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Perfitt TL, Huichalaf C, Gooch R, Kuperman A, Ahn Y, Chen X, Ullas S, Hirenallur-Shanthappa D, Zhan Y, Otis D, Whiteley LO, Bulawa C, Martelli A. A modified mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia with conditional Fxn allele homozygosity delays onset of cardiomyopathy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 326:H357-H369. [PMID: 38038720 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00496.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency in frataxin (FXN), a mitochondrial protein that plays a critical role in the synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters (Fe-S), vital inorganic cofactors necessary for numerous cellular processes. FA is characterized by progressive ataxia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with cardiac dysfunction as the most common cause of mortality in patients. Commonly used cardiac-specific mouse models of FA use the muscle creatine kinase (MCK) promoter to express Cre recombinase in cardiomyocytes and striated muscle cells in mice with one conditional Fxn allele and one floxed-out/null allele. These mice quickly develop cardiomyopathy that becomes fatal by 9-11 wk of age. Here, we generated a cardiac-specific model with floxed Fxn allele homozygosity (MCK-Fxnflox/flox). MCK-Fxnflox/flox mice were phenotypically normal at 9 wk of age, despite no detectable FXN protein expression. Between 13 and 15 wk of age, these mice began to display progressive cardiomyopathy, including decreased ejection fraction and fractional shortening and increased left ventricular mass. MCK-Fxnflox/flox mice began to lose weight around 16 wk of age, characteristically associated with heart failure in other cardiac-specific FA models. By 18 wk of age, MCK-Fxnflox/flox mice displayed elevated markers of Fe-S deficiency, cardiac stress and injury, and cardiac fibrosis. This modified model reproduced important pathophysiological and biochemical features of FA over a longer timescale than previous cardiac-specific mouse models, offering a larger window for studying potential therapeutics.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous cardiac-specific frataxin knockout models exhibit rapid and fatal cardiomyopathy by 9 wk of age. This severe phenotype poses challenges for the design and execution of intervention studies. We introduce an alternative cardiac-specific model, MCK-Fxnflox/flox, with increased longevity and delayed onset of all major phenotypes. These phenotypes develop to the same severity as previous models. Thus, this new model provides the same cardiomyopathy-associated mortality with a larger window for potential studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler L Perfitt
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Claudia Huichalaf
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Renea Gooch
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Anna Kuperman
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Youngwook Ahn
- Target Sciences, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Xian Chen
- Comparative Medicine, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Soumya Ullas
- Comparative Medicine, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Dinesh Hirenallur-Shanthappa
- Comparative Medicine, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Yutian Zhan
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Diana Otis
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Laurence O Whiteley
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Christine Bulawa
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Alain Martelli
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Pfizer, Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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Nguyen M, Le Mignon M, Schnellbächer A, Wehsling M, Braun J, Baumgaertner J, Grabner M, Zimmer A. Mechanistic insights into the biological activity of S-Sulfocysteine in CHO cells using a multi-omics approach. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1230422. [PMID: 37680342 PMCID: PMC10482334 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1230422] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
S-Sulfocysteine (SSC), a bioavailable L-cysteine derivative (Cys), is known to be taken up and metabolized in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells used to produce novel therapeutic biological entities. To gain a deeper mechanistic insight into the SSC biological activity and metabolization, a multi-omics study was performed on industrially relevant CHO-K1 GS cells throughout a fed-batch process, including metabolomic and proteomic profiling combined with multivariate data and pathway analyses. Multi-layered data and enzymatical assays revealed an intracellular SSC/glutathione mixed disulfide formation and glutaredoxin-mediated reduction, releasing Cys and sulfur species. Increased Cys availability was directed towards glutathione and taurine synthesis, while other Cys catabolic pathways were likewise affected, indicating that cells strive to maintain Cys homeostasis and cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Nguyen
- Upstream R&D, Merck Life Science KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | | | - Maria Wehsling
- Upstream R&D, Merck Life Science KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Julian Braun
- Upstream R&D, Merck Life Science KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jens Baumgaertner
- Biomolecule Analytics and Proteomics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Aline Zimmer
- Upstream R&D, Merck Life Science KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
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Bernardo-Seisdedos G, Schedlbauer A, Pereira-Ortuzar T, Mato JM, Millet O. Protoporphyrin IX Binds to Iron(II)-Loaded and to Zinc-Loaded Human Frataxin. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:life13010222. [PMID: 36676171 PMCID: PMC9866752 DOI: 10.3390/life13010222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Human frataxin is an iron binding protein that participates in the biogenesis of iron sulfur clusters and enhances ferrochelatase activity. While frataxin association to other proteins has been extensively characterized up to the structural level, much less is known about the putative capacity of frataxin to interact with functionally related metabolites. In turn, current knowledge about frataxin's capacity to coordinate metal ions is limited to iron (II and III); (2) Methods: here, we used NMR spectroscopy, Molecular Dynamics, and Docking approaches to demonstrate new roles of frataxin; (3) Results: We demonstrate that frataxin also binds Zn2+ in a structurally similar way to Fe2+, but with lower affinity. In turn, both Fe2+-loaded and Zn2+-loaded frataxins specifically associate to protoporphyrin IX with micromolar affinity, while apo-frataxin does not bind to the porphyrin. Protoporphyrin IX association to metal-loaded frataxin shares the binding epitope with ferrochelatase; and (4) Conclusions: these findings expand the plethora of relevant molecular targets for frataxin and may help to elucidate the yet unknown different roles that this protein exerts in iron regulation and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganeko Bernardo-Seisdedos
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Andreas Schedlbauer
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Tania Pereira-Ortuzar
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - José M. Mato
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Biomedical Research Network on Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Millet
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma, Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Precision Medicine and Metabolism Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Biomedical Research Network on Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Parmagnani AS, D'Alessandro S, Maffei ME. Iron-sulfur complex assembly: Potential players of magnetic induction in plants. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 325:111483. [PMID: 36183809 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are involved in fundamental biological reactions and represent a highly regulated process involving a complex sequence of mitochondrial, cytosolic and nuclear-catalyzed protein-protein interactions. Iron-sulfur complex assembly (ISCA) scaffold proteins are involved in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. ISCA proteins are involved in abiotic stress responses and in the pigeon they act as a magnetic sensor by forming a magnetosensor (MagS) complex with cryptochrome (Cry). MagR gene exists in the genomes of humans, plants, and microorganisms and the interaction between Cry and MagR is highly conserved. Owing to the extensive presence of ISCA proteins in plants and the occurrence of homology between animal and human MagR with at least four Arabidopsis ISCAs and several ISCAs from different plant species, we believe that a mechanism similar to pigeon magnetoperception might be present in plants. We suggest that plant ISCA proteins, homologous of the animal MagR, are good candidates and could contribute to a better understanding of plant magnetic induction. We thus urge more studies in this regard to fully uncover the plant molecular mechanisms underlying MagR/Cry mediated magnetic induction and the possible coupling between light and magnetic induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra S Parmagnani
- Dept. Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/a, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano D'Alessandro
- Dept. Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/a, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Massimo E Maffei
- Dept. Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/a, 10135 Turin, Italy.
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