of a simple density gradient method that can be used for distinguishing and sorting E. coli cells with different buoyant densities. We demonstrate utilization of the method to screen genetic libraries to identify a) expression of glyQS loci on plasmid that increased expression of a peptide of interest as well as the buoyant density of inclusion body producing E. coli cells; and b) deletion of a host gltA gene that increased the buoyant density of the inclusion body produced in the E. coli cells. CONCLUSION A novel density gradient sorting method was developed to screen genetic libraries. Beneficial host genetic changes could be exploited to improve recombinant protein expression as well as downstream protein purification.
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Cano-Garrido O, Rodríguez-Carmona E, Díez-Gil C, Vázquez E, Elizondo E, Cubarsi R, Seras-Franzoso J, Corchero JL, Rinas U, Ratera I, Ventosa N, Veciana J, Villaverde A, García-Fruitós E. Supramolecular organization of protein-releasing functional amyloids solved in bacterial inclusion bodies. Acta Biomater 2013; 9:6134-42. [PMID: 23220450 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2012.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Slow protein release from amyloidal materials is a molecular platform used by nature to control protein hormone secretion in the endocrine system. The molecular mechanics of the sustained protein release from amyloids remains essentially unexplored. Inclusion bodies (IBs) are natural amyloids that occur as discrete protein nanoparticles in recombinant bacteria. These protein clusters have been recently explored as protein-based functional biomaterials with diverse biomedical applications, and adapted as nanopills to deliver recombinant protein drugs into mammalian cells. Interestingly, the slow protein release from IBs does not significantly affect the particulate organization and morphology of the material, suggesting the occurrence of a tight scaffold. Here, we have determined, by using a combined set of analytical approaches, a sponge-like supramolecular organization of IBs combining differently folded protein versions (amyloid and native-like), which supports both mechanical stability and sustained protein delivery. Apart from offering structural clues about how amyloid materials release their monomeric protein components, these findings open exciting possibilities for the tailored development of smart biofunctional materials, adapted to mimic the functions of amyloid-based secretory glands of higher organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Cano-Garrido
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Ami D, Natalello A, Lotti M, Doglia SM. Why and how protein aggregation has to be studied in vivo. Microb Cell Fact 2013; 12:17. [PMID: 23410248 PMCID: PMC3583745 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-12-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The understanding of protein aggregation is a central issue in different fields of protein science, from the heterologous protein production in biotechnology to amyloid aggregation in several neurodegenerative and systemic diseases. To this goal, it became more and more evident the crucial relevance of studying protein aggregation in the complex cellular environment, since it allows to take into account the cellular components affecting protein aggregation, such as chaperones, proteases, and molecular crowding. Here, we discuss the use of several biochemical and biophysical approaches that can be employed to monitor protein aggregation within intact cells, focusing in particular on bacteria that are widely employed as microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Ami
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
- Department of Physics “G. Occhialini”, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Lotti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Maria Doglia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy
- Department of Physics “G. Occhialini”, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126, Milano, Italy
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Villar-Piqué A, Ventura S. Modeling amyloids in bacteria. Microb Cell Fact 2012; 11:166. [PMID: 23272903 PMCID: PMC3539947 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-11-166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2012] [Accepted: 12/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of proteins are being shown to assemble into amyloid structures, self-seeding fibrillar aggregates that may lead to pathological states or play essential biological functions in organisms. Bacterial cell factories have raised as privileged model systems to understand the mechanisms behind amyloid assembly and the cellular fitness cost associated to the formation of these aggregates. In the near future, these bacterial systems will allow implementing high-throughput screening approaches to identify effective modulators of amyloid aggregation.
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Unzueta U, Ferrer-Miralles N, Cedano J, Zikung X, Pesarrodona M, Saccardo P, García-Fruitós E, Domingo-Espín J, Kumar P, Gupta KC, Mangues R, Villaverde A, Vazquez E. Non-amyloidogenic peptide tags for the regulatable self-assembling of protein-only nanoparticles. Biomaterials 2012; 33:8714-22. [PMID: 22954515 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the self-assembling of building blocks as nanoscale entities is a requisite for the generation of bio-inspired vehicles for nanomedicines. A wide spectrum of functional peptides has been incorporated to different types of nanoparticles for the delivery of conventional drugs and nucleic acids, enabling receptor-specific cell binding and internalization, endosomal escape, cytosolic trafficking, nuclear targeting and DNA condensation. However, the development of architectonic tags to induce the self-assembling of functionalized monomers has been essentially neglected. We have examined here the nanoscale architectonic capabilities of arginine-rich cationic peptides, that when displayed on His-tagged proteins, promote their self-assembling as monodisperse, protein-only nanoparticles. The scrutiny of the cross-molecular interactivity cooperatively conferred by poly-arginines and poly-histidines has identified regulatable electrostatic interactions between building blocks that can also be engineered to encapsulate cargo DNA. The combined use of cationic peptides and poly-histidine tags offers an unusually versatile approach for the tailored design and biofabrication of protein-based nano-therapeutics, beyond the more limited spectrum of possibilities so far offered by self-assembling amyloidogenic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugutz Unzueta
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Espargaró A, Sabate R, Ventura S. Thioflavin-S staining coupled to flow cytometry. A screening tool to detect in vivo protein aggregation. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2012; 8:2839-44. [PMID: 22868714 DOI: 10.1039/c2mb25214g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid deposits are associated with an increasing number of human disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Recent studies provide compelling evidence for the existence of amyloid-like conformations in the insoluble bacterial inclusion bodies (IBs) produced during the recombinant expression of amyloidogenic proteins. This makes prokaryotic cells a physiologically relevant system to study the mechanisms of in vivo amyloid deposition. We show here that the application of flow cytometry to detect Thioflavin-S (Th-S) fluorescence provides a fast, robust, quantitative, non-invasive method to screen for the presence of in vivo intracellular amyloid-like aggregates in bacteria, with potential application in the analysis of the impact of genetic mutations or chemical compounds on the aggregation of disease-associated polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Espargaró
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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