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Kreutzer AG, Guaglianone G, Yoo S, Parrocha CMT, Ruttenberg SM, Malonis RJ, Tong K, Lin YF, Nguyen JT, Howitz WJ, Diab MN, Hamza IL, Lai JR, Wysocki VH, Nowick JS. Probing differences among Aβ oligomers with two triangular trimers derived from Aβ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219216120. [PMID: 37216514 PMCID: PMC10235986 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219216120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The assembly of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) to form oligomers and fibrils is closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ is a shape-shifting peptide capable of adopting many conformations and folds within the multitude of oligomers and fibrils the peptide forms. These properties have precluded detailed structural elucidation and biological characterization of homogeneous, well-defined Aβ oligomers. In this paper, we compare the structural, biophysical, and biological characteristics of two different covalently stabilized isomorphic trimers derived from the central and C-terminal regions Aβ. X-ray crystallography reveals the structures of the trimers and shows that each trimer forms a ball-shaped dodecamer. Solution-phase and cell-based studies demonstrate that the two trimers exhibit markedly different assembly and biological properties. One trimer forms small soluble oligomers that enter cells through endocytosis and activate capase-3/7-mediated apoptosis, while the other trimer forms large insoluble aggregates that accumulate on the outer plasma membrane and elicit cellular toxicity through an apoptosis-independent mechanism. The two trimers also exhibit different effects on the aggregation, toxicity, and cellular interaction of full-length Aβ, with one trimer showing a greater propensity to interact with Aβ than the other. The studies described in this paper indicate that the two trimers share structural, biophysical, and biological characteristics with oligomers of full-length Aβ. The varying structural, assembly, and biological characteristics of the two trimers provide a working model for how different Aβ trimers can assemble and lead to different biological effects, which may help shed light on the differences among Aβ oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam G. Kreutzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | | | - Stan Yoo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | | | | | - Ryan J. Malonis
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY10461
| | - Karen Tong
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY10461
| | - Yu-Fu Lin
- Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Jennifer T. Nguyen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - William J. Howitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Michelle N. Diab
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Imane L. Hamza
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Jonathan R. Lai
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY10461
| | - Vicki H. Wysocki
- Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - James S. Nowick
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA92697
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Hamsici S, Gunay G, Acar H. Controllable membrane damage by tunable peptide aggregation with albumin. AIChE J 2022; 68:e17893. [PMID: 36816052 PMCID: PMC9937546 DOI: 10.1002/aic.17893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of otherwise soluble proteins into amyloid structures is a hallmark of many disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. There is an increasing evidence that the small aggregations, instead of ordered fibrillar aggregates, are the main structures causing toxicity. However, the studies on the small aggregation phase are limited due to the variety of structures and the complexity of the physiological environment. Here, we showed an engineered co-assembling oppositely charged amyloid-like peptide pair ([II]) as a simple tool to establish methodologies to study the mechanism and kinetics of aggregation and relate its aggregation to toxicity. The toxicity mechanism of [II] is through cell membrane damage and stress, shown with YAP and eIF2α, as in the amyloid protein-initiated diseases. Albumin is demonstrated as an extrinsic and physiologically relevant molecule in controlling the aggregation lag time and toxicity of [II]. This study represents a molecular engineering strategy to create simplistic molecular tools for establishing methodologies to study the aggregation process and kinetics of amyloid-like proteins in various conditions. Understanding the nature of protein aggregation kinetics and linking them to their biological functions through engineered peptides paves the way for future designs and drug development applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren Hamsici
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Gokhan Gunay
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Handan Acar
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA,Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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