1
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Moser C, Guschtschin-Schmidt N, Silber M, Flum J, Muhle-Goll C. Substrate Selection Criteria in Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1321-1334. [PMID: 38525994 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00068] [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: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia encountered in an aging population. Characteristic amyloid deposits of Aβ peptides in the brain are generated through cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by γ-secretase, an intramembrane protease. Cryo-EM structures of substrate γ-secretase complexes revealed details of the process, but how substrates are recognized and enter the catalytic site is still largely ignored. γ-Secretase cleaves a diverse range of substrate sequences without a common consensus sequence, but strikingly, single point mutations within the transmembrane domain (TMD) of specific substrates may greatly affect cleavage efficiencies. Previously, conformational flexibility was hypothesized to be the main criterion for substrate selection. Here we review the 3D structure and dynamics of several γ-secretase substrate TMDs and compare them with mutants shown to affect the cleavage efficiency. In addition, we present structural and dynamic data on ITGB1, a known nonsubstrate of γ-secretase. A comparison of biophysical details between these TMDs and changes generated by introducing crucial mutations allowed us to unravel common principles that differ between substrates and nonsubstrates. We identified three motifs in the investigated substrates: a highly flexible transmembrane domain, a destabilization of the cleavage region, and a basic signature at the end of the transmembrane helix. None of these appears to be exclusive. While conformational flexibility on its own may increase cleavage efficiency in well-known substrates like APP or Notch1, our data suggest that the three motifs seem to be rather variably combined to determine whether a transmembrane helix is efficiently recognized as a γ-secretase substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Moser
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Nadja Guschtschin-Schmidt
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Mara Silber
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Julia Flum
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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2
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Höppner S, Schröder B, Fluhrer R. Structure and function of SPP/SPPL proteases: insights from biochemical evidence and predictive modeling. FEBS J 2023; 290:5456-5474. [PMID: 37786993 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
More than 20 years ago, signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and its homologues, the signal peptide peptidase-like (SPPL) proteases have been identified based on their sequence similarity to presenilins, a related family of intramembrane aspartyl proteases. Other than those for the presenilins, no high-resolution structures for the SPP/SPPL proteases are available. Despite this limitation, over the years bioinformatical and biochemical data have accumulated, which altogether have provided a picture of the overall structure and topology of these proteases, their localization in the cell, the process of substrate recognition, their cleavage mechanism, and their function. Recently, the artificial intelligence-based structure prediction tool AlphaFold has added high-confidence models of the expected fold of SPP/SPPL proteases. In this review, we summarize known structural aspects of the SPP/SPPL family as well as their substrates. Of particular interest are the emerging substrate recognition and catalytic mechanisms that might lead to the prediction and identification of more potential substrates and deeper insight into physiological and pathophysiological roles of proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Höppner
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, University of Augsburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Schröder
- Institute for Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Regina Fluhrer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, University of Augsburg, Germany
- Center for Interdisciplinary Health Research, University of Augsburg, Germany
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3
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Ortner M, Guschtschin-Schmidt N, Stelzer W, Muhle-Goll C, Langosch D. Permissive Conformations of a Transmembrane Helix Allow Intramembrane Proteolysis by γ-Secretase. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168218. [PMID: 37536392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The intramembrane protease γ-secretase activates important signaling molecules, such as Notch receptors. It is still unclear, however, how different elements within the primary structure of substrate transmembrane domains (TMDs) contribute to their cleavability. Using a newly developed yeast-based cleavage assay, we identified three crucial regions within the TMDs of the paralogs Notch1 and Notch3 by mutational and gain-of-function approaches. The AAAA or AGAV motifs within the N-terminal half of the TMDs were found to confer strong conformational flexibility to these TMD helices, as determined by mutagenesis coupled to deuterium/hydrogen exchange. Crucial amino acids within the C-terminal half may support substrate docking into the catalytic cleft of presenilin, the enzymatic subunit of γ-secretase. Further, residues close to the C-termini of the TMDs may stabilize a tripartite β-sheet in the substrate/enzyme complex. NMR structures reveal different extents of helix bending as well as an ability to adopt widely differing conformational substates, depending on the sequence of the N-terminal half. The difference in cleavability between Notch1 and Notch3 TMDs is jointly determined by the conformational repertoires of the TMD helices and the sequences of the C-terminal half, as suggested by mutagenesis and building molecular models. In sum, cleavability of a γ-secretase substrate is enabled by different functions of cooperating TMD regions, which deepens our mechanistic understanding of substrate/non-substrate discrimination in intramembrane proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ortner
- Chair of Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Nadja Guschtschin-Schmidt
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Walter Stelzer
- Chair of Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Chair of Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
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4
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Schmidt FC, Fitz K, Feilen LP, Okochi M, Steiner H, Langosch D. Different transmembrane domains determine the specificity and efficiency of the cleavage activity of the γ-secretase subunit presenilin. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104626. [PMID: 36944398 PMCID: PMC10164903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The γ-secretase complex catalyzes the intramembrane cleavage of C99, a carboxy-terminal fragment of the amyloid precursor protein. Two paralogs of its catalytic subunit presenilin (PS1 and PS2) are expressed which are autocatalytically cleaved into an N-terminal and a C-terminal fragment during maturation of γ-secretase. In this study, we compared the efficiency and specificity of C99 cleavage by PS1- and PS2-containing γ-secretases. Mass spectrometric analysis of cleavage products obtained in cell-free and cell-based assays revealed that the previously described lower amyloid-β (Aβ)38 generation by PS2 is accompanied by a reciprocal increase in Aβ37 production. We further found PS1 and PS2 to show different preferences in the choice of the initial cleavage site of C99. However, the differences in Aβ38 and Aβ37 generation appear to mainly result from altered subsequent stepwise cleavage of Aβ peptides. Apart from these differences in cleavage specificity, we confirmed a lower efficiency of initial C99 cleavage by PS2 using a detergent-solubilized γ-secretase system. By investigating chimeric PS1/2 molecules, we show that the membrane-embedded, nonconserved residues of the N-terminal fragment mainly account for the differential cleavage efficiency and specificity of both presenilins. At the level of individual transmembrane domains (TMDs), TMD3 was identified as a major modulator of initial cleavage site specificity. The efficiency of endoproteolysis strongly depends on nonconserved TMD6 residues at the interface to TMD2, i.e., at a putative gate of substrate entry. Taken together, our results highlight the role of individual presenilin TMDs in the cleavage of C99 and the generation of Aβ peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian C Schmidt
- Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Katja Fitz
- Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Lukas P Feilen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Masayasu Okochi
- Neuropsychiatry, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Integrated Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Harald Steiner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Division of Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Biopolymer Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
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5
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Cooperation of N- and C-terminal substrate transmembrane domain segments in intramembrane proteolysis by γ-secretase. Commun Biol 2023; 6:177. [PMID: 36792683 PMCID: PMC9931712 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04470-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane proteases play a pivotal role in biology and medicine, but how these proteases decode cleavability of a substrate transmembrane (TM) domain remains unclear. Here, we study the role of conformational flexibility of a TM domain, as determined by deuterium/hydrogen exchange, on substrate cleavability by γ-secretase in vitro and in cellulo. By comparing hybrid TMDs based on the natural amyloid precursor protein TM domain and an artificial poly-Leu non-substrate, we find that substrate cleavage requires conformational flexibility within the N-terminal half of the TMD helix (TM-N). Robust cleavability also requires the C-terminal TM sequence (TM-C) containing substrate cleavage sites. Since flexibility of TM-C does not correlate with cleavage efficiency, the role of the TM-C may be defined mainly by its ability to form a cleavage-competent state near the active site, together with parts of presenilin, the enzymatic component of γ-secretase. In sum, cleavability of a γ-secretase substrate appears to depend on cooperating TM domain segments, which deepens our mechanistic understanding of intramembrane proteolysis.
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6
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Papadopoulou AA, Stelzer W, Silber M, Schlosser C, Spitz C, Haug-Kröper M, Straub T, Müller SA, Lichtenthaler SF, Muhle-Goll C, Langosch D, Fluhrer R. Helical stability of the GnTV transmembrane domain impacts on SPPL3 dependent cleavage. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20987. [PMID: 36470941 PMCID: PMC9722940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal-Peptide Peptidase Like-3 (SPPL3) is an intramembrane cleaving aspartyl protease that causes secretion of extracellular domains from type-II transmembrane proteins. Numerous Golgi-localized glycosidases and glucosyltransferases have been identified as physiological SPPL3 substrates. By SPPL3 dependent processing, glycan-transferring enzymes are deactivated inside the cell, as their active site-containing domain is cleaved and secreted. Thus, SPPL3 impacts on glycan patterns of many cellular and secreted proteins and can regulate protein glycosylation. However, the characteristics that make a substrate a favourable candidate for SPPL3-dependent cleavage remain unknown. To gain insights into substrate requirements, we investigated the function of a GxxxG motif located in the transmembrane domain of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnTV), a well-known SPPL3 substrate. SPPL3-dependent secretion of the substrate's ectodomain was affected by mutations disrupting the GxxxG motif. Using deuterium/hydrogen exchange and NMR spectroscopy, we studied the effect of these mutations on the helix flexibility of the GnTV transmembrane domain and observed that increased flexibility facilitates SPPL3-dependent shedding and vice versa. This study provides first insights into the characteristics of SPPL3 substrates, combining molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysical techniques and its results will provide the basis for better understanding the characteristics of SPPL3 substrates with implications for the substrates of other intramembrane proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alkmini A. Papadopoulou
- grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Universitätstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Walter Stelzer
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Mara Silber
- grid.7892.40000 0001 0075 5874Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany ,grid.7892.40000 0001 0075 5874Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Christine Schlosser
- grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Universitätstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Spitz
- grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Universitätstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Martina Haug-Kröper
- grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Universitätstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Straub
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XCore Facility Bioinformatics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Müller
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426DZNE – German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan F. Lichtenthaler
- grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426DZNE – German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany ,grid.15474.330000 0004 0477 2438Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany ,grid.452617.3Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- grid.7892.40000 0001 0075 5874Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany ,grid.7892.40000 0001 0075 5874Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Regina Fluhrer
- grid.7307.30000 0001 2108 9006Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Universitätstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
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7
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Siebert V, Silber M, Heuten E, Muhle-Goll C, Lemberg MK. Cleavage of mitochondrial homeostasis regulator PGAM5 by the intramembrane protease PARL is governed by transmembrane helix dynamics and oligomeric state. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102321. [PMID: 35921890 PMCID: PMC9436811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The intramembrane protease PARL acts as a crucial mitochondrial safeguard by cleaving the mitophagy regulators PINK1 and PGAM5. Depending on the stress level, PGAM5 can either stimulate cell survival or cell death. In contrast to PINK1, which is constantly cleaved in healthy mitochondria and only active when the inner mitochondrial membrane is depolarized, PGAM5 processing is inversely regulated. However, determinants of PGAM5 that indicate it as a conditional substrate for PARL have not been rigorously investigated, and it is unclear how uncoupling the mitochondrial membrane potential affects its processing compared to that of PINK1. Here, we show that several polar transmembrane residues in PGAM5 distant from the cleavage site serve as determinants for its PARL-catalyzed cleavage. Our NMR analysis indicates that a short N-terminal amphipathic helix, followed by a kink and a C-terminal transmembrane helix harboring the scissile peptide bond are key for a productive interaction with PARL. Furthermore, we also show that PGAM5 is stably inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane until uncoupling the membrane potential triggers its disassembly into monomers, which are then cleaved by PARL. In conclusion, we propose a model in which PGAM5 is slowly processed by PARL-catalyzed cleavage that is influenced by multiple hierarchical substrate features, including a membrane potential–dependent oligomeric switch.
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8
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Orzeł U, Jakowiecki J, Młynarczyk K, Filipek S. The Role of Cholesterol in Amyloidogenic Substrate Binding to the γ-Secretase Complex. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11070935. [PMID: 34202467 PMCID: PMC8301813 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the presence of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques in the brain. The γ-secretase complex, which produces Aβ, is an intramembrane-cleaving protease consisting of four membrane proteins. In this paper we investigated the amyloidogenic fragments of amyloid precursor protein (substrates Aβ43 and Aβ45, leading to less amyloidogenic Aβ40 and more amyloidogenic Aβ42, respectively) docked to the binding site of presenilin, the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase. In total, we performed 9 μs of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the whole γ-secretase complex with both substrates in low (10%) and high (50%) concentrations of cholesterol in the membrane. We found that, at the high cholesterol level, the Aβ45 helix was statistically more flexible in the binding site of presenilin than Aβ43. An increase in the cholesterol concentration was also correlated with a higher flexibility of the Aβ45 helix, which suggests incompatibility between Aβ45 and the binding site of presenilin potentiated by a high cholesterol level. However, at the C-terminal part of Aβ45, the active site of presenilin was more compact in the case of a high cholesterol level, which could promote processing of this substrate. We also performed detailed mapping of the cholesterol binding sites at low and high cholesterol concentrations, which were independent of the typical cholesterol binding motifs.
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9
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Lysyk L, Brassard R, Arutyunova E, Siebert V, Jiang Z, Takyi E, Morrison M, Young HS, Lemberg MK, O'Donoghue AJ, Lemieux MJ. Insights into the catalytic properties of the mitochondrial rhomboid protease PARL. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100383. [PMID: 33556373 PMCID: PMC7966987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rhomboid protease PARL is a critical regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis through its cleavage of substrates such as PINK1, PGAM5, and Smac/Diablo, which have crucial roles in mitochondrial quality control and apoptosis. However, the catalytic properties of PARL, including the effect of lipids on the protease, have never been characterized in vitro. To address this, we isolated human PARL expressed in yeast and used FRET-based kinetic assays to measure proteolytic activity in vitro. We show that PARL activity in detergent is enhanced by cardiolipin, a lipid enriched in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Significantly higher turnover rates were observed for PARL reconstituted in proteoliposomes, with Smac/Diablo being cleaved most rapidly at a rate of 1 min−1. In contrast, PGAM5 is cleaved with the highest efficiency (kcat/KM) compared with PINK1 and Smac/Diablo. In proteoliposomes, a truncated β-cleavage form of PARL, a physiological form known to affect mitochondrial fragmentation, is more active than the full-length enzyme for hydrolysis of PINK1, PGAM5, and Smac/Diablo. Multiplex profiling of 228 peptides reveals that PARL prefers substrates with a bulky side chain such as Phe in P1, which is distinct from the preference for small side chain residues typically found with bacterial rhomboid proteases. This study using recombinant PARL provides fundamental insights into its catalytic activity and substrate preferences that enhance our understanding of its role in mitochondrial function and has implications for specific inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laine Lysyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Raelynn Brassard
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elena Arutyunova
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Verena Siebert
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zhenze Jiang
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Emmanuella Takyi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Melissa Morrison
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Howard S Young
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marius K Lemberg
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anthony J O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - M Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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10
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Spitz C, Schlosser C, Guschtschin-Schmidt N, Stelzer W, Menig S, Götz A, Haug-Kröper M, Scharnagl C, Langosch D, Muhle-Goll C, Fluhrer R. Non-canonical Shedding of TNFα by SPPL2a Is Determined by the Conformational Flexibility of Its Transmembrane Helix. iScience 2020; 23:101775. [PMID: 33294784 PMCID: PMC7689174 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ectodomain (EC) shedding defines the proteolytic removal of a membrane protein EC and acts as an important molecular switch in signaling and other cellular processes. Using tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α as a model substrate, we identify a non-canonical shedding activity of SPPL2a, an intramembrane cleaving aspartyl protease of the GxGD type. Proline insertions in the TNFα transmembrane (TM) helix strongly increased SPPL2a non-canonical shedding, while leucine mutations decreased this cleavage. Using biophysical and structural analysis, as well as molecular dynamic simulations, we identified a flexible region in the center of the TNFα wildtype TM domain, which plays an important role in the processing of TNFα by SPPL2a. This study combines molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics to provide insights into the dynamic architecture of a substrate's TM helix and its impact on non-canonical shedding. Thus, these data will provide the basis to identify further physiological substrates of non-canonical shedding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Spitz
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Christine Schlosser
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Nadja Guschtschin-Schmidt
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, 76344 Eggenstein- Leopoldshafen, Germany and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Walter Stelzer
- Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Simon Menig
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems, Technische Universität München, Maximus-von-Imhof Forum 4, 85340 Freising, Germany
| | - Alexander Götz
- Present Address: Leibniz Supercomputing Centre, Boltzmannstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Martina Haug-Kröper
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Christina Scharnagl
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems, Technische Universität München, Maximus-von-Imhof Forum 4, 85340 Freising, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, 76344 Eggenstein- Leopoldshafen, Germany and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Regina Fluhrer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstrasse 2, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.,DZNE - German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
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11
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Silber M, Hitzenberger M, Zacharias M, Muhle-Goll C. Altered Hinge Conformations in APP Transmembrane Helix Mutants May Affect Enzyme-Substrate Interactions of γ-Secretase. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:4426-4433. [PMID: 33232115 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cleavage of substrates by γ-secretase is an inherently slow process where substrate-enzyme affinities cannot be broken down into specific sequence requirements in contrast to soluble proteases. Nevertheless, despite its apparent sequence tolerance single point mutations in amyloid precursor protein can severely affect cleavage efficiencies and change product line preferences. We have determined by NMR spectroscopy the structures of the transmembrane domain of amyloid precursor protein in TFE/water and compared it to that of four mutants: two FAD mutants, V44M and I45T, and the two diglycine hinge mutants, G38L and G38P. In accordance with previous publications, the transmembrane domain is composed of two helical segments connected by the diglycine hinge. Mutations alter kink angles and structural flexibility. Furthermore, to our surprise, we observe different, but specific mutual orientations of N- and C-terminal helical segments in the four mutants compared to the wildtype. We speculate that the observed orientations for G38L, G38P, V44M, and I45T lead to unfavorable interactions with γ-secretase exosites during substrate movement to the enzyme's active site in presenilin and/or for the accommodation into the substrate-binding cavity of presenilin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Silber
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Manuel Hitzenberger
- Physics Department T38, Technical University of Munich, James-Frank-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department T38, Technical University of Munich, James-Frank-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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12
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Papadopoulou AA, Fluhrer R. Signaling Functions of Intramembrane Aspartyl-Proteases. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:591787. [PMID: 33381526 PMCID: PMC7768045 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.591787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane proteolysis is more than a mechanism to “clean” the membranes from proteins no longer needed. By non-reversibly modifying transmembrane proteins, intramembrane cleaving proteases hold key roles in multiple signaling pathways and often distinguish physiological from pathological conditions. Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and signal peptide peptidase-like proteases (SPPLs) recently have been associated with multiple functions in the field of signal transduction. SPP/SPPLs together with presenilins (PSs) are the only two families of intramembrane cleaving aspartyl proteases known in mammals. PS1 or PS2 comprise the catalytic center of the γ-secretase complex, which is well-studied in the context of Alzheimer's disease. The mammalian SPP/SPPL family of intramembrane cleaving proteases consists of five members: SPP and its homologous proteins SPPL2a, SPPL2b, SPPL2c, and SPPL3. Although these proteases were discovered due to their homology to PSs, it became evident in the past two decades that no physiological functions are shared between these two families. Based on studies in cell culture models various substrates of SPP/SPPL proteases have been identified in the past years and recently-developed mouse lines lacking individual members of this protease family, will help to further clarify the physiological functions of these proteases. In this review we concentrate on signaling roles of mammalian intramembrane cleaving aspartyl proteases. In particular, we will highlight the signaling roles of PS via its substrates NOTCH, VEGF, and others, mainly focusing on its involvement in vasculature. Delineating also signaling pathways that are affected and/or controlled by SPP/SPPL proteases. From SPP's participation in tumor progression and survival, to SPPL3's regulation of protein glycosylation and SPPL2c's control over cellular calcium stores, various crossovers between proteolytic activity of intramembrane proteases and cell signaling will be described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alkmini A Papadopoulou
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Regina Fluhrer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
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13
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A computer-simulated mechanism of familial Alzheimer’s disease: Mutations enhance thermal dynamics and favor looser substrate-binding to γ-secretase. J Struct Biol 2020; 212:107648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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14
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Hitzenberger M, Götz A, Menig S, Brunschweiger B, Zacharias M, Scharnagl C. The dynamics of γ-secretase and its substrates. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 105:86-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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15
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Liu X, Zhao J, Zhang Y, Ubarretxena-Belandia I, Forth S, Lieberman RL, Wang C. Substrate-Enzyme Interactions in Intramembrane Proteolysis: γ-Secretase as the Prototype. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:65. [PMID: 32508589 PMCID: PMC7248309 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane-cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs) catalyze the hydrolysis of peptide bonds within the transmembrane regions of membrane protein substrates, releasing bioactive fragments that play roles in many physiological and pathological processes. Based on their catalytic mechanism and nucleophile, I-CLiPs are classified into metallo, serine, aspartyl, and glutamyl proteases. Presenilin is the most prominent among I-CLiPs, as the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase (GS) complex responsible for cleaving the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch, as well as many other membrane substrates. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of GS provide new details on how presenilin recognizes and cleaves APP and Notch. First, presenilin transmembrane helix (TM) 2 and 6 are dynamic. Second, upon binding to GS, the substrate TM helix is unwound from the C-terminus, resulting in an intermolecular β-sheet between the substrate and presenilin. The transition of the substrate C-terminus from α-helix to β-sheet is proposed to expose the scissile peptide bond in an extended conformation, leaving it susceptible to protease cleavage. Despite the astounding new insights in recent years, many crucial questions remain unanswered regarding the inner workings of γ-secretase, however. Key unanswered questions include how the enzyme recognizes and recruits substrates, how substrates are translocated from an initial docking site to the active site, how active site aspartates recruit and coordinate catalytic water, and the nature of the mechanisms of processive trimming of the substrate and product release. Answering these questions will have important implications for drug discovery aimed at selectively reducing the amyloid load in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with minimal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Liu
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Jing Zhao
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Yingkai Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Iban Ubarretxena-Belandia
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Scott Forth
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Raquel L. Lieberman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
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16
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Gutierrez E, Lütjohann D, Kerksiek A, Fabiano M, Oikawa N, Kuerschner L, Thiele C, Walter J. Importance of γ-secretase in the regulation of liver X receptor and cellular lipid metabolism. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:3/6/e201900521. [PMID: 32354700 PMCID: PMC7195048 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of the Alzheimer associated γ-secretase impairs the regulation of cellular lipid droplet homeostasis. Presenilins (PS) are the catalytic components of γ-secretase complexes that mediate intramembrane proteolysis. Mutations in the PS genes are a major cause of familial early-onset Alzheimer disease and affect the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein, thereby altering the production of the amyloid β-peptide. However, multiple additional protein substrates have been identified, suggesting pleiotropic functions of γ-secretase. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of γ-secretase causes dysregulation of cellular lipid homeostasis, including up-regulation of liver X receptors, and complex changes in the cellular lipid composition. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of γsecretase leads to strong accumulation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets, associated with increased levels of acylglycerols, but lowered cholesteryl esters. Furthermore, accumulation of lipid droplets was augmented by increasing levels of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragments, indicating a critical involvement of this γ-secretase substrate. Together, these data provide a mechanism that functionally connects γ-secretase activity to cellular lipid metabolism. These effects were also observed in human astrocytic cells, indicating an important function of γ-secretase in cells critical for lipid homeostasis in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dieter Lütjohann
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anja Kerksiek
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marietta Fabiano
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Naoto Oikawa
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Kuerschner
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christoph Thiele
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jochen Walter
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Impact of proteolysis on cancer stem cell functions. Biochimie 2019; 166:214-222. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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18
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Kühnle N, Dederer V, Lemberg MK. Intramembrane proteolysis at a glance: from signalling to protein degradation. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:132/16/jcs217745. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.217745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades, a group of unusual proteases, so-called intramembrane proteases, have become increasingly recognized for their unique ability to cleave peptide bonds within cellular membranes. They are found in all kingdoms of life and fulfil versatile functions ranging from protein maturation, to activation of signalling molecules, to protein degradation. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we focus on intramembrane proteases in mammalian cells. By comparing intramembrane proteases in different cellular organelles, we set out to review their functions within the context of the roles of individual cellular compartments. Additionally, we exemplify their mode of action in relation to known substrates by distinguishing cleavage events that promote degradation of substrate from those that release active domains from the membrane bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Kühnle
- Centre for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Verena Dederer
- Centre for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marius K. Lemberg
- Centre for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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19
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Bocharov EV, Nadezhdin KD, Urban AS, Volynsky PE, Pavlov KV, Efremov RG, Arseniev AS, Bocharova OV. Familial L723P Mutation Can Shift the Distribution between the Alternative APP Transmembrane Domain Cleavage Cascades by Local Unfolding of the Ε-Cleavage Site Suggesting a Straightforward Mechanism of Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:1573-1582. [PMID: 31180641 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is an age-related pathology associated with accumulation of amyloid-β peptides, products of enzymatic cleavage of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) by secretases. Several familial mutations causing early onset of the disease have been identified in the APP transmembrane (TM) domain. The mutations influence production of amyloid-β, but the molecular mechanisms of this effect are unclear. The "Australian" (L723P) mutation located in the C-termini of APP TM domain is associated with autosomal-dominant, early onset Alzheimer's disease. Herein, we describe the impact of familial L723P mutation on the structural-dynamic behavior of APP TM domain studied by high-resolution NMR in membrane-mimicking micelles and augmented by molecular dynamics simulations in explicit lipid bilayer. We found L723P mutation to cause local unfolding of the C-terminal turn of the APP TM domain helix and increase its accessibility to water required for cleavage of the protein backbone by γ-secretase in the ε-site, thus switching between alternative ("pathogenic" and "non-pathogenic") cleavage cascades. These findings suggest a straightforward mechanism of the pathogenesis associated with this mutation, and are of generic import for understanding the molecular-level events associated with APP sequential proteolysis resulting in accumulation of the pathogenic forms of amyloid-β. Moreover, age-related onset of Alzheimer's disease can be explained by a similar mechanism, where the effect of mutation is emulated by the impact of local environmental factors, such as oxidative stress and/or membrane lipid composition. Knowledge of the mechanisms regulating generation of amyloidogenic peptides of different lengths is essential for development of novel treatment strategies of the Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard V. Bocharov
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill D. Nadezhdin
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Anatoly S. Urban
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Pavel E. Volynsky
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
| | - Konstantin V. Pavlov
- Federal Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of FMBA, Moscow, 119435, Russian Federation
| | - Roman G. Efremov
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander S. Arseniev
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
| | - Olga V. Bocharova
- Shemyakin−Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudnyi, 141701, Russian Federation
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20
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Dehury B, Tang N, Blundell TL, Kepp KP. Structure and dynamics of γ-secretase with presenilin 2 compared to presenilin 1. RSC Adv 2019; 9:20901-20916. [PMID: 35515530 PMCID: PMC9065803 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02623a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is caused by more than 200 different mutations in the genes coding for presenilin, the catalytic subunit of the 4-subunit protease complex γ-secretase, which cleaves the C99 fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce Aβ peptides. γ-Secretase exists with either of two homologues, PS1 and PS2. All cryo-electron microscopic structures and computational work has so far focused on γ-secretase with PS1, yet PS2 mutations also cause FAD. A central question is thus whether there are structural and dynamic differences between PS1 and PS2. To address this question, we use the cryo-electron microscopic data for PS1 to develop the first structural and dynamic model of PS2-γ-secretase in the catalytically relevant mature membrane-bound state at ambient temperature, equilibrated by three independent 500 ns molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the characteristic nicastrin extra-cellular domain breathing mode and major movements in the cytosolic loop between TM6 and TM7 occur in both PS2- and PS1-γ-secretase. The overall structures and conformational states are similar, suggesting similar catalytic activities. However, at the sequence level, charge-controlled membrane-anchoring is extracellular for PS1 and intracellular for PS2, which suggests different subcellular locations. The tilt angles of the TM2, TM6, TM7 and TM9 helices differ in the two forms of γ-secretase, suggesting that the two proteins have somewhat different substrate processing and channel sizes. Our MD simulations consistently indicated that PS2 retains several water molecules near the catalytic site at the bilayer, as required for catalysis. The possible reasons for the differences of PS1 and PS2 are discussed in relation to their location and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Budheswar Dehury
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark +045 45252409
| | - Ning Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark +045 45252409
| | - Tom L Blundell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 1GA UK
| | - Kasper P Kepp
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark +045 45252409
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21
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Götz A, Mylonas N, Högel P, Silber M, Heinel H, Menig S, Vogel A, Feyrer H, Huster D, Luy B, Langosch D, Scharnagl C, Muhle-Goll C, Kamp F, Steiner H. Modulating Hinge Flexibility in the APP Transmembrane Domain Alters γ-Secretase Cleavage. Biophys J 2019; 116:2103-2120. [PMID: 31130234 PMCID: PMC6554489 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane cleavage of the β-amyloid precursor protein C99 substrate by γ-secretase is implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Biophysical data have suggested that the N-terminal part of the C99 transmembrane domain (TMD) is separated from the C-terminal cleavage domain by a di-glycine hinge. Because the flexibility of this hinge might be critical for γ-secretase cleavage, we mutated one of the glycine residues, G38, to a helix-stabilizing leucine and to a helix-distorting proline. Both mutants impaired γ-secretase cleavage and also altered its cleavage specificity. Circular dichroism, NMR, and backbone amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange measurements as well as molecular dynamics simulations showed that the mutations distinctly altered the intrinsic structural and dynamical properties of the substrate TMD. Although helix destabilization and/or unfolding was not observed at the initial ε-cleavage sites of C99, subtle changes in hinge flexibility were identified that substantially affected helix bending and twisting motions in the entire TMD. These resulted in altered orientation of the distal cleavage domain relative to the N-terminal TMD part. Our data suggest that both enhancing and reducing local helix flexibility of the di-glycine hinge may decrease the occurrence of enzyme-substrate complex conformations required for normal catalysis and that hinge mobility can thus be conducive for productive substrate-enzyme interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Götz
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Nadine Mylonas
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Högel
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at the Lehrstuhl Chemie der Biopolymere, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Mara Silber
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Hannes Heinel
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Menig
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexander Vogel
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hannes Feyrer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Burkhard Luy
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at the Lehrstuhl Chemie der Biopolymere, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Christina Scharnagl
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Frits Kamp
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Harald Steiner
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
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22
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Molecular dynamics of C99-bound γ-secretase reveal two binding modes with distinct compactness, stability, and active-site retention: implications for Aβ production. Biochem J 2019; 476:1173-1189. [PMID: 30910800 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The membrane protease γ-secretase cleaves the C99 fragment of the amyloid precursor protein, thus producing the Aβ peptides central to Alzheimer's disease. Cryo-electron microscopy has provided the topology but misses the membrane and loop parts that contribute to substrate binding. We report here an essentially complete atomic model of C99 within wild-type γ-secretase that respects all the experimental constraints and additionally describes loop, helix, and C99 substrate dynamics in a realistic all-atom membrane. Our model represents the matured auto-cleaved state required for catalysis. From two independent 500-ns molecular dynamic simulations, we identify two conformation states of C99 in equilibrium, a compact and a loose state. Our simulations provide a basis for C99 processing and Aβ formation and explain the production of longer and shorter Aβ, as the compact state retains C99 for longer and thus probably trims to shorter Aβ peptides. We expect pathogenic presenilin mutations to stabilize the loose over the compact state. The simulations detail the role of the Lys53-Lys54-Lys55 anchor for C99 binding, a loss of helicity of bound C99, and positioning of Thr48 and Leu49 leading to alternative trimming pathways on opposite sides of the C99 helix in three amino acid steps. The C99 binding topology resembles that of C83-bound γ-secretase without membrane but lacks a presenilin 1-C99 β-sheet, which could be induced by C83's stronger binding. The loose state should be selectively disfavored by γ-secretase modulators to increase C99 trimming and reduce the formation of longer Aβ, a strategy that is currently much explored but has lacked a structural basis.
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23
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Hitzenberger M, Zacharias M. Structural Modeling of γ-Secretase Aβ n Complex Formation and Substrate Processing. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:1826-1840. [PMID: 30638370 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The intramembrane aspartyl protease γ-secretase (GSEC) cleaves single-span transmembrane helices including the C-terminal fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). This substrate is initially cleaved at the ϵ-site followed by successive processing (trimming) events mostly in steps of three amino acids. GSEC is responsible for the formation of N-terminal APP amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides of different length (e.g., Aβ42) that can form aggregates involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. The molecular mechanism of GSEC-APP substrate recognition is key for understanding how different peptide products are formed and could help in designing APP-selective modulators. Based on the known structure of apo GSEC and the APP-C99 fragment we have generated putative structural models of the initial binding in three different possible modes using extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The binding mode with the substrate helix located in a cleft between the transmembrane helices 2 and 3 of the presenilin subunit was identified as a most likely binding mode. Based on this arrangement, the processing steps were investigated using restraint MD simulations to pull the scissile bond (for each processing step) into a transition like (cleavable) state. This allowed us to analyze in detail the motions and energetic contributions of participating residues. The structural model agrees qualitatively well with the influence of many mutations in GSEC and C99. It also explains the effects of inhibitors, cross-linking, as well as spectroscopic data on GSEC substrate binding and can serve as working model for the future planning of structural and biochemical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Hitzenberger
- Physics Department T38, Technical University of Munich, James-Frank-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - M. Zacharias
- Physics Department T38, Technical University of Munich, James-Frank-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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24
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Lichtenthaler SF, Güner G. Pathology-linked protease caught in action. Science 2019; 363:690-691. [PMID: 30765551 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw5547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, DFG Research Unit FOR 2290 and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
| | - Gökhan Güner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, DFG Research Unit FOR 2290 and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Germany
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25
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Hitzenberger M, Zacharias M. γ-Secretase Studied by Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Global Dynamics, Enzyme Activation, Water Distribution and Lipid Binding. Front Chem 2019; 6:640. [PMID: 30662893 PMCID: PMC6328467 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-secretase, an intramembrane-cleaving aspartyl protease is involved in the cleavage of a large number of intramembrane proteins. The most prominent substrate is the amyloid precursor protein, whose proteolytic processing leads to the production of different amyloid Aβ peptides. These peptides are known to form toxic aggregates and may play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, the three-dimensional structure of γ-secretase has been determined via Cryo-EM, elucidating the spatial geometry of this enzyme complex in different functional states. We have used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the global dynamics and conformational transitions of γ-secretase, as well as the water and lipid distributions in and around the transmembrane domains in atomic detail. Simulations were performed on the full enzyme complex and on the membrane embedded parts alone. The simulations revealed global motions compatible with the experimental enzyme structures and indicated little dependence of the dynamics of the transmembrane domains on the soluble extracellular subunits. During the simulation on the membrane spanning part a transition between an inactive conformation (with catalytic residues far apart) toward a putatively active form (with catalytic residues in close proximity) has been observed. This conformational change is associated with a distinct rearrangement of transmembrane helices, a global compaction of the catalytically active presenilin subunit a change in the water structure near the active site and a rigidification of the protein fold. The observed conformational rearrangement allows the interpretation of the effect of several mutations on the activity of γ-secretase. A number of long-lived lipid binding sites could be identified on the membrane spanning surface of γ-secretase which may coincide with association regions of hydrophobic membrane helices to form putative substrate binding exosites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department T38, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
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26
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Steiner H, Fukumori A, Tagami S, Okochi M. Making the final cut: pathogenic amyloid-β peptide generation by γ-secretase. Cell Stress 2018; 2:292-310. [PMID: 31225454 PMCID: PMC6551803 DOI: 10.15698/cst2018.11.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease of the elderly population. Genetic evidence strongly suggests that aberrant generation and/or clearance of the neurotoxic amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is triggering the disease. Aβ is generated from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the sequential cleavages of β- and γ-secretase. The latter cleavage by γ-secretase, a unique and fascinating four-component protease complex, occurs in the APP transmembrane domain thereby releasing Aβ species of 37-43 amino acids in length including the longer, highly pathogenic peptides Aβ42 and Aβ43. The lack of a precise understanding of Aβ generation as well as of the functions of other γ-secretase substrates has been one factor underlying the disappointing failure of γ-secretase inhibitors in clinical trials, but on the other side also been a major driving force for structural and in depth mechanistic studies on this key AD drug target in the past few years. Here we review recent breakthroughs in our understanding of how the γ-secretase complex recognizes substrates, of how it binds and processes β-secretase cleaved APP into different Aβ species, as well as the progress made on a question of outstanding interest, namely how clinical AD mutations in the catalytic subunit presenilin and the γ-secretase cleavage region of APP lead to relative increases of Aβ42/43. Finally, we discuss how the knowledge emerging from these studies could be used to therapeutically target this enzyme in a safe way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Steiner
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Akio Fukumori
- Department of Aging Neurobiology, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu & Department of Mental Health Promotion, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Shinji Tagami
- Neuropsychiatry, Department of Integrated Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Masayasu Okochi
- Neuropsychiatry, Department of Integrated Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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27
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Götz A, Scharnagl C. Dissecting conformational changes in APP's transmembrane domain linked to ε-efficiency in familial Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200077. [PMID: 29966005 PMCID: PMC6028146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism by which familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mutations within the transmembrane domain (TMD) of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) affect ε-endoproteolysis is only poorly understood. Thereby, mutations in the cleavage domain reduce ε-efficiency of γ-secretase cleavage and some even shift entry into production lines. Since cleavage occurs within the TMD, a relationship between processing and TMD structure and dynamics seems obvious. Using molecular dynamic simulations, we dissect the dynamic features of wild-type and seven FAD-mutants into local and global components. Mutations consistently enhance hydrogen-bond fluctuations upstream of the ε-cleavage sites but maintain strong helicity there. Dynamic perturbation-response scanning reveals that FAD-mutants target backbone motions utilized in the bound state. Those motions, obscured by large-scale motions in the pre-bound state, provide (i) a dynamic mechanism underlying the proposed coupling between binding and ε-cleavage, (ii) key sites consistent with experimentally determined docking sites, and (iii) the distinction between mutants and wild-type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Götz
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems, Freising, Germany
| | - Christina Scharnagl
- Technical University of Munich, Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems, Freising, Germany
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28
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Walter J, Kemmerling N, Wunderlich P, Glebov K. γ-Secretase in microglia - implications for neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. J Neurochem 2017; 143:445-454. [PMID: 28940294 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
γ-Secretase is an intramembrane cleaving protease involved in the generation of the Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated amyloid β peptide (Aβ). γ-Secretase is ubiquitously expressed in different organs, and also in different cell types of the human brain. Besides the involvement in the proteolytic generation of Aβ from the amyloid precursor protein, γ-secretase cleaves many additional protein substrates, suggesting pleiotropic functions under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Microglia exert important functions during brain development and homeostasis in adulthood, and accumulating evidence indicates that microglia and neuroinflammatory processes contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies demonstrate functional implications of γ-secretase in microglia, suggesting that alterations in γ-secretase activity could contribute to AD pathogenesis by modulation of microglia and related neuroinflammatory processes during neurodegeneration. In this review, we discuss the involvement of γ-secretase in the regulation of microglial functions, and the potential relevance of these processes under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. This article is part of the series "Beyond Amyloid".
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Walter
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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