1
|
Zoltowska KM, Das U, Lismont S, Enzlein T, Maesako M, Houser MCQ, Franco ML, Özcan B, Gomes Moreira D, Karachentsev D, Becker A, Hopf C, Vilar M, Berezovska O, Mobley W, Chávez-Gutiérrez L. Alzheimer's disease linked Aβ42 exerts product feedback inhibition on γ-secretase impairing downstream cell signaling. eLife 2024; 12:RP90690. [PMID: 39027984 PMCID: PMC11259434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90690] [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] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides accumulating in the brain are proposed to trigger Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, molecular cascades underlying their toxicity are poorly defined. Here, we explored a novel hypothesis for Aβ42 toxicity that arises from its proven affinity for γ-secretases. We hypothesized that the reported increases in Aβ42, particularly in the endolysosomal compartment, promote the establishment of a product feedback inhibitory mechanism on γ-secretases, and thereby impair downstream signaling events. We conducted kinetic analyses of γ-secretase activity in cell-free systems in the presence of Aβ, as well as cell-based and ex vivo assays in neuronal cell lines, neurons, and brain synaptosomes to assess the impact of Aβ on γ-secretases. We show that human Aβ42 peptides, but neither murine Aβ42 nor human Aβ17-42 (p3), inhibit γ-secretases and trigger accumulation of unprocessed substrates in neurons, including C-terminal fragments (CTFs) of APP, p75, and pan-cadherin. Moreover, Aβ42 treatment dysregulated cellular homeostasis, as shown by the induction of p75-dependent neuronal death in two distinct cellular systems. Our findings raise the possibility that pathological elevations in Aβ42 contribute to cellular toxicity via the γ-secretase inhibition, and provide a novel conceptual framework to address Aβ toxicity in the context of γ-secretase-dependent homeostatic signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Utpal Das
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | - Thomas Enzlein
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS), Mannheim University of Applied SciencesMannheimGermany
| | - Masato Maesako
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestownUnited States
| | - Mei CQ Houser
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestownUnited States
| | - Maria Luisa Franco
- Molecular Basis of Neurodegeneration Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | - Burcu Özcan
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Dmitry Karachentsev
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| | - Ann Becker
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| | - Carsten Hopf
- Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy (CeMOS), Mannheim University of Applied SciencesMannheimGermany
- Medical Faculty, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Marçal Vilar
- Molecular Basis of Neurodegeneration Unit, Instituto de Biomedicina de ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | - Oksana Berezovska
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestownUnited States
| | - William Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Smardz P, Anila MM, Rogowski P, Li MS, Różycki B, Krupa P. A Practical Guide to All-Atom and Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations Using Amber and Gromacs: A Case Study of Disulfide-Bond Impact on the Intrinsically Disordered Amyloid Beta. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6698. [PMID: 38928405 PMCID: PMC11204378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126698] [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: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) pose challenges to conventional experimental techniques due to their large-scale conformational fluctuations and transient structural elements. This work presents computational methods for studying IDPs at various resolutions using the Amber and Gromacs packages with both all-atom (Amber ff19SB with the OPC water model) and coarse-grained (Martini 3 and SIRAH) approaches. The effectiveness of these methodologies is demonstrated by examining the monomeric form of amyloid-β (Aβ42), an IDP, with and without disulfide bonds at different resolutions. Our results clearly show that the addition of a disulfide bond decreases the β-content of Aβ42; however, it increases the tendency of the monomeric Aβ42 to form fibril-like conformations, explaining the various aggregation rates observed in experiments. Moreover, analysis of the monomeric Aβ42 compactness, secondary structure content, and comparison between calculated and experimental chemical shifts demonstrates that all three methods provide a reasonable choice to study IDPs; however, coarse-grained approaches may lack some atomistic details, such as secondary structure recognition, due to the simplifications used. In general, this study not only explains the role of disulfide bonds in Aβ42 but also provides a step-by-step protocol for setting up, conducting, and analyzing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which is adaptable for studying other biomacromolecules, including folded and disordered proteins and peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Pawel Krupa
- Institute of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland; (P.S.); (M.M.A.); (P.R.); (M.S.L.); (B.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Varenyk Y, Theodorakis PE, Pham DQH, Li MS, Krupa P. Exploring Structural Insights of Aβ42 and α-Synuclein Monomers and Heterodimer: A Comparative Study Using Implicit and Explicit Solvent Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4655-4669. [PMID: 38700150 PMCID: PMC11103699 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Protein misfolding, aggregation, and fibril formation play a central role in the development of severe neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The structural stability of mature fibrils in these diseases is of great importance, as organisms struggle to effectively eliminate amyloid plaques. To address this issue, it is crucial to investigate the early stages of fibril formation when monomers aggregate into small, toxic, and soluble oligomers. However, these structures are inherently disordered, making them challenging to study through experimental approaches. Recently, it has been shown experimentally that amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and α-synuclein (α-Syn) can coassemble. This has motivated us to investigate the interaction between their monomers as a first step toward exploring the possibility of forming heterodimeric complexes. In particular, our study involves the utilization of various Amber and CHARMM force-fields, employing both implicit and explicit solvent models in replica exchange and conventional simulation modes. This comprehensive approach allowed us to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these solvent models and force fields in comparison to experimental and theoretical findings, ensuring the highest level of robustness. Our investigations revealed that Aβ42 and α-Syn monomers can indeed form stable heterodimers, and the resulting heterodimeric model exhibits stronger interactions compared to the Aβ42 dimer. The binding of α-Syn to Aβ42 reduces the propensity of Aβ42 to adopt fibril-prone conformations and induces significant changes in its conformational properties. Notably, in AMBER-FB15 and CHARMM36m force fields with the use of explicit solvent, the presence of Aβ42 significantly increases the β-content of α-Syn, consistent with the experiments showing that Aβ42 triggers α-Syn aggregation. Our analysis clearly shows that although the use of implicit solvent resulted in too large compactness of monomeric α-Syn, structural properties of monomeric Aβ42 and the heterodimer were preserved in explicit-solvent simulations. We anticipate that our study sheds light on the interaction between α-Syn and Aβ42 proteins, thus providing the atom-level model required to assess the initial stage of aggregation mechanisms related to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuliia Varenyk
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
- Department
of Theoretical Chemistry, University of
Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | | | - Dinh Q. H. Pham
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Krupa
- Institute
of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Armbrust F, Bickenbach K, Altmeppen H, Foggetti A, Winkelmann A, Wulff P, Glatzel M, Pietrzik CU, Becker-Pauly C. A novel mouse model for N-terminal truncated Aβ2-x generation through meprin β overexpression in astrocytes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:139. [PMID: 38480559 PMCID: PMC10937767 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05139-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides cause neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients' brains. They are released upon proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) extracellularly at the β-secretase site and intramembranously at the γ-secretase site. Several AD mouse models were developed to conduct respective research in vivo. Most of these classical models overexpress human APP with mutations driving AD-associated pathogenic APP processing. However, the resulting pattern of Aβ species in the mouse brains differs from those observed in AD patients' brains. Particularly mutations proximal to the β-secretase cleavage site (e.g., the so-called Swedish APP (APPswe) fostering Aβ1-x formation) lead to artificial Aβ production, as N-terminally truncated Aβ peptides are hardly present in these mouse brains. Meprin β is an alternative β-secretase upregulated in brains of AD patients and capable of generating N-terminally truncated Aβ2-x peptides. Therefore, we aimed to generate a mouse model for the production of so far underestimated Aβ2-x peptides by conditionally overexpressing meprin β in astrocytes. We chose astrocytes as meprin β was detected in this cell type in close proximity to Aβ plaques in AD patients' brains. The meprin β-overexpressing mice showed elevated amyloidogenic APP processing detected with a newly generated neo-epitope-specific antibody. Furthermore, we observed elevated Aβ production from endogenous APP as well as AD-related behavior changes (hyperlocomotion and deficits in spatial memory). The novel mouse model as well as the established tools and methods will be helpful to further characterize APP cleavage and the impact of different Aβ species in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fred Armbrust
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Otto-Hahn-Platz 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Kira Bickenbach
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Otto-Hahn-Platz 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hermann Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Angelica Foggetti
- Institute of Physiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Haining, 314400, China
- College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Winkelmann
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Otto-Hahn-Platz 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Peer Wulff
- Institute of Physiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus U Pietrzik
- Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christoph Becker-Pauly
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Otto-Hahn-Platz 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Suresh K, Dahal E, Badano A. Synthetic β-sheets mimicking fibrillar and oligomeric structures for evaluation of spectral X-ray scattering technique for biomarker quantification. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:26. [PMID: 38374092 PMCID: PMC10877803 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01208-6] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Archetypical cross-β spines sharpen the boundary between functional and pathological proteins including β-amyloid, tau, α-synuclein and transthyretin are linked to many debilitating human neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative amyloidoses. An increased focus on development of pathogenic β-sheet specific fluid and imaging structural biomarkers and conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies in targeted therapies has been recently observed. Identification and quantification of pathogenic oligomers remain challenging for existing neuroimaging modalities. RESULTS We propose two artificial β-sheets which can mimic the nanoscopic structural characteristics of pathogenic oligomers and fibrils for evaluating the performance of a label free, X-ray based biomarker detection and quantification technique. Highly similar structure with elliptical cross-section and parallel cross-β motif is observed among recombinant α-synuclein fibril, Aβ-42 fibril and artificial β-sheet fibrils. We then use these β-sheet models to assess the performance of spectral small angle X-ray scattering (sSAXS) technique for detecting β-sheet structures. sSAXS showed quantitatively accurate detection of antiparallel, cross-β artificial oligomers from a tissue mimicking environment and significant distinction between different oligomer packing densities such as diffuse and dense packings. CONCLUSION The proposed synthetic β-sheet models mimicked the nanoscopic structural characteristics of β-sheets of fibrillar and oligomeric states of Aβ and α-synuclein based on the ATR-FTIR and SAXS data. The tunability of β-sheet proportions and shapes of structural motifs, and the low-cost of these β-sheet models can become useful test materials for evaluating β-sheet or amyloid specific biomarkers in a wide range of neurological diseases. By using the proposed synthetic β-sheet models, our study indicates that the sSAXS has potential to evaluate different stages of β-sheet-enriched structures including oligomers of pathogenic proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karthika Suresh
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
| | - Eshan Dahal
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Aldo Badano
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hu X, Liao M, Ding K, Wang J, Xu H, Tao K, Zhou F, Lu JR. Neutron reflection and scattering in characterising peptide assemblies. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 322:103033. [PMID: 37931380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.103033] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Self-assemblies of de novo designed short peptides at interface and in bulk solution provide potential platforms for developing applications in many medical and technological areas. However, characterising how bioinspired supramolecular nanostructures evolve with dynamic self-assembling processes and respond to different stimuli remains challenging. Neutron scattering technologies including small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and neutron reflection (NR) can be advantageous and complementary to other state-of-the-art techniques in tracing structural changes under different conditions. With more neutron sources now available, SANS and NR are becoming increasingly popular in studying self-assembling processes of diverse peptide and protein systems, but the difficulty in experimental manipulation and data analysis can deter beginners. This review will introduce the basic theory, general experimental setup and data analysis of SANS and NR, followed by provision of their applications in characterising interfacial and solution self-assemblies of representative peptides and proteins. SANS and NR are remarkably effective in determining the morphological features self-assembled short peptides, especially size and shape transitions as a result of either sequence changes or in response to environmental stimuli, demonstrating the unique capability of NR and SANS in unravelling the interactive processes. These examples highlight the potential of NR and SANS in supporting the development of novel short peptides and proteins as biopharmaceutical candidates in the fight against many diseases and infections that share common features of membrane interactive processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuzhi Hu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.; Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Mingrui Liao
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Ke Ding
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jiqian Wang
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hai Xu
- Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 Changjiang West Road, Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Kai Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang-Israel Joint Laboratory of Self-Assembling Functional Materials, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Tianshui Middle Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Jian R Lu
- Biological Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK..
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Peng B, Xu S, Liang Y, Dong X, Sun Y. Effect of Bacterial Amyloid Protein Phenol-Soluble Modulin Alpha 3 on the Aggregation of Amyloid Beta Protein Associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:459. [PMID: 37887589 PMCID: PMC10604207 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8060459] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the proposal of the brainstem axis theory, increasing research attention has been paid to the interactions between bacterial amyloids produced by intestinal flora and the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) related to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it has been considered as the possible cause of AD. Therefore, phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) α3, the most virulent protein secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, has attracted much attention. In this work, the effect of PSMα3 with a unique cross-α fibril architecture on the aggregation of pathogenic Aβ40 of AD was studied by extensive biophysical characterizations. The results proposed that the PSMα3 monomer inhibited the aggregation of Aβ40 in a concentration-dependent manner and changed the aggregation pathway to form granular aggregates. However, PSMα3 oligomers promoted the generation of the β-sheet structure, thus shortening the lag phase of Aβ40 aggregation. Moreover, the higher the cross-α content of PSMα3, the stronger the effect of the promotion, indicating that the cross-α structure of PSMα3 plays a crucial role in the aggregation of Aβ40. Further molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have shown that the Met1-Gly20 region in the PSMα3 monomer can be combined with the Asp1-Ala2 and His13-Val36 regions in the Aβ40 monomer by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, which prevents the conformational conversion of Aβ40 from the α-helix to β-sheet structure. By contrast, PSMα3 oligomers mainly combined with the central hydrophobic core (CHC) and the C-terminal region of the Aβ40 monomer by weak H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, which could not inhibit the transition to the β-sheet structure in the aggregation pathway. Thus, the research has unraveled molecular interactions between Aβ40 and PSMα3 of different structures and provided a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between bacterial amyloids and AD-related pathogenic Aβ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaoyan Dong
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering and Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China; (B.P.); (S.X.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering and Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China; (B.P.); (S.X.); (Y.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lacham-Hartman S, Moshe R, Ben-Zichri S, Shmidov Y, Bitton R, Jelinek R, Papo N. APPI-Derived Cyclic Peptide Enhances Aβ42 Aggregation and Reduces Aβ42-Mediated Membrane Destabilization and Cytotoxicity. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3385-3397. [PMID: 37579500 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00208] [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: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
An amyloid precursor protein inhibitor (APPI) and amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) are both subdomains of the human transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP). In the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Aβ42 oligomerizes into aggregates of various sizes, with intermediate, low-molecular-weight Aβ42 oligomers currently being held to be the species responsible for the most neurotoxic effects associated with the disease. Strategies to ameliorate the toxicity of these intermediate Aβ42 oligomeric species include the use of short, Aβ42-interacting peptides that either inhibit the formation of the Aβ42 oligomeric species or promote their conversion to high-molecular-weight aggregates. We therefore designed such an Aβ42-interacting peptide that is based on the β-hairpin amino acid sequence of the APPI, which exhibits high similarity to the β-sheet-like aggregation site of Aβ42. Upon tight binding of this 20-mer cyclic peptide to Aβ42 (in a 1:1 molar ratio), the formation of Aβ42 aggregates was enhanced, and consequently, Aβ42-mediated cell toxicity was ameliorated. We showed that in the presence of the cyclic peptide, interactions of Aβ42 with both plasma and mitochondrial membranes and with phospholipid vesicles that mimic these membranes were inhibited. Specifically, the cyclic peptide inhibited Aβ42-mediated mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduced Aβ42-mediated apoptosis and cell death. We suggest that the cyclic peptide modulates Aβ42 aggregation by enhancing the formation of large aggregates─as opposed to low-molecular-weight intermediates─and as such has the potential for further development as an AD therapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiran Lacham-Hartman
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Reut Moshe
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Shani Ben-Zichri
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yulia Shmidov
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ronit Bitton
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science &Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Raz Jelinek
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science &Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Niv Papo
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wankhede NL, Kale MB, Bawankule AK, Aglawe MM, Taksande BG, Trivedi RV, Umekar MJ, Jamadagni A, Walse P, Koppula S, Kopalli SR. Overview on the Polyphenol Avenanthramide in Oats ( Avena sativa Linn.) as Regulators of PI3K Signaling in the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Nutrients 2023; 15:3751. [PMID: 37686782 PMCID: PMC10489942 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173751] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Avenanthramides (Avns) and their derivatives, a group of polyphenolic compounds found abundantly in oats (Avena sativa Linn.), have emerged as promising candidates for neuroprotection due to their immense antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons, present a significant global health burden with limited therapeutic options. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cell survival, growth, and metabolism, making it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. The dysregulation of PI3K signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various NDDs including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Avns have been shown to modulate PI3K/AKT signaling, leading to increased neuronal survival, reduced oxidative stress, and improved cognitive function. This review explores the potential of Avn polyphenols as modulators of the PI3K signaling pathway, focusing on their beneficial effects against NDDs. Further, we outline the need for clinical exploration to elucidate the specific mechanisms of Avn action on the PI3K/AKT pathway and its potential interactions with other signaling cascades involved in neurodegeneration. Based on the available literature, using relevant keywords from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science, our review emphasizes the potential of using Avns as a therapeutic strategy for NDDs and warrants further investigation and clinical exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nitu L. Wankhede
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Mayur B. Kale
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ashwini K. Bawankule
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Manish M. Aglawe
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Brijesh G. Taksande
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Rashmi V. Trivedi
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Milind J. Umekar
- Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Nagpur 441002, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ankush Jamadagni
- Fortem Bioscience Private Limited, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Prathamesh Walse
- Fortem Bioscience Private Limited, Bangalore 560064, Karnataka, India
| | - Sushruta Koppula
- College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Konkuk University, Chungju-si 27478, Republic of Korea
| | - Spandana Rajendra Kopalli
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Epremyan KK, Mamaev DV, Zvyagilskaya RA. Alzheimer's Disease: Significant Benefit from the Yeast-Based Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9791. [PMID: 37372938 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related, multifaceted neurological disorder associated with accumulation of aggregated proteins (amyloid Aβ and hyperphosphorylated tau), loss of synapses and neurons, and alterations in microglia. AD was recognized by the World Health Organization as a global public health priority. The pursuit of a better understanding of AD forced researchers to pay attention to well-defined single-celled yeasts. Yeasts, despite obvious limitations in application to neuroscience, show high preservation of basic biological processes with all eukaryotic organisms and offer great advantages over other disease models due to the simplicity, high growth rates on low-cost substrates, relatively simple genetic manipulations, the large knowledge base and data collections, and availability of an unprecedented amount of genomic and proteomic toolboxes and high-throughput screening techniques, inaccessible to higher organisms. Research reviewed above clearly indicates that yeast models, together with other, more simple eukaryotic models including animal models, C. elegans and Drosophila, significantly contributed to understanding Aβ and tau biology. These models allowed high throughput screening of factors and drugs that interfere with Aβ oligomerization, aggregation and toxicity, and tau hyperphosphorylation. In the future, yeast models will remain relevant, with a focus on creating novel high throughput systems to facilitate the identification of the earliest AD biomarkers among different cellular networks in order to achieve the main goal-to develop new promising therapeutic strategies to treat or prevent the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khoren K Epremyan
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33/2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Mamaev
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33/2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Renata A Zvyagilskaya
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33/2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Clementi ME, Sampaolese B, Di Sante G, Ria F, Di Liddo R, Romano Spica V, Michetti F. S100B Expression Plays a Crucial Role in Cytotoxicity, Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Nitric Oxide Synthase Activation Induced by Amyloid β-Protein in an Astrocytoma Cell Line. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065213. [PMID: 36982288 PMCID: PMC10049549 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
S100B is an astrocytic cytokine that has been shown to be involved in several neurodegenerative diseases. We used an astrocytoma cell line (U373 MG) silenced for S100B, and stimulated it with amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ) as a known paradigm factor for astrocyte activation, and showed that the ability of the cell (including the gene machinery) to express S100B is a prerequisite for inducing reactive astrocytic features, such as ROS generation, NOS activation and cytotoxicity. Our results showed that control astrocytoma cell line exhibited overexpression of S100B after Aβ treatment, and subsequently cytotoxicity, increased ROS generation and NOS activation. In contrast, cells silenced with S100B were essentially protected, consistently reducing cell death, significantly decreasing oxygen radical generation and nitric oxide synthase activity. The conclusive aim of the present study was to show a causative linkage between the cell expression of S100B and induction of astrocyte activation processes, such as cytotoxicity, ROS and NOS activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elisabetta Clementi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC-CNR), 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.E.C.); (F.M.); Tel.: +39-06-30154215 (M.E.C.); +39-06-301558489 (F.M.)
| | - Beatrice Sampaolese
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” (SCITEC-CNR), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Section of Human, Clinical and Forensic Anatomy, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Di Liddo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romano Spica
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biotechnologies, Department of Movement, Human and Health Scences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Michetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Department of Medicine, LUM University, 70010 Casamassima, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.E.C.); (F.M.); Tel.: +39-06-30154215 (M.E.C.); +39-06-301558489 (F.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ghosh S, Ali R, Verma S. Aβ-oligomers: A potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 239:124231. [PMID: 36996958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The cascade of amyloid formation relates to multiple complex events at the molecular level. Previous research has established amyloid plaque deposition as the leading cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, detected mainly in aged population. The primary components of the plaques are two alloforms of amyloid-beta (Aβ), Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40 peptides. Recent studies have provided considerable evidence contrary to the previous claim indicating that amyloid-beta oligomers (AβOs) as the main culprit responsible for AD-associated neurotoxicity and pathogenesis. In this review, we have discussed the primary features of AβOs, such as assembly formation, the kinetics of oligomer formation, interactions with various membranes/membrane receptors, the origin of toxicity, and oligomer-specific detection methods. Recently, the discovery of rationally designed antibodies has opened a gateway for using synthesized peptides as a grafting component in the complementarity determining region (CDR) of antibodies. Thus, the Aβ sequence motif or the complementary peptide sequence in the opposite strand of the β-sheet (extracted from the Protein Data Bank: PDB) helps design oligomer-specific inhibitors. The microscopic event responsible for oligomer formation can be targeted, and thus prevention of the overall macroscopic behaviour of the aggregation or the associated toxicity can be achieved. We have carefully reviewed the oligomer formation kinetics and associated parameters. Besides, we have depicted a thorough understanding of how the synthesized peptide inhibitors can impede the early aggregates (oligomers), mature fibrils, monomers, or a mixture of the species. The oligomer-specific inhibitors (peptides or peptide fragments) lack in-depth chemical kinetics and optimization control-based screening. In the present review, we have proposed a hypothesis for effectively screening oligomer-specific inhibitors using the chemical kinetics (determining the kinetic parameters) and optimization control strategy (cost-dependent analysis). Further, it may be possible to implement the structure-kinetic-activity-relationship (SKAR) strategy instead of structure-activity-relationship (SAR) to improve the inhibitor's activity. The controlled optimization of the kinetic parameters and dose usage will be beneficial for narrowing the search window for the inhibitors.
Collapse
|
13
|
Solid-phase synthesis and pathological evaluation of pyroglutamate amyloid-β 3-42 peptide. Sci Rep 2023; 13:505. [PMID: 36627316 PMCID: PMC9831997 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26616-x] [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: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyroglutamate amyloid-β3-42 (AβpE3-42) is an N-terminally truncated and pyroglutamate-modified Aβ peptide retaining highly hydrophobic, amyloidogenic, and neurotoxic properties. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, AβpE3-42 peptides accumulate into oligomers and induce cellular toxicity and synaptic dysfunction. AβpE3-42 aggregates further seed the formation of amyloid plaques, which are the pathological hallmarks of AD. Given that AβpE3-42 peptides play critical roles in the development of neurodegeneration, a reliable and reproducible synthetic access to these peptides may support pathological and medicinal studies of AD. Here, we synthesized AβpE3-42 peptides through the microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Utilizing thioflavin T fluorescence assay and dot blotting analysis with anti-amyloid oligomer antibody, the amyloidogenic activity of synthesized AβpE3-42 peptides was confirmed. We further observed the cytotoxicity of AβpE3-42 aggregates in cell viability test. To examine the cognitive deficits induced by synthetic AβpE3-42 peptides, AβpE3-42 oligomers were intracerebroventricularly injected into imprinting control region mice and Y-maze and Morris water maze tests were performed. We found that AβpE3-42 aggregates altered the expression level of postsynaptic density protein 95 in cortical lysates. Collectively, we produced AβpE3-42 peptides in the microwave-assisted SPPS and evaluated the amyloidogenic and pathological function of the synthesized peptides.
Collapse
|
14
|
Mikhailov OV. The Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics (PCCP) Section of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in Its Publications: The First 300 Thematic Articles in the First 3 Years. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:241. [PMID: 35008667 PMCID: PMC8745423 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics Section (PCCP Section) is one of the youngest among the sections of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS)-the year 2021 will only mark three years since its inception [...].
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg V Mikhailov
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Certification and Quality Management, Kazan National Research Technological University, K. Marx Street 68, 420015 Kazan, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lattanzi V, André I, Gasser U, Dubackic M, Olsson U, Linse S. Amyloid β 42 fibril structure based on small-angle scattering. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2112783118. [PMID: 34815346 PMCID: PMC8640717 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112783118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including fibrils of amyloid β42 peptide (Aβ42) in Alzheimer's disease. These fibrils are a source of toxicity to neuronal cells through surface-catalyzed generation of toxic oligomers. Detailed knowledge of the fibril structure may thus facilitate therapeutic development. We use small-angle scattering to provide information on the fibril cross-section dimension and shape for Aβ42 fibrils prepared in aqueous phosphate buffer at pH = 7.4 and pH 8.0 under quiescent conditions at 37 °C from pure recombinant Aβ42 peptide. Fitting the data using a continuum model reveals an elliptical cross-section and a peptide mass-per-unit length compatible with two filaments of two monomers, four monomers per plane. To provide a more detailed atomistic model, the data were fitted using as a starting state a high-resolution structure of the two-monomer arrangement in filaments from solid-state NMR (Protein Data Bank ID 5kk3). First, a twofold symmetric model including residues 11 to 42 of two monomers in the filament was optimized in terms of twist angle and local packing using Rosetta. A two-filament model was then built and optimized through fitting to the scattering data allowing the two N-termini in each filament to take different conformations, with the same conformation in each of the two filaments. This provides an atomistic model of the fibril with twofold rotation symmetry around the fibril axis. Intriguingly, no polydispersity as regards the number of filaments was observed in our system over separate samples, suggesting that the two-filament arrangement represents a free energy minimum for the Aβ42 fibril.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Lattanzi
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden;
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ingemar André
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Urs Gasser
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Marija Dubackic
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Olsson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Linse
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Dubackic M, Idini I, Lattanzi V, Liu Y, Martel A, Terry A, Haertlein M, Devos JM, Jackson A, Sparr E, Linse S, Olsson U. On the Cluster Formation of α-Synuclein Fibrils. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:768004. [PMID: 34738016 PMCID: PMC8560691 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.768004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The dense accumulation of α-Synuclein fibrils in neurons is considered to be strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease. These intracellular inclusions, called Lewy bodies, also contain significant amounts of lipids. To better understand such accumulations, it should be important to study α-Synuclein fibril formation under conditions where the fibrils lump together, mimicking what is observed in Lewy bodies. In the present study, we have therefore investigated the overall structural arrangements of α-synuclein fibrils, formed under mildly acidic conditions, pH = 5.5, in pure buffer or in the presence of various model membrane systems, by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). At this pH, α-synuclein fibrils are colloidally unstable and aggregate further into dense clusters. SANS intensities show a power law dependence on the scattering vector, q, indicating that the clusters can be described as mass fractal aggregates. The experimentally observed fractal dimension was d = 2.6 ± 0.3. We further show that this fractal dimension can be reproduced using a simple model of rigid-rod clusters. The effect of dominatingly attractive fibril-fibril interactions is discussed within the context of fibril clustering in Lewy body formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marija Dubackic
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ilaria Idini
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Veronica Lattanzi
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yun Liu
- Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States.,Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | | | - Ann Terry
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, United Kingdom.,Max IV Laboratory, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Andrew Jackson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,European Spallation Source, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma Sparr
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Linse
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Olsson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lupaescu AV, Mocanu CS, Drochioiu G, Ciobanu CI. Zinc Binding to NAP-Type Neuroprotective Peptides: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies and Molecular Modeling. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14101011. [PMID: 34681235 PMCID: PMC8541368 DOI: 10.3390/ph14101011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is affecting an increasing number of people. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new pharmaceutical treatments which could be used to prevent the AD symptomatology. Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) was found to be deficient in AD, whereas NAP, an 8-amino-acid peptide (1NAPVSIPQ8) derived from ADNP, was shown to enhance cognitive function. The higher tendency of zinc ion to induce Aβ aggregation and formation of amorphous aggregates is also well-known in the scientific literature. Although zinc binding to Aβ peptides was extensively investigated, there is a shortage of knowledge regarding the relationship between NAP peptide and zinc ions. Therefore, here, we investigated the binding of zinc ions to the native NAP peptide and its analog obtained by replacing the serine residue in the NAP sequence with tyrosine (1NAPVYIPQ8) at various molar ratios and pH values by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonancespectroscopy (NMR). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI ToF) mass spectrometry confirmed the binding of zinc ions to NAP peptides, while the chemical shift of Asp1, observed in 1H-NMR spectra, provided direct evidence for the coordinating role of zinc in the N-terminal region. In addition, molecular modeling has also contributed largely to our understanding of Zn binding to NAP peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ancuta-Veronica Lupaescu
- Integrated Center for Research, Development and Innovation in Advanced Materials, Nanotechnologies and Distributed Systems for Fabrication and Control (MANSiD), Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania;
| | - Cosmin Stefan Mocanu
- Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 11 Carol I, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (C.S.M.); (G.D.)
| | - Gabi Drochioiu
- Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 11 Carol I, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (C.S.M.); (G.D.)
| | - Catalina-Ionica Ciobanu
- CERNESIM Centre, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 11 Carol I, 700506 Iasi, Romania
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tavanti F, Pedone A, Menziani MC. Disclosing the Interaction of Gold Nanoparticles with Aβ(1-40) Monomers through Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010026. [PMID: 33375086 PMCID: PMC7792802 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β aggregation is one of the principal causes of amyloidogenic diseases that lead to the loss of neuronal cells and to cognitive impairments. The use of gold nanoparticles treating amyloidogenic diseases is a promising approach, because the chemistry of the gold surface can be tuned in order to have a specific binding, obtaining effective tools to control the aggregation. In this paper, we show, by means of Replica Exchange Solute Tempering Molecular Simulations, how electrostatic interactions drive the absorption of Amyloid-β monomers onto citrates-capped gold nanoparticles. Importantly, upon binding, amyloid monomers show a reduced propensity in forming β-sheets secondary structures that are characteristics of mature amyloid fibrils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Tavanti
- CNR-NANO Research Center, Via Campi 213/a, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.P.); (M.C.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alfonso Pedone
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.P.); (M.C.M.)
| | - Maria Cristina Menziani
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy; (A.P.); (M.C.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cognitive Training as a Potential Activator of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Rat Model of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21196986. [PMID: 32977423 PMCID: PMC7582834 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21196986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence that interventions like cognitive training or exercises prior to the manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms may decelerate cognitive decline. Nonetheless, evidence of prevention or a delay of dementia is still insufficient. Using OXYS rats as a suitable model of sporadic AD and Wistar rats as a control, we examined effects of cognitive training in the Morris water maze on neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus in presymptomatic (young rats) and symptomatic (adult rats) periods of development of AD signs. Four weeks after the cognitive training, we immunohistochemically estimated densities of quiescent and amplifying neuronal progenitors, neuronal-lineage cells (neuroblasts and immature and mature neurons), and astrocytes in young and adult rats, and the amyloid precursor protein and amyloid-β in adult rats. Reference memory was defective in OXYS rats. The cognitive training did not affect neuronal-lineage cells’ density in either rat strain either at the young or adult age, but activated neuronal progenitors in young rats and increased astrocyte density and downregulated amyloid-β in adult OXYS rats. Thus, to activate adult neurogenesis, cognitive training should be started before first neurodegenerative changes, whereas cognitive training accompanying amyloid-β accumulation affects only astrocytic support.
Collapse
|
20
|
Uddin MS, Al Mamun A, Kabir MT, Ashraf GM, Bin-Jumah MN, Abdel-Daim MM. Multi-Target Drug Candidates for Multifactorial Alzheimer's Disease: AChE and NMDAR as Molecular Targets. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 58:281-303. [PMID: 32935230 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02116-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia among elder people, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results from a chronic loss of cognitive activities. It has been observed that AD is multifactorial, hence diverse pharmacological targets that could be followed for the treatment of AD. The Food and Drug Administration has approved two types of medications for AD treatment such as cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) antagonists. Rivastigmine, donepezil, and galantamine are the ChEIs that have been approved to treat AD. On the other hand, memantine is the only non-competitive NMDAR antagonist approved in AD treatment. As compared with placebo, it has been revealed through clinical studies that many single-target therapies are unsuccessful to treat multifactorial Alzheimer's symptoms or disease progression. Therefore, due to the complex nature of AD pathophysiology, diverse pharmacological targets can be hunted. In this article, based on the entwined link of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and NMDAR, we represent several multifunctional compounds in the rational design of new potential AD medications. This review focus on the significance of privileged scaffolds in the generation of the multi-target lead compound for treating AD, investigating the idea and challenges of multi-target drug design. Furthermore, the most auspicious elementary units for designing as well as synthesizing hybrid drugs are demonstrated as pharmacological probes in the rational design of new potential AD therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Sahab Uddin
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - May N Bin-Jumah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11474, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed M Abdel-Daim
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Penke B, Szűcs M, Bogár F. Oligomerization and Conformational Change Turn Monomeric β-Amyloid and Tau Proteins Toxic: Their Role in Alzheimer's Pathogenesis. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25071659. [PMID: 32260279 PMCID: PMC7180792 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural polymorphism and the physiological and pathophysiological roles of two important proteins, β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau, that play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are reviewed. Recent results demonstrate that monomeric Aβ has important physiological functions. Toxic oligomeric Aβ assemblies (AβOs) may play a decisive role in AD pathogenesis. The polymorph fibrillar Aβ (fAβ) form has a very ordered cross-β structure and is assumed to be non-toxic. Tau monomers also have several important physiological actions; however, their oligomerization leads to toxic oligomers (TauOs). Further polymerization results in probably non-toxic fibrillar structures, among others neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Their structure was determined by cryo-electron microscopy at atomic level. Both AβOs and TauOs may initiate neurodegenerative processes, and their interactions and crosstalk determine the pathophysiological changes in AD. TauOs (perhaps also AβO) have prionoid character, and they may be responsible for cell-to-cell spreading of the disease. Both extra- and intracellular AβOs and TauOs (and not the previously hypothesized amyloid plaques and NFTs) may represent the novel targets of AD drug research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Botond Penke
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (M.S.); (F.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mária Szűcs
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (M.S.); (F.B.)
| | - Ferenc Bogár
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (M.S.); (F.B.)
- MTA-SZTE Biomimetic Systems Research Group, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Banerjee S, Hashemi M, Zagorski K, Lyubchenko YL. Interaction of Aβ42 with Membranes Triggers the Self-Assembly into Oligomers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21031129. [PMID: 32046252 PMCID: PMC7036922 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of amyloid β (Aβ) proteins into oligomers is the major pathogenic event leading to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Typical in vitro experiments require high protein concentrations, whereas the physiological concentration of Aβ is in the picomolar to low nanomolar range. This complicates the translation of results obtained in vitro to understanding the aggregation process in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that Aβ42 self-assembles into aggregates on membrane bilayers at low nanomolar concentrations - a pathway in which the membrane plays the role of a catalyst. Additionally, physiological ionic conditions (150 mM NaCl) significantly enhance on-membrane aggregation, leading to the rapid formation of oligomers. The self-assembly process is reversible, so assembled aggregates can dissociate from the membrane surface into the bulk solution to further participate in the aggregation process. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the transient membrane-Aβ interaction dramatically changes the protein conformation, facilitating the assembly of dimers. The results indicate peptide–membrane interaction is the critical step towards oligomer formation at physiologically low protein concentrations.
Collapse
|