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Chakraborty S, Mishra A, Choudhuri A, Bhaumik T, Sengupta R. Leveraging the redundancy of S-denitrosylases in response to S-nitrosylation of Caspases: experimental strategies and beyond. Nitric Oxide 2024; 149:S1089-8603(24)00073-9. [PMID: 38823434 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2024.05.002] [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: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Redox-based protein posttranslational modifications, such as S-nitrosylation of critical, active site cysteine thiols have garnered significant clinical attention and research interest, reasoning for one of the crucial biological implications of reactive messenger molecule, nitric oxide in the cellular repertoire. The stringency of the S-(de)nitrosylation-based redox switch governs the activity and contribution of several susceptible enzymes in signal transduction processes and diverse pathophysiological settings, thus establishing it as a transient yet reasonable, and regulated mechanism of NO adduction and release. Notably, endogenous proteases like cytosolic and mitochondrial caspases with a molecular weight ranging from 33-55 kDa are susceptible to performing this biochemistry in the presence of major oxidoreductases, which further unveils the enormous redox-mediated regulational control of caspases in the etiology of diseases. In addition to advancing the progress of the current state of understanding of 'redox biochemistry' in the field of medicine and enriching the existing dynamic S-nitrosoproteome, this review stands as a testament to an unprecedented shift in the underpinnings for redundancy and redox relay between the major redoxin/ antioxidant systems, fine-tuning of which can command the apoptotic control of caspases at the face of nitro-oxidative stress. These intricate functional overlaps and cellular backups, supported rationally by kinetically favorable reaction mechanisms suggest the physiological relevance of identifying and involving such cognate substrates for cellular S-denitrosylases that can shed light on the bigger picture of extensively proposing targeted therapies and redox-based drug designing to potentially alleviate the side effects of NOx/ ROS in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surupa Chakraborty
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata, Action Area II, Rajarhat, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India
| | - Akansha Mishra
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata, Action Area II, Rajarhat, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India
| | - Ankita Choudhuri
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata, Action Area II, Rajarhat, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India
| | - Tamal Bhaumik
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata, Action Area II, Rajarhat, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India
| | - Rajib Sengupta
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology Kolkata, Amity University Kolkata, Action Area II, Rajarhat, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India.
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2
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Van Horn KS, Wang D, Medina-Cleghorn D, Lee PS, Bryant C, Altobelli C, Jaishankar P, Leung KK, Ng RA, Ambrose AJ, Tang Y, Arkin MR, Renslo AR. Engaging a Non-catalytic Cysteine Residue Drives Potent and Selective Inhibition of Caspase-6. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:10015-10021. [PMID: 37104712 PMCID: PMC10176470 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12240] [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: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are a family of cysteine-dependent proteases with important cellular functions in inflammation and apoptosis, while also implicated in human diseases. Classical chemical tools to study caspase functions lack selectivity for specific caspase family members due to highly conserved active sites and catalytic machinery. To overcome this limitation, we targeted a non-catalytic cysteine residue (C264) unique to caspase-6 (C6), an enigmatic and understudied caspase isoform. Starting from disulfide ligands identified in a cysteine trapping screen, we used a structure-informed covalent ligand design to produce potent, irreversible inhibitors (3a) and chemoproteomic probes (13-t) of C6 that exhibit unprecedented selectivity over other caspase family members and high proteome selectivity. This approach and the new tools described will enable rigorous interrogation of the role of caspase-6 in developmental biology and in inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt S. Van Horn
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Dongju Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Daniel Medina-Cleghorn
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Peter S. Lee
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Clifford Bryant
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Chad Altobelli
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Priyadarshini Jaishankar
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Kevin K. Leung
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Raymond A. Ng
- Chempartner
Corporation, 280 Utah
Avenue, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Andrew J. Ambrose
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Yinyan Tang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
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3
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Qi L, Wang L, Jin M, Jiang M, Li L, Li Y. Caspase-6 is a key regulator of cross-talk signal way in PANoptosis in cancer. Immunology 2023. [PMID: 36814103 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase)-6 belongs to the caspase family and plays a vital role in mediating cell death. Under certain conditions, three pathways of programmed cell death (PCD), including apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis (PANoptosis), transform one way into another, with enormous therapeutic potential. Initially, scholars reported that caspase-6 is a caspase executor that mediates apoptosis. With the ceaseless exploration of the PCD types, studies have demonstrated that caspase-6 mediates pyroptosis by regulating gasdermin D and mediates necroptosis by regulating mixed lineage kinase domain-like. By regulating PANoptosis, caspase-6 plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis in humans and mediates anti-tumour immunity. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of caspase-6 function in cancer via PANoptosis is important for the prevention and therapy of tumours. This article summarized the function of caspase-6 in PANoptosis and its impact on cancer development, providing targets and strategies for tumour treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Qi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Mengru Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxia Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lisha Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.,Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yanjing Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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4
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Role of Caspases and Gasdermin A during HSV-1 Infection in Mice. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092034. [PMID: 36146839 PMCID: PMC9504851 DOI: 10.3390/v14092034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection can manifest locally as mucocutaneous lesions or keratitis and can also spread to the central nervous system to cause encephalitis. HSV-1 establishes a lifelong latent infection and neither cure nor vaccine is currently available. The innate immune response is the first line of defense against infection. Caspases and gasdermins are important components of innate immunity. Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases, most of which mediate regulated cell death. Gasdermins are a family of pore-forming proteins that trigger lytic cell death. To determine whether caspases or gasdermins contribute to innate immune defenses against HSV-1, we screened mice deficient in specific cell death genes. Our results indicate a modest role for caspase-6 in defense against HSV-1. Further, Asc–/–Casp1/11–/– mice also had a modest increased susceptibility to HSV-1 infection. Caspase-7, -8, and -14 did not have a notable role in controlling HSV-1 infection. We generated Gsdma1-Gsdma2-Gsdma3 triple knockout mice, which also had normal susceptibility to HSV-1. We confirmed that the previously published importance of RIPK3 during systemic HSV-1 infection also holds true during skin infection. Overall, our data highlight that as a successful pathogen, HSV-1 has multiple ways to evade host innate immune responses.
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Theofilas P, Piergies AMH, Oh I, Lee YB, Li SH, Pereira FL, Petersen C, Ehrenberg AJ, Eser RA, Ambrose AJ, Chin B, Yang T, Khan S, Ng R, Spina S, Seeley WW, Miller BL, Arkin MR, Grinberg LT. Caspase-6-cleaved tau is relevant in Alzheimer's disease and marginal in four-repeat tauopathies: diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2022; 48:e12819. [PMID: 35508761 PMCID: PMC9472770 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12819] [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: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM Tau truncation (tr-tau) by active caspase-6 (aCasp-6) generates tau fragments that may be toxic. Yet, the relationship between aCasp-6, different forms of tr-tau, and hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation in human brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies remains unclear. METHODS We generated two neoepitope monoclonal antibodies against tr-tau sites (D402 and D13) targeted by aCasp-6. Then, we used 5-plex immunofluorescence to quantify the neuronal and astroglial burden of aCasp-6, tr-tau, p-tau, and their co-occurrence in healthy controls, AD, and primary tauopathies. RESULTS Casp-6 activation was strongest in AD and Pick's disease (PiD), but almost absent in 4-repeat (4R) tauopathies. In neurons, the tr-tau burden was much more abundant in AD and PiD than in 4R tauopathies and disproportionally higher when normalizing by p-tau pathology. Tr-tau astrogliopathy was detected in low numbers in 4R tauopathies. Unexpectedly, about half of tr-tau positive neurons in AD and PiD lacked p-tau aggregates, a finding we confirmed using several p-tau antibodies. CONCLUSIONS Early modulation of aCasp-6 to reduce tr-tau pathology is a promising therapeutic strategy for AD and PiD, but is unlikely to benefit 4R tauopathies. The large percentage of tr-tau-positive neurons lacking p-tau suggests that many vulnerable neurons to tau pathology go undetected when using conventional p-tau antibodies. Therapeutic strategies against tr-tau pathology could be necessary to modulate the extent of tau abnormalities in AD. The disproportionally higher burden of tr-tau in AD and PiD supports the development of biofluid biomarkers against tr-tau to detect AD and PiD and differentiate them from 4R tauopathies at a patient level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos Theofilas
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Antonia M H Piergies
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ian Oh
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yoo Bin Lee
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Song Hua Li
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Felipe L Pereira
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Cathrine Petersen
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rana A Eser
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Ambrose
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Shireen Khan
- ChemPartner San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raymond Ng
- ChemPartner San Francisco, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Willian W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Therapeutic potential of Nlrp1 inflammasome, Caspase-1, or Caspase-6 against Alzheimer disease cognitive impairment. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:657-669. [PMID: 34625662 PMCID: PMC8901623 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00881-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The sequential activation of Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, Leucine rich Repeat and Pyrin domain containing protein 1 (Nlrp1) inflammasome, Caspase-1 (Casp1), and Caspase-6 (Casp6) is implicated in primary human neuron cultures and Alzheimer Disease (AD) neurodegeneration. To validate the Nlrp1-Casp1-Casp6 pathway in vivo, the APPSwedish/Indiana J20 AD transgenic mouse model was generated on either a Nlrp1, Casp1 or Casp6 null genetic background and mice were studied at 4-5 months of age. Episodic memory deficits assessed with novel object recognition were normalized by genetic ablation of Nlrp1, Casp1, or Casp6 in J20 mice. Spatial learning deficits, assessed with the Barnes Maze, were normalized in genetically ablated J20, whereas memory recall was normalized in J20/Casp1-/- and J20/Casp6-/-, and improved in J20/Nlrp1-/- mice. Hippocampal CA1 dendritic spine density of the mushroom subtype was reduced in J20, and normalized in genetically ablated J20 mice. Reduced J20 hippocampal dentate gyrus and CA3 synaptophysin levels were normalized in genetically ablated J20. Increased Iba1+-microglia in the hippocampus and cortex of J20 brains were normalized by Casp1 and Casp6 ablation and reduced by Nlrp1 ablation. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and CXCL1, in the J20 hippocampus were normalized by Nlrp1 or Casp1 genetic ablation. CXCL1 was also normalized by Casp6 genetic ablation. IFN-γ was increased and total amyloid β peptide was decreased in genetically ablated Nlrp1, Casp1 or Casp6 J20 hippocampi. We conclude that Nlrp1, Casp1, or Casp6 are implicated in AD-related cognitive impairment, inflammation, and amyloidogenesis. These results indicate that Nlrp1, Casp1, and Casp6 represent rational therapeutic targets against cognitive impairment and inflammation in AD.
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7
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Soni IV, Hardy JA. Caspase-9 Activation of Procaspase-3 but Not Procaspase-6 Is Based on the Local Context of Cleavage Site Motifs and on Sequence. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2824-2835. [PMID: 34472839 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Studying the interactions between a protease and its protein substrates at a molecular level is crucial for identifying the factors facilitating selection of particular proteolytic substrates and not others. These selection criteria include both the sequence and the local context of the substrate cleavage site where the active site of the protease initially binds and then performs proteolytic cleavage. Caspase-9, an initiator of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, mediates activation of executioner procaspase-3 by cleavage of the intersubunit linker (ISL) at site 172IETD↓S. Although procaspase-6, another executioner, possesses two ISL cleavage sites (site 1, 176DVVD↓N; site 2, 190TEVD↓A), neither is directly cut by caspase-9. Thus, caspase-9 directly activates procaspase-3 but not procaspase-6. To elucidate this selectivity of caspase-9, we engineered constructs of procaspase-3 (e.g., swapping the ISL site, 172IETD↓S, with DVVDN and TEVDA) and procaspase-6 (e.g., swapping site 1, 176DVVD↓N, and site 2, 190TEVD↓A, with IETDS). Using the substrate digestion data of these constructs, we show here that the P4-P1' sequence of procaspase-6 ISL site 1 (DVVDN) can be accessed but not cleaved by caspase-9. We also found that caspase-9 can recognize the P4-P1' sequence of procaspase-6 ISL site 2 (TEVDA); however, the local context of this cleavage site is the critical factor that prevents proteolytic cleavage. Overall, our data have demonstrated that both the sequence and the local context of the ISL cleavage sites play a vital role in preventing the activation of procaspase-6 directly by caspase-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishankumar V Soni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Jeanne A Hardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.,Models to Medicine Center, Institute of Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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8
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Huang S, Mei H, Lu L, Kuang Z, Heng Y, Xu L, Liang X, Qiu M, Pan X. Conformational transitions of caspase-6 in substrate-induced activation process explored by perturbation-response scanning combined with targeted molecular dynamics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4156-4164. [PMID: 34527189 PMCID: PMC8342898 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.07.017] [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: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 participates in a series of neurodegenerative pathways, and has aroused widespread attentions as a promising molecular target for the treatment of neurodegeneration. Caspase-6 is a homodimer with 6 central-stranded β-sheets and 5 α-helices in each monomer. Previous crystallographic studies suggested that the 60′s, 90′s and 130′s helices of caspase-6 undergo a distinctive conformational transition upon substrate binding. Although the caspase-6 structures in apo and active states have been determined, the conformational transition process between the two states remains poorly understood. In this work, perturbation-response scanning (PRS) combined with targeted molecular dynamics (TMD) simulations was employed to unravel the atomistic mechanism of the dynamic conformational transitions underlying the substrate-induced activation process of caspase-6. The results showed that the conformational transition of caspase-6 from apo to active states is mainly characterized by structural rearrangements of the substrate-binding site as well as the conformational changes of 60′s and 130′s extended helices. The H-bond interactions between L1, 130′s helix and 90′s helix are proved to be key determinant factors for substrate-induced conformational transition. These findings provide valuable insights into the activation mechanism of caspase-6 as well as the molecular design of caspase-6 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Hu Mei
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Laichun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Zuyin Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yu Heng
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Xiaoqi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Minyao Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Xianchao Pan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
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9
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Begum S, Moreau F, Dufour A, Chadee K. Entamoeba histolytica exploits the autophagy pathway in macrophages to trigger inflammation in disease pathogenesis. Mucosal Immunol 2021; 14:1038-1054. [PMID: 33963264 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-021-00408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism whereby Entamoeba histolytica (Eh) binding with macrophages at the intercellular junction triggers aggressive pro-inflammatory responses in disease pathogenesis is not well understood. The host intracellular protein degradation process autophagy and its regulatory proteins are involved in maintenance of cellular homeostasis and excessive inflammatory responses. In this study we unraveled how Eh hijacks the autophagy process in macrophages to dysregulate pro-inflammatory responses. Direct contact of live Eh with macrophages activated caspase-6 that induced rapid proteolytic degradation of the autophagy ATG16L1 protein complex independent of NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-3/8 activation. Crohn's disease susceptible ATG16L1 T300A variant was highly susceptible to Eh-mediated degradation that augmented pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice. Quantitative proteomics revealed downregulation of autophagy and vesicle-mediated transport and upregulation of cysteine-type endopeptidase pathways in response to Eh. We conclude during Eh-macrophage outside-in signaling, ATG16L1 protein complex plays an overlooked regulatory role in shaping the pro-inflammatory landscape in amebiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmin Begum
- Departments of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - France Moreau
- Departments of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Antoine Dufour
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kris Chadee
- Departments of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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10
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Anson F, Thayumanavan S, Hardy JA. Exogenous Introduction of Initiator and Executioner Caspases Results in Different Apoptotic Outcomes. JACS AU 2021; 1:1240-1256. [PMID: 34467362 PMCID: PMC8385707 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The balance of pro-apoptotic and pro-survival proteins defines a cell's fate. These processes are controlled through an interdependent and finely tuned protein network that enables survival or leads to apoptotic cell death. The caspase family of proteases is central to this apoptotic network, with initiator and executioner caspases, and their interaction partners, regulating and executing apoptosis. In this work, we interrogate and modulate this network by exogenously introducing specific initiator or executioner caspase proteins. Each caspase is exogenously introduced using redox-responsive polymeric nanogels. Although caspase-3 might be expected to be the most effective due to the centrality of its role in apoptosis and its heightened catalytic efficiency relative to other family members, we observed that caspase-7 and caspase-9 are the most effective at inducing apoptotic cell death. By critically analyzing the introduced activity of the delivered caspase, the pattern of substrate cleavage, as well as the ability to activate endogenous caspases, we conclude that the efficacy of each caspase correlated with the levels of pro-survival factors that both directly and indirectly impact the introduced caspase. These findings lay the groundwork for developing methods for exogenous introduction of caspases as a therapeutic option that can be tuned to the apoptotic balance in a proliferating cell.
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11
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Rare CASP6N73T variant associated with hippocampal volume exhibits decreased proteolytic activity, synaptic transmission defect, and neurodegeneration. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12695. [PMID: 34135352 PMCID: PMC8209045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 (Casp6) is implicated in Alzheimer disease (AD) cognitive impairment and pathology. Hippocampal atrophy is associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Here, a rare functional exonic missense CASP6 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), causing the substitution of asparagine with threonine at amino acid 73 in Casp6 (Casp6N73T), was associated with hippocampal subfield CA1 volume preservation. Compared to wild type Casp6 (Casp6WT), recombinant Casp6N73T altered Casp6 proteolysis of natural substrates Lamin A/C and α-Tubulin, but did not alter cleavage of the Ac-VEID-AFC Casp6 peptide substrate. Casp6N73T-transfected HEK293T cells showed elevated Casp6 mRNA levels similar to Casp6WT-transfected cells, but, in contrast to Casp6WT, did not accumulate active Casp6 subunits nor show increased Casp6 enzymatic activity. Electrophysiological and morphological assessments showed that Casp6N73T recombinant protein caused less neurofunctional damage and neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons than Casp6WT. Lastly, CASP6 mRNA levels were increased in several AD brain regions confirming the implication of Casp6 in AD. These studies suggest that the rare Casp6N73T variant may protect against hippocampal atrophy due to its altered catalysis of natural protein substrates and intracellular instability thus leading to less Casp6-mediated damage to neuronal structure and function.
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12
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Noël A, Foveau B, LeBlanc AC. Caspase-6-cleaved Tau fails to induce Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation, neurodegeneration, glial inflammation, and cognitive deficits. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:227. [PMID: 33649324 PMCID: PMC7921451 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03506-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Active Caspase-6 (Casp6) and Tau cleaved by Casp6 at amino acids 402 (Tau∆D402) and 421 (Tau∆D421) are present in early Alzheimer disease intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles, which are made primarily of filamentous Tau aggregates. To assess whether Casp6 cleavage of Tau contributes to Tau pathology and Casp6-mediated age-dependent cognitive impairment, we generated transgenic knock-in mouse models that conditionally express full-length human Tau (hTau) 0N4R only (CTO) or together with human Casp6 (hCasp6) (CTC). Region-specific hippocampal and cortical hCasp6 and hTau expression were confirmed with western blot and immunohistochemistry in 2-25-month-old brains. Casp6 activity was confirmed with Tau∆D421 and Tubulin cleaved by Casp6 immunopositivity in 3-25-month-old CTC, but not in CTO, brains. Immunoprecipitated Tau∆D402 was detected in both CTC and CTO brains, but was more abundant in CTC brains. Intraneuronal hippocampal Tau hyperphosphorylation at S202/T205, S422, and T231, and Tau conformational change were absent in both CTC and CTO brains. A slight accumulation of Tau phosphorylated at S396/404 and S202 was observed in Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA1) hippocampal neuron soma of CTC compared to CTO brains. Eighteen-month-old CTC brains showed rare argentophilic deposits that increased by 25 months, whereas CTO brains only displayed them sparsely at 25 months. Tau microtubule binding was equivalent in CTC and CTO hippocampi. Episodic and spatial memory measured with novel object recognition and Barnes maze, respectively, remained normal in 3-25-month-old CTC and CTO mice, in contrast to previously observed impairments in ACL mice expressing equivalent levels of hCasp6 only. Consistently, the CTC and CTO hippocampal CA1 region displayed equivalent dendritic spine density and no glial inflammation. Together, these results reveal that active hCasp6 co-expression with hTau generates Tau cleavage and rare age-dependent argentophilic deposits but fails to induce cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, and Tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Andréa C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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13
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Flores J, Noël A, Foveau B, Beauchet O, LeBlanc AC. Pre-symptomatic Caspase-1 inhibitor delays cognitive decline in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease and aging. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4571. [PMID: 32917871 PMCID: PMC7486940 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18405-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early therapeutic interventions are essential to prevent Alzheimer Disease (AD). The association of several inflammation-related genetic markers with AD and the early activation of pro-inflammatory pathways in AD suggest inflammation as a plausible therapeutic target. Inflammatory Caspase-1 has a significant impact on AD-like pathophysiology and Caspase-1 inhibitor, VX-765, reverses cognitive deficits in AD mouse models. Here, a one-month pre-symptomatic treatment of Swedish/Indiana mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPSw/Ind) J20 and wild-type mice with VX-765 delays both APPSw/Ind- and age-induced episodic and spatial memory deficits. VX-765 delays inflammation without considerably affecting soluble and aggregated amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) levels. Episodic memory scores correlate negatively with microglial activation. These results suggest that Caspase-1-mediated inflammation occurs early in the disease and raise hope that VX-765, a previously Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for human CNS clinical trials, may be a useful drug to prevent the onset of cognitive deficits and brain inflammation in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Flores
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Olivier Beauchet
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andréa C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. .,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. .,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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14
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Boon L, Ugarte-Berzal E, Vandooren J, Opdenakker G. Protease propeptide structures, mechanisms of activation, and functions. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 55:111-165. [PMID: 32290726 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2020.1742090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Proteases are a diverse group of hydrolytic enzymes, ranging from single-domain catalytic molecules to sophisticated multi-functional macromolecules. Human proteases are divided into five mechanistic classes: aspartate, cysteine, metallo, serine and threonine proteases, based on the catalytic mechanism of hydrolysis. As a protective mechanism against uncontrolled proteolysis, proteases are often produced and secreted as inactive precursors, called zymogens, containing inhibitory N-terminal propeptides. Protease propeptide structures vary considerably in length, ranging from dipeptides and propeptides of about 10 amino acids to complex multifunctional prodomains with hundreds of residues. Interestingly, sequence analysis of the different protease domains has demonstrated that propeptide sequences present higher heterogeneity compared with their catalytic domains. Therefore, we suggest that protease inhibition targeting propeptides might be more specific and have less off-target effects than classical inhibitors. The roles of propeptides, besides keeping protease latency, include correct folding of proteases, compartmentalization, liganding, and functional modulation. Changes in the propeptide sequence, thus, have a tremendous impact on the cognate enzymes. Small modifications of the propeptide sequences modulate the activity of the enzymes, which may be useful as a therapeutic strategy. This review provides an overview of known human proteases, with a focus on the role of their propeptides. We review propeptide functions, activation mechanisms, and possible therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Boon
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Immunobiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Estefania Ugarte-Berzal
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Immunobiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jennifer Vandooren
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Immunobiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ghislain Opdenakker
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Immunobiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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15
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Zheng M, Kanneganti TD. Newly Identified Function of Caspase-6 in ZBP1-mediated Innate Immune Responses, NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation, PANoptosis, and Host Defense. JOURNAL OF CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 2:341-347. [PMID: 33426542 PMCID: PMC7793005 DOI: 10.33696/immunology.2.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Caspase-6 was discovered decades ago, but its roles in biological processes remain largely unknown. Recently, we have demonstrated that caspase-6 plays a critical role in influenza A virus (IAV)-induced cell death and innate immune responses. During IAV infection, Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) initiates ZBP1-PANoptosome assembly to drive inflammasome activation and cell death, and we showed that caspase-6 interacts with RIPK3 to enhance the interaction between RIPK3 and ZBP1, thus promoting PANoptosome assembly. Moreover, the caspase activity of caspase-6 is not required for tins process, suggesting a caspase-independent function of caspase-6 during IAV infection. Additionally, we found that caspase-6 is required for the alternative activation of alveolar macrophages in response to IAV infection. Our findings provide an opportunity to reconsider the physiological role of caspase-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zheng
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
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16
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Zhou L, Flores J, Noël A, Beauchet O, Sjöström PJ, LeBlanc AC. Methylene blue inhibits Caspase-6 activity, and reverses Caspase-6-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation in aged mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:210. [PMID: 31843022 PMCID: PMC6915996 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0856-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Activated Caspase-6 (Casp6) is associated with age-dependent cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease (AD). Mice expressing human Caspase-6 in hippocampal CA1 neurons develop age-dependent cognitive deficits, neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. This study assessed if methylene blue (MB), a phenothiazine that inhibits caspases, alters Caspase-6-induced neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in mice. Aged cognitively impaired Casp6-overexpressing mice were treated with methylene blue in drinking water for 1 month. Methylene blue treatment did not alter Caspase-6 levels, assessed by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry, but inhibited fluorescently-labelled Caspase-6 activity in acute brain slice intact neurons. Methylene blue treatment rescued Caspase-6-induced episodic and spatial memory deficits measured by novel object recognition and Barnes maze, respectively. Methylene blue improved synaptic function of hippocampal CA1 neurons since theta-burst long-term potentiation (LTP), measured by field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in acute brain slices, was successfully induced in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pathway in methylene blue-treated, but not in vehicle-treated, Caspase-6 mice. Increased neuroinflammation, measured by ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1)-positive microglia numbers and subtypes, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes, were decreased by methylene blue treatment. Therefore, methylene blue reverses Caspase-6-induced cognitive deficits by inhibiting Caspase-6, and Caspase-6-mediated neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Our results indicate that Caspase-6-mediated damage is reversible months after the onset of cognitive deficits and suggest that methylene blue could benefit Alzheimer disease patients by reversing Caspase-6-mediated cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libin Zhou
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street Strathcona Anatomy Building, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7 Canada
| | - Joseph Flores
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
| | - Anastasia Noël
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
| | - Olivier Beauchet
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - P. Jesper Sjöström
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, the BRaIN Program, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Andrea C. LeBlanc
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street Strathcona Anatomy Building, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7 Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4 Canada
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B Davis Jewish General Hospital, 3755 ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada
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17
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Jonesco DS, Hassager C, Frydland M, Kjærgaard J, Karsdal M, Henriksen K. A caspase-6-cleaved fragment of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein as a potential serological biomarker of CNS injury after cardiac arrest. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224633. [PMID: 31693684 PMCID: PMC6834260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood levels of Glial Fibrillary Acidic protein (GFAP) reflect processes associated with different types of CNS injury. Evidence suggests that GFAP is cleaved by caspases during CNS injury, hence positioning GFAP fragments as potential biomarkers of injury-associated processes. We set out to develop an assay detecting the neo-epitope generated by caspase-6 cleavage of GFAP (GFAP-C6), and to assess the ability of GFAP-C6 to reflect pathological processes in patients suffering a cardiac arrest and subsequent global cerebral ischemia. Anti-GFAP-C6 antibodies recognized their specific target sequence, and dilution and spike recoveries in serum were within limits of ±20% reflecting high precision and accuracy of measurements. Intra- and inter-assay CVs were below limits of 10% and 15%, respectively. Serological levels of GFAP-C6 were significantly elevated 72 hours after CA (Mean±SD) (20.39±10.59 ng/mL) compared to time of admission (17.79±10.77 ng/mL, p<0.0001), 24 hours (17.40±7.99 ng/mL, p<0.0001) and 48 hours (17.87±8.56 ng/mL, p<0.0001) after CA, but were not related to neurological outcome at day 180. GFAP-C6 levels at admission, 24, 48, and 72 hours after cardiac arrest correlated with two proteolytic fragments of tau, tau-A (r = 0.30, r = 0.40, r = 0.50, r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) and tau-C (r = 54, r = 0.48, r = 0.55, r = 0.54, p < 0.0001), respectively. GFAP-C6 levels did not correlate with other markers of CNS damage; total tau, NSE and S100B. In conclusion, we developed the first assay detecting a caspase-6 cleaved fragment of GFAP in blood. Increased levels at 72 hours after cardiac arrest as well as moderate correlations between GFAP-C6 and two other blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration suggest the ability of GFAP-C6 to reflect pathological processes of the injured brain. Investigations into the potential of GFAP-C6 in other types of CNS injury are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte S. Jonesco
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian Hassager
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Frydland
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper Kjærgaard
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Karsdal
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Kim Henriksen
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
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18
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Activation of Caspase-6 Is Promoted by a Mutant Huntingtin Fragment and Blocked by an Allosteric Inhibitor Compound. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1295-1305.e6. [PMID: 31353319 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of caspase-6 (C6) in the absence of other hallmarks of apoptosis has been demonstrated in cells and tissues from patients with Huntington disease (HD) and animal models. C6 activity correlates with disease progression in patients with HD and the cleavage of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein is thought to strongly contribute to disease pathogenesis. Here we show that the mHTT1-586 fragment generated by C6 cleavage interacts with the zymogen form of the enzyme, stabilizing a conformation that contains an active site and is prone to full activation. This shift toward enhanced activity can be prevented by a small-molecule inhibitor that blocks the interaction between C6 and mHTT1-586. Molecular docking studies suggest that the inhibitor binds an allosteric site in the C6 zymogen. The interaction of mHTT1-586 with C6 may therefore promote a self-reinforcing, feedforward cycle of C6 zymogen activation and mHTT cleavage driving HD pathogenesis.
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19
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Ravalin M, Theofilas P, Basu K, Opoku-Nsiah KA, Assimon VA, Medina-Cleghorn D, Chen YF, Bohn MF, Arkin M, Grinberg LT, Craik CS, Gestwicki JE. Specificity for latent C termini links the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP to caspases. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 15:786-794. [PMID: 31320752 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0322-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions between E3 ubiquitin ligases and protein termini help shape the proteome. These interactions are sensitive to proteolysis, which alters the ensemble of cellular N and C termini. Here we describe a mechanism wherein caspase activity reveals latent C termini that are then recognized by the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP. Using expanded knowledge of CHIP's binding specificity, we predicted hundreds of putative interactions arising from caspase activity. Subsequent validation experiments confirmed that CHIP binds the latent C termini at tauD421 and caspase-6D179. CHIP binding to tauD421, but not tauFL, promoted its ubiquitination, while binding to caspase-6D179 mediated ubiquitin-independent inhibition. Given that caspase activity generates tauD421 in Alzheimer's disease (AD), these results suggested a concise model for CHIP regulation of tau homeostasis. Indeed, we find that loss of CHIP expression in AD coincides with the accumulation of tauD421 and caspase-6D179. These results illustrate an unanticipated link between caspases and protein homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ravalin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Panagiotis Theofilas
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Koli Basu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kwadwo A Opoku-Nsiah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victoria A Assimon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Medina-Cleghorn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yi-Fan Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,University of California San Francisco Summer Research Training Program, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Markus F Bohn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Sandler Neuroscience Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Sandler Neuroscience Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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20
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McComb S, Chan PK, Guinot A, Hartmannsdottir H, Jenni S, Dobay MP, Bourquin JP, Bornhauser BC. Efficient apoptosis requires feedback amplification of upstream apoptotic signals by effector caspase-3 or -7. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau9433. [PMID: 31392262 PMCID: PMC6669006 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau9433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a complex multi-step process driven by caspase-dependent proteolytic cleavage cascades. Dysregulation of apoptosis promotes tumorigenesis and limits the efficacy of chemotherapy. To assess the complex interactions among caspases during apoptosis, we disrupted caspase-8, -9, -3, -7, or -6 and combinations thereof, using CRISPR-based genome editing in living human leukemia cells. While loss of apical initiator caspase-8 or -9 partially blocked extrinsic or intrinsic apoptosis, respectively, only combined loss of caspase-3 and -7 fully inhibited both apoptotic pathways, with no discernible effect of caspase-6 deficiency alone or in combination. Caspase-3/7 double knockout cells exhibited almost complete inhibition of caspase-8 or -9 activation. Furthermore, deletion of caspase-3 and -7 decreased mitochondrial depolarization and cytochrome c release upon apoptosis activation. Thus, activation of effector caspase-3 or -7 sets off explosive feedback amplification of upstream apoptotic events, which is a key feature of apoptotic signaling essential for efficient apoptotic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott McComb
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pik Ki Chan
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Guinot
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Holmfridur Hartmannsdottir
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Jenni
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Pamela Dobay
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
- IQVIA Technology and Services AG Theaterstrasse 4, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Pierre Bourquin
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Beat C. Bornhauser
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Centre, University Children’s Hospital Zürich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
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21
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Okerberg ES, Dagbay KB, Green JL, Soni I, Aban A, Nomanbhoy TK, Savinov SN, Hardy JA, Kozarich JW. Chemoproteomics Using Nucleotide Acyl Phosphates Reveals an ATP Binding Site at the Dimer Interface of Procaspase-6. Biochemistry 2019; 58:5320-5328. [PMID: 31095371 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Acyl phosphates of ATP (ATPAc) and related nucleotides have proven to be useful for the interrogation of known nucleotide binding sites via specific acylation of conserved lysines (K). In addition, occasional K acylations are identified in proteins without such known sites. Here we present a robust and specific acylation of procaspase-6 by ATPAc at K133 in Jurkat cell lysates. The K133 acylation is dependent on π-π stacking interactions between the adenine moiety of ATPAc and a conserved Y198-Y198 site formed at the homodimeric interface of procaspase-6. Significantly, the Y198A mutation in procaspase-6 abolishes K133 acylation but has no effect on the proteolytic activity of the mature, active caspase-6 Y198A variant. Additional in vitro studies show that ATP can inhibit the autoproteolytic activation of procaspase-6. These observations suggest that ATP, and possibly other nucleotides, may serve as the endogenous ligands for the allosteric site at the procaspase-6 dimer interface, a site that has persisted in its "orphan" status for more than a decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Okerberg
- ActivX Biosciences, Inc. , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | - Kevin B Dagbay
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01002 , United States
| | - Jennifer L Green
- ActivX Biosciences, Inc. , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | - Ishankumar Soni
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01002 , United States
| | - Arwin Aban
- ActivX Biosciences, Inc. , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | | | - Sergey N Savinov
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - Jeanne A Hardy
- Department of Chemistry , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01002 , United States.,Models to Medicine Center, Institute of Applied Life Sciences , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , Massachusetts 01003 , United States
| | - John W Kozarich
- ActivX Biosciences, Inc. , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
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22
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Olfactory bulb atrophy and caspase activation observed in the BACHD rat models of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 125:219-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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23
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Tubeleviciute-Aydin A, Beautrait A, Lynham J, Sharma G, Gorelik A, Deny LJ, Soya N, Lukacs GL, Nagar B, Marinier A, LeBlanc AC. Identification of Allosteric Inhibitors against Active Caspase-6. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5504. [PMID: 30940883 PMCID: PMC6445123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41930-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 is a cysteine protease that plays essential roles in programmed cell death, axonal degeneration, and development. The excess neuronal activity of Caspase-6 is associated with Alzheimer disease neuropathology and age-dependent cognitive impairment. Caspase-6 inhibition is a promising strategy to stop early stage neurodegenerative events, yet finding potent and selective Caspase-6 inhibitors has been a challenging task due to the overlapping structural and functional similarities between caspase family members. Here, we investigated how four rare non-synonymous missense single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), resulting in amino acid substitutions outside human Caspase-6 active site, affect enzyme structure and catalytic efficiency. Three investigated SNPs were found to align with a putative allosteric pocket with low sequence conservation among human caspases. Virtual screening of 57,700 compounds against the putative Caspase-6 allosteric pocket, followed by in vitro testing of the best virtual hits in recombinant human Caspase-6 activity assays identified novel allosteric Caspase-6 inhibitors with IC50 and Ki values ranging from ~2 to 13 µM. This report may pave the way towards the development and optimisation of novel small molecule allosteric Caspase-6 inhibitors and illustrates that functional characterisation of rare natural variants holds promise for the identification of allosteric sites on other therapeutic targets in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agne Tubeleviciute-Aydin
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alexandre Beautrait
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, 2590, chemin de Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Lynham
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Gyanesh Sharma
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alexei Gorelik
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3649 promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Ludovic J Deny
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, 2590, chemin de Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Naoto Soya
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Gergely L Lukacs
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Bhushan Nagar
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3649 promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Anne Marinier
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, 2590, chemin de Polytechnique, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Andrea C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University St., Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C7, Canada.
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Islam MI, Nagakannan P, Ogungbola O, Djordjevic J, Albensi BC, Eftekharpour E. Thioredoxin system as a gatekeeper in caspase-6 activation and nuclear lamina integrity: Implications for Alzheimer's disease. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 134:567-580. [PMID: 30769159 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent reports in pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) have linked nuclear lamina degradation/deficits to neuronal cell death. Lamin-B1 damage is specifically involved in this process leading to nuclear envelope invagination and heterochromatin rearrangement. The underlying mechanisms involved in these events are not yet defined. In this study, while examining the effect of Thioredoxin-1(Trx1) inhibition on cell death in a model of oxidative stress, we noted robust nuclear invagination in SH-SY5Y cells. Evaluation of nuclear lamina proteins revealed lamin-B1 cleavage that was prevented by caspase-6 (CASP6) inhibitor and exacerbated after pharmacologic/genetic inhibition of Trx1 system, but not after glutathione depletion. Activation of CASP6 was upstream of CASP3/7 activation and its inhibition was sufficient to prevent cell death in our system. The effect of Trx1 redox status on CASP6 activation was assessed by administration of reduced/oxidized forms in cell-free nuclei preparation and purified enzymatic assays. Although reduced Trx1 decreased CASP6 enzymatic activity and lamin-B1 cleavage, the fully oxidized Trx1 showed opposite effects. The enhanced CASP6 activation was also associated with lower levels of DJ-1, a neuroprotective and master regulator of cellular antioxidants. The implication of our findings in ND pathophysiology was strengthened with detection of lower Trx1 levels in the hippocampi tissue of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. This coincided with higher CASP6 activation resulting in increased lamin-B1 and DJ-1 depletion. This study provides a first mechanistic explanation for the key regulatory role of Trx1 as a gatekeeper in activation of CASP6 and induction of nuclear invagination, an important player in ND pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Imamul Islam
- Regenerative Medicine Program and Spinal Cord Research Centre, Canada; Dept. Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Pandian Nagakannan
- Regenerative Medicine Program and Spinal Cord Research Centre, Canada; Dept. Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Olamide Ogungbola
- Regenerative Medicine Program and Spinal Cord Research Centre, Canada; Dept. Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jelena Djordjevic
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Research, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Benedict C Albensi
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Research, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Eftekhar Eftekharpour
- Regenerative Medicine Program and Spinal Cord Research Centre, Canada; Dept. Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
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25
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Capo-Chichi CD, Cai KQ, Xu XX. Overexpression and cytoplasmic localization of caspase-6 is associated with lamin A degradation in set of ovarian cancers. Biomark Res 2018; 6:30. [PMID: 30450209 PMCID: PMC6208109 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-018-0144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In most women with ovarian cancer, the diagnosis occurs after dissemination of tumor cells beyond ovaries. Several molecular perturbations occur ahead of tumor initiation including loss of lamin A/C. Our hypothesis was that the loss of nuclear structural proteins A type lamins (lamin A/C) transcribed from LMNA gene and substrate for active caspase-6 maybe one of the molecular perturbations. Our objective is to investigate the association between the loss of lamin A/C and the overexpression of caspase-6 in ovarian cancer cells. Method Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the expression of lamin A/C and active caspase-6 in normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cells, immortalized human ovarian surface epithelial cells and a set of seven ovarian cancer cell lines (including OVCAR3, OVCAR5, and A2780). The activity of caspase-6 was measured by densitometry, fluorescence and flow cytometry. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of caspase-6 in set of ovarian cancer tissues previously reported to have lost lamin A/C. Results The results showed that HOSE cells expressed lamin A/C and no or low level of active caspase-6 while cancer cells highly expressed caspase-6 and no or low level of lamin A/C. The inhibition of caspase-6 activity in OVCAR3 cells increased lamin A but has no effect on lamin C; active caspase-6 was localized in the cytoplasm associated with the loss of lamin A. Conclusion Overexpression and cytoplasmic localization of caspase-6 in ovarian cancer cells may be involved in lamin A degradation and deficiency observed in some ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callinice D Capo-Chichi
- 1Institute of Applied Biomedical Sciences (ISBA), Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Division of Molecular Biomarkers in Cancer and Nutrition, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Benin.,2Sylvester Cancer Center (SCCC), Ovarian Cancer Program, University of Miami, Miami, Florida USA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- 3Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Xiang-Xi Xu
- 2Sylvester Cancer Center (SCCC), Ovarian Cancer Program, University of Miami, Miami, Florida USA
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Aper SJA, den Hamer A, Wouters SFA, Lemmens LJM, Ottmann C, Brunsveld L, Merkx M. Protease-Activatable Scaffold Proteins as Versatile Molecular Hubs in Synthetic Signaling Networks. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2216-2225. [PMID: 30125482 PMCID: PMC6154215 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Protease signaling and scaffold-induced control of protein-protein interactions represent two important mechanisms for intracellular signaling. Here we report a generic and modular approach to control the activity of scaffolding proteins by protease activity, creating versatile molecular platforms to construct synthetic signaling networks. Using 14-3-3 proteins as a structurally well-characterized and important class of scaffold proteins, three different architectures were explored to achieve optimal protease-mediated control of scaffold activity, fusing either one or two monovalent inhibitory ExoS peptides or a single bivalent ExoS peptide to T14-3-3 using protease-cleavable linkers. Analysis of scaffolding activity before and after protease-induced cleavage revealed optimal control of 14-3-3 activity for the system that contained monovalent ExoS peptides fused to both the N-and C-terminus, each blocking a single T14-3-3 binding site. The protease-activatable 14-3-3 scaffolds were successfully applied to construct a three-step signaling cascade in which dimerization and activation of FGG-caspase-9 on an orthogonal supramolecular platform resulted in activation of a 14-3-3 scaffold, which in turn allowed 14-3-3-templated complementation of a split-luciferase. In addition, by combining 14-3-3-templated activation of caspase-9 with a caspase-9-activatable 14-3-3 scaffold, the first example of a synthetic self-activating protease signaling network was created. Protease-activatable 14-3-3 proteins thus represent a modular platform whose properties can be rationally engineered to fit different applications, both to create artificial in vitro synthetic molecular networks and as a novel signaling hub to re-engineer intracellular signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn J. A. Aper
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Anniek den Hamer
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Simone F. A. Wouters
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Lenne J. M. Lemmens
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Ottmann
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luc Brunsveld
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Merkx
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Noël A, Zhou L, Foveau B, Sjöström PJ, LeBlanc AC. Differential susceptibility of striatal, hippocampal and cortical neurons to Caspase-6. Cell Death Differ 2018; 25:1319-1335. [PMID: 29352267 PMCID: PMC6030053 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-017-0043-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Active cysteinyl protease Caspase-6 is associated with early Alzheimer and Huntington diseases. Higher entorhinal cortex and hippocampal Caspase-6 levels correlate with lower cognitive performance in aged humans. Caspase-6 induces axonal degeneration in human primary neuron cultures and causes inflammation and neurodegeneration in mouse hippocampus, and age-dependent memory impairment. To assess whether Caspase-6 causes damage to another neuronal system, a transgenic knock-in mouse overexpressing a self-activated form of Caspase-6 five-fold in the striatum, the area affected in Huntington disease, and 2.5-fold in the hippocampus and cortex, was generated. Detection of Tubulin cleaved by Caspase-6 confirmed Caspase-6 activity. The Caspase-6 expressing mice and control littermates were subjected to behavioral tests to assess Huntington disease-relevant psychiatric, motor, and cognitive deficits. Depression was excluded with the forced swim and sucrose consumption tests. Motor deficits were absent in the nesting, clasping, rotarod, vertical pole, gait, and open field analyzes. However, Caspase-6 mice developed age-dependent episodic and spatial memory deficits identified by novel object recognition, Barnes maze and Morris water maze assays. Neuron numbers were maintained in the striatum, hippocampus, and cortex. Microglia and astrocytes were increased in the hippocampal stratum lacunosum molecular and in the cortex, but not in the striatum. Synaptic mRNA profiling identified two differentially expressed genes in transgenic hippocampus, but none in striatum. Caspase-6 impaired synaptic transmission and induced neurodegeneration in hippocampal CA1 neurons, but not in striatal medium spiny neurons. These data revealed that active Caspase-6 in the striatal medium spiny neurons failed to induce inflammation, neurodegeneration or behavioral abnormalities, whereas active Caspase-6 in the cortex and hippocampus impaired episodic and spatial memories, and induced inflammation, neuronal dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. The results indicate age and neuronal subtype-dependent Caspase-6 toxicity and highlight the importance of targeting the correct neuronal subtype to identify underlying molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Libin Zhou
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - P Jesper Sjöström
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The BRAIN Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montréal, QC, H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Andréa C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin Côte Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3755 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
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Félix LM, Vidal AM, Serafim C, Valentim AM, Antunes LM, Monteiro SM, Matos M, Coimbra AM. Ketamine induction of p53-dependent apoptosis and oxidative stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 201:730-739. [PMID: 29547861 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine is a widely used pharmaceutical that has been detected in water sources worldwide. Zebrafish embryos were used in this study to investigate the oxidative stress and apoptotic signals following a 24h exposure to different ketamine concentrations (0, 50, 70 and 90 mg L-1). Early blastula embryos (∼2 h post fertilisation-hpf) were exposed for 24 h and analysed at 8 and 26 hpf. Reactive oxygen species and apoptotic cells were identified in vivo, at 26 hpf. Enzymatic activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)), glutathione levels (oxidised (GSSG) and reduced (GSH)), oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein carbonyls (CO)) as well as oxidative stress (gclc, gstp1, sod1 and cat), apoptosis (casp3a, casp6, casp8, casp9, aifm1 and tp53) and cell proliferation (pcna) related-genes were evaluated at 8 and 26 hpf. Caspase (3 and 9) activity was also determined at both time-points by colorimetric methods. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione levels (GSSG), caspase-9 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were shown to be affected by ketamine exposure while in vivo analysis showed no difference in ROS. A significant up-regulation of superoxide dismutase (sod1) and catalase (cat) genes expression was also perceived. Ketamine-induced apoptosis was observed in vivo and confirmed by the apoptotic-related genes up-regulation. The overall results suggest that ketamine induced oxidative stress and apoptosis through the involvement of p53-dependent pathways in zebrafish embryos which could be important for the evaluation of the overall risk of ketamine in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís M Félix
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal; Laboratory Animal Science (LAS), Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Ana M Vidal
- Life Sciences and Environment School (ECVA), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Cindy Serafim
- Life Sciences and Environment School (ECVA), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana M Valentim
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal; Laboratory Animal Science (LAS), Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís M Antunes
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal; Laboratory Animal Science (LAS), Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto (UP), Porto, Portugal; School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sandra M Monteiro
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Manuela Matos
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana M Coimbra
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
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29
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Caspase-9 CARD : core domain interactions require a properly formed active site. Biochem J 2018; 475:1177-1196. [PMID: 29500231 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20170913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Caspase-9 is a critical factor in the initiation of apoptosis and as a result is tightly regulated by many mechanisms. Caspase-9 contains a Caspase Activation and Recruitment Domain (CARD), which enables caspase-9 to form a tight interaction with the apoptosome, a heptameric activating platform. The caspase-9 CARD has been thought to be principally involved in recruitment to the apoptosome, but its roles outside this interaction have yet to be uncovered. In this work, we show that the CARD is involved in physical interactions with the catalytic core of caspase-9 in the absence of the apoptosome; this interaction requires a properly formed caspase-9 active site. The active sites of caspases are composed of four extremely mobile loops. When the active-site loops are not properly ordered, the CARD and core domains of caspase-9 do not interact and behave independently, like loosely tethered beads. When the active-site loop bundle is properly ordered, the CARD domain interacts with the catalytic core, forming a single folding unit. Taken together, these findings provide mechanistic insights into a new level of caspase-9 regulation, prompting speculation that the CARD may also play a role in the recruitment or recognition of substrate.
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Abstract
The cysteine protease Caspase-6 (Casp6) is a potential therapeutic target of Alzheimer Disease (AD) and age-dependent cognitive impairment. To assess if Casp6 is essential to human health, we investigated the effect of CASP6 variants sequenced from healthy humans on Casp6 activity. Here, we report the effects of two rare Casp6 amino acid polymorphisms, R65W and G66R, on the catalytic function and structure of Casp6. The G66R substitution eliminated and R65W substitution significantly reduced Casp6 catalytic activity through impaired substrate binding. In contrast to wild-type Casp6, both Casp6 variants were unstable and inactive in transfected mammalian cells. In addition, Casp6-G66R acted as a dominant negative inhibitor of wild-type Casp6. The R65W and G66R substitutions caused perturbations in substrate recognition and active site organization as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. Our results suggest that full Casp6 activity may not be essential for healthy humans and support the use of Casp6 inhibitors against Casp6-dependent neurodegeneration in age-dependent cognitive impairment and AD. Furthermore, this work illustrates that studying natural single amino acid polymorphisms of enzyme drug targets is a promising approach to uncover previously uncharacterized regulatory sites important for enzyme activity.
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31
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Caterino M, Squillaro T, Montesarchio D, Giordano A, Giancola C, Melone MAB. Huntingtin protein: A new option for fixing the Huntington's disease countdown clock. Neuropharmacology 2018. [PMID: 29526547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a dreadful, incurable disorder. It springs from the autosomal dominant mutation in the first exon of the HTT gene, which encodes for the huntingtin protein (HTT) and results in progressive neurodegeneration. Thus far, all the attempted approaches to tackle the mutant HTT-induced toxicity causing this disease have failed. The mutant protein comes with the aberrantly expanded poly-glutamine tract. It is primarily to blame for the build-up of β-amyloid-like HTT aggregates, deleterious once broadened beyond the critical ∼35-37 repeats threshold. Recent experimental findings have provided valuable information on the molecular basis underlying this HTT-driven neurodegeneration. These findings indicate that the poly-glutamine siding regions and many post-translation modifications either abet or counter the poly-glutamine tract. This review provides an overall, up-to-date insight into HTT biophysics and structural biology, particularly discussing novel pharmacological options to specifically target the mutated protein and thus inhibit its functions and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Caterino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
| | - Tiziana Squillaro
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic Sciences, and Aging, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 21, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biology, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Concetta Giancola
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy.
| | - Mariarosa A B Melone
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic Sciences, and Aging, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy; Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biology, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Girling KD, Demers MJ, Laine J, Zhang S, Wang YT, Graham RK. Activation of caspase-6 and cleavage of caspase-6 substrates is an early event in NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. J Neurosci Res 2017; 96:391-406. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly D. Girling
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Marie-Josee Demers
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Jean Laine
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
| | - Shu Zhang
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Yu Tian Wang
- University of British Columbia, Brain Research Centre & Department of Medicine; Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Rona K. Graham
- Research Centre on Aging, Department Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; University of Sherbrooke; Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
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Theofilas P, Ehrenberg AJ, Nguy A, Thackrey JM, Dunlop S, Mejia MB, Alho AT, Paraizo Leite RE, Rodriguez RD, Suemoto CK, Nascimento CF, Chin M, Medina-Cleghorn D, Cuervo AM, Arkin M, Seeley WW, Miller BL, Nitrini R, Pasqualucci CA, Filho WJ, Rueb U, Neuhaus J, Heinsen H, Grinberg LT. Probing the correlation of neuronal loss, neurofibrillary tangles, and cell death markers across the Alzheimer's disease Braak stages: a quantitative study in humans. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 61:1-12. [PMID: 29031088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Clarifying the mechanisms connecting neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) neurotoxicity to neuronal dysfunction in humans is likely to be pivotal for developing effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD). To model the temporal progression of AD in humans, we used a collection of brains with controls and individuals from each Braak stage to quantitatively investigate the correlation between intraneuronal caspase activation or macroautophagy markers, NFT burden, and neuronal loss, in the dorsal raphe nucleus and locus coeruleus, the earliest vulnerable areas to NFT accumulation. We fit linear regressions with each count as outcomes, with Braak score and age as the predictors. In progressive Braak stages, intraneuronal active caspase-6 positivity increases both alone and overlapping with NFTs. Likewise, the proportion of NFT-bearing neurons showing autophagosomes increases. Overall, caspases may be involved in upstream cascades in AD and are associated with higher NFTs. Macroautophagy changes correlate with increasing NFT burden from early AD stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos Theofilas
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Austin Nguy
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julia M Thackrey
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara Dunlop
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maria B Mejia
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ana T Alho
- Hospital Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Pathology, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Claudia K Suemoto
- Division of Geriatrics, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila F Nascimento
- Department of Pathology, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcus Chin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Medina-Cleghorn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Departments of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Anatomy and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ricardo Nitrini
- Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Wilson Jacob Filho
- Division of Geriatrics, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Udo Rueb
- Dr. Senckenbergisches Chronomedizinisches Institut, Department of Anatomy, J. W. Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - John Neuhaus
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- Department of Pathology, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Multiple proteolytic events in caspase-6 self-activation impact conformations of discrete structural regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E7977-E7986. [PMID: 28864531 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704640114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 is critical to the neurodegenerative pathways of Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases and has been identified as a potential molecular target for treatment of neurodegeneration. Thus, understanding the global and regional changes in dynamics and conformation provides insights into the unique properties of caspase-6 that may contribute to achieving control of its function. In this work, hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS (H/DX-MS) was used to map the local changes in the conformational flexibility of procaspase-6 at the discrete states that reflect the series of cleavage events that ultimately lead to the fully active, substrate-bound state. Intramolecular self-cleavage at Asp-193 evoked higher solvent exposure in the regions of the substrate-binding loops L1, L3, and L4 and in the 130s region, the intersubunit linker region, the 26-32 region as well as in the stabilized loop 2. Additional removal of the linker allowed caspase-6 to gain more flexibility in the 130s region and in the L2 region converting caspase-6 to a competent substrate-binding state. The prodomain region was found to be intrinsically disordered independent of the activation state of caspase-6; however, its complete removal resulted in the protection of the adjacent 26-32 region, suggesting that this region may play a regulatory role. The molecular details of caspase-6 dynamics in solution provide a comprehensive scaffold for strategic design of therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Dagbay KB, Hill ME, Barrett E, Hardy JA. Tumor-Associated Mutations in Caspase-6 Negatively Impact Catalytic Efficiency. Biochemistry 2017; 56:4568-4577. [PMID: 28726391 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Unregulated, particularly suppressed programmed cell death is one of the distinguishing features of many cancer cells. The cysteine protease caspase-6, one of the executioners of apoptotic cell death, plays a crucial role in regulation of apoptosis. Several somatic mutations in the CASP6 gene in tumor tissues have been reported. This work explores the effect of CASP6 tumor-associated mutations on the catalytic efficiency and structure of caspase-6. In general, these mutations showed decreased overall rates of catalytic turnover. Mutations within 8 Å of the substrate-binding pocket of caspase-6 were found to be the most catalytically deactivating. Notably, the R259H substitution decreased activity by 457-fold. This substitution disrupts the cation-π stacking interaction between Arg-259 and Trp-227, which is indispensable for proper assembly of the substrate-binding loops in caspase-6. Sequence conservation analysis at the homologous position across the caspase family suggests a role for this cation-π stacking in the catalytic function of caspases generally. These data suggest that caspase-6 deactivating mutations may contribute to multifactorial carcinogenic transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B Dagbay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Maureen E Hill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Elizabeth Barrett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Jeanne A Hardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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Ceramide phosphoethanolamine synthase SMSr is a target of caspase-6 during apoptotic cell death. Biosci Rep 2017; 37:BSR20170867. [PMID: 28659495 PMCID: PMC5567093 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20170867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceramides are essential precursors of sphingolipids with a dual role as mediators of apoptotic cell death. Previous work revealed that the ER-resident ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE) synthase SMSr/SAMD8 is a suppressor of ceramide-mediated apoptosis in cultured cells. Anti-apoptotic activity of SMSr requires a catalytically active enzyme but also relies on the enzyme’s N-terminal sterile α-motif or SAM domain. Here, we demonstrate that SMSr itself is a target of the apoptotic machinery. Treatment of cells with staurosporine or the death receptor ligand FasL triggers caspase-mediated cleavage of SMSr at a conserved aspartate located downstream of the enzyme’s SAM domain and upstream of its first membrane span. Taking advantage of reconstitution experiments with SMSr produced in a cell-free expression system, specific caspase-inhibitors and gene silencing approaches, we show that SMSr is a novel and specific substrate of caspase-6, a non-conventional effector caspase implicated in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Our findings underscore a role of SMSr as negative regulator of ceramide-induced cell death and, in view of a prominent expression of the enzyme in brain, raise questions regarding its potential involvement in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Bartel A, Göhler A, Hopf V, Breitbach K. Caspase-6 mediates resistance against Burkholderia pseudomallei infection and influences the expression of detrimental cytokines. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180203. [PMID: 28686630 PMCID: PMC5501493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 is a member of the executioner caspases and known to play a role in innate and adaptive immune processes. However, its role in infectious diseases has rarely been addressed yet. We here examined the impact of caspase-6 in an in vivo infection model using the Gram-negative rod Burkholderia pseudomallei, causing the infectious disease melioidosis that is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. Caspase-6-/- and C57BL/6 wild type mice were challenged with B. pseudomallei for comparing mortality, bacterial burden and inflammatory cytokine expression. Bone-marrow derived macrophages were used to analyse the bactericidal activity in absence of caspase-6. Caspase-6 deficiency was associated with higher mortality and bacterial burden in vivo after B. pseudomallei infection. The bactericidal activity of caspase-6-/- macrophages was impaired compared to wild type cells. Caspase-6-/- mice showed higher expression of the IL-1β gene, known to be detrimental in murine melioidosis. Expression of the IL-10 gene was also increased in caspase-6-/- mice as early as 6 hours after infection. Treatment with exogenous IL-10 rendered mice more susceptible against B. pseudomallei challenge. Thus, caspase-6 seems to play a crucial role for determining resistance against the causative agent of melioidosis. To our knowledge this is the first report showing that caspase-6 is crucial for mediating resistance in an in vivo infection model. Caspase-6 influences the expression of detrimental cytokines and therefore seems to be important for achieving a well-balanced immune response that contributes for an efficient elimination of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Bartel
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - André Göhler
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Verena Hopf
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katrin Breitbach
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Skotte NH, Sanders SS, Singaraja RR, Ehrnhoefer DE, Vaid K, Qiu X, Kannan S, Verma C, Hayden MR. Palmitoylation of caspase-6 by HIP14 regulates its activation. Cell Death Differ 2017; 24:433-444. [PMID: 27911442 PMCID: PMC5344205 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2016.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-6 (CASP6) has an important role in axonal degeneration during neuronal apoptosis and in the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer and Huntington disease. Decreasing CASP6 activity may help to restore neuronal function in these and other diseases such as stroke and ischemia, where increased CASP6 activity has been implicated. The key to finding approaches to decrease CASP6 activity is a deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating CASP6 activation. We show that CASP6 is posttranslationally palmitoylated by the palmitoyl acyltransferase HIP14 and that the palmitoylation of CASP6 inhibits its activation. Palmitoylation of CASP6 is decreased both in Hip14-/- mice, where HIP14 is absent, and in YAC128 mice, a model of Huntington disease, where HIP14 is dysfunctional and where CASP6 activity is increased. Molecular modeling suggests that palmitoylation of CASP6 may inhibit its activation via steric blockage of the substrate-binding groove and inhibition of CASP6 dimerization, both essential for CASP6 function. Our studies identify palmitoylation as a novel CASP6 modification and as a key regulator of CASP6 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels H Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Roshni R Singaraja
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Translational Laboratories in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Medicine at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kuljeet Vaid
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Xiaofan Qiu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Srinivasaragavan Kannan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Chandra Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Translational Laboratories in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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Pakavathkumar P, Noël A, Lecrux C, Tubeleviciute-Aydin A, Hamel E, Ahlfors JE, LeBlanc AC. Caspase vinyl sulfone small molecule inhibitors prevent axonal degeneration in human neurons and reverse cognitive impairment in Caspase-6-overexpressing mice. Mol Neurodegener 2017; 12:22. [PMID: 28241839 PMCID: PMC5329948 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-017-0166-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The activation of the aspartate-specific cysteinyl protease, Caspase-6, is proposed as an early pathogenic event of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Huntington's disease. Caspase-6 inhibitors could be useful against these neurodegenerative diseases but most Caspase-6 inhibitors have been exclusively studied in vitro or show acute liver toxicity in humans. Here, we assessed vinyl sulfone small molecule peptide caspase inhibitors for potential use in vivo. METHODS The IC50 of NWL vinyl sulfone small molecule caspase inhibitors were determined on Caspase-1 to 10, and Caspase-6-transfected human colon carcinoma HCT116 cells. Inhibition of Caspase-6-mediated axonal degeneration was assessed in serum-deprived or amyloid precursor protein-transfected primary human CNS neurons. Cellular toxicity was measured by phase contrast microscopy, mitochondrial and lactate dehydrogenase colorimetric activity assays, or flow cytometry. Caspase inhibition was measured by fluorogenic activity assays, fluorescence microscopy, and western blot analyses. The effect of inhibitors on age-dependent cognitive deficits in Caspase-6 transgenic mice was assessed by the novel object recognition task. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry assessed the blood-brain barrier permeability of inhibitors in Caspase-6 mice. RESULTS Vinyl sulfone NWL-117 caspase inhibitor has a higher selectivity against Caspase-6, -4, -8, -9, and -10 whereas NWL-154 has higher selectivity against Caspase-6, -8, and -10. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of NWL-117 and NWL-154 is 192 nM and 100 nM against Caspase-6 in vitro, and 4.82 μM and 3.63 μM in Caspase-6-transfected HCT116 cells, respectively. NWL inhibitors are not toxic to HCT116 cells or to human primary neurons. NWL-117 and NWL-154 inhibit serum deprivation-induced Caspase-6 activity and prevent amyloid precursor protein-mediated neurite degeneration in human primary CNS neurons. NWL-117 crosses the blood brain barrier and reverses age-dependent episodic memory deficits in Caspase-6 mice. CONCLUSIONS NWL peptidic vinyl methyl sulfone inhibitors are potent, non-toxic, blood-brain barrier permeable, and irreversible caspase inhibitors with neuroprotective effects in HCT116 cells, in primary human CNS neurons, and in Caspase-6 mice. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of vinyl sulfone inhibitors as caspase inhibitors against neurodegenerative diseases and sanction additional work to improve their selectivity against different caspases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateep Pakavathkumar
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Clotilde Lecrux
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Agne Tubeleviciute-Aydin
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Edith Hamel
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jan-Eric Ahlfors
- New World Laboratories, 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest, Laval, QC, H7V 5B7, Canada
| | - Andrea C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada.
- Molecular and Regenerative Medicine Axis, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B Davis Jewish General Hospital, 3755 ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
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Dagbay KB, Bolik-Coulon N, Savinov SN, Hardy JA. Caspase-6 Undergoes a Distinct Helix-Strand Interconversion upon Substrate Binding. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:4885-4897. [PMID: 28154009 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.773499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspases are cysteine aspartate proteases that are major players in key cellular processes, including apoptosis and inflammation. Specifically, caspase-6 has also been implicated in playing a unique and critical role in neurodegeneration; however, structural similarities between caspase-6 and other caspase active sites have hampered precise targeting of caspase-6. All caspases can exist in a canonical conformation, in which the substrate binds atop a β-strand platform in the 130's region. This caspase-6 region can also adopt a helical conformation that has not been seen in any other caspases. Understanding the dynamics and interconversion between the helical and strand conformations in caspase-6 is critical to fully assess its unique function and regulation. Here, hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry indicated that caspase-6 is inherently and dramatically more conformationally dynamic than closely related caspase-7. In contrast to caspase-7, which rests constitutively in the strand conformation before and after substrate binding, the hydrogen/deuterium exchange data in the L2' and 130's regions suggested that before substrate binding, caspase-6 exists in a dynamic equilibrium between the helix and strand conformations. Caspase-6 transitions exclusively to the canonical strand conformation only upon substrate binding. Glu-135, which showed noticeably different calculated pK a values in the helix and strand conformations, appears to play a key role in the interconversion between the helix and strand conformations. Because caspase-6 has roles in several neurodegenerative diseases, exploiting the unique structural features and conformational changes identified here may provide new avenues for regulating specific caspase-6 functions for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sergey N Savinov
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
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Foveau B, Albrecht S, Bennett DA, Correa JA, LeBlanc AC. Increased Caspase-6 activity in the human anterior olfactory nuclei of the olfactory bulb is associated with cognitive impairment. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:127. [PMID: 27931265 PMCID: PMC5146837 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0400-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormally elevated hippocampal Caspase-6 (Casp6) activity is intimately associated with age-related cognitive impairment in humans and in mice. In humans, these high levels of Casp6 activity are initially localized in the entorhinal cortex, the area of the brain first affected by the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, according to Braak staging. The reason for the high vulnerability of entorhinal cortex neurons to neurofibrillary tangle pathology and Casp6 activity is unknown. Casp6 activity is involved in axonal degeneration, therefore, one possibility to explain increased vulnerability of the entorhinal cortex neurons would be that the afferent neurons of the olfactory bulb, some of which project their axons to the entorhinal cortex, are equally degenerating. To examine this possibility, we examined the presence of Casp6 activity, neurofibrillary tangle formation and amyloid deposition by immunohistochemistry with neoepitope antisera against the p20 subunit of active Casp6 and Tau cleaved by Casp6 (Tau∆Casp6), phosphorylated Tau paired helical filament (PHF-1) antibodies and anti-β-amyloid antiserum, respectively, in brains from individuals with no or mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia. Co-localization of Casp6 activity, PHF-1 and β-amyloid was detected mostly in the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) of the olfactory bulb. The levels of active Casp6 in the AON, which were the highest in the AD brains, correlated with PHF-1 levels, but not with β-amyloid levels. AON Tau∆Casp6 levels correlated with entorhinal cortex Casp6 activity and PHF-1 levels. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that AON Casp6 activity was associated with lower global cognitive function, mini mental state exam, episodic memory and semantic memory scores. These results suggest that AON Casp6 activity could lead to Casp6-mediated degeneration in the entorhinal cortex, but cannot exclude the possibilities that entorhinal cortex degeneration signals degeneration in the AON or that the pathologies occur in both regions independently. Nevertheless, AON Casp6 activity reflects that of the entorhinal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Steffen Albrecht
- Department of Pathology, Montreal Children’s Hospital and McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL USA
| | - José A. Correa
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Andrea C. LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC Canada ,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
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Thorpe M, Akula S, Hellman L. Channel catfish granzyme-like I is a highly specific serine protease with metase activity that is expressed by fish NK-like cells. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 63:84-95. [PMID: 27216028 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Here we present the extended cleavage specificity of catfish granzyme-like I, previously identified in fish NK-like cells. This protease has been characterised using substrate phage display and further validated by using a panel of recombinant substrates. A strict preference for Met in the P1 (cleavage) position, indicating metase specificity was observed. A screening of potential in vivo substrates was performed based on the derived P5-P3' consensus: Arg-Val-Thr-Gly-Met(↓)Ser-Leu-Val. Channel catfish caspase 6 was one very interesting potential target identified. This site was present in an adjacent position to the classic caspase activation site (Asp179 in human caspase 6). Cleavage of this site (hence potential activation) by the catfish granzyme-like I could reveal a novel mechanism of caspase 6 activation. This poses an interesting idea that the role of granzyme-like proteases in the activation of caspase dependent apoptosis mechanisms has been conserved for over 400 million years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Thorpe
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Srinivas Akula
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Hellman
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Herrou J, Choi VM, Bubeck Wardenburg J, Crosson S. Activation Mechanism of the Bacteroides fragilis Cysteine Peptidase, Fragipain. Biochemistry 2016; 55:4077-84. [PMID: 27379832 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis produces a secreted metalloprotease known as B. fragilis toxin (BFT), which contributes to anaerobic sepsis, colitis, and colonic malignancy in mouse models of disease. A C11 family cysteine protease, fragipain (Fpn), directly activates BFT in the B. fragilis cell by removing the BFT prodomain. Fpn is itself a proenzyme and is autoactivated upon cleavage at an arginine residue in its activation loop. We have defined the proteolytic active site of Fpn, demonstrated that Fpn autoactivation can occur by an in trans loop cleavage mechanism, and characterized structural features of the Fpn activation loop that control peptidase activity against several substrates, including BFT. An arginine residue at the autocleavage site determines the fast activation kinetics of Fpn relative to the homologous C11 protease, PmC11, which is cleaved at lysine. Arginine to alanine substitution at the cleavage site ablated peptidase activity, as did partial truncation of the Fpn activation loop. However, complete truncation of the activation loop yielded an uncleaved, pro form of Fpn that was active as a peptidase against both Fpn and BFT substrates. Thus, Fpn can be transformed into an active peptidase in the absence of activation loop cleavage. This study provides insight into the mechanism of fragipain activation and, more generally, defines the role of the C11 activation loop in the control of peptidase activity and substrate specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Herrou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Microbiology, and §Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago , 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Vivian M Choi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Microbiology, and §Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago , 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Juliane Bubeck Wardenburg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Microbiology, and §Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago , 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Microbiology, and §Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago , 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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44
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Hogg MC, Mitchem MR, König HG, Prehn JHM. Caspase 6 has a protective role in SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2016; 1862:1063-73. [PMID: 26976329 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it has been suggested that the process of neurodegeneration starts at the neuromuscular junction and is propagated back along axons towards motor neurons. Caspase-dependent pathways are well established as a cause of motor neuron death, and recent work in other disease models indicated a role for caspase 6 in axonal degeneration. Therefore we hypothesised that caspase 6 may be involved in motor neuron death in ALS. To investigate the role of caspase 6 in ALS we profiled protein levels of caspase-6 throughout disease progression in the ALS mouse model SOD1(G93A); this did not reveal differences in caspase 6 levels during disease. To investigate the role of caspase 6 further we generated a colony with SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice lacking caspase 6. Analysis of the transgenic SOD1(G93A); Casp6(-/-) revealed an exacerbated phenotype with motor dysfunction occurring earlier and a significantly shortened lifespan when compared to transgenic SOD1(G93A); Casp6(+/+) mice. Immunofluorescence analysis of the neuromuscular junction revealed no obvious difference between caspase 6(+/+) and caspase 6(-/-) in non-transgenic mice, while the SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice showed severe degeneration compared to non-transgenic mice in both genotypes. Our data indicate that caspase-6 does not exacerbate ALS pathogenesis, but may have a protective role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion C Hogg
- Centre for the Study of Neurological Disorders, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Mollie R Mitchem
- Centre for the Study of Neurological Disorders, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Hans-Georg König
- Centre for the Study of Neurological Disorders, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Jochen H M Prehn
- Centre for the Study of Neurological Disorders, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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Abstract
The role of caspase proteases in regulated processes such as apoptosis and inflammation has been studied for more than two decades, and the activation cascades are known in detail. Apoptotic caspases also are utilized in critical developmental processes, although it is not known how cells maintain the exquisite control over caspase activity in order to retain subthreshold levels required for a particular adaptive response while preventing entry into apoptosis. In addition to active site-directed inhibitors, caspase activity is modulated by post-translational modifications or metal binding to allosteric sites on the enzyme, which stabilize inactive states in the conformational ensemble. This review provides a comprehensive global view of the complex conformational landscape of caspases and mechanisms used to select states in the ensemble. The caspase structural database provides considerable detail on the active and inactive conformations in the ensemble, which provide the cell multiple opportunities to fine tune caspase activity. In contrast, the current database on caspase modifications is largely incomplete and thus provides only a low-resolution picture of global allosteric communications and their effects on the conformational landscape. In recent years, allosteric control has been utilized in the design of small drug compounds or other allosteric effectors to modulate caspase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Clay Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
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Waldron-Roby E, Hoerauf J, Arbez N, Zhu S, Kulcsar K, Ross CA. Sox11 Reduces Caspase-6 Cleavage and Activity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141439. [PMID: 26505998 PMCID: PMC4624725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The apoptotic cascade is an orchestrated event, whose final stages are mediated by effector caspases. Regulatory binding proteins have been identified for caspases such as caspase-3, -7, -8, and -9. Many of these proteins belong to the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family. By contrast, caspase-6 is not believed to be influenced by IAPs, and little is known about its regulation. We therefore performed a yeast-two-hybrid screen using a constitutively inactive form of caspase-6 for bait in order to identify novel regulators of caspase-6 activity. Sox11 was identified as a potential caspase-6 interacting protein. Sox11 was capable of dramatically reducing caspase-6 activity, as well as preventing caspase-6 self- cleavage. Several regions, including amino acids 117-214 and 362-395 within sox11 as well as a nuclear localization signal (NLS) all contributed to the reduction in caspase-6 activity. Furthermore, sox11 was also capable of decreasing other effector caspase activity but not initiator caspases -8 and -9. The ability of sox11 to reduce effector caspase activity was also reflected in its capacity to reduce cell death following toxic insult. Interestingly, other sox proteins also had the ability to reduce caspase-6 activity but to a lesser extent than sox11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Waldron-Roby
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Janine Hoerauf
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Shanshan Zhu
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Kirsten Kulcsar
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, CMSC 8-121, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Pakavathkumar P, Sharma G, Kaushal V, Foveau B, LeBlanc AC. Methylene Blue Inhibits Caspases by Oxidation of the Catalytic Cysteine. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13730. [PMID: 26400108 PMCID: PMC4585840 DOI: 10.1038/srep13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylene blue, currently in phase 3 clinical trials against Alzheimer Disease, disaggregates the Tau protein of neurofibrillary tangles by oxidizing specific cysteine residues. Here, we investigated if methylene blue can inhibit caspases via the oxidation of their active site cysteine. Methylene blue, and derivatives, azure A and azure B competitively inhibited recombinant Caspase-6 (Casp6), and inhibited Casp6 activity in transfected human colon carcinoma cells and in serum-deprived primary human neuron cultures. Methylene blue also inhibited recombinant Casp1 and Casp3. Furthermore, methylene blue inhibited Casp3 activity in an acute mouse model of liver toxicity. Mass spectrometry confirmed methylene blue and azure B oxidation of the catalytic Cys163 cysteine of Casp6. Together, these results show a novel inhibitory mechanism of caspases via sulfenation of the active site cysteine. These results indicate that methylene blue or its derivatives could (1) have an additional effect against Alzheimer Disease by inhibiting brain caspase activity, (2) be used as a drug to prevent caspase activation in other conditions, and (3) predispose chronically treated individuals to cancer via the inhibition of caspases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateep Pakavathkumar
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gyanesh Sharma
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vikas Kaushal
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea C. LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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"Upstream Analysis": An Integrated Promoter-Pathway Analysis Approach to Causal Interpretation of Microarray Data. MICROARRAYS 2015; 4:270-86. [PMID: 27600225 PMCID: PMC4996392 DOI: 10.3390/microarrays4020270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A strategy is presented that allows a causal analysis of co-expressed genes, which may be subject to common regulatory influences. A state-of-the-art promoter analysis for potential transcription factor (TF) binding sites in combination with a knowledge-based analysis of the upstream pathway that control the activity of these TFs is shown to lead to hypothetical master regulators. This strategy was implemented as a workflow in a comprehensive bioinformatic software platform. We applied this workflow to gene sets that were identified by a novel triclustering algorithm in naphthalene-induced gene expression signatures of murine liver and lung tissue. As a result, tissue-specific master regulators were identified that are known to be linked with tumorigenic and apoptotic processes. To our knowledge, this is the first time that genes of expression triclusters were used to identify upstream regulators.
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Baburamani AA, Miyakuni Y, Vontell R, Supramaniam VG, Svedin P, Rutherford M, Gressens P, Mallard C, Takeda S, Thornton C, Hagberg H. Does Caspase-6 Have a Role in Perinatal Brain Injury? Dev Neurosci 2015; 37:321-37. [PMID: 25823427 PMCID: PMC4876595 DOI: 10.1159/000375368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptotic mechanisms are centre stage for the development of injury in the immature brain, and caspases have been shown to play a pivotal role during brain development and in response to injury. The inhibition of caspases using broad-spectrum agents such as Q-VD-OPh is neuroprotective in the immature brain. Caspase-6, an effector caspase, has been widely researched in neurodevelopmental disorders and found to be important following adult stroke, but its function in the neonatal brain has yet to be detailed. Furthermore, caspases may be important in microglial activation; microglia are required for optimal brain development and following injury, and their close involvement during neuronal cell death suggests that apoptotic cues such as caspase activation may be important in microglial activation. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate the possible apoptotic and non-apoptotic functions caspase-6 may have in the immature brain in response to hypoxia-ischaemia. We examined whether caspases are involved in microglial activation. We assessed cleaved caspase-6 expression following hypoxia-ischaemia and conducted primary microglial cultures to assess whether the broad-spectrum inhibitor Q-VD-OPh or caspase-6 gene deletion affected lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated microglial activation and phenotype. We observed cleaved caspase-6 expression to be low but present in the cell body and cell processes in both a human case of white matter injury and 72 h following hypoxia-ischaemia in the rat. Gene deletion of caspase-6 did not affect the outcome of brain injury following mild (50 min) or severe (60 min) hypoxia-ischaemia. Interestingly, we did note that cleaved caspase-6 was co-localised with microglia that were not of apoptotic morphology. We observed that mRNA of a number of caspases was modulated by low-dose LPS stimulation of primary microglia. Q-VD-OPh treatment and caspase-6 gene deletion did not affect microglial activation but modified slightly the M2b phenotype response by changing the time course of SOCS3 expression after LPS administration. Our results suggest that the impact of active caspase-6 in the developing brain is subtle, and we believe there are predominantly other caspases (caspase-2, −3, −8, −9) that are essential for the cell death processes in the immature brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana A Baburamani
- Perinatal Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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50
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McLuskey K, Mottram J. Comparative structural analysis of the caspase family with other clan CD cysteine peptidases. Biochem J 2015; 466:219-32. [PMID: 25697094 PMCID: PMC4357240 DOI: 10.1042/bj20141324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Clan CD forms a structural group of cysteine peptidases, containing seven individual families and two subfamilies of structurally related enzymes. Historically, it is most notable for containing the mammalian caspases, on which the structures of the clan were founded. Interestingly, the caspase family is split into two subfamilies: the caspases, and a second subfamily containing both the paracaspases and the metacaspases. Structural data are now available for both the paracaspases and the metacaspases, allowing a comprehensive structural analysis of the entire caspase family. In addition, a relative plethora of structural data has recently become available for many of the other families in the clan, allowing both the structures and the structure-function relationships of clan CD to be fully explored. The present review compares the enzymes in the caspase subfamilies with each other, together with a comprehensive comparison of all the structural families in clan CD. This reveals a diverse group of structures with highly conserved structural elements that provide the peptidases with a variety of substrate specificities and activation mechanisms. It also reveals conserved structural elements involved in substrate binding, and potential autoinhibitory functions, throughout the clan, and confirms that the metacaspases are structurally diverse from the caspases (and paracaspases), suggesting that they should form a distinct family of clan CD peptidases.
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Key Words
- caspase
- clan cd
- crystallography
- metacaspase
- peptidase
- protein structure
- ap, activation peptide
- card, caspase recruitment domain
- chf, caspase/haemoglobinase fold
- cpd, cysteine peptidase domain
- csd, c-terminal subdomain
- dd, death domain
- ded, death effector domain
- insp6, myo-inositol hexakisphosphate
- lsam, legumain stabilization and activity modulation
- lsd1, lesion-simulating disease 1
- malt1, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue translocation protein 1
- martx, multi-functional, autoprocessing repeat in toxin
- rmsd, root-mean-square deviation
- sse, secondary structural element
- xiap, x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis
- z-vrpr-fmk, benzoxycarbonyl-val-arg-pro-arg-fluoromethylketone
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen McLuskey
- *Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- *Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
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