1
|
Figueiredo F, Sárkány Z, Silva A, Vilasboas-Campos D, Maciel P, Teixeira-Castro A, Martins PM, Macedo-Ribeiro S. Drug repurposing of dopaminergic drugs to inhibit ataxin-3 aggregation. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115258. [PMID: 37549460 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of mutant ataxin-3 (Atx3) in neuronal nuclear inclusions is a pathological hallmark of Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Decreasing the protein aggregation burden is a possible disease-modifying strategy to tackle MJD and other neurodegenerative disorders for which only symptomatic treatments are currently available. We performed a drug repurposing screening to identify inhibitors of Atx3 aggregation with known toxicological and pharmacokinetic profiles. Interestingly, dopamine hydrochloride and other catecholamines are among the most potent inhibitors of Atx3 aggregation in vitro. Our results indicate that low micromolar concentrations of dopamine markedly delay the formation of mature amyloid fibrils of mutant Atx3 through the inhibition of the earlier oligomerization steps. Although dopamine itself does not cross the blood-brain barrier, dopamine levels in the brain can be increased by low doses of dopamine precursors and dopamine agonists commonly used to treat Parkinsonian symptoms. In agreement, treatment with levodopa ameliorated motor symptoms in a C. elegans model of MJD. These findings suggest a possible application of dopaminergic drugs to halt or reduce Atx3 accumulation in the brains of MJD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Figueiredo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Zsuzsa Sárkány
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniela Vilasboas-Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Pedro M Martins
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barbosa Pereira PJ, Manso JA, Macedo-Ribeiro S. The structural plasticity of polyglutamine repeats. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102607. [PMID: 37178477 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
From yeast to humans, polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat tracts are found frequently in the proteome and are particularly prominent in the activation domains of transcription factors. PolyQ is a polymorphic motif that modulates functional protein-protein interactions and aberrant self-assembly. Expansion of the polyQ repeated sequences beyond critical physiological repeat length thresholds triggers self-assembly and is linked to severe pathological implications. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on the structures of polyQ tracts in the soluble and aggregated states and discusses the influence of neighboring regions on polyQ secondary structure, aggregation, and fibril morphologies. The influence of the genetic context of the polyQ-encoding trinucleotides is briefly discussed as a challenge for future endeavors in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro José Barbosa Pereira
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
| | - José A Manso
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Macedo-Ribeiro
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|