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Paterna A, Santonicola P, Di Prima G, Rao E, Raccosta S, Zampi G, Russo C, Moran O, Manno M, Di Schiavi E, Librizzi F, Carrotta R. α S1-Casein-Loaded Proteo-liposomes as Potential Inhibitors in Amyloid Fibrillogenesis: In Vivo Effects on a C. elegans Model of Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3894-3904. [PMID: 37847529 PMCID: PMC10623563 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the amyloid hypothesis, in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD), small soluble prefibrillar aggregates of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) interact with neuronal membranes, causing neural impairment. Such highly reactive and toxic species form spontaneously and transiently in the amyloid building pathway. A therapeutic strategy consists of the recruitment of these intermediates, thus preventing aberrant interaction with membrane components (lipids and receptors), which in turn may trigger a cascade of cellular disequilibria. Milk αs1-Casein is an intrinsically disordered protein that is able to inhibit Aβ amyloid aggregation in vitro, by sequestering transient species. In order to test αs1-Casein as an inhibitor for the treatment of AD, it needs to be delivered in the place of action. Here, we demonstrate the use of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) as suitable nanocarriers for αs1-Casein. Proteo-LUVs were prepared and characterized by different biophysical techniques, such as multiangle light scattering, atomic force imaging, and small-angle X-ray scattering; αs1-Casein loading was quantified by a fluorescence assay. We demonstrated on a C. elegans AD model the effectiveness of the proposed delivery strategy in vivo. Proteo-LUVs allow efficient administration of the protein, exerting a positive functional readout at very low doses while avoiding the intrinsic toxicity of αs1-Casein. Proteo-LUVs of αs1-Casein represent an effective proof of concept for the exploitation of partially disordered proteins as a therapeutic strategy in mild AD conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Paterna
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Pamela Santonicola
- Institute
of Biosciences and Bioresources, Division of Napoli, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
- Department
of Medicine and Health Sciences, University
of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Giulia Di Prima
- Department
of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Estella Rao
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Samuele Raccosta
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Zampi
- Institute
of Biosciences and Bioresources, Division of Napoli, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Claudio Russo
- Department
of Medicine and Health Sciences, University
of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
- Consorzio
Interuniversitario in Ingegneria e Medicina (COIIM), Via F. De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Oscar Moran
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Genova, Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy
| | - Mauro Manno
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Elia Di Schiavi
- Institute
of Biosciences and Bioresources, Division of Napoli, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Fabio Librizzi
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rita Carrotta
- Institute
of Biophysics, National Research Council, Division of Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
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Tang Y, Zhang D, Zheng J. Repurposing Antimicrobial Protegrin-1 as a Dual-Function Amyloid Inhibitor via Cross-seeding. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3143-3155. [PMID: 37589476 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloids and antimicrobial peptides have traditionally been recognized as distinct families with separate biological functions and targets. However, certain amyloids and antimicrobial peptides share structural and functional characteristics that contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and microbial infections are interconnected pathological factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we propose and demonstrate a novel repurposing strategy for an antimicrobial peptide of protegrin-1 (PG-1), which exhibits the ability to simultaneously prevent Aβ aggregation and microbial infection both in vitro and in vivo. Through a comprehensive analysis using protein, cell, and worm assays, we uncover multiple functions of PG-1 against Aβ, including the following: (i) complete inhibition of Aβ aggregation at a low molar ratio of PG-1/Aβ = 0.25:1, (ii) disassembly of the preformed Aβ fibrils into amorphous aggregates, (iii) reduction of Aβ-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and transgenic GMC101 nematodes, and (iv) preservation of original antimicrobial activity against P.A., E.coli., S.A., and S.E. strains in the presence of Aβ. Mechanistically, the dual anti-amyloid and anti-bacterial functions of PG-1 primarily arise from its strong binding to distinct Aβ seeds (KD = 1.24-1.90 μM) through conformationally similar β-sheet associations. This work introduces a promising strategy to repurpose antimicrobial peptides as amyloid inhibitors, effectively targeting multiple pathological pathways in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Tang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
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Sønderby TV, Louros NN, Khodaparast L, Khodaparast L, Madsen DJ, Olsen WP, Moonen N, Nagaraj M, Sereikaite V, Strømgaard K, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Otzen DE. Sequence-targeted Peptides Divert Functional Bacterial Amyloid Towards Destabilized Aggregates and Reduce Biofilm Formation. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168039. [PMID: 37330291 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Functional bacterial amyloid provides structural stability in biofilm, making it a promising target for anti-biofilm therapeutics. Fibrils formed by CsgA, the major amyloid component in E. coli are extremely robust and can withstand very harsh conditions. Like other functional amyloids, CsgA contains relatively short aggregation-prone regions (APR) which drive amyloid formation. Here, we demonstrate the use of aggregation-modulating peptides to knock down CsgA protein into aggregates with low stability and altered morphology. Remarkably, these CsgA-peptides also modulate fibrillation of the unrelated functional amyloid protein FapC from Pseudomonas, possibly through recognition of FapC segments with structural and sequence similarity with CsgA. The peptides also reduce the level of biofilm formation in E. coli and P. aeruginosa, demonstrating the potential for selective amyloid targeting to combat bacterial biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorbjørn V Sønderby
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Sino-Danish Center (SDC), Eastern Yanqihu Campus, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 380 Huaibeizhuang, Huairou District, Beijing, China. https://twitter.com/@tvs1212
| | - Nikolaos N Louros
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. https://twitter.com/LourosNikos
| | - Ladan Khodaparast
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. https://twitter.com/@LadanKhodapara1
| | - Laleh Khodaparast
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. https://twitter.com/@LalehKhodapara1
| | - Daniel J Madsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - William P Olsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Sino-Danish Center (SDC), Eastern Yanqihu Campus, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 380 Huaibeizhuang, Huairou District, Beijing, China
| | - Nele Moonen
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Madhu Nagaraj
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Vita Sereikaite
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. https://twitter.com/@vitasereikaite
| | - Kristian Strømgaard
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. https://twitter.com/@stromgaardlab
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. https://twitter.com/@stromgaardlab
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. https://twitter.com/@stromgaardlab
| | - Daniel E Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Viswanathan GK, Mohapatra S, Paul A, Arad E, Jelinek R, Gazit E, Segal D. Inhibitory Effect of Naphthoquinone-Tryptophan Hybrid towards Aggregation of PAP f39 Semen Amyloid. Molecules 2018; 23:E3279. [PMID: 30544943 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23123279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PAP248–286, a 39 amino acid peptide fragment, derived from the prostatic acid phosphatase secreted in human semen, forms amyloid fibrils and facilitates the attachment of retroviruses to host cells that results in the enhancement of viral infection. Therefore, the inhibition of amyloid formation by PAP248–286 (termed PAP f39) may likely reduce HIV transmission in AIDS. In this study, we show that the naphthoquinone tryptophan (NQTrp) hybrid molecule significantly inhibited PAP f39 aggregation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner as observed from the ThT assay, ANS assay, and transmission electron microscopy imaging. We found that even at a sub-molar concentration of 20:1 [PAP f39:NQTrp], NQTrp could reduce >50% amyloid formation. NQTrp inhibition of PAP f39 aggregation resulted in non-toxic intermediate species as determined by the vesicle leakage assay. Isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking revealed that the binding of NQTrp and PAP f39 is spontaneous, and NQTrp predominantly interacts with the polar and charged residues of the peptide by forming hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts with a strong binding energy. Collectively, these findings indicate that NQTrp holds significant potential as a small molecule inhibitor of semen amyloids.
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Das S, Pukala TL, Smid SD. Exploring the Structural Diversity in Inhibitors of α-Synuclein Amyloidogenic Folding, Aggregation, and Neurotoxicity. Front Chem 2018; 6:181. [PMID: 29888220 PMCID: PMC5983024 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of α-Synuclein (αS) protein to amyloid fibrils is a neuropathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Growing evidence suggests that extracellular αS aggregation plays a pivotal role in neurodegeneration found in PD in addition to the intracellular αS aggregates in Lewy bodies (LB). Here, we identified and compared a diverse set of molecules capable of mitigating protein aggregation and exogenous toxicity of αSA53T, a more aggregation-prone αS mutant found in familial PD. For the first time, we investigated the αS anti-amyloid activity of semi-synthetic flavonoid 2', 3', 4' trihydroxyflavone or 2-D08, which was compared with natural flavones myricetin and transilitin, as well as such structurally diverse polyphenols as honokiol and punicalagin. Additionally, two novel synthetic compounds with a dibenzyl imidazolidine scaffold, Compound 1 and Compound 2, were also investigated as they exhibited favorable binding with αSA53T. All seven compounds inhibited αSA53T aggregation as demonstrated by Thioflavin T fluorescence assays, with modified fibril morphology observed by transmission electron microscopy. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) was used to monitor the structural conversion of native αSA53T into amyloidogenic conformations and all seven compounds preserved the native unfolded conformations of αSA53T following 48 h incubation. The presence of each test compound in a 1:2 molar ratio was also shown to inhibit the neurotoxicity of preincubated αSA53T using phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cell viability assays. Among the seven tested compounds 2-D08, honokiol, and the synthetic Compound 2 demonstrated the highest inhibition of aggregation, coupled with neuroprotection from preincubated αSA53T in vitro. Molecular docking predicted that all compounds bound near the lysine-rich region of the N-terminus of αSA53T, where the flavonoids and honokiol predominantly interacted with Lys 23. Overall, these findings highlight that (i) restricted vicinal trihydroxylation in the flavone B-ring is more effective in stabilizing the native αS conformations, thus blocking amyloidogenic aggregation, than dihydroxylation aggregation in both A and B-ring, and (ii) honokiol, punicalagin, and the synthetic imidazolidine Compound 2 also inhibit αS amyloidogenic aggregation by stabilizing its native conformations. This diverse set of molecules acting on a singular pathological target with predicted binding to αSA53T in the folding-prone N-terminal region may contribute toward novel drug-design for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Das
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Tara L. Pukala
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Scott D. Smid
- Discipline of Pharmacology, Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Abstract
More than 30 human degenerative diseases result from protein aggregation such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Islet amyloid deposits, a hallmark in T2DM, are found in pancreatic islets of more than 90% of T2DM patients. An association between amylin aggregation and reduction in β-cell mass was also established by post-mortem studies. A strategy in preventing protein aggregation-related disorders is to inhibit the protein aggregation and associated toxicity. In this study, we demonstrated that two inhibitors, lipoic acid and ascorbic acid, significantly inhibited amylin aggregation. Compared to amylin (15 μM) as 100%, lipoic acid and ascorbic acid reduced amylin fibril formation to 42.1 ± 17.2% and 42.9 ± 12.8%, respectively, which is confirmed by fluorescence and TEM images. In cell viability tests, both inhibitors protected RIN-m5f β-cells from the toxicity of amylin aggregates. At 10:1 molar ratio of lipoic acid to amylin, lipoic acid with amylin increased the cell viability to 70.3%, whereas only 42.8% RIN-m5f β-cells survived in amylin aggregates. For ascorbic acid, an equimolar ratio achieved the highest cell viability of 63.3% as compared to 42.8% with amylin aggregates only. Docking results showed that lipoic acid and ascorbic acid physically interact with amylin amyloidogenic region (residues Ser20-Ser29) via hydrophobic interactions; hence reducing aggregation levels. Therefore, lipoic acid and ascorbic acid prevented amylin aggregation via hydrophobic interactions, which resulted in the prevention of cell toxicity in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kassem Azzam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , Khalifa University of Science and Technology , P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
| | - Hyunwoo Jang
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering , Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) , Daejeon 34141 , South Korea
| | - Myung Chul Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering , Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) , Daejeon 34141 , South Korea
| | - Habiba Alsafar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , Khalifa University of Science and Technology , P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates.,Khalifa University's Center for Biotechnology , PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
| | - Suryani Lukman
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Science , Khalifa University of Science and Technology , P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
| | - Sungmun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , Khalifa University of Science and Technology , P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates
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Bruno E, Pereira C, Roman KP, Takiguchi M, Kao PY, Nogaj LA, Moffet DA. IAPP aggregation and cellular toxicity are inhibited by 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose. Amyloid 2013; 20:34-8. [PMID: 23339420 PMCID: PMC3957415 DOI: 10.3109/13506129.2012.762761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The polyphenol, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) has been found to exhibit a host of positive pharmacologic activities, including anti-cancer and anti-diabetic. Little is known about the mode of action of PGG in yielding these positive activities. We show here that PGG is a potent inhibitor of IAPP (islet amyloid polypeptide, amylin) aggregation. Preventing the initial aggregation event of IAPP is one strategy for slowing, and possibly preventing, the toxic effects of IAPP oligomeric intermediates. Equal molar ratios of PGG to IAPP substantially reduced the ability of IAPP to bind thioflavin T. Atomic force microscopy revealed that PGG prevented amyloid-based fiber formation under rigorous conditions conducive to forming IAPP aggregates. PGG was also found to protect PC12 rat cells from toxic IAPP. PGG was compared to the known amyloid inhibitors (and structural relatives); tannic acid and gallic acid. In every test, PGG was far superior to tannic and gallic acids at inhibiting amyloid aggregation. These results indicate that PGG is a potent inhibitor of IAPP amyloid aggregation and a potential lead molecule for development of an amyloid inhibiting therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Bruno
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
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