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Martins PM, Navarro S, Silva A, Pinto MF, Sárkány Z, Figueiredo F, Pereira PJB, Pinheiro F, Bednarikova Z, Burdukiewicz M, Galzitskaya OV, Gazova Z, Gomes CM, Pastore A, Serpell LC, Skrabana R, Smirnovas V, Ziaunys M, Otzen DE, Ventura S, Macedo-Ribeiro S. MIRRAGGE - Minimum Information Required for Reproducible AGGregation Experiments. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:582488. [PMID: 33328883 PMCID: PMC7729192 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.582488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reports on phase separation and amyloid formation for multiple proteins and aggregation-prone peptides are recurrently used to explore the molecular mechanisms associated with several human diseases. The information conveyed by these reports can be used directly in translational investigation, e.g., for the design of better drug screening strategies, or be compiled in databases for benchmarking novel aggregation-predicting algorithms. Given that minute protocol variations determine different outcomes of protein aggregation assays, there is a strong urge for standardized descriptions of the different types of aggregates and the detailed methods used in their production. In an attempt to address this need, we assembled the Minimum Information Required for Reproducible Aggregation Experiments (MIRRAGGE) guidelines, considering first-principles and the established literature on protein self-assembly and aggregation. This consensus information aims to cover the major and subtle determinants of experimental reproducibility while avoiding excessive technical details that are of limited practical interest for non-specialized users. The MIRRAGGE table (template available in Supplementary Information) is useful as a guide for the design of new studies and as a checklist during submission of experimental reports for publication. Full disclosure of relevant information also enables other researchers to reproduce results correctly and facilitates systematic data deposition into curated databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro M Martins
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susanna Navarro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina - Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alexandra Silva
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria F Pinto
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Zsuzsa Sárkány
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisco Figueiredo
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory - Department of Atomic Structure - Composition of Materials, Braga, Portugal
| | - Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisca Pinheiro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina - Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Zuzana Bednarikova
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Michał Burdukiewicz
- Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Oxana V Galzitskaya
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia.,Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Zuzana Gazova
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Cláudio M Gomes
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute and Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- UK-DRI Centre at King's College London, the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vytautas Smirnovas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Mantas Ziaunys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Daniel E Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina - Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular and Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Cente M, Zorad S, Smolek T, Fialova L, Paulenka Ivanovova N, Krskova K, Balazova L, Skrabana R, Filipcik P. Plasma Leptin Reflects Progression of Neurofibrillary Pathology in Animal Model of Tauopathy. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 42:125-136. [PMID: 32997211 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The close relationship between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and obesity was recognized many years ago. However, complete understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying the interactions between degeneration of CNS and fat metabolism is still missing. The leptin a key adipokine of white adipose tissue has been suggested as one of the major mediators linking the obesity and AD. Here we investigated the association between peripheral levels of leptin, general metabolic status and stage of the pathogenesis in rat transgenic model of AD. We demonstrate significantly decreased levels of plasma leptin in animals with experimentally induced progressive neurofibrillary pathology, which represents only 62.3% (P = 0.0015) of those observed in normal wild type control animals. More detailed analysis showed a strong and statistically significant inverse correlation between the load of neurofibrillary pathology and peripheral levels of leptin (r = - 0.7248, P = 0.0177). We also observed a loss of body weight during development of neurodegeneration (about 14% less than control animals, P = 0.0004) and decrease in several metabolic parameters such as glucose, insulin, triglycerides and VLDL in plasma of the transgenic animals. Our data suggest that plasma leptin could serve as a convenient peripheral biomarker for tauopathies and Alzheimer's disease. Decrease in gene expression of leptin in fat tissue and its plasma level was found as one of the consequences of experimentally induced neurodegeneration. Our data may help to design rational diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Cente
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stefan Zorad
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lubica Fialova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Katarina Krskova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Balazova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Filipcik
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia. .,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Thüne K, Schmitz M, Villar-Piqué A, Altmeppen HC, Schlomm M, Zafar S, Glatzel M, Llorens F, Zerr I. The cellular prion protein and its derived fragments in human prion diseases and their role as potential biomarkers. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2019; 19:1007-1018. [PMID: 31512940 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2019.1667231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Human prion diseases are a heterogeneous group of incurable and debilitating conditions characterized by a progressive degeneration of the central nervous system. The conformational changes of the cellular prion protein and its formation into an abnormal isoform, spongiform degeneration, neuronal loss, and neuroinflammation are central to prion disease pathogenesis. It has been postulated that truncated variants of aggregation-prone proteins are implicated in neurodegenerative mechanisms. An increasing body of evidence indicates that proteolytic fragments and truncated variants of the prion protein are formed and accumulated in the brain of prion disease patients. These prion protein variants provide a high degree of relevance to disease pathology and diagnosis. Areas covered: In the present review, we summarize the current knowledge on the occurrence of truncated prion protein species and their potential roles in pathophysiological states during prion diseases progression. In addition, we discuss their usability as a diagnostic biomarker in prion diseases. Expert opinion: Either as a primary factor in the formation of prion diseases or as a consequence from neuropathological affection, abnormal prion protein variants and fragments may provide independent information about mechanisms of prion conversion, pathological states, or disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Thüne
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Anna Villar-Piqué
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health, CIBERNED, Hospitalet de Llobregat , Spain
| | | | - Markus Schlomm
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center HH-Eppendorf (UKE) , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health, CIBERNED, Hospitalet de Llobregat , Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - site Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
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Melková K, Zapletal V, Narasimhan S, Jansen S, Hritz J, Škrabana R, Zweckstetter M, Ringkjøbing Jensen M, Blackledge M, Žídek L. Structure and Functions of Microtubule Associated Proteins Tau and MAP2c: Similarities and Differences. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9030105. [PMID: 30884818 PMCID: PMC6468450 DOI: 10.3390/biom9030105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The stability and dynamics of cytoskeleton in brain nerve cells are regulated by microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), tau and MAP2. Both proteins are intrinsically disordered and involved in multiple molecular interactions important for normal physiology and pathology of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Nuclear magnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy recently revealed propensities of MAPs to form transient local structures and long-range contacts in the free state, and conformations adopted in complexes with microtubules and filamentous actin, as well as in pathological aggregates. In this paper, we compare the longest, 441-residue brain isoform of tau (tau40), and a 467-residue isoform of MAP2, known as MAP2c. For both molecules, we present transient structural motifs revealed by conformational analysis of experimental data obtained for free soluble forms of the proteins. We show that many of the short sequence motifs that exhibit transient structural features are linked to functional properties, manifested by specific interactions. The transient structural motifs can be therefore classified as molecular recognition elements of tau40 and MAP2c. Their interactions are further regulated by post-translational modifications, in particular phosphorylation. The structure-function analysis also explains differences between biological activities of tau40 and MAP2c.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Melková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Vojtěch Zapletal
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Subhash Narasimhan
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Séverine Jansen
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jozef Hritz
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Rostislav Škrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia.
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | | | - Lukáš Žídek
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Novak P, Kontsekova E, Zilka N, Novak M. Ten Years of Tau-Targeted Immunotherapy: The Path Walked and the Roads Ahead. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:798. [PMID: 30450030 PMCID: PMC6224648 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary pathology comprised of pathological tau protein is closely tied to a range of neurodegenerative disorders, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease. While they are individually rarer, a range of other disorders, the tauopathies (including Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, primary progressive aphasia, and ∼50% of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia cases) display pronounced underlying tau pathology. In all cases, the distribution and amount of tau pathology closely correlates with the severity and phenotype of cognitive impairment, and with the pattern and degree of brain atrophy. Successfully counteracting tau pathology is likely to halt or slow the progression of these debilitating disorders. This makes tau a target of prime importance, yet an elusive one. The diversity of the tau proteome and post-translational modifications, as well as pathophysiology of tau are reviewed. Beginning 2013, a range of tau-targeted immunotherapies have entered clinical development; these therapies, and their common themes and differences are reviewed. The manuscript provides an extensive discussion on epitope selection for immunotherapies against tau pathology, on immunological mechanisms involved in their action, and challenges such as immune senescence, vaccine design, or evolution of epitopes. Furthermore, we provide methodological recommendations for the characterization of active vaccines and antibodies, animal models, and the target itself - the diseased tau proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience CRM Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eva Kontsekova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience SE, Larnaca, Cyprus
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Novak P, Cehlar O, Skrabana R, Novak M. Tau Conformation as a Target for Disease-Modifying Therapy: The Role of Truncation. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 64:S535-S546. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-179942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ondrej Cehlar
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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