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Gandini A, Gonçalves AE, Strocchi S, Albertini C, Janočková J, Tramarin A, Grifoni D, Poeta E, Soukup O, Muñoz-Torrero D, Monti B, Sabaté R, Bartolini M, Legname G, Bolognesi ML. Discovery of Dual Aβ/Tau Inhibitors and Evaluation of Their Therapeutic Effect on a Drosophila Model of Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:3314-3329. [PMID: 36445009 PMCID: PMC9732823 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00357] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, currently represents an extremely challenging and unmet medical need worldwide. Amyloid-β (Aβ) and Tau proteins are prototypical AD hallmarks, as well as validated drug targets. Accumulating evidence now suggests that they synergistically contribute to disease pathogenesis. This could not only help explain negative results from anti-Aβ clinical trials but also indicate that therapies solely directed at one of them may have to be reconsidered. Based on this, herein, we describe the development of a focused library of 2,4-thiazolidinedione (TZD)-based bivalent derivatives as dual Aβ and Tau aggregation inhibitors. The aggregating activity of the 24 synthesized derivatives was tested in intact Escherichia coli cells overexpressing Aβ42 and Tau proteins. We then evaluated their neuronal toxicity and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), together with the in vitro interaction with the two isolated proteins. Finally, the most promising (most active, nontoxic, and BBB-permeable) compounds 22 and 23 were tested in vivo, in a Drosophila melanogaster model of AD. The carbazole derivative 22 (20 μM) showed extremely encouraging results, being able to improve both the lifespan and the climbing abilities of Aβ42 expressing flies and generating a better outcome than doxycycline (50 μM). Moreover, 22 proved to be able to decrease Aβ42 aggregates in the brains of the flies. We conclude that bivalent small molecules based on 22 deserve further attention as hits for dual Aβ/Tau aggregation inhibition in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annachiara Gandini
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy,Department
of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, I-34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Ana Elisa Gonçalves
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy,Pharmaceutical
Sciences Postgraduate Program, Center of Health Sciences, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Rua Uruguai 458, 88302-202Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Silvia Strocchi
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Albertini
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy
| | - Jana Janočková
- Biomedical
Research Center, University Hospital Hradec
Kralove, 500 00Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Tramarin
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniela Grifoni
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy,Department
of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, Coppito II, 67100L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Eleonora Poeta
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy
| | - Ondrej Soukup
- Biomedical
Research Center, University Hospital Hradec
Kralove, 500 00Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory
of Medicinal Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy
and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona (UB), Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, E-08028Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barbara Monti
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences Postgraduate Program, Center of Health Sciences, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Rua Uruguai 458, 88302-202Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Raimon Sabaté
- Department
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry,
Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University
of Barcelona, Av Joan
XXIII 27-31, E-08028Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuela Bartolini
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department
of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, I-34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126Bologna, Italy,. Tel: +39 0512099718
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3
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Feng Y, Lu H, Hu J, Zheng B, Zhang Y. Anti-Aging Effects of R-Phycocyanin from Porphyra haitanensis on HUVEC Cells and Drosophila melanogaster. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20080468. [PMID: 35892936 PMCID: PMC9329955 DOI: 10.3390/md20080468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging has become a global public health challenge. Many studies have revealed that the excessive generation of ROS and oxidative stress could be the major causative factors contributing to aging. In this study, R-phycocyanin (R-PC) was isolated from Porphyra haitanensis, and its anti-aging ability was explored by natural aging Drosophila melanogaster and H2O2-induced HUVEC cells as the aging model. Results showed that R-PC α and β subunits expressed have antioxidant activity and can inhibit the generation of radicals, exhibiting a protective effect against H2O2-induced apoptotic HUVEC cells death. R-PC prevented the H2O2-induced HUVEC cell cycle phase arrest by regulating cell cycle-related protein. Furthermore, R-PC prevented the H2O2-induced HUVEC cell cycle phase arrest by regulating cell-cycle-related protein expression. In vivo study also indicated that R-PC significantly increased the survival time and alleviated the oxidative stress of Drosophila melanogaster. Moreover, R-PC notably decreased levels of ROS in natural aging flies and inhibited lipid peroxidation by enhancing the expressions of the endogenous stress marker genes (SOD1, SOD2, CAT of Drosophila melanogaster). Taken together, a study on the antioxidation extract from Porphyra haitanensis, such as R-PC, may open a new window for the prevention of anti-aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyu Feng
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350000, China; (Y.F.); (H.L.); (J.H.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China
| | - Hanjin Lu
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350000, China; (Y.F.); (H.L.); (J.H.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China
| | - Jiamiao Hu
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350000, China; (Y.F.); (H.L.); (J.H.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China
| | - Baodong Zheng
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350000, China; (Y.F.); (H.L.); (J.H.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yi Zhang
- Engineering Research Centre of Fujian-Taiwan Special Marine Food Processing and Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou 350000, China; (Y.F.); (H.L.); (J.H.)
- College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (Y.Z.)
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4
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Proof-of-Concept Preclinical Use of Drosophila melanogaster in the Initial Screening of Immunomodulators. Sci Pharm 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/scipharm90010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery is a complex process, and the use of a comprehensive approach is deemed necessary to discover new chemical entities with novel mechanisms of action. This research was carried out to determine whether Drosophila melanogaster can serve as an appropriate model organism in the initial screening of drug candidates with immunomodulatory activities. To test this, we performed phenotypic assay and molecular analysis to investigate the immunomodulatory activities of aspirin, dexamethasone, curcumin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), that have been reported to yield such effects in the mammalian model system. In vivo survival analysis demonstrated that all drugs/compounds were relatively safe at the tested concentrations. In the infection assay, curcumin and EGCG showed a protective signature to bacterial infection in flies lacking Toll-mediated immune responses. Furthermore, dexamethasone and aspirin, drugs with immunosuppressive activity, could improve the survival of PGRP-LBΔ mutant flies with hyperactivated immune system. These phenotypes were supported by RT-qPCR-based molecular analysis, revealing that drugs/compounds used in this study could modulate the expression level of genes related to the immune system. In conclusion, while curcumin and EGCG could promote the improvement of fly survival against infection, aspirin and dexamethasone were able to suppress overactivation of immune responses in D. melanogaster. These results are in line with the ones observed in the mammalian model system, further emphasizing the notion that flies would serve as a prospective model organism in the initial screening of drug candidates for their immunomodulatory activities prior to further checking in the mammalian animal models. In the end, this will reduce the use of mammalian animal models for preliminary experiments in an effort to discover/repurpose drugs with immunomodulatory activity.
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5
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Subhan I, Siddique YH. Modulation of Huntington's disease in Drosophila. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2021; 20:894-903. [PMID: 33845728 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210412155508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which deteriorates the physical and mental abilities of the patients. It is an autosomal dominant disorder and is mainly caused by the expansion of a repeating CAG triplet. A number of animal models ranging from worms, fruit flies, mice and rats to pigs, sheep and monkeys are available which have been helpful in understanding various pathways involved during the progression of the disease. Drosophila is one of the most commonly used model organisms for biomedical science, due to low cost maintenance, short life span and easily implications of genetic tools. The present review provides brief description of HD and the studies carried out for HD to date taking Drosophila as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Subhan
- Drosophila Transgenic Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, Uttar Pradesh. India
| | - Yasir Hasan Siddique
- Drosophila Transgenic Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, Uttar Pradesh. India
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6
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Non-Proteasomal UbL-UbA Family of Proteins in Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081893. [PMID: 30999567 PMCID: PMC6514573 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin-like/ubiquitin-associated proteins (UbL-UbA) are a well-studied family of non-proteasomal ubiquitin receptors that are evolutionarily conserved across species. Members of this non-homogenous family facilitate and support proteasomal activity by promoting different effects on proteostasis but exhibit diverse extra-proteasomal activities. Dysfunctional UbL-UbA proteins render cells, particularly neurons, more susceptible to stressors or aging and may cause earlier neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarized the properties and functions of UbL-UbA family members identified to date, with an emphasis on new findings obtained using Drosophila models showing a direct or indirect role in some neurodegenerative diseases.
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8
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Chandler JA, James PM. Discovery of trypanosomatid parasites in globally distributed Drosophila species. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61937. [PMID: 23658617 PMCID: PMC3639215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial parasites of animals include bacteria, viruses, and various unicellular eukaryotes. Because of the difficulty in studying these microorganisms in both humans and disease vectors, laboratory models are commonly used for experimental analysis of host-parasite interactions. Drosophila is one such model that has made significant contributions to our knowledge of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Despite this, less is known about other potential parasites associated with natural Drosophila populations. Here, we surveyed sixteen Drosophila populations comprising thirteen species from four continents and Hawaii and found that they are associated with an extensive diversity of trypanosomatids (Euglenozoa, Kinetoplastea). Phylogenetic analysis finds that Drosophila-associated trypanosomatids are closely related to taxa that are responsible for various types of leishmaniases and more distantly related to the taxa responsible for human African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease. We suggest that Drosophila may provide a powerful system for studying the interactions between trypanosomatids and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Angus Chandler
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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9
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Cowan CM, Sealey MA, Quraishe S, Targett MT, Marcellus K, Allan D, Mudher A. Modelling tauopathies in Drosophila: insights from the fruit fly. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011; 2011:598157. [PMID: 22254145 PMCID: PMC3255107 DOI: 10.4061/2011/598157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is an experimentally tractable model organism that has been used successfully to model aspects of many human neurodegenerative diseases. Drosophila models of tauopathy have provided valuable insights into tau-mediated mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction and death. Here we review the findings from Drosophila models of tauopathy reported over the past ten years and discuss how they have furthered our understanding of the pathogenesis of tauopathies. We also discuss the multitude of technical advantages that Drosophila offers, which make it highly attractive as a model for such studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Cowan
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 3JD, UK
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10
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Papanikolopoulou K, Skoulakis EMC. The power and richness of modelling tauopathies in Drosophila. Mol Neurobiol 2011; 44:122-33. [PMID: 21681411 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-011-8193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by altered levels of phosphorylation or mutations in the neuronal microtubule protein Tau. The heterogeneous pathology of tauopathies suggests differential susceptibility of different neuronal types to wild-type and mutant Tau. The genetic power and facility of the Drosophila model has been instrumental in exploring the molecular aetiologies of tauopathies, identifying additional proteins likely contributing to neuronal dysfunction and toxicity and novel Tau phosphorylations mediating them. Importantly, recent results indicate tissue- and temporal-specific effects on dysfunction and toxicity coupled with differential effects of distinct Tau isoforms within them. Therefore, they reveal an unexpected richness of the Drosophila model that, coupled with its molecular genetic power, will likely play a significant role in our understanding of multiple tauopathies potentially leading to their differential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, Vari 16672, Greece.
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