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Kamps J, Bader V, Winklhofer KF, Tatzelt J. Liquid-liquid phase separation of the prion protein is regulated by the octarepeat domain independently of histidines and copper. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107310. [PMID: 38657863 PMCID: PMC11126799 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107310] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of the mammalian prion protein is mainly driven by its intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain (N-PrP). However, the specific intermolecular interactions that promote LLPS remain largely unknown. Here, we used extensive mutagenesis and comparative analyses of evolutionarily distant PrP species to gain insight into the relationship between protein sequence and phase behavior. LLPS of mouse PrP is dependent on two polybasic motifs in N-PrP that are conserved in all tetrapods. A unique feature of mammalian N-PrP is the octarepeat domain with four histidines that mediate binding to copper ions. We now show that the octarepeat is critical for promoting LLPS and preventing the formation of PrP aggregates. Amphibian N-PrP, which contains the polybasic motifs but lacks a repeat domain and histidines, does not undergo LLPS and forms nondynamic protein assemblies indicative of aggregates. Insertion of the mouse octarepeat domain restored LLPS of amphibian N-PrP, supporting its essential role in regulating the phase transition of PrP. This activity of the octarepeat domain was neither dependent on the four highly conserved histidines nor on copper binding. Instead, the regularly spaced tryptophan residues were critical for regulating LLPS, presumably via cation-π interactions with the polybasic motifs. Our study reveals a novel role for the tryptophan residues in the octarepeat in controlling phase transition of PrP and indicates that the ability of mammalian PrP to undergo LLPS has evolved with the octarepeat in the intrinsically disordered domain but independently of the histidines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Kamps
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Bochum, Germany
| | - Verian Bader
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Konstanze F Winklhofer
- Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Bochum, Germany; Department Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Bochum, Germany.
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2
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Li Q, Zhu Y, Meng X, Tong HHY, Liu H. Experiment and molecular dynamics simulations reveal proanthocyanidin B2 and B3 can inhibit prion aggregation by different mechanisms. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2424-2436. [PMID: 37144732 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2209663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the misfolding and aggregation of prion protein (PrP), and the inhibition of PrP aggregation is one of the most effective therapeutic strategies. Proanthocyanidin B2 (PB2) and B3 (PB3), the effective natural antioxidants have been evaluated for the inhibition of amyloid-related protein aggregation. Since PrP has similar aggregation mechanism with other amyloid-related proteins, will PB2 and PB3 affect the aggregation of PrP? In this paper, experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods were combined to investigate the influence of PB2 and PB3 on PrP aggregation. Thioflavin T assays showed PB2 and PB3 could inhibit PrP aggregation in a concentrate-dependent manner in vitro. To understand the underlying mechanism, we performed 400 ns all-atom MD simulations. The results suggested PB2 could stabilize the α2 C-terminus and the hydrophobic core of protein by stabilizing two important salt bridges R156-E196 and R156-D202, and consequently made global structure of protein more stable. Surprisingly, PB3 could not stabilize PrP, which may inhibit PrP aggregation through a different mechanism. Since dimerization is the first step of aggregation, will PB3 inhibit PrP aggregation by inhibiting the dimerization? To verify our assumption, we then explored the effect of PB3 on protein dimerization by performing 800 ns MD simulations. The results suggested PB3 could reduce the residue contacts and hydrogen bonds between two monomers, preventing dimerization process of PrP. The possible inhibition mechanism of PB2 and PB3 on PrP aggregation could provide useful information for drug development against prion diseases.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, China
| | - Yongchang Zhu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Shijiazhuang University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Meng
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Henry H Y Tong
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, China
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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3
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Leisi EV, Moiseenko AV, Kudryavtseva SS, Pozdyshev DV, Muronetz VI, Kurochkina LP. Bacteriophage-encoded chaperonins stimulate prion protein fibrillation in an ATP-dependent manner. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1872:140965. [PMID: 37739110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of the various prion diseases is based on the conformational conversion of the prion protein from its physiological cellular form to the insoluble scrapie isoform. Several chaperones, including the Hsp60 family of group I chaperonins, are known to contribute to this transformation, but data on their effects are scarce and conflicting. In this work, two GroEL-like phage chaperonins, the single-ring OBP and the double-ring EL, were found to stimulate monomeric prion protein fibrillation in an ATP-dependent manner. The resulting fibrils were characterised by thioflavin T fluorescence, electron microscopy, proteinase K digestion assay and other methods. In the presence of ATP, chaperonins were found to promote the conversion of prion protein monomers into short amyloid fibrils with their further aggregation into less toxic large clusters. Fibrils generated with the assistance of phage chaperonins differ in morphology and properties from those formed spontaneously from monomeric prion in the presence of denaturants at acidic pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia V Leisi
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 73, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V Moiseenko
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 12, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sofia S Kudryavtseva
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis V Pozdyshev
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir I Muronetz
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia; Butlerov Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Lidia P Kurochkina
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Bld 40, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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4
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Suh JM, Kim M, Yoo J, Han J, Paulina C, Lim MH. Intercommunication between metal ions and amyloidogenic peptides or proteins in protein misfolding disorders. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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5
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Quercetin binding accelerates prion fibrillation into proteinase sensitive and loosely structured amyloids. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 151:113177. [PMID: 35676783 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloidoses are caused by the deposition of amyloid fibrils ascribed to protein misfolding. In this study, we examined the antiamyloidogenic and antioxidative activities of quercetin, a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols, on mouse prion protein (moPrP) with biophysical approaches. As the results show, quercetin binds to the C-terminal region of moPrP, and quercetin binding does not affect the structure of moPrP. However, quercetin binding accelerates moPrP fibrillation and changes the structure of moPrP fibrils. Unlike typical prion fibrils, quercetin-bound fibrils are sensitive to proteinase K and are loosely structured. Moreover, due to high antioxidant activity of flavonoid, quercetin-bound fibrils lack imbalance of free radicals and, therefore, they are nontoxic towards neuroblastoma cells. The quercetin shows its uniqueness from typical antiamyloidogenic drugs which either suppress the development of amyloid or eliminate formed amyloids. Quercetin binding converts moPrP into protease-sensitive and non-cytotoxic fibrils. This work provides a powerful resolution in the advancement of antiamyloidogenic treatment.
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6
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Fridmanis J, Toleikis Z, Sneideris T, Ziaunys M, Bobrovs R, Smirnovas V, Jaudzems K. Aggregation Condition-Structure Relationship of Mouse Prion Protein Fibrils. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9635. [PMID: 34502545 PMCID: PMC8431800 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are associated with conformational conversion of cellular prion protein into a misfolded pathogenic form, which resembles many properties of amyloid fibrils. The same prion protein sequence can misfold into different conformations, which are responsible for variations in prion disease phenotypes (prion strains). In this work, we use atomic force microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and magic-angle spinning NMR to devise structural models of mouse prion protein fibrils prepared in three different denaturing conditions. We find that the fibril core region as well as the structure of its N- and C-terminal parts is almost identical between the three fibrils. In contrast, the central part differs in length of β-strands and the arrangement of charged residues. We propose that the denaturant ionic strength plays a major role in determining the structure of fibrils obtained in a particular condition by stabilizing fibril core interior-facing glutamic acid residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jēkabs Fridmanis
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (J.F.); (Z.T.); (R.B.)
| | - Zigmantas Toleikis
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (J.F.); (Z.T.); (R.B.)
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (T.S.); (M.Z.); (V.S.)
| | - Tomas Sneideris
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (T.S.); (M.Z.); (V.S.)
| | - Mantas Ziaunys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (T.S.); (M.Z.); (V.S.)
| | - Raitis Bobrovs
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (J.F.); (Z.T.); (R.B.)
| | - Vytautas Smirnovas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (T.S.); (M.Z.); (V.S.)
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia; (J.F.); (Z.T.); (R.B.)
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7
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Waeytens J, Mathurin J, Deniset-Besseau A, Arluison V, Bousset L, Rezaei H, Raussens V, Dazzi A. Probing amyloid fibril secondary structures by infrared nanospectroscopy: experimental and theoretical considerations. Analyst 2021; 146:132-145. [PMID: 33107501 DOI: 10.1039/d0an01545h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are composed of aggregated peptides or proteins in a fibrillary structure with a higher β-sheet content than their native structure. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy only provides bulk analysis of a sample therefore it is impossible to discriminate between different aggregated structures. To overcome this limitation, near-field techniques like AFM-IR have emerged in the last twenty years to allow infrared nanospectroscopy. This technique obtains IR spectra with a spatial resolution of ten nanometres, the size of isolated fibrils. Here, we present essential practical considerations to avoid misinterpretations and artefacts during these analyses. Effects of polarization of the incident IR laser, illumination configuration and coating of the AFM probes are discussed, including the advantages and drawbacks of their use. This approach will improve interpretation of AFM-IR spectra especially for the determination of secondary structures of species not accessible using classical ATR-FTIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehan Waeytens
- Structure et Fonction des Membranes Biologiques, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgique.
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8
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Abstract
Protein aggregation and amyloid formation are pathogenic events underlying the development of an increasingly large number of human diseases named “proteinopathies”. Abnormal accumulation in affected tissues of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), and the prion protein, to mention a few, are involved in the occurrence of Alzheimer’s (AD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prion diseases, respectively. Many reports suggest that the toxic properties of amyloid aggregates are correlated with their ability to damage cell membranes. However, the molecular mechanisms causing toxic amyloid/membrane interactions are still far to be completely elucidated. This review aims at describing the mutual relationships linking abnormal protein conformational transition and self-assembly into amyloid aggregates with membrane damage. A cross-correlated analysis of all these closely intertwined factors is thought to provide valuable insights for a comprehensive molecular description of amyloid diseases and, in turn, the design of effective therapies.
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Yu KH, Huang MY, Lee YR, Lin YK, Chen HR, Lee CI. The Effect of Octapeptide Repeats on Prion Folding and Misfolding. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041800. [PMID: 33670336 PMCID: PMC7918816 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolding of prion protein (PrP) into amyloid aggregates is the central feature of prion diseases. PrP has an amyloidogenic C-terminal domain with three α-helices and a flexible tail in the N-terminal domain in which multiple octapeptide repeats are present in most mammals. The role of the octapeptides in prion diseases has previously been underestimated because the octapeptides are not located in the amyloidogenic domain. Correlation between the number of octapeptide repeats and age of onset suggests the critical role of octapeptide repeats in prion diseases. In this study, we have investigated four PrP variants without any octapeptides and with 1, 5 and 8 octapeptide repeats. From the comparison of the protein structure and the thermal stability of these proteins, as well as the characterization of amyloids converted from these PrP variants, we found that octapeptide repeats affect both folding and misfolding of PrP creating amyloid fibrils with distinct structures. Deletion of octapeptides forms fewer twisted fibrils and weakens the cytotoxicity. Insertion of octapeptides enhances the formation of typical silk-like fibrils but it does not increase the cytotoxicity. There might be some threshold effect and increasing the number of peptides beyond a certain limit has no further effect on the cell viability, though the reasons are unclear at this stage. Overall, the results of this study elucidate the molecular mechanism of octapeptides at the onset of prion diseases.
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Quercetin Disaggregates Prion Fibrils and Decreases Fibril-Induced Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12111081. [PMID: 33187342 PMCID: PMC7696844 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12111081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by misfolding and aggregation of prion protein (PrP). Previous studies have demonstrated that quercetin can disaggregate some amyloid fibrils, such as amyloid β peptide (Aβ) and α-synuclein. However, the disaggregating ability is unclear in PrP fibrils. In this study, we examined the amyloid fibril-disaggregating activity of quercetin on mouse prion protein (moPrP) and characterized quercetin-bound moPrP fibrils by imaging, proteinase resistance, hemolysis assay, cell viability, and cellular oxidative stress measurements. The results showed that quercetin treatment can disaggregate moPrP fibrils and lead to the formation of the proteinase-sensitive amorphous aggregates. Furthermore, quercetin-bound fibrils can reduce the membrane disruption of erythrocytes. Consequently, quercetin-bound fibrils cause less oxidative stress, and are less cytotoxic to neuroblastoma cells. The role of quercetin is distinct from the typical function of antiamyloidogenic drugs that inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils. This study provides a solution for the development of antiamyloidogenic therapy.
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11
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Jen HI, Lin ZY, Guo JX, Lee CI. The Effects of Divalent Cation-Chelated Prion Fibrils on the Immune Response of EOC 13.31 Microglia Cells. Cells 2020; 9:E2285. [PMID: 33066249 PMCID: PMC7602007 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are epidemic neurodegenerative diseases caused by prion proteins; in particular, they are induced by misfolded prion proteins (PrPSc). PrPSc tend to aggregate into insoluble amyloid prion fibrils (fPrPWT), resulting in apoptosis of neuron cells and sequential neurodegeneration. Previous studies indicate that microglia cells play an important role in the innate immune system, and that these cells have good neuroprotection and delay the onset of TSEs. However, microglia can be a double-sided blade. For example, both Cu2+ and Mn2+ can induce microglia activation and secrete many inflammatory cytokines that are fatal to neuron cells. Unfortunately, PrP have cation binding sites at the N-terminus. When PrPSc accumulate during microglial phagocytosis, microglia may change the phenotype to secrete pro-inflammation cytokines, which increases the severity of the disease. Some studies have revealed an increase in the concentration of Mn2+ in the brains of patients. In this study, we treated microglia with fPrPWT and cations and determined IκBα and IL-1β expression by Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that Mn-fPrPWT decreased IκBα levels and dramatically increased IL-1β mRNA expression. In addition, competing binding between Cu2+ and Mn2+ can decrease the effect of Mn-fPrPWT on IκBα and IL-1β. The effects of divalent cations and fPrPWT in microglia inflammation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-I Jen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan; (H.-I.J.); (Z.-Y.L.); (J.-X.G.)
| | - Zih-You Lin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan; (H.-I.J.); (Z.-Y.L.); (J.-X.G.)
| | - Jin-Xun Guo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan; (H.-I.J.); (Z.-Y.L.); (J.-X.G.)
| | - Cheng-I Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan; (H.-I.J.); (Z.-Y.L.); (J.-X.G.)
- Center for Nano Bio-Detections, National Chung Cheng University, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
- Center for Innovative Research on Aging Society (CIRAS), National Chung Cheng University, Min-Hsiung Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
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12
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Amyloidogenic Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: New Insights into Their Self-Assembly and Their Interaction with Membranes. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10080144. [PMID: 32784399 PMCID: PMC7459996 DOI: 10.3390/life10080144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aβ, IAPP, α-synuclein, and prion proteins belong to the amyloidogenic intrinsically disordered proteins’ family; indeed, they lack well defined secondary and tertiary structures. It is generally acknowledged that they are involved, respectively, in Alzheimer’s, Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Parkinson’s, and Creutzfeldt–Jakob’s diseases. The molecular mechanism of toxicity is under intense debate, as many hypotheses concerning the involvement of the amyloid and the toxic oligomers have been proposed. However, the main role is represented by the interplay of protein and the cell membrane. Thus, the understanding of the interaction mechanism at the molecular level is crucial to shed light on the dynamics driving this phenomenon. There are plenty of factors influencing the interaction as mentioned above, however, the overall view is made trickier by the apparent irreproducibility and inconsistency of the data reported in the literature. Here, we contextualized this topic in a historical, and even more importantly, in a future perspective. We introduce two novel insights: the chemical equilibrium, always established in the aqueous phase between the free and the membrane phospholipids, as mediators of protein-transport into the core of the bilayer, and the symmetry-breaking of oligomeric aggregates forming an alternating array of partially ordered and disordered monomers.
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Huin C, Cronier S, Guégan P, Béringue V, Rezaei H, Noinville S. Conformation-dependent membrane permeabilization by neurotoxic PrP oligomers: The role of the H2H3 oligomerization domain. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 692:108517. [PMID: 32738196 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between prion propagation and the generation of neurotoxic species and clinical onset remains unclear. Several converging lines of evidence suggest that interactions with lipids promote various precursors to form aggregation-prone states that are involved in amyloid fibrils. Here, we compared the cytotoxicities of different soluble isolated oligomeric constructs from murine full-length PrP and from the restricted helical H2H3 domain with their effects on lipid vesicles. The helical H2H3 domain is suggested to be the minimal region of PrP involved in the oligomerization process. The discrete PrP oligomers of both the full-length sequence and the H2H3 domain have de novo β-sheeted structure when interacting with the membrane. They were shown to permeabilize synthetic negatively charged vesicles in a dose-dependent manner. Restricting the polymerization domain of the full-length PrP to the H2H3 helices strongly diminished the ability of the corresponding oligomers to associate with the lipid vesicles. Furthermore, the membrane impairment mechanism occurs differently for the full-length PrP oligomers and the H2H3 helices, as shown by dye-release and black lipid membrane experiments. The membrane damage caused by the full-length PrP oligomers is correlated to their neuronal toxicity at submicromolar concentrations, as shown by cell culture assays. Although oligomers of synthetic H2H3 could compromise in vitro cell homeostasis, they followed a membrane-disruptive pattern that was different from the full-length oligomers, as revealed by the role of PrPC in cell viability assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Huin
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, Equipe Chimie des Polymères, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005, Paris, France; University of Evry, F-91025, Evry, France
| | - Sabrina Cronier
- UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Philippe Guégan
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, Equipe Chimie des Polymères, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Human Rezaei
- UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sylvie Noinville
- UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Jouy-en-Josas, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR8233, MONARIS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
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14
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Cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human prion protein. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:598-602. [PMID: 32514176 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0441-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by the misfolding of prion protein (PrP). Misfolded PrP forms protease-resistant aggregates in vivo (PrPSc) that are able to template the conversion of the native form of the protein (PrPC), a property shared by in vitro-produced PrP fibrils. Here we produced amyloid fibrils in vitro from recombinant, full-length human PrPC (residues 23-231) and determined their structure using cryo-EM, building a model for the fibril core comprising residues 170-229. The PrP fibril consists of two protofibrils intertwined in a left-handed helix. Lys194 and Glu196 from opposing subunits form salt bridges, creating a hydrophilic cavity at the interface of the two protofibrils. By comparison with the structure of PrPC, we propose that two α-helices in the C-terminal domain of PrPC are converted into β-strands stabilized by a disulfide bond in the PrP fibril. Our data suggest that different PrP mutations may play distinct roles in modulating the conformational conversion.
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15
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Springstein BL, Woehle C, Weissenbach J, Helbig AO, Dagan T, Stucken K. Identification and characterization of novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1894. [PMID: 32024928 PMCID: PMC7002697 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58726-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Filament-forming proteins in bacteria function in stabilization and localization of proteinaceous complexes and replicons; hence they are instrumental for myriad cellular processes such as cell division and growth. Here we present two novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria. Surveying cyanobacterial genomes for coiled-coil-rich proteins (CCRPs) that are predicted as putative filament-forming proteins, we observed a higher proportion of CCRPs in filamentous cyanobacteria in comparison to unicellular cyanobacteria. Using our predictions, we identified nine protein families with putative intermediate filament (IF) properties. Polymerization assays revealed four proteins that formed polymers in vitro and three proteins that formed polymers in vivo. Fm7001 from Fischerella muscicola PCC 7414 polymerized in vitro and formed filaments in vivo in several organisms. Additionally, we identified a tetratricopeptide repeat protein - All4981 - in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 that polymerized into filaments in vitro and in vivo. All4981 interacts with known cytoskeletal proteins and is indispensable for Anabaena viability. Although it did not form filaments in vitro, Syc2039 from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 assembled into filaments in vivo and a Δsyc2039 mutant was characterized by an impaired cytokinesis. Our results expand the repertoire of known prokaryotic filament-forming CCRPs and demonstrate that cyanobacterial CCRPs are involved in cell morphology, motility, cytokinesis and colony integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Springstein
- Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany. .,Department of Microbiology, Blavatnick Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Christian Woehle
- Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Max Planck-Genome-centre Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Weissenbach
- Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Andreas O Helbig
- Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Karina Stucken
- Department of Food Engineering, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile.
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16
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Huang JJ, Li XN, Liu WL, Yuan HY, Gao Y, Wang K, Tang B, Pang DW, Chen J, Liang Y. Neutralizing Mutations Significantly Inhibit Amyloid Formation by Human Prion Protein and Decrease Its Cytotoxicity. J Mol Biol 2019; 432:828-844. [PMID: 31821812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect many mammals including humans and are caused by the misfolding of prion protein (PrP). A naturally occurring protective polymorphism G127V in human PrP has recently been found to significantly attenuate prion diseases, but the mechanism has remained elusive. We herein report that the hydrophobic chain introduced in G127V significantly inhibits amyloid fibril formation by human PrP, highlighting the protective effect of the G127V polymorphism. We further introduce an amino acid with a different hydrophobic chain (Ile) at the same position and find that G127I has similar protective effects as G127V. Moreover, we show that these two neutralizing mutations, G127V and G127I, significantly decrease the human PrP cytotoxicity resulting from PrP fibril formation, mitochondrial damage, and elevated reactive oxygen species production enhanced by a strong prion-prone peptide PrP 106-126. These findings elucidate the molecular basis for a natural protective polymorphism in PrP and will enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies against prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiang-Ning Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wan-Li Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kan Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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17
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Eraña H, Charco JM, Di Bari MA, Díaz-Domínguez CM, López-Moreno R, Vidal E, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MA, García-Martínez S, Bravo S, Fernández-Borges N, Geijo M, D’Agostino C, Garrido J, Bian J, König A, Uluca-Yazgi B, Sabate R, Khaychuk V, Vanni I, Telling GC, Heise H, Nonno R, Requena JR, Castilla J. Development of a new largely scalable in vitro prion propagation method for the production of infectious recombinant prions for high resolution structural studies. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008117. [PMID: 31644574 PMCID: PMC6827918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The resolution of the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions at the atomic level is pivotal to understand the pathobiology of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), but has been long hindered due to certain particularities of these proteinaceous pathogens. Difficulties related to their purification from brain homogenates of disease-affected animals were resolved almost a decade ago by the development of in vitro recombinant prion propagation systems giving rise to highly infectious recombinant prions. However, lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of the misfolding event and the complexity of systems such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA), have limited generating the large amounts of homogeneous recombinant prion preparations required for high-resolution techniques such as solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) imaging. Herein, we present a novel recombinant prion propagation system based on PMCA that substitutes sonication with shaking thereby allowing the production of unprecedented amounts of multi-labeled, infectious recombinant prions. The use of specific cofactors, such as dextran sulfate, limit the structural heterogeneity of the in vitro propagated prions and makes possible, for the first time, the generation of infectious and likely homogeneous samples in sufficient quantities for studies with high-resolution structural techniques as demonstrated by the preliminary ssNMR spectrum presented here. Overall, we consider that this new method named Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification (PMSA), opens new avenues to finally elucidate the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | | | - Michele A. Di Bari
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Enric Vidal
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Susana Bravo
- Proteomics Lab, IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Mariví Geijo
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | - Claudia D’Agostino
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Joseba Garrido
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | - Jifeng Bian
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Anna König
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Boran Uluca-Yazgi
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vadim Khaychuk
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Ilaria Vanni
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Henrike Heise
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Jesús R. Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
- IKERBasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao (Bizkaia), Spain
- * E-mail:
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18
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Caballero AB, Espargaró A, Pont C, Busquets MA, Estelrich J, Muñoz-Torrero D, Gamez P, Sabate R. Bacterial Inclusion Bodies for Anti-Amyloid Drug Discovery: Current and Future Screening Methods. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2019; 20:563-576. [PMID: 30924417 DOI: 10.2174/1389203720666190329120007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation is linked to an increasing number of human disorders from nonneurological pathologies such as type-2 diabetes to neurodegenerative ones such as Alzheimer or Parkinson's diseases. Thirty-six human proteins have shown the capacity to aggregate into pathological amyloid structures. To date, it is widely accepted that amyloid folding/aggregation is a universal process present in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. In the last decade, several studies have unequivocally demonstrated that bacterial inclusion bodies - insoluble protein aggregates usually formed during heterologous protein overexpression in bacteria - are mainly composed of overexpressed proteins in amyloid conformation. This fact shows that amyloid-prone proteins display a similar aggregation propensity in humans and bacteria, opening the possibility to use bacteria as simple models to study amyloid aggregation process and the potential effect of both anti-amyloid drugs and pro-aggregative compounds. Under these considerations, several in vitro and in cellulo methods, which exploit the amyloid properties of bacterial inclusion bodies, have been proposed in the last few years. Since these new methods are fast, simple, inexpensive, highly reproducible, and tunable, they have aroused great interest as preliminary screening tools in the search for anti-amyloid (beta-blocker) drugs for conformational diseases. The aim of this mini-review is to compile recently developed methods aimed at tracking amyloid aggregation in bacteria, discussing their advantages and limitations, and the future potential applications of inclusion bodies in anti-amyloid drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Caballero
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Espargaró
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Caterina Pont
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Antònia Busquets
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Estelrich
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrick Gamez
- Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Sang JC, Lee JE, Dear AJ, De S, Meisl G, Thackray AM, Bujdoso R, Knowles TPJ, Klenerman D. Direct observation of prion protein oligomer formation reveals an aggregation mechanism with multiple conformationally distinct species. Chem Sci 2019; 10:4588-4597. [PMID: 31123569 PMCID: PMC6492631 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc05627g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of the prion protein (PrP) plays a key role in the development of prion diseases. In the past decade, a similar process has been associated with other proteins, such as Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein, which participate in other neurodegenerative diseases. It is increasingly recognized that the small oligomeric species of aggregates can play an important role in the development of prion diseases. However, determining the nature of the oligomers formed during the aggregation process has been experimentally difficult due to the lack of suitable methods capable of the detection and characterization of the low level of oligomers that may form. To address this problem, we have utilized single-aggregate methods to study the early events associated with aggregation of recombinant murine PrP in vitro to approach the bona fide process in vivo. PrP aggregation resulted in the formation of thioflavin T (ThT)-inactive and ThT-active species of oligomers. The ThT-active oligomers undergo conversion from a Proteinase K (PK)-sensitive to PK-resistant conformer, from which mature fibrils can eventually emerge. Overall, our results show that single-aggregate methods can provide structural and mechanistic insights into PrP aggregation, identify the potential species that mediates cytotoxicity, and reveal that a range of distinct oligomeric species with different properties is formed during prion protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Sang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Alexander J Dear
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Suman De
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Georg Meisl
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - Alana M Thackray
- Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Cambridge , Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ES , UK
| | - Raymond Bujdoso
- Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Cambridge , Madingley Road , Cambridge , CB3 0ES , UK
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road , Cambridge , CB2 1EW , UK .
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20
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Honda R. Role of the Disulfide Bond in Prion Protein Amyloid Formation: A Thermodynamic and Kinetic Analysis. Biophys J 2019; 114:885-892. [PMID: 29490248 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are associated with the structural conversion of prion protein (PrP) to a β-sheet-rich aggregate, PrPSc. Previous studies have indicated that a reduction of the disulfide bond linking C179 and C214 of PrP yields an amyloidlike β-rich aggregate in vitro. To gain mechanistic insights into the reduction-induced aggregation, here I characterized how disulfide bond reduction modulates the protein folding/misfolding landscape of PrP, by examining 1) the equilibrium stabilities of the native (N) and aggregated states relative to the unfolded (U) state, 2) the transition barrier separating the U and aggregated states, and 3) the final structure of amyloidlike misfolded aggregates. Kinetic and thermodynamic experiments revealed that disulfide bond reduction decreases the equilibrium stabilities of both the N and aggregated states by ∼3 kcal/mol, without changing either the amyloidlike aggregate structure, at least at the secondary structural level, or the transition barrier of aggregation. Therefore, disulfide bond reduction modulates the protein folding/misfolding landscape by entropically stabilizing disordered states, including the U and transition state of aggregation. This also indicates that the equilibrium stability of the N state, but not the transition barrier of aggregation, is the dominant factor determining the reduction-induced aggregation of PrP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Honda
- The United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan; Department of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
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21
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Tsukakoshi K, Yoshida W, Kobayashi M, Kobayashi N, Kim J, Kaku T, Iguchi T, Nagasawa K, Asano R, Ikebukuro K, Sode K. Esterification of PQQ Enhances Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability and Inhibitory Activity against Amyloidogenic Protein Fibril Formation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2898-2903. [PMID: 30074759 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several neurodegenerative diseases have a common pathophysiology where selective damage to neurons results from the accumulation of amyloid oligomer proteins formed via fibrilization. Considering that the formation of amyloid oligomers leads to cytotoxicity, the development of chemical compounds that are able to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and inhibit this conversion to oligomers and/or fibrils is essential for neurodegenerative disease therapy. We previously reported that pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) prevented aggregation and fibrillation of α-synuclein, amyloid β1-42 (Aβ1-42), and mouse prion protein. To develop a novel drug against neurodegenerative diseases based on PQQ, it is necessary to improve the insufficient BBB permeability of PQQ. Here, we show that an esterified compound of PQQ, PQQ-trimethylester (PQQ-TME), has twice the BBB permeability than PQQ in vitro. Moreover, PQQ-TME exhibited greater inhibitory activity against fibrillation of α-synuclein, Aβ1-42, and prion protein. These results indicated that esterification of PQQ could be a useful approach in developing a novel PQQ-based amyloid inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Tsukakoshi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Wataru Yoshida
- School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, 1404-1 Katakuramachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0982, Japan
| | - Masaki Kobayashi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Natsuki Kobayashi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Jihoon Kim
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Toshisuke Kaku
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Toshitsugu Iguchi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Kazuo Nagasawa
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Asano
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Koji Sode
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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22
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Kakuda K, Yamaguchi KI, Kuwata K, Honda R. A valine-to-lysine substitution at position 210 induces structural conversion of prion protein into a β-sheet rich oligomer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 506:81-86. [PMID: 30336980 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with structural conversion of α-helical prion protein (PrP) into its β-sheet rich isoform (PrPSc). Previous genetic analyses have indicated that several amino acid residues involved in the hydrophobic core of PrP (such as V180, F198, and V210) play a critical role in the development of prion diseases. To understand how these hydrophobic residues would contribute to the α-to-β conversion process of PrP, we substituted the V210 residue with bulkier (V210F, V210I, and V210L), smaller (V210A), and charged amino acids (V210K) and characterized its effects. Interestingly, although most of the mutations had little or no effect on the biochemical properties of PrP, the V210K mutation induced structural conversion of PrP into a β-structure. The β-inducing effect was prominent and observed even under a physiological condition (i.e., in the absence of denaturant, acidic pH, reducing agent, and high temperature) in contrast to the disease-associated mutations in the PrP gene. We also examined structural features of V210K PrP using guanidine-hydrochloride unfolding, dynamic light scattering, 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate fluorescence, and electron microscopy, and revealed that V210K PrP assembles into a non-fibrillar β-rich oligomer. Thus, the α-to-β conversion can be induced by introduction of a charged residue into the hydrophobic core, which provide novel insight into the structural dynamics of PrP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyosuke Kakuda
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Kei-Ichi Yamaguchi
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 3-2, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan; Department of Gene and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Ryo Honda
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan.
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23
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Makarava N, Savtchenko R, Lasch P, Beekes M, Baskakov IV. Preserving prion strain identity upon replication of prions in vitro using recombinant prion protein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:92. [PMID: 30208966 PMCID: PMC6134792 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0597-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Last decade witnessed an enormous progress in generating authentic infectious prions or PrPSc in vitro using recombinant prion protein (rPrP). Previous work established that rPrP that lacks posttranslational modification is able to support replication of highly infectious PrPSc with assistance of cofactors of polyanionic nature and/or lipids. Unexpectedly, previous studies also revealed that seeding of rPrP by brain-derived PrPSc gave rise to new prion strains with new disease phenotypes documenting loss of a strain identity upon replication in rPrP substrate. Up to now, it remains unclear whether prion strain identity can be preserved upon replication in rPrP. The current study reports that faithful replication of hamster strain SSLOW could be achieved in vitro using rPrP as a substrate. We found that a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and synthetic nucleic acid polyA was sufficient for stable replication of hamster brain-derived SSLOW PrPSc in serial Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (sPMCA) that uses hamster rPrP as a substrate. The disease phenotype generated in hamsters upon transmission of recombinant PrPSc produced in vitro was strikingly similar to the original SSLOW diseases phenotype with respect to the incubation time to disease, as well as clinical, neuropathological and biochemical features. Infrared microspectroscopy (IR-MSP) indicated that PrPSc produced in animals upon transmission of recombinant PrPSc is structurally similar if not identical to the original SSLOW PrPSc. The current study is the first to demonstrate that rPrP can support replication of brain-derived PrPSc while preserving its strain identity. In addition, the current work is the first to document that successful propagation of a hamster strain could be achieved in vitro using hamster rPrP.
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24
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Sengupta I, Udgaonkar JB. Structural mechanisms of oligomer and amyloid fibril formation by the prion protein. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:6230-6242. [PMID: 29789820 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc03053g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of the prion protein is responsible for multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Works from several laboratories on folding of both the WT and multiple pathogenic mutant variants of the prion protein have identified several structurally dissimilar intermediates, which might be potential precursors to misfolding and aggregation. The misfolded aggregates themselves are morphologically distinct, critically dependent on the solution conditions under which they are prepared, but always β-sheet rich. Despite the lack of an atomic resolution structure of the infectious pathogenic agent in prion diseases, several low resolution models have identified the β-sheet rich core of the aggregates formed in vitro, to lie in the α2-α3 subdomain of the prion protein, albeit with local stabilities that vary with the type of aggregate. This feature article describes recent advances in the investigation of in vitro prion protein aggregation using multiple spectroscopic probes, with particular focus on (1) identifying aggregation-prone conformations of the monomeric protein, (2) conditions which trigger misfolding and oligomerization, (3) the mechanism of misfolding and aggregation, and (4) the structure of the misfolded intermediates and final aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Sengupta
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
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25
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Mechanism of aggregation and membrane interactions of mammalian prion protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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26
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Yamaguchi KI, Kuwata K. Formation and properties of amyloid fibrils of prion protein. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:517-525. [PMID: 29204880 PMCID: PMC5899736 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0377-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils formed from prion protein (PrP) are associated with prion diseases. In this review we discuss a number of extrinsic and intrinsic experimental factors related to the formation of PrP amyloid fibrils in vitro. We first examined the effects of ultrasonic power on the induction of amyloid fibrillation from PrP. The most important conclusion drawn from the results is that an applied ultrasonic power of approximately 2 W enhanced the nucleation of amyloid fibrils efficiently but that more powerful ultrasonication led to retardation of growth. We also reviewed evidence on the amyloidogenic regions of PrP based on peptide screening throughout the polypeptide sequence. These results showed that helix 2 (H2) peptides of PrP were capable of both the fibrillation and propagation of straight, long fibrils. Moreover, the conformation of preformed H2 fibrils changed reversibly depending on the pH of the solution, implying that interactions between side-chains modulated the conformation of amyloid fibrils. The evidence discussed in this review relates specifically to PrP but may be relevant to other amyloidogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei-ichi Yamaguchi
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
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27
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Honda R, Kuwata K. Evidence for a central role of PrP helix 2 in the nucleation of amyloid fibrils. FASEB J 2018; 32:3641-3652. [PMID: 29401635 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701183rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are filamentous protein aggregates associated with the pathogenesis of a wide variety of human diseases. The formation of such aggregates typically follows nucleation-dependent kinetics, wherein the assembly and structural conversion of amyloidogenic proteins into oligomeric aggregates (nuclei) is the rate-limiting step of the overall reaction. In this study, we sought to gain structural insights into the oligomeric nuclei of the human prion protein (PrP) by preparing a series of deletion mutants lacking 14-44 of the C-terminal 107 residues of PrP and examined the kinetics and thermodynamics of these mutants in amyloid formation. An analysis of the experimental data using the concepts of the Φ-value analysis indicated that the helix 2 region (residues 168-196) acquires an amyloid-like β-sheet during nucleation, whereas the other regions preserves a relatively disordered structure in the nuclei. This finding suggests that the helix 2 region serves as the nucleation site for the assembly of amyloid fibrils.-Honda, R., Kuwata, K. Evidence for a central role of PrP helix 2 in the nucleation of amyloid fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Honda
- Department of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.,Department of Gene and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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28
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Samorodnitsky D, Nicholson EM. Differential effects of divalent cations on elk prion protein fibril formation and stability. Prion 2018; 12:63-71. [PMID: 29310497 PMCID: PMC5871030 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2017.1423187] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolding of the normally folded prion protein of mammals (PrPC) into infectious fibrils causes a variety of diseases, from scrapie in sheep to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. The misfolded form of PrPC, termed PrPSc, or in this case PrPCWD, interacts with PrPC to create more PrPCWD. This process is not clearly defined but is affected by the presence and interactions of biotic and abiotic cofactors. These include nucleic acids, lipids, glycosylation, pH, and ionic character. PrPC has been shown to act as a copper-binding protein in vivo, though it also binds to other divalents as well. The significance of this action has not been conclusively elucidated. Previous reports have shown that metal binding sites occur throughout the N-terminal region of PrPC. Other cations like manganese have also been shown to affect PrPC abundance in a transcript-independent fashion. Here, we examined the ability of different divalent cations to influence the stability and in vitro conversion of two variants of PrP from elk (L/M132, 26-234). We find that copper and zinc de-stabilize PrP. We also find that PrP M132 exhibits a greater degree of divalent cation induced destabilization than L132. This supports findings that leucine at position 132 confers resistance to CWD, while M132 is susceptible. However, in vitro conversion of PrP is equally suppressed by either copper or zinc, in both L132 and M132 backgrounds. This report demonstrates the complex importance of ionic character on the PrPC folding pathway selection on the route to PrPSc formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Samorodnitsky
- a Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education , U.S. Dept. of Energy , Oak Ridge , TN , USA.,b United States Department of Agriculture , Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- b United States Department of Agriculture , Agricultural Research Service, National Animal Disease Center , Ames , IA , USA
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29
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A Promising Antiprion Trimethoxychalcone Binds to the Globular Domain of the Cellular Prion Protein and Changes Its Cellular Location. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.01441-17. [PMID: 29133563 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01441-17] [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: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for antiprion compounds has been encouraged by the fact that transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) share molecular mechanisms with more prevalent neurodegenerative pathologies, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Cellular prion protein (PrPC) conversion into protease-resistant forms (protease-resistant PrP [PrPRes] or the scrapie form of PrP [PrPSc]) is a critical step in the development of TSEs and is thus one of the main targets in the screening for antiprion compounds. In this work, three trimethoxychalcones (compounds J1, J8, and J20) and one oxadiazole (compound Y17), previously identified in vitro to be potential antiprion compounds, were evaluated through different approaches in order to gain inferences about their mechanisms of action. None of them changed PrPC mRNA levels in N2a cells, as shown by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR. Among them, J8 and Y17 were effective in real-time quaking-induced conversion reactions using rodent recombinant PrP (rPrP) from residues 23 to 231 (rPrP23-231) as the substrate and PrPSc seeds from hamster and human brain. However, when rPrP from residues 90 to 231 (rPrP90-231), which lacks the N-terminal domain, was used as the substrate, only J8 remained effective, indicating that this region is important for Y17 activity, while J8 seems to interact with the PrPC globular domain. J8 also reduced the fibrillation of mouse rPrP23-231 seeded with in vitro-produced fibrils. Furthermore, most of the compounds decreased the amount of PrPC on the N2a cell surface by trapping this protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that J8, a nontoxic compound previously shown to be a promising antiprion agent, may act by different mechanisms, since its efficacy is attributable not only to PrP conversion inhibition but also to a reduction of the PrPC content on the cell surface.
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30
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Sandberg A, Nyström S. Purification and Fibrillation of Recombinant Human Amyloid-β, Prion Protein, and Tau Under Native Conditions. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1779:147-166. [PMID: 29886532 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7816-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding, aggregation, and amyloid formation is involved in a large number of diseases. Recombinantly expressed proteins to study the amyloid fibril formation process are important for mechanistic studies. We here report protocols for production, purification, and fibrillation of three different proteins commonly found in cerebral amyloid; Aβ and Tau found in Alzheimer's disease, Chronic traumatic brain injury, Corticobasal degeneration, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and human prion protein found in Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease. The three protocols have in common that the protein is in a pH-neutral phosphate saline buffer during fibrillation to mimic their endogenous near physiological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Sandberg
- Chemistry, IFM-Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sofie Nyström
- Chemistry, IFM-Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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31
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Li L, Zhu Y, Zhou S, An X, Zhang Y, Bai Q, He YX, Liu H, Yao X. Experimental and Theoretical Insights into the Inhibition Mechanism of Prion Fibrillation by Resveratrol and its Derivatives. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:2698-2707. [PMID: 28817252 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Resveratrol and its derivatives have been shown to display beneficial effects to neurodegenerative diseases. However, the molecular mechanism of resveratrol and its derivatives on prion conformational conversion is poorly understood. In this work, the interaction mechanism between prion and resveratrol as well as its derivatives was investigated using steady-state fluorescence quenching, Thioflavin T binding assay, Western blotting, and molecular dynamics simulation. Protein fluorescence quenching method and Thioflavin T assay revealed that resveratrol and its derivatives could interact with prion and interrupt prion fibril formation. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicated that resveratrol can stabilize the PrP127-147 peptide mainly through π-π stacking interactions between resveratrol and Tyr128. The hydrogen bonds interactions between resveratrol and the PrP127-147 peptide could further reduce the flexibility and the propensity to aggregate. The results of this study not only can provide useful information about the interaction mechanism between resveratrol and prion, but also can provide useful clues for further design of new inhibitors inhibiting prion aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanlan Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yongchang Zhu
- School
of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Shuangyan Zhou
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- School
of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoli An
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- School
of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Qifeng Bai
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Xing He
- School
of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- School
of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State
Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
- State
Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute
for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, P. R. China
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32
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Discovery of small molecules binding to the normal conformation of prion by combining virtual screening and multiple biological activity evaluation methods. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2017; 31:1053-1062. [PMID: 29159521 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-017-0086-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Conformational conversion of the normal cellular prion protein, PrPC, into the misfolded isoform, PrPSc, is considered to be a central event in the development of fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Stabilization of prion protein at the normal cellular form (PrPC) with small molecules is a rational and efficient strategy for treatment of prion related diseases. However, few compounds have been identified as potent prion inhibitors by binding to the normal conformation of prion. In this work, to rational screening of inhibitors capable of stabilizing cellular form of prion protein, multiple approaches combining docking-based virtual screening, steady-state fluorescence quenching, surface plasmon resonance and thioflavin T fluorescence assay were used to discover new compounds interrupting PrPC to PrPSc conversion. Compound 3253-0207 that can bind to PrPC with micromolar affinity and inhibit prion fibrillation was identified from small molecule databases. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that compound 3253-0207 can bind to the hotspot residues in the binding pocket composed by β1, β2 and α2, which are significant structure moieties in conversion from PrPC to PrPSc.
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33
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Sabareesan AT, Udgaonkar JB. The G126V Mutation in the Mouse Prion Protein Hinders Nucleation-Dependent Fibril Formation by Slowing Initial Fibril Growth and by Increasing the Critical Concentration. Biochemistry 2017; 56:5931-5942. [PMID: 29045139 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The middle disordered hydrophobic region of the prion protein plays a critical role in conformational conversion of the protein, with pathogenic as well as protective mutations being localized to this region. In particular, it has been shown that the G127V mutation in this region of the human prion protein (huPrP) is protective against the spread of prion disease, but the mechanism of protection remains unknown. In this study, quantitative analyses of the kinetics of fibril formation by wild-type mouse prion protein (moPrP) and G126V moPrP (equivalent to G127V huPrP) reveal important differences: the critical concentration is higher, the lag phase is longer, and the initial effective rate constant of fibril growth is slower for the mutant variant. The study offers a simple biophysical explanation for why the G127V mutation in huPrP would be protective in humans: the ∼5-fold increase in critical concentration caused by the mutation likely results in the critical concentration (below which fibril formation cannot occur) being higher that the concentration of the protein present in and on cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambadi Thody Sabareesan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research , Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Jayant B Udgaonkar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research , Bengaluru 560065, India
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34
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Ladner-Keay CL, LeVatte M, Wishart DS. Role of polysaccharide and lipid in lipopolysaccharide induced prion protein conversion. Prion 2017; 10:466-483. [PMID: 27906600 PMCID: PMC5161299 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1254857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Conversion of native cellular prion protein (PrPc) from an α-helical structure to a toxic and infectious β-sheet structure (PrPSc) is a critical step in the development of prion disease. There are some indications that the formation of PrPSc is preceded by a β-sheet rich PrP (PrPβ) form which is non-infectious, but is an intermediate in the formation of infectious PrPSc. Furthermore the presence of lipid cofactors is thought to be critical in the formation of both intermediate-PrPβ and lethal, infectious PrPSc. We previously discovered that the endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interacts with recombinant PrPc and induces rapid conformational change to a β-sheet rich structure. This LPS induced PrPβ structure exhibits PrPSc-like features including proteinase K (PK) resistance and the capacity to form large oligomers and rod-like fibrils. LPS is a large, complex molecule with lipid, polysaccharide, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (Kdo) and glucosamine components. To learn more about which LPS chemical constituents are critical for binding PrPc and inducing β-sheet conversion we systematically investigated which chemical components of LPS either bind or induce PrP conversion to PrPβ. We analyzed this PrP conversion using resolution enhanced native acidic gel electrophoresis (RENAGE), tryptophan fluorescence, circular dichroism, electron microscopy and PK resistance. Our results indicate that a minimal version of LPS (called detoxified and partially de-acylated LPS or dLPS) containing a portion of the polysaccharide and a portion of the lipid component is sufficient for PrP conversion. Lipid components, alone, and saccharide components, alone, are insufficient for conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol L Ladner-Keay
- a Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
| | - Marcia LeVatte
- a Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
| | - David S Wishart
- a Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada.,b Department of Computing Science , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
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35
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Katorcha E, Makarava N, Lee YJ, Lindberg I, Monteiro MJ, Kovacs GG, Baskakov IV. Cross-seeding of prions by aggregated α-synuclein leads to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006563. [PMID: 28797122 PMCID: PMC5567908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of misfolded proteins or peptides is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, prion and other diseases. Recent years have witnessed a growing number of reports of overlap in neuropathological features that were once thought to be unique to only one neurodegenerative disorder. However, the origin for the overlap remains unclear. One possibility is that diseases with mixed brain pathologies might arise from cross-seeding of one amyloidogenic protein by aggregated states of unrelated proteins. In the current study we examined whether prion replication can be induced by cross-seeding by α-synuclein or Aβ peptide. We found that α-synuclein aggregates formed in cultured cells or in vitro display cross-seeding activity and trigger misfolding of the prion protein (PrPC) in serial Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification reactions, producing self-replicating PrP states characterized by a short C-terminal proteinase K (PK)-resistant region referred to as PrPres. Non-fibrillar α-synuclein or fibrillar Aβ failed to cross-seed misfolding of PrPC. Remarkably, PrPres triggered by aggregated α-synuclein in vitro propagated in animals and, upon serial transmission, produced PrPSc and clinical prion disease characterized by spongiosis and astrocytic gliosis. The current study demonstrates that aggregated α-synuclein is potent in cross-seeding of prion protein misfolding and aggregation in vitro, producing self-replicating states that can lead to transmissible prion diseases upon serial passaging in wild type animals. In summary, the current work documents direct cross-seeding between unrelated amyloidogenic proteins associated with different neurodegenerative diseases. This study suggests that early interaction between unrelated amyloidogenic proteins might underlie the etiology of mixed neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Katorcha
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Young Jin Lee
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Iris Lindberg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mervyn J. Monteiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gabor G. Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Honda RP, Kuwata K. The native state of prion protein (PrP) directly inhibits formation of PrP-amyloid fibrils in vitro. Sci Rep 2017; 7:562. [PMID: 28373719 PMCID: PMC5429628 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00710-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion of globular proteins into amyloid fibrils is associated with a wide variety of human diseases. One example is the prion protein (PrP), which adopts an α-helical structure in the native state but its amyloid form is implicated in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Previous evidence has suggested that destabilization of the native state promotes amyloid formation, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we report that the native state of PrP serves as a potent inhibitor in the formation of PrP amyloid fibrils. By monitoring the time courses of thioflavin T fluorescence, the kinetics of amyloid formation was studied in vitro under various concentrations of pre-formed amyloid, monomer, and denaturant. Quantitative analysis of the kinetic data using various models of enzyme kinetics suggested that the native state of PrP is either an uncompetitive or noncompetitive inhibitor of amyloid formation. This study highlights the significant role of the native state in inhibiting amyloid formation, which provides new insights into the pathogenesis of misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo P Honda
- Department of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan.
| | - Kazuo Kuwata
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. .,Department of Gene and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan.
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37
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Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of prion protein are related to several neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. A growing number of applications in the prion field including assays for detection of PrPSc and methods for production of PrPSc de novo require recombinant prion protein (PrP) of high purity and quality. Here, we report an experimental procedure for expression and purification of full-length mammalian prion protein. This protocol has been proved to yield PrP of extremely high purity that lacks PrP adducts, oxidative modifications, or truncation, which is typically generated as a result of spontaneous oxidation or degradation. We also describe methods for preparation of amyloid fibrils from recombinant PrP in vitro. Recombinant PrP fibrils can be used as a noninfectious synthetic surrogate of PrPSc for development of prion diagnostics including generation of PrPSc-specific antibody.
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38
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The role of the unusual threonine string in the conversion of prion protein. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38877. [PMID: 27982059 PMCID: PMC5159806 DOI: 10.1038/srep38877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The conversion of normal prion protein (PrP) into pathogenic PrP conformers is central to prion disease, but the mechanism remains unclear. The α-helix 2 of PrP contains a string of four threonines, which is unusual due to the high propensity of threonine to form β-sheets. This structural feature was proposed as the basis for initiating PrP conversion, but experimental results have been conflicting. We studied the role of the threonine string on PrP conversion by analyzing mouse Prnpa and Prnpb polymorphism that contains a polymorphic residue at the beginning of the threonine string, and PrP mutants in which threonine 191 was replaced by valine, alanine, or proline. The PMCA (protein misfolding cyclic amplification) assay was able to recapitulate the in vivo transmission barrier between PrPa and PrPb. Relative to PMCA, the amyloid fibril growth assay is less restrictive, but it did reflect certain properties of in vivo prion transmission. Our results suggest a plausible theory explaining the apparently contradictory results in the role of the threonine string in PrP conversion and provide novel insights into the complicated relationship among PrP stability, seeded conformational change, and prion structure, which is critical for understanding the molecular basis of prion infectivity.
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39
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Kovač V, Hafner-Bratkovič I, Čurin Šerbec V. Anchorless forms of prion protein - Impact of truncation on structure destabilization and prion protein conversion. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 481:1-6. [PMID: 27836542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by scrapie form of prion protein, PrPSc. Prion protein (PrP) is bound to the cell via glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The role of GPI anchor in PrPSc replication and propagation remains unclear. It has been shown that anchorless and truncated PrP accelerate the formation and propagation of prions in vivo and further increases the risk for transmission of prion diseases among species. To explain the role of anchorless forms of PrP in the development of prion diseases, we have prepared five C-terminal PrP truncated variants, determined their thermodynamic properties and analyzed the kinetics of conversion into amyloid fibrils. According to our results thermodynamic and kinetic properties are affected both by pH and truncation. We have shown that the shortest variant was the most destabilized and converted faster than other variants in acidic pH. Other variants converted with longer lag time of fibrillization than WT despite comparable or even decreased stability in acidic pH. Our results indicate that even the change in length for 1 amino acid residue can have a profound effect on in vitro conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerija Kovač
- Department for the Production of Diagnostic Reagents and Research & R&D Service, Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Iva Hafner-Bratkovič
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; EN-FIST Centre of Excellence, Trg Osvobodilne fronte 13, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vladka Čurin Šerbec
- Department for the Production of Diagnostic Reagents and Research & R&D Service, Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Yu Z, Huang P, Yu Y, Zheng Z, Huang Z, Guo C, Lin D. Unique Properties of the Rabbit Prion Protein Oligomer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160874. [PMID: 27529173 PMCID: PMC4987043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders infecting both humans and animals. Recent works have demonstrated that the soluble prion protein oligomer (PrPO), the intermediate of the conformational transformation from the host-derived cellular form (PrPC) to the disease-associated Scrapie form (PrPSc), exerts the major neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Rabbits show strong resistance to TSEs, the underlying mechanism is unclear to date. It is expected that the relative TSEs-resistance of rabbits is closely associated with the unique properties of rabbit prion protein oligomer which remain to be addressed in detail. In the present work, we prepared rabbit prion protein oligomer (recRaPrPO) and human prion protein oligomer (recHuPrPO) under varied conditions, analyzed the effects of pH, NaCl concentration and incubation temperature on the oligomerization, and compared the properties of recRaPrPO and recHuPrPO. We found that several factors facilitated the formation of prion protein oligomers, including low pH, high NaCl concentration, high incubation temperature and low conformational stability of monomeric prion protein. RecRaPrPO was formed more slowly than recHuPrPO at physiological-like conditions (< 57°C, < 150 mM NaCl). Furthermore, recRaPrPO possessed higher susceptibility to proteinase K and lower cytotoxicity in vitro than recHuPrPO. These unique properties of recRaPrPO might substantially contribute to the TSEs-resistance of rabbits. Our work sheds light on the oligomerization of prion proteins and is of benefit to mechanistic understanding of TSEs-resistance of rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Yu
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Pei Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yuanhui Yu
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zicheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chenyun Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Donghai Lin
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- * E-mail:
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Katorcha E, Srivastava S, Klimova N, Baskakov IV. Sialylation of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) Anchors of Mammalian Prions Is Regulated in a Host-, Tissue-, and Cell-specific Manner. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:17009-19. [PMID: 27317661 PMCID: PMC5016106 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.732040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions or PrP(Sc) are proteinaceous infectious agents that consist of misfolded, self-replicating states of the prion protein or PrP(C) PrP(C) is posttranslationally modified with N-linked glycans and a sialylated glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Conformational conversion of PrP(C) gives rise to glycosylated and GPI-anchored PrP(Sc) The question of the sialylation status of GPIs within PrP(Sc) has been controversial. Previous studies that examined scrapie brains reported that both sialo- and asialo-GPIs were present in PrP(Sc), with the majority being asialo-GPIs. In contrast, recent work that employed cultured cells claimed that only PrP(C) with sialylo-GPIs could be recruited into PrP(Sc), whereas PrP(C) with asialo-GPIs inhibited conversion. To resolve this controversy, we analyzed the sialylation status of GPIs within PrP(Sc) generated in the brain, spleen, or cultured N2a or C2C12 myotube cells. We found that recruiting PrP(C) with both sialo- and asialo-GPIs is a common feature of PrP(Sc) The mixtures of sialo- and asialo-GPIs were observed in PrP(Sc) universally regardless of prion strain as well as host, tissue, or type of cells that produced PrP(Sc) Remarkably, the proportion of sialo- versus asialo-GPIs was found to be controlled by host, tissue, and cell type but not prion strain. In summary, this study found no strain-specific preferences for selecting PrP(C) with sialo- versus asialo-GPIs. Instead, this work suggests that the sialylation status of GPIs within PrP(Sc) is regulated in a cell-, tissue-, or host-specific manner and is likely to be determined by the specifics of GPI biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Katorcha
- From the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Saurabh Srivastava
- From the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Nina Klimova
- From the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Ilia V Baskakov
- From the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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Defining and Assessing Analytical Performance Criteria for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy-Detecting Amyloid Seeding Assays. J Mol Diagn 2016; 18:454-467. [PMID: 27068712 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Revised: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are infectious, fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect production animal health, and thus human food safety. Enhanced TSE detection methods mimic the conjectured basis for prion replication, in vitro; biological matrices can be tested for prion activity via their ability to convert recombinant cellular prion protein (PrP) into amyloid fibrils; fluorescent spectra changes of amyloid-binding fluorophores in the reaction vessel detect fibril formation. In vitro PrP conversion techniques have high analytical sensitivity for prions, comparable with that of bioassays, yet no such protocol has gained regulatory approval for use in animal TSE surveillance programs. This study describes a timed in vitro PrP conversion protocol with accurate, well-defined analytical criteria based on probability density and mass functions of TSE(+) and TSE(-) associated thioflavin T signal times, a new approach within this field. The prion detection model used is elk chronic wasting disease (CWD) in brain tissues. The protocol and analytical criteria proved as sensitive for elk CWD as two bioassay models, and upward of approximately 1.2 log10 more sensitive than the most sensitive TSE rapid test we assessed. Furthermore, we substantiate that timing in vitro PrP conversion may be used to titrate TSE infectivity, and, as a result, provide a comprehensive extrapolation of analytical sensitivity differences between bioassay, TSE rapid tests, and in vitro PrP conversion for elk CWD.
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43
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Makarava N, Savtchenko R, Alexeeva I, Rohwer RG, Baskakov IV. New Molecular Insight into Mechanism of Evolution of Mammalian Synthetic Prions. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:1006-14. [PMID: 26873446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies established that transmissible prion diseases could be induced by in vitro-produced recombinant prion protein (PrP) fibrils with structures that are fundamentally different from that of authentic PrP scrapie isoform (PrP(Sc)). To explain evolution of synthetic prions, a new mechanism referred to as deformed templating was introduced. Here, we asked whether an increase in expression level of the cellular form of PrP (PrP(C)) speeds up the evolution of synthetic strains in vivo. We found that in transgenic mice that overexpress hamster PrP(C), PrP(C) overexpression accelerated recombinant PrP fibril-induced conversion of PrP(C) to the abnormal proteinase K-resistant state, referred to as atypical PrPres, which was the first product of PrP(C) misfolding in vivo. However, overexpression of PrP(C) did not facilitate the second step of synthetic strain evolution-transition from atypical PrPres to PrP(Sc), which is attributed to the stochastic nature of rare deformed templating events. In addition, the potential of atypical PrPres to interfere with replication of a short-incubation time prion strain was investigated. Atypical PrPres was found to interfere strongly with replication of 263K in vitro; however, it did not delay prion disease in animals. The rate of deformed templating does not depend on the concentration of substrate and is hence more likely to be controlled by the intrinsic rate of conformational errors in templating alternative self-propagating states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Regina Savtchenko
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Irina Alexeeva
- Medical Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Robert G Rohwer
- Medical Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ilia V Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Imberdis T, Ayrolles-Torro A, Duarte Rodrigues A, Torrent J, Alvarez-Martinez MT, Kovacs GG, Verdier JM, Robitzer M, Perrier V. A Fluorescent Oligothiophene-Bis-Triazine ligand interacts with PrP fibrils and detects SDS-resistant oligomers in human prion diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:11. [PMID: 26809712 PMCID: PMC4727337 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0074-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation in the central nervous system of an abnormally folded isoform of the prion protein, named PrPSc. Aggregation of PrPSc into oligomers and fibrils is critically involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Oligomers are supposed to be the key neurotoxic agents in prion disease, so modulation of prion aggregation pathways with small molecules can be a valuable strategy for studying prion pathogenicity and for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We previously identified thienyl pyrimidine compounds that induce SDS-resistant PrPSc (rSDS-PrPSc) oligomers in prion-infected samples. Results Due to the low effective doses of the thienyl pyrimidine hits, we synthesized a quaterthiophene-bis-triazine compound, called MR100 to better evaluate their diagnostic and therapeutic potentials. This molecule exhibits a powerful activity inducing rSDS-PrPSc oligomers at nanomolar concentrations in prion-infected cells. Fluorescence interaction studies of MR100 with mouse PrP fibrils showed substantial modification of the spectrum, and the interaction was confirmed in vitro by production of rSDS-oligomer species upon incubation of MR100 with fibrils in SDS-PAGE gel. We further explored whether MR100 compound has a potential to be used in the diagnosis of prion diseases. Our results showed that: (i) MR100 can detect rSDS-oligomers in prion-infected brain homogenates of various species, including human samples from CJD patients; (ii) A protocol, called “Rapid Centrifugation Assay” (RCA), was developed based on MR100 property of inducing rSDS-PrPSc oligomers only in prion-infected samples, and avoiding the protease digestion step. RCA allows the detection of both PK-sensitive and PK-resistant PrPSc species in rodents samples but also from patients with different CJD forms (sporadic and new variant); (iii) A correlation could be established between the amount of rSDS-PrPSc oligomers revealed by MR100 and the duration of the symptomatic phase of the disease in CJD patients; and (iv) Bioassay experiments showed that MR100 can trap prion infectivity more efficiently than P30 drug. Conclusions MR100 is a powerful tool not only for studying the prion aggregation pathways regarding oligomeric and sPrPSc species, but also for developing alternative methods for the detection of prion-infected samples. Considering our bioassay results, MR100 is a promising molecule for the development of prion decontamination approaches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-016-0074-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Imberdis
- Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,Inserm, U1198, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,EPHE, Paris, F-75007, France
| | - Adeline Ayrolles-Torro
- Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,Inserm, U1198, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,EPHE, Paris, F-75007, France
| | - Alysson Duarte Rodrigues
- Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM, Matériaux Avancés pour la Catalyse et la Santé, ENSCM, 8 rue de l'Ecole Normale, 34296, Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Joan Torrent
- Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,Inserm, U1198, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,EPHE, Paris, F-75007, France
| | - Maria Teresa Alvarez-Martinez
- Etablissement Confiné d'Expérimentation ECE, CECEMA, US009 Biocampus, UMS 3426, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, A-1097, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jean-Michel Verdier
- Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,Inserm, U1198, Montpellier, F-34095, France.,EPHE, Paris, F-75007, France
| | - Mike Robitzer
- Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM, Matériaux Avancés pour la Catalyse et la Santé, ENSCM, 8 rue de l'Ecole Normale, 34296, Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Véronique Perrier
- Université Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34095, France. .,Inserm, U1198, Montpellier, F-34095, France. .,EPHE, Paris, F-75007, France.
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Moda F, T. Le TN, Aulić S, Bistaffa E, Campagnani I, Virgilio T, Indaco A, Palamara L, Andréoletti O, Tagliavini F, Legname G. Synthetic prions with novel strain-specified properties. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005354. [PMID: 26720726 PMCID: PMC4699842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious proteins that possess multiple self-propagating structures. The information for strains and structural specific barriers appears to be contained exclusively in the folding of the pathological isoform, PrPSc. Many recent studies determined that de novo prion strains could be generated in vitro from the structural conversion of recombinant (rec) prion protein (PrP) into amyloidal structures. Our aim was to elucidate the conformational diversity of pathological recPrP amyloids and their biological activities, as well as to gain novel insights in characterizing molecular events involved in mammalian prion conversion and propagation. To this end we generated infectious materials that possess different conformational structures. Our methodology for the prion conversion of recPrP required only purified rec full-length mouse (Mo) PrP and common chemicals. Neither infected brain extracts nor amplified PrPSc were used. Following two different in vitro protocols recMoPrP converted to amyloid fibrils without any seeding factor. Mouse hypothalamic GT1 and neuroblastoma N2a cell lines were infected with these amyloid preparations as fast screening methodology to characterize the infectious materials. Remarkably, a large number of amyloid preparations were able to induce the conformational change of endogenous PrPC to harbor several distinctive proteinase-resistant PrP forms. One such preparation was characterized in vivo habouring a synthetic prion with novel strain specified neuropathological and biochemical properties. Prions are infectious proteins capable of acquiring multiple self-propagating structures. The information for strains and structural specific barriers appears to be contained exclusively in the folding of the pathological isoform, designated as PrPSc. During propagation, disease-associated conformer PrPSc coerces the physiological form, denoted as PrPC, to adopt the pathological isoform conformation. We describe here the generation of an array of infectious materials with different structural, morphological, biochemical and cell biological characteristics. After producing purified recombinant prion protein of the wild-type mouse full-length sequence in Escherichia coli, we polymerized the protein into various amyloid fibril conformations based on different amyloid preparations. We also applied a build-in methodology for screening amyloid preparations and generate infectious materials using an amyloid-infected cell culture assay. Some of the amyloid fibrils preparations were able to efficiently amplify in PMCA (Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification), and to induce endogenous PrPC to convert into PrPSc in both murine hypothalamic GT1 and neuroblastoma N2a cell lines. One such protocol lead to the generation of a novel synthetic prion strain in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Moda
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Thanh-Nhat T. Le
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Ital,y
| | - Suzana Aulić
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Ital,y
| | - Edoardo Bistaffa
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Ital,y
| | - Ilaria Campagnani
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Tommaso Virgilio
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Antonio Indaco
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Luisa Palamara
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRA-ENVT, Physiopathologie Infectieuse et Parasitaire des Ruminants, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Ital,y
- ELETTRA Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Makarava N, Savtchenko R, Baskakov IV. Two alternative pathways for generating transmissible prion disease de novo. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2015; 3:69. [PMID: 26556038 PMCID: PMC4641408 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-015-0248-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies established that prion disease with unique strain-specific phenotypes could be induced by in vitro-formed recombinant PrP (rPrP) fibrils with structures different from that of authentic prions, or PrPSc. To explain the etiology of prion diseases, new mechanism proposed that in animals the transition from rPrP fibrils to PrPSc consists of two main steps: the first involves fibril-induced formation of atypical PrPres, a self-replicating but clinically silent state, and the second consists of atypical PrPres-dependent formation of PrPSc via rare deformed templating events. Results In the current study, atypical PrPres with characteristics similar to those of brain-derived atypical PrPres was generated in vitro. Upon inoculation into animals, in vitro-generated atypical PrPres gave rise to PrPSc and prion disease with a phenotype similar to those induced by rPrP fibrils. Significant differences in the sialylation pattern between atypical PrPres and PrPSc suggested that only a small sub-fraction of the PrPC that is acceptable as a substrate for PrPSc could be also recruited by atypical PrPres. This can explain why atypical PrPres replicates slower than PrPSc and why PrPSc outcompetes atypical PrPres. Conclusions This study illustrates that transmissible prion diseases with very similar disease phenotypes could be produced via two alternative procedures: direct inoculation of recombinant PrP amyloid fibrils or in vitro-produced atypical PrPres. Moreover, this work showed that preparations of atypical PrPres free of PrPSc can give rise to transmissible diseases in wild type animals and that atypical PrPres generated in vitro is an adequate model for brain-derived atypical PrPres. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-015-0248-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Lou Z, Wang B, Guo C, Wang K, Zhang H, Xu B. Molecular-level insights of early-stage prion protein aggregation on mica and gold surface determined by AFM imaging and molecular simulation. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2015; 135:371-378. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.07.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Müller H, Brener O, Andreoletti O, Piechatzek T, Willbold D, Legname G, Heise H. Progress towards structural understanding of infectious sheep PrP-amyloid. Prion 2015; 8:344-58. [PMID: 25482596 PMCID: PMC4601355 DOI: 10.4161/19336896.2014.983754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The still elusive structural difference of non-infectious and infectious amyloid of the mammalian prion protein (PrP) is a major pending milestone in understanding protein-mediated infectivity in neurodegenerative diseases. Preparations of PrP-amyloid proven to be infectious have never been investigated with a high-resolution technique. All available models to date have been based on low-resolution data. Here, we establish protocols for the preparation of infectious samples of full-length recombinant (rec) PrP-amyloid in NMR-sufficient amounts by spontaneous fibrillation and seeded fibril growth from brain extract. We link biological and structural data of infectious recPrP-amyloid, derived from bioassays, atomic force microscopy, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Our data indicate a semi-mobile N-terminus, some residues with secondary chemical shifts typical of α-helical secondary structure in the middle part between ∼115 to ∼155, and a distinct β-sheet core C-terminal of residue ∼155. These findings are not in agreement with all current models for PrP-amyloid. We also provide evidence that samples seeded from brain extract may not differ in the overall arrangement of secondary structure elements, but rather in the flexibility of protein segments outside the β-core region. Taken together, our protocols provide an essential basis for the high-resolution characterization of non-infectious and infectious PrP-amyloid in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Müller
- a Institute of Complex Systems; ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry; Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) ; Jülich , Germany
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Yuan D, Shi J, Du X, Zhou N, Xu B. Supramolecular Glycosylation Accelerates Proteolytic Degradation of Peptide Nanofibrils. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:10092-5. [PMID: 26237170 PMCID: PMC4941208 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b05888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Despite
the recent consensus that the oligomers of amyloid peptides
or aberrant proteins are cytotoxic species, there is still a need
for an effective way to eliminate the oligomers. Based on the fact
that normal proteins are more glycosylated than pathogenic proteins,
we show that a conjugate of nucleobase, peptide, and saccharide binds
to peptides from molecular nanofibrils and accelerates the proteolytic
degradation of the molecular nanofibrils. As the first example of
the use of supramolecular glycosylation to dissociate molecular nanofibrils
and to accelerate the degradation of peptide aggregates, this work
illustrates a new method that ultimately may lead to an effective
approach for degrading cytotoxic oligomers of peptides or aberrant
proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Xuewen Du
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Ning Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States
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50
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Pan K, Yi CW, Chen J, Liang Y. Zinc significantly changes the aggregation pathway and the conformation of aggregates of human prion protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2015; 1854:907-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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