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Einstein-Nathan Shock Center: translating the hallmarks of aging to extend human health span. GeroScience 2021; 43:2167-2182. [PMID: 34463901 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00428-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The overarching mission of the Einstein-Nathan Shock Center (E-NSC) is to make scientific discoveries in geroscience, leveraging on the expertise in our center in 6 out of the 7 pillars of aging, and to translate their effects towards drug discovery. The relevance of this basic biology of aging discoveries to humans will be confirmed through the unique gero-human resource at E-NSC. This is achieved through services provided by E-NSC, connectivity among its members, attracting worldwide investigators, and providing them with the opportunities to become future leaders. The two central components of the E-NSC are (a) cutting-edge research programs and (b) unique E-NSC research support cores. E-NSC scientists lead NIH-supported cutting-edge research programs that integrate key hallmarks of aging including proteostasis/autophagy, metabolism/inflammaging, genetic/epigenetics, stem cells/regeneration, and translational aging/longevity. Since the inception of the E-NSC, the well-integrated, collaborative, and innovative nature of the multiple supporting state-of-the-art E-NSC research cores form the bedrock of research success at the E-NSC. The three state-of-the-art E-NSC research cores, (i) Proteostasis of Aging Core (PAC), (ii) the Health Span Core (HSC), and (iii) the Human Multi-Omics Core (HMOC), have allowed impressive expansion of translational biological research programs. Expansion was facilitated through the wealth of data coming from genomics/proteomics and metabolomic analysis on human longevity studies, due to access to a variety of biological samples from elderly subjects in clinical trials with aging-targeting drugs, and new drug design services via the PAC to target the hallmarks of aging.
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Bragança CE, Kraut DA. Mode of targeting to the proteasome determines GFP fate. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:15892-15901. [PMID: 32913119 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system is the canonical pathway for protein degradation in eukaryotic cells. GFP is frequently used as a reporter in proteasomal degradation assays. However, there are multiple variants of GFP in use, and these variants have different intrinsic stabilities. Further, there are multiple means by which substrates are targeted to the proteasome, and these differences could also affect the proteasome's ability to unfold and degrade substrates. Herein we investigate how the fate of GFP variants of differing intrinsic stabilities is determined by the mode of targeting to the proteasome. We compared two targeting systems: linear Ub4 degrons and the UBL domain from yeast Rad23, both of which are commonly used in degradation experiments. Surprisingly, the UBL degron allows for degradation of the most stable sGFP-containing substrates, whereas the Ub4 degron does not. Destabilizing the GFP by circular permutation allows degradation with either targeting signal, indicating that domain stability and mode of targeting combine to determine substrate fate. Difficult-to-unfold substrates are released and re-engaged multiple times, with removal of the degradation initiation region providing an alternative clipping pathway that precludes unfolding and degradation; the UBL degron favors degradation of even difficult-to-unfold substrates, whereas the Ub4 degron favors clipping. Finally, we show that the ubiquitin receptor Rpn13 is primarily responsible for the enhanced ability of the proteasome to degrade stable UBL-tagged substrates. Our results indicate that the choice of targeting method and reporter protein are critical to the design of protein degradation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Adam Kraut
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Martic I, Wedel S, Jansen-Dürr P, Cavinato M. A new model to investigate UVB-induced cellular senescence and pigmentation in melanocytes. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 190:111322. [PMID: 32735894 PMCID: PMC7116475 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) light is known to potentially damage human skin and accelerate the skin aging process. Upon UVB exposure, melanocytes execute skin protection by increasing melanin production. Senescent cells, including senescent melanocytes, are known to accumulate in aged skin and contribute to the age-associated decline of tissue function. However, melanocyte senescence is still insufficiently explored. Here we describe a new model to investigate mechanisms of UVB-induced senescence in melanocytes and its role in photoaging. Exposure to mild and repeated doses of UVB directly influenced melanocyte proliferation, morphology and ploidy. We confirmed UVB-induced senescence with increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase positivity and changed expression of several senescence markers, including p21, p53 and Lamin B1. UVB irradiation impaired proteasome and increased autophagic activity in melanocytes, while expanding intracellular melanin content. In addition, using a co-culture system, we could confirm that senescence-associated secretory phenotype components secreted by senescent fibroblasts modulated melanogenesis. In conclusion, our new model serves as an important tool to explore UVB-induced melanocyte senescence and its involvement in photoaging and skin pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Martic
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Universität Innsbruck, Austria; Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sophia Wedel
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Universität Innsbruck, Austria; Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pidder Jansen-Dürr
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Universität Innsbruck, Austria; Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maria Cavinato
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Universität Innsbruck, Austria; Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Innsbruck, Austria.
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Coleman RA, Trader DJ. Methods to Discover and Evaluate Proteasome Small Molecule Stimulators. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24122341. [PMID: 31242677 PMCID: PMC6630500 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein accumulation has been identified as a characteristic of many degenerative conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases and aging. In most cases, these conditions also present with diminished protein degradation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is responsible for the degradation of the majority of proteins in cells; however, the activity of the proteasome is reduced in these disease states, contributing to the accumulation of toxic protein. It has been hypothesized that proteasome activity, both ubiquitin-dependent and -independent, can be chemically stimulated to reduce the load of protein in diseased cells. Several methods exist to identify and characterize stimulators of proteasome activity. In this review, we detail the ways in which protease activity can be enhanced and analyze the biochemical and cellular methods of identifying stimulators of both the ubiquitin-dependent and -independent proteasome activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Coleman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Darci J Trader
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Hernandez I, Luna G, Rauch JN, Reis SA, Giroux M, Karch CM, Boctor D, Sibih YE, Storm NJ, Diaz A, Kaushik S, Zekanowski C, Kang AA, Hinman CR, Cerovac V, Guzman E, Zhou H, Haggarty SJ, Goate AM, Fisher SK, Cuervo AM, Kosik KS. A farnesyltransferase inhibitor activates lysosomes and reduces tau pathology in mice with tauopathy. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:eaat3005. [PMID: 30918111 PMCID: PMC7961212 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat3005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Tau inclusions are a shared feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, among them frontotemporal dementia caused by tau mutations. Treatment approaches for these conditions include targeting posttranslational modifications of tau proteins, maintaining a steady-state amount of tau, and preventing its tendency to aggregate. We discovered a new regulatory pathway for tau degradation that operates through the farnesylated protein, Rhes, a GTPase in the Ras family. Here, we show that treatment with the farnesyltransferase inhibitor lonafarnib reduced Rhes and decreased brain atrophy, tau inclusions, tau sumoylation, and tau ubiquitination in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. In addition, lonafarnib treatment attenuated behavioral abnormalities in rTg4510 mice and reduced microgliosis in mouse brain. Direct reduction of Rhes in the rTg4510 mouse by siRNA reproduced the results observed with lonafarnib treatment. The mechanism of lonafarnib action mediated by Rhes to reduce tau pathology was shown to operate through activation of lysosomes. We finally showed in mouse brain and in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons a normal developmental increase in Rhes that was initially suppressed by tau mutations. The known safety of lonafarnib revealed in human clinical trials for cancer suggests that this drug could be repurposed for treating tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Hernandez
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Gabriel Luna
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jennifer N Rauch
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Surya A Reis
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Chemical Neurobiology Lab, and Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michel Giroux
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Boctor
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Youssef E Sibih
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Nadia J Storm
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Antonio Diaz
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Susmita Kaushik
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cezary Zekanowski
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego St., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alexander A Kang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Cassidy R Hinman
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Vesna Cerovac
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Elmer Guzman
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Honjun Zhou
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Chemical Neurobiology Lab, and Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alison M Goate
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Steven K Fisher
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Ana M Cuervo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology and Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Kang MG, Park J, Balboni G, Lim MH, Lee C, Rhee HW. Genetically Encodable Bacterial Flavin Transferase for Fluorogenic Protein Modification in Mammalian Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:667-677. [PMID: 28035820 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A bacterial flavin transferase (ApbE) was recently employed for flavin mononucleotide (FMN) modification on the Na+-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase C (NqrC) protein in the pathogenic Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. We employed this unique post-translational modification in mammalian cells and found that the FMN transfer reaction robustly occurred when NqrC and ApbE were genetically targeted in the cytosol of live mammalian cells. Moreover, NqrC expression in the endoplasmic reticulum (NqrC-ER) induced the retro-translocation of NqrC to the cytosol, leading to the proteasome-mediated ER-associated degradation of NqrC, which is considered to be an innate immunological response toward the bacterial protein. This unexpected cellular process of NqrC-ER could be exploited for the construction of an in cellulo proteasome inhibitor screening system, and our proposed approach yielded substantially improved results compared to a previous method. In addition, a truncated version of RnfG (half-RnfG) was found to be potentially useful as a genetically encoded tag for monitoring protein-protein interactions in a specific compartment, even in the ER, in a live cell according to its fluorogenic post-translational modification via ApbE. This new genetically encoded system in mammalian cells should serve as a valuable tool for anticancer drug screening and other applications in molecular and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gianfranco Balboni
- Department
of Life and Environmental Sciences, Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological
and Nutraceutical Sciences Unit, University of Cagliari, I-09124 Cagliari, Italy
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Maus M, Cuk M, Patel B, Lian J, Ouimet M, Kaufmann U, Yang J, Horvath R, Hornig-Do HT, Chrzanowska-Lightowlers ZM, Moore KJ, Cuervo AM, Feske S. Store-Operated Ca 2+ Entry Controls Induction of Lipolysis and the Transcriptional Reprogramming to Lipid Metabolism. Cell Metab 2017; 25:698-712. [PMID: 28132808 PMCID: PMC5342942 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Ca2+ signals were reported to control lipid homeostasis, but the Ca2+ channels and pathways involved are largely unknown. Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ influx pathway regulated by stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), STIM2, and the Ca2+ channel ORAI1. We show that SOCE-deficient mice accumulate pathological amounts of lipid droplets in the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle. Cells from patients with loss-of-function mutations in STIM1 or ORAI1 show a similar phenotype, suggesting a cell-intrinsic role for SOCE in the regulation of lipid metabolism. SOCE is crucial to induce mobilization of fatty acids from lipid droplets, lipolysis, and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. SOCE regulates cyclic AMP production and the expression of neutral lipases as well as the transcriptional regulators of lipid metabolism, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα). SOCE-deficient cells upregulate lipophagy, which protects them from lipotoxicity. Our data provide evidence for an important role of SOCE in lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mate Maus
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Mario Cuk
- Department of Pediatrics, Zagreb University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Bindi Patel
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jayson Lian
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Mireille Ouimet
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ulrike Kaufmann
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rita Horvath
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Hue-Tran Hornig-Do
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Zofia M Chrzanowska-Lightowlers
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Kathryn J Moore
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Stefan Feske
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Kaushik S, Cuervo AM. Degradation of lipid droplet-associated proteins by chaperone-mediated autophagy facilitates lipolysis. Nat Cell Biol 2015; 17:759-70. [PMID: 25961502 PMCID: PMC4449813 DOI: 10.1038/ncb3166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 456] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) selectively degrades a subset of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes. A potent physiological activator of CMA is nutrient deprivation, a condition in which intracellular triglyceride stores or lipid droplets (LDs) also undergo hydrolysis (lipolysis) to generate free fatty acids for energetic purposes. Here we report that the LD-associated proteins perilipin 2 (PLIN2) and perilipin 3 (PLIN3) are CMA substrates and their degradation through CMA precedes lipolysis. In vivo studies revealed that CMA degradation of PLIN2 and PLIN3 was enhanced during starvation, concurrent with elevated levels of cytosolic adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and macroautophagy proteins on LDs. CMA blockage both in cultured cells and mouse liver or expression of CMA-resistant PLINs leads to reduced association of ATGL and macrolipophagy-related proteins with LDs and the subsequent decrease in lipid oxidation and accumulation of LDs. We propose a role for CMA in LD biology and in the maintenance of lipid homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Kaushik
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
- Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
- Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
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