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Almeida ZL, Vaz DC, Brito RMM. Transthyretin mutagenesis: impact on amyloidogenesis and disease. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38850014 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2024.2350379] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR), a homotetrameric protein found in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and the eye, plays a pivotal role in the onset of several amyloid diseases with high morbidity and mortality. Protein aggregation and fibril formation by wild-type TTR and its natural more amyloidogenic variants are hallmarks of ATTRwt and ATTRv amyloidosis, respectively. The formation of soluble amyloid aggregates and the accumulation of insoluble amyloid fibrils and deposits in multiple tissues can lead to organ dysfunction and cell death. The most frequent manifestations of ATTR are polyneuropathies and cardiomyopathies. However, clinical manifestations such as carpal tunnel syndrome, leptomeningeal, and ocular amyloidosis, among several others may also occur. This review provides an up-to-date listing of all single amino-acid mutations in TTR known to date. Of approximately 220 single-point mutations, 93% are considered pathogenic. Aspartic acid is the residue mutated with the highest frequency, whereas tryptophan is highly conserved. "Hot spot" mutation regions are mainly assigned to β-strands B, C, and D. This manuscript also reviews the protein aggregation models that have been proposed for TTR amyloid fibril formation and the transient conformational states that convert native TTR into aggregation-prone molecular species. Finally, it compiles the various in vitro TTR aggregation protocols currently in use for research and drug development purposes. In short, this article reviews and discusses TTR mutagenesis and amyloidogenesis, and their implications in disease onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaida L Almeida
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela C Vaz
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- LSRE-LCM - Leiria, Portugal & ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui M M Brito
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre - Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Juković M, Ratkaj I, Kalafatovic D, Bradshaw NJ. Amyloids, amorphous aggregates and assemblies of peptides - Assessing aggregation. Biophys Chem 2024; 308:107202. [PMID: 38382283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107202] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid and amorphous aggregates represent the two major categories of aggregates associated with diseases, and although exhibiting distinct features, researchers often treat them as equivalent, which demonstrates the need for more thorough characterization. Here, we compare amyloid and amorphous aggregates based on their biochemical properties, kinetics, and morphological features. To further decipher this issue, we propose the use of peptide self-assemblies as minimalistic models for understanding the aggregation process. Peptide building blocks are significantly smaller than proteins that participate in aggregation, however, they make a plausible means to bridge the gap in discerning the aggregation process at the more complex, protein level. Additionally, we explore the potential use of peptide-inspired models to research the liquid-liquid phase separation as a feasible mechanism preceding amyloid formation. Connecting these concepts can help clarify our understanding of aggregation-related disorders and potentially provide novel drug targets to impede and reverse these serious illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Juković
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ivana Ratkaj
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Daniela Kalafatovic
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
| | - Nicholas J Bradshaw
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
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Almeida ZL, Brito RMM. Amyloid Disassembly: What Can We Learn from Chaperones? Biomedicines 2022; 10:3276. [PMID: 36552032 PMCID: PMC9776232 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation and subsequent accumulation of insoluble amyloid fibrils with cross-β structure is an intrinsic characteristic of amyloid diseases, i.e., amyloidoses. Amyloid formation involves a series of on-pathway and off-pathway protein aggregation events, leading to mature insoluble fibrils that eventually accumulate in multiple tissues. In this cascade of events, soluble oligomeric species are formed, which are among the most cytotoxic molecular entities along the amyloid cascade. The direct or indirect action of these amyloid soluble oligomers and amyloid protofibrils and fibrils in several tissues and organs lead to cell death in some cases and organ disfunction in general. There are dozens of different proteins and peptides causing multiple amyloid pathologies, chief among them Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and several other neurodegenerative diseases. Amyloid fibril disassembly is among the disease-modifying therapeutic strategies being pursued to overcome amyloid pathologies. The clearance of preformed amyloids and consequently the arresting of the progression of organ deterioration may increase patient survival and quality of life. In this review, we compiled from the literature many examples of chemical and biochemical agents able to disaggregate preformed amyloids, which have been classified as molecular chaperones, chemical chaperones, and pharmacological chaperones. We focused on their mode of action, chemical structure, interactions with the fibrillar structures, morphology and toxicity of the disaggregation products, and the potential use of disaggregation agents as a treatment option in amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rui M. M. Brito
- Chemistry Department and Coimbra Chemistry Centre—Institute of Molecular Sciences (CQC-IMS), University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
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Pathak BK, Dey S, Mozumder S, Sengupta J. The role of membranes in function and dysfunction of intrinsically disordered amyloidogenic proteins. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:397-434. [PMID: 35034725 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-protein interactions play a major role in human physiology as well as in diseases pathology. Interaction of a protein with the membrane was previously thought to be dependent on well-defined three-dimensional structure of the protein. In recent decades, however, it has become evident that a large fraction of the proteome, particularly in eukaryotes, stays disordered in solution and these proteins are termed as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Also, a vast majority of human proteomes have been reported to contain substantially long disordered regions, called intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), in addition to the structurally ordered regions. IDPs exist in an ensemble of conformations and the conformational flexibility enables IDPs to achieve functional diversity. IDPs (and IDRs) are found to be important players in cell signaling, where biological membranes act as anchors for signaling cascades. Therefore, IDPs modulate the membrane architectures, at the same time membrane composition also affects the binding of IDPs. Because of intrinsic disorders, misfolding of IDPs often leads to formation of oligomers, protofibrils and mature fibrils through progressive self-association. Accumulation of amyloid-like aggregates of some of the IDPs is a known causative agent for numerous diseases. In this chapter we highlight recent advances in understanding membrane interactions of some of the intrinsically disordered proteins involved in the pathogenesis of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bani Kumar Pathak
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Sandip Dey
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Sukanya Mozumder
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Jayati Sengupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India.
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Cioffi CL, Raja A, Muthuraman P, Jayaraman A, Jayakumar S, Varadi A, Racz B, Petrukhin K. Identification of Transthyretin Tetramer Kinetic Stabilizers That Are Capable of Inhibiting the Retinol-Dependent Retinol Binding Protein 4-Transthyretin Interaction: Potential Novel Therapeutics for Macular Degeneration, Transthyretin Amyloidosis, and Their Common Age-Related Comorbidities. J Med Chem 2021; 64:9010-9041. [PMID: 34138572 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Dissociation of transthyretin (TTR) tetramers may lead to misfolding and aggregation of proamyloidogenic monomers, which underlies TTR amyloidosis (ATTR) pathophysiology. ATTR is a progressive disease resulting from the deposition of toxic fibrils in tissues that predominantly presents clinically as amyloid cardiomyopathy and peripheral polyneuropathy. Ligands that bind to and kinetically stabilize TTR tetramers prohibit their dissociation and may prevent ATTR onset. Drawing from clinically investigated AG10, we designed a constrained congener (14) that exhibits excellent TTR tetramer binding potency, prevents TTR aggregation in a gel-based assay, and possesses desirable pharmacokinetics in mice. Additionally, 14 significantly lowers murine serum retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) levels despite a lack of binding at that protein's all-trans-retinol site. We hypothesize that kinetic stabilization of TTR tetramers via 14 is allosterically hindering all-trans-retinol-dependent RBP4-TTR tertiary complex formation and that the compound could present ancillary therapeutic utility for indications treated with RBP4 antagonists, such as macular degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Cioffi
- Departments of Basic and Clinical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Arun Raja
- Departments of Basic and Clinical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Parthasarathy Muthuraman
- Departments of Basic and Clinical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Aravindan Jayaraman
- Departments of Basic and Clinical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Srinivasan Jayakumar
- Departments of Basic and Clinical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 106 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York 12208, United States
| | - Andras Varadi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Boglarka Racz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Konstantin Petrukhin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
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L. Almeida Z, M. M. Brito R. Structure and Aggregation Mechanisms in Amyloids. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25051195. [PMID: 32155822 PMCID: PMC7179426 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of a polypeptide chain into amyloid fibrils and their accumulation and deposition into insoluble plaques and intracellular inclusions is the hallmark of several misfolding diseases known as amyloidoses. Alzheimer′s, Parkinson′s and Huntington’s diseases are some of the approximately 50 amyloid diseases described to date. The identification and characterization of the molecular species critical for amyloid formation and disease development have been the focus of intense scrutiny. Methods such as X-ray and electron diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (ssNMR) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have been extensively used and they have contributed to shed a new light onto the structure of amyloid, revealing a multiplicity of polymorphic structures that generally fit the cross-β amyloid motif. The development of rational therapeutic approaches against these debilitating and increasingly frequent misfolding diseases requires a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the amyloid cascade. Here, we review the current knowledge on amyloid fibril formation for several proteins and peptides from a kinetic and thermodynamic point of view, the structure of the molecular species involved in the amyloidogenic process, and the origin of their cytotoxicity.
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Pan W, Wang Y, Wang N. A new metal affinity NCTR 25 tag as a better alternative to the His-tag for the expression of recombinant fused proteins. Protein Expr Purif 2019; 164:105477. [PMID: 31419547 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2019.105477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
His-tagging is commonly used in fusion protein production, but the His-tag is usually prohibited in medicinal proteins and must be removed. A fragment (NCTR25-tag) truncated from the N-terminus of human copper transporter 1 was tested for feasibility as a replacement for the His-tag in fusion proteins. The NCTR25-tag and His-tag were separately fused to the transthyretin (TTR) protein, and the expression, affinity purification, refolding and stability of the two kinds of fusions were compared. NCTR25 fusion produced a 63% higher yield of the recombinant protein, which was purified by metal affinity chromatography with an efficiency similar to that of His-tagged protein. NCTR25-tag fusion had much less impact on the foldability, kinetic and thermodynamic stability of tetrameric TTR than His-tag fusion. When the tags were individually fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), NCTR25 fusion yielded 29-128% more product than His-EGFP. NCTR25-EGFP could be purified by metal affinity chromatography and showed better foldability than His-EGFP. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) fusion with the third disulfide loop of TGF-α (TGF3L-TRAIL) fused with the NCTR25-tag retained the stability and superactivity of His-TGF3L-TRAIL. Therefore, the native tag NCTR25-tag is a feasible alternative to the His-tag in medicinal recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weitong Pan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evaluation Study, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evaluation Study, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Nan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Drug Mechanisms and Pharmacological Evaluation Study, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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