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Sun X, Ferguson JA, Yang K, Stanfield RL, Dyson HJ, Wright PE. Mispacking of the F87 sidechain drives aggregation-promoting conformational fluctuations in the subunit interfaces of the transthyretin tetramer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582172. [PMID: 38464206 PMCID: PMC10925235 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant formation and deposition of human transthyretin (TTR) aggregates causes transthyretin amyloidosis. To initialize aggregation, transthyretin tetramers must first dissociate into monomers that partially unfold to promote entry into the aggregation pathway. The native TTR tetramer (T) is stabilized by docking of the F87 sidechain into an interfacial cavity enclosed by several hydrophobic residues including A120. We have previously shown that an alternative tetramer (T*) with mispacked F87 sidechains is more prone to dissociation and aggregation than the native T state. However, the molecular basis for the reduced stability in T* remains unclear. Here we report characterization of the A120L mutant, where steric hindrance is introduced into the F87 binding site. The X-ray structure of A120L shows that the F87 sidechain is displaced from its docking site across the subunit interface. In A120S, a naturally occurring pathogenic mutant that is less aggregation-prone than A120L, the F87 sidechain is correctly docked, as in the native TTR tetramer. Nevertheless, 19F-NMR aggregation assays show an elevated population of a monomeric aggregation intermediate in A120S relative to a control containing the native A120, due to accelerated tetramer dissociation and slowed monomer tetramerization. The mispacking of the F87 sidechain is associated with enhanced exchange dynamics for interfacial residues. At 298 K, the T* populations of various naturally occurring mutants fall between 4-7% (ΔG ~ 1.5-1.9 kcal/mol), consistent with the free energy change expected for undocking and solvent exposure of one of the four F87 sidechains in the tetramer (ΔG ~ 1.6 kcal/mol). Our data provide a molecular-level picture of the likely universal F87 sidechain mispacking in tetrameric TTR that promotes interfacial conformational dynamics and increases aggregation propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robyn L. Stanfield
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, U.S
| | - H. Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, U.S
| | - Peter E. Wright
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, U.S
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2
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Leite JP, Costa-Rodrigues D, Gales L. Inhibitors of Transthyretin Amyloidosis: How to Rank Drug Candidates Using X-ray Crystallography Data. Molecules 2024; 29:895. [PMID: 38398647 PMCID: PMC10893244 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29040895] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloidosis is a group of protein misfolding diseases, which include spongiform encephalopathies, Alzheimer's disease and transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis; all of them are characterized by extracellular deposits of an insoluble fibrillar protein. TTR amyloidosis is a highly debilitating and life-threatening disease. Patients carry less stable TTR homotetramers that are prone to dissociation into non-native monomers, which in turn rapidly self-assemble into oligomers and, ultimately, amyloid fibrils. Liver transplantation to induce the production of wild-type TTR was the only therapeutic strategy until recently. A promising approach to ameliorate transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is based on the so-called TTR kinetic stabilizers. More than 1000 TTR stabilizers have already been tested by many research groups, but the diversity of experimental techniques and conditions used hampers an objective prioritization of the compounds. One of the most reliable and unambiguous techniques applied to determine the structures of the TTR/drug complexes is X-ray diffraction. Most of the potential inhibitors bind in the TTR channel and the crystal structures reveal the atomic details of the interaction between the protein and the compound. Here we suggest that the stabilization effect is associated with a compaction of the quaternary structure of the protein and propose a scoring function to rank drugs based on X-ray crystallography data.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P. Leite
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Diogo Costa-Rodrigues
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Gales
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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3
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Sha Q, Zhang Y, Wang M, Sun J, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Wang N, Liu Y, Liu Y. Biochemical and biophysical properties of a rare TTRA81V mutation causing mild transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. ESC Heart Fail 2024; 11:112-125. [PMID: 37827496 PMCID: PMC10804152 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS We conducted a presentation on an 84-year-old male patient who has been diagnosed with TTRA81V (p. TTRA101V) hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (hATTR-CM). In order to establish its pathogenicity, we extensively investigated the biochemical and biophysical properties of the condition. METHODS AND RESULTS Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an increasingly acknowledged progressive infiltrative cardiomyopathy that leads to heart failure and potentially fatal arrhythmias. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of genetically mutated TTR proteins serves as the fundamental cornerstone for delivering precise medical care to individuals affected by ATTR. Laboratory assessments indicated a brain natriuretic peptide of 200.12 ng/L (normal range: 0-100 ng/L) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I of 0.189 μg/L (normal range: 0-0.1 μg/L). Echocardiography identified left atrial enlargement, symmetrical left ventricular hypertrophy (16 mm septal and 16 mm posterior wall), and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 56%. Cardiac-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed subendocardial late gadolinium enhancement. Tc-99m-PYP nuclear scintigraphy confirmed grade 3 myocardial uptake, showing an increased heart-to-contralateral ratio (H/CL = 2.33). Genetic testing revealed a heterozygous missense mutation in the TTR gene (c.302C>T), resulting in an alanine-to-valine residue change (p. Ala81Val, following the first 20 residues of signal sequence nomenclature). Biochemical analysis of this variant displayed compromised kinetic stability in both the TTRA81V:WT (wild-type) heterozygote protein (half-life, t1/2 = 21 h) and the TTRA81V homozygote protein (t1/2 = 17.5 h). The kinetic stability fell between that of the TTRWT (t1/2 = 42 h) and the early-onset TTRL55P mutation (t1/2 = 4.4 h), indicating the patient's late-onset condition. Kinetic stabilizers (Tafamidis, Diflunisal, and AG10) all exhibited the capacity to inhibit TTRA81V acid- and mechanical force-induced fibril formation, albeit less effectively than with TTRWT. Chromatographic assessment of the patient's serum TTR tetramers indicated a slightly lower concentration (3.0 μM) before oral administration of Tafamidis compared with the normal range (3.6-7.2 μM). CONCLUSIONS We identified a patient with hATTR-CM who possesses a rare TTRA81V mutation solely associated with cardiac complications. The slightly reduced kinetic stability of this mutation indicates its late-onset nature and contributes to the gradual progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyan Sha
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical PhysicsChinese Academy of ScienceDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Yanli Zhang
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Mengdie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical PhysicsChinese Academy of ScienceDalianLiaoningChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jialu Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical PhysicsChinese Academy of ScienceDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Yunlong Zhang
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical PhysicsChinese Academy of ScienceDalianLiaoningChina
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of CardiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University222 Zhongshan RoadDalianLiaoningChina
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Wang S, Guan L, Sun Y, Cui L, Guo S, Wang M, Liu Y, Cui X, Zhao F, Zhang Y, Cao Y. An ultra performance liquid chromatography method for transthyretin variants screening and heart failure assisting diagnosis. Clin Chim Acta 2024; 553:117709. [PMID: 38103852 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2023.117709] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transthyretin (TTR) gene mutations are associated with hereditary amyloidosis (ATTR) caused by mutant TTR protein dissociation, misfolding, aggregation, and insoluble fibrils deposition. Herein, we reported a chromatographic approach for quantification and identification of TTR tetramer in human blood serum by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). METHODS TTR proteins and serum were incubated with a fluorescent TTR tetramer sensor (A2). The A2 sensor specifically reacted with tetrameric TTR and released stoichiometric fluorescence that was detected by fluorescence detector coupled to UPLC. The external standard was used for quantification, the chromatographic peak parameters were used to identification certain mutation types. RESULTS UPLC correctly distinguished 18 types of mutant TTR proteins from wild type. The results were consistent with follow-up analysis of two ATTR patients' blood serum samples. In addition, the tetrameric TTR of 30 heart failure (HF) patients showed strongly correlation (r = -0.63, p < 0.00) with NT-proBNP, a HF clinical biomarker. CONCLUSIONS UPLC method has sufficient accuracy to eliminate the necessity of sequencing for certain types of TTR mutations and allows for facile initial screening of ATTR amyloidosis patients, carriers, and healthy individuals for time-saving and economical purposes. TTR tetramer may serve as a diagnostic biomarker to evaluate the risk of HF diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wang
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Liping Guan
- Dalian Boyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Dalian Boyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Li Cui
- Dalian Boyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Shigang Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Chaoyang Central Hospital, Chaoyang 122099, China
| | - Mengdie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Xueting Cui
- Dalian Boyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China; Dalian Runsheng Kangtai Medical Laboratory Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Furong Zhao
- Dalian Boyuan Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Yanjie Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, China
| | - Yunfeng Cao
- Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai 200237, China.
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Inada Y, Ono Y, Okazaki K, Yamashita T, Kawaguchi T, Kawano S, Kobashigawa Y, Shinya S, Kojima C, Shuto T, Kai H, Morioka H, Sato T. Hydrogen bonds connecting the N-terminal region and the DE loop stabilize the monomeric structure of transthyretin. J Biochem 2023; 174:355-370. [PMID: 37400978 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is a homo-tetrameric serum protein associated with sporadic and hereditary systemic amyloidosis. TTR amyloid formation proceeds by the dissociation of the TTR tetramer and the subsequent partial unfolding of the TTR monomer into an aggregation-prone conformation. Although TTR kinetic stabilizers suppress tetramer dissociation, a strategy for stabilizing monomers has not yet been developed. Here, we show that an N-terminal C10S mutation increases the thermodynamic stability of the TTR monomer by forming new hydrogen bond networks through the side chain hydroxyl group of Ser10. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulation revealed that the Ser10 hydroxyl group forms hydrogen bonds with the main chain amide group of either Gly57 or Thr59 on the DE loop. These hydrogen bonds prevent the dissociation of edge strands in the DAGH and CBEF β-sheets during the unfolding of the TTR monomer by stabilizing the interaction between β-strands A and D and the quasi-helical structure in the DE loop. We propose that introducing hydrogen bonds to connect the N-terminal region to the DE loop reduces the amyloidogenic potential of TTR by stabilizing the monomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Inada
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ono
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Kyo Okazaki
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Takuma Yamashita
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Kawaguchi
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Shingo Kawano
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kobashigawa
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Shoko Shinya
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Chojiro Kojima
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Division of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shuto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kai
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Morioka
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | - Takashi Sato
- Department of Analytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
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6
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Kim B, Ko YH, Si J, Na J, Ortore G, Chiellini G, Kim JH. Thyroxine metabolite-derived 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) and synthetic analogs as efficient suppressors of transthyretin amyloidosis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4717-4728. [PMID: 37822560 PMCID: PMC10562617 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation and fibrillization of transthyretin (TTR) is a fatal pathogenic process that can cause cardiomyopathic and polyneuropathic diseases in humans. Although several therapeutic strategies have been designed to prevent and treat related pathological events, there is still an urgent need to develop better strategies to improve potency and wider applicability. Here, we present our study demonstrating that 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) and selected thyronamine-like compounds can effectively prevent TTR aggregation. T1AM is one of the thyroid hormone (TH) metabolites, and T1AM and its analogs, such as SG2, SG6, and SG12, are notable molecules for their beneficial activities against metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and biochemical analysis, we confirmed that T1AM analogs could bind to and suppress acid-induced aggregation of TTR. In addition, we employed computational approaches to further understand the detailed mechanisms of the interaction between T1AM analogs and TTR. This study demonstrates that T1AM analogs, whose beneficial effects against several pathological processes have already been proven, may have additional benefits against TTR aggregation and fibrillization. Moreover, we believe that our work provides invaluable insights to enhance the pleiotropic activity of T1AM and structurally related analogs, relevant for their therapeutic potential, with particular reference to the ability to prevent TTR aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bokyung Kim
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ho Ko
- Center for Self-Assembly and Complexity, Institute for Basic Science, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinbeom Si
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongbum Na
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Jin Hae Kim
- Department of New Biology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
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7
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Zou H, Zhou S. EGCG-Mediated Protection of Transthyretin Amyloidosis by Stabilizing Transthyretin Tetramers and Disrupting Transthyretin Aggregates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14146. [PMID: 37762449 PMCID: PMC10531593 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive and systemic disease caused by the misfolding and amyloid aggregation of transthyretin (TTR). Stabilizing the TTR tetramers and disrupting the formed TTR aggregation are treated as a promising strategy for the treatment of ATTR. Previous studies have reported that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can participate in the whole process of TTR aggregation to prevent ATTR. However, the interaction mechanism of EGCG in this process is still obscure. In this work, we performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interactions between EGCG and TTR tetramers, and between EGCG and TTR aggregates formed by the V30M mutation. The obtained results suggest that EGCG at the binding site of the V30M TTR tetramer can form stable hydrogen bonds with residues in the flexible AB-loop and EF-helix-loop, which reduces the structural mobility of these regions significantly. Additionally, the polyaromatic property of EGCG contributes to the increasement of hydrophobicity at the binding site and thus makes the tetramer difficult to be solvated and dissociated. For V30M-TTR-generated aggregates, EGCG can promote the dissociation of boundary β-strands by destroying key residue interactions of TTR aggregates. Moreover, EGCG is capable of inserting into the side-chain of residues of neighboring β-strands and disrupting the highly structured aggregates. Taken together, this study elucidates the role of EGCG in preventing TTR amyloidosis, which can provide important theoretical support for the future of drug design for ATTR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuangyan Zhou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China;
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8
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Cerofolini L, Vasa K, Bianconi E, Salobehaj M, Cappelli G, Bonciani A, Licciardi G, Pérez-Ràfols A, Padilla-Cortés L, Antonacci S, Rizzo D, Ravera E, Viglianisi C, Calderone V, Parigi G, Luchinat C, Macchiarulo A, Menichetti S, Fragai M. Combining Solid-State NMR with Structural and Biophysical Techniques to Design Challenging Protein-Drug Conjugates. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202303202. [PMID: 37276329 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202303202] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several protein-drug conjugates are currently being used in cancer therapy. These conjugates rely on cytotoxic organic compounds that are covalently attached to the carrier proteins or that interact with them via non-covalent interactions. Human transthyretin (TTR), a physiological protein, has already been identified as a possible carrier protein for the delivery of cytotoxic drugs. Here we show the structure-guided development of a new stable cytotoxic molecule based on a known strong binder of TTR and a well-established anticancer drug. This example is used to demonstrate the importance of the integration of multiple biophysical and structural techniques, encompassing microscale thermophoresis, X-ray crystallography and NMR. In particular, we show that solid-state NMR has the ability to reveal effects caused by ligand binding which are more easily relatable to structural and dynamical alterations that impact the stability of macromolecular complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Cerofolini
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Kristian Vasa
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Elisa Bianconi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Fabretti n.48, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Salobehaj
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giulia Cappelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Alice Bonciani
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giulia Licciardi
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Anna Pérez-Ràfols
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Giotto Biotech s.r.l, Sesto Fiorentino, Via della Madonna del Piano 6, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Luis Padilla-Cortés
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Sabrina Antonacci
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Domenico Rizzo
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Enrico Ravera
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Caterina Viglianisi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Vito Calderone
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giacomo Parigi
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Claudio Luchinat
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Giotto Biotech s.r.l, Sesto Fiorentino, Via della Madonna del Piano 6, 50019, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Macchiarulo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Fabretti n.48, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Stefano Menichetti
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Marco Fragai
- Magnetic Resonance Centre (CERM), University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche di Metalloproteine (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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9
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Wang Y, Huang C, Liou G, Hsueh H, Liang C, Tseng H, Huang S, Chao C, Hsieh S, Tzeng S. A molecular basis for tetramer destabilization and aggregation of transthyretin Ala97Ser. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4610. [PMID: 36851846 PMCID: PMC10037696 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR)-related amyloidosis (ATTR) is a syndrome of diseases characterized by the extracellular deposition of fibrillar materials containing TTR variants. Ala97Ser (A97S) is the major mutation reported in Taiwanese ATTR patients. Here, we combine atomic resolution structural information together with the biochemical data to demonstrate that substitution of polar Ser for a small hydrophobic side chain of Ala at residue 97 of TTR largely influences the local packing density of the FG-loop, thus leading to the conformational instability of native tetramer, the increased monomeric species, and thus the enhanced amyloidogenicity of apo-A97S. Based on calorimetric studies, the tetramer destabilization of A97S can be substantially altered by interacting with native stabilizers via similarly energetic patterns compared to that of wild-type (WT) TTR; however, stabilizer binding partially rearranges the networks of hydrogen bonding in TTR variants while FG-loops of tetrameric A97S still remain relatively flexible. Moreover, TTR in complexed with holo-retinol binding protein 4 is slightly influenced by the structural and dynamic changes of FG-loop caused by A97S substitution with an approximately five-fold difference in binding affinity. Collectively, our findings suggest that the amyloidogenic A97S mutation destabilizes TTR by increasing the flexibility of the FG-loop in the monomer, thus modulating the rate of amyloid fibrillization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi‐Shiang Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chun‐Hsiang Huang
- Protein diffraction group, Experimental instrumentation divisionNational Synchrotron Radiation Research CenterHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Gunn‐Guang Liou
- Office of Research and Development, College of MedicineNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Hsueh‐Wen Hsueh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of MedicineNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chi‐Ting Liang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Hsi‐Ching Tseng
- Instrumentation CenterNational Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | - Chi‐Chao Chao
- Department of NeurologyNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Sung‐Tsang Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind SciencesTaipeiTaiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical MedicineTaipeiTaiwan
- Center of Precision MedicineNational Taiwan University College of MedicineTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shiou‐Ru Tzeng
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCollege of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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10
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Sun X, Dyson HJ, Wright PE. Role of conformational dynamics in pathogenic protein aggregation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 73:102280. [PMID: 36878172 PMCID: PMC10033434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of pathogenic protein oligomers and aggregates is associated with several devastating amyloid diseases. As protein aggregation is a multi-step nucleation-dependent process beginning with unfolding or misfolding of the native state, it is important to understand how innate protein dynamics influence aggregation propensity. Kinetic intermediates composed of heterogeneous ensembles of oligomers are frequently formed on the aggregation pathway. Characterization of the structure and dynamics of these intermediates is critical to the understanding of amyloid diseases since oligomers appear to be the main cytotoxic agents. In this review, we highlight recent biophysical studies of the roles of protein dynamics in driving pathogenic protein aggregation, yielding new mechanistic insights that can be leveraged for design of aggregation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Sun
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - H Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peter E Wright
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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11
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Jiang M, Wang M, Tao Z, Chai Y, Liu Q, Lu Q, Wu Q, Ying X, Huang Y, Nie Y, Tang Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, Pu J. Biochemical and biophysical properties of an unreported T96R mutation causing transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. Amyloid 2022:1-11. [PMID: 36350689 DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2022.2142109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We presented an unreported T96R mutation induced transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR). The biochemical and biophysical properties were explored to support its pathogenicity. BACKGROUND Understanding the biochemical and biophysical nature of genetically mutated transthyretin (TTR) proteins is key to provide precise medical cares for ATTR patients. RESULTS Genetic testing showed heterozygosity for the T96R pathogenic variant c.347C > G (ATTR p.T116R) after myocardial biopsy confirmed amyloid deposition. Biochemical characterizations revealed slight perturbation of its thermodynamic stability (Cm=3.7 M for T96R, 3.4 M for WT and 2.3 M for L55P (commonly studied TTR mutant)) and kinetic stability (t1/2=39.8 h for T96R, 42 h for WT and 4.4 h in L55P). Crosslinking experiment demonstrated heterozygous subunit exchange between wild-type and TTR T96R protein destabilized the tetramer. Inhibitory effect of tafamidis and diflunisal on TTR T96R fibril formation was slightly less effective compared to WT and L55P. CONCLUSIONS A novel T96R mutation was identified for TTR protein. Biochemical and biophysical analyses revealed slightly destabilized kinetic stability. T96R mutation destabilized heterozygous protein but not proteolytic degradation, explaining its pathogenicity. Inhibitory effect of small molecule drugs on T96R mutation was different, suggesting personalized treatment may be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengdie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyu Tao
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yezi Chai
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiming Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qifan Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qizhen Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Ying
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Nie
- School of Science, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Tang
- School of Science, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- School of Science, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, China
| | - Jun Pu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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12
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Sanguinetti C, Minniti M, Susini V, Caponi L, Panichella G, Castiglione V, Aimo A, Emdin M, Vergaro G, Franzini M. The Journey of Human Transthyretin: Synthesis, Structure Stability, and Catabolism. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081906. [PMID: 36009453 PMCID: PMC9405911 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is a homotetrameric protein mainly synthesised by the liver and the choroid plexus whose function is to carry the thyroid hormone thyroxine and the retinol-binding protein bound to retinol in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. When the stability of the tetrameric structure is lost, it breaks down, paving the way for the aggregation of TTR monomers into insoluble fibrils leading to transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis, a progressive disorder mainly affecting the heart and nervous system. Several TTR gene mutations have been characterised as destabilisers of TTR structure and are associated with hereditary forms of ATTR amyloidosis. The reason why also the wild-type TTR is intrinsically amyloidogenic in some subjects is largely unknown. The aim of the review is to give an overview of the TTR biological life cycle which is largely unknown. For this purpose, the current knowledge on TTR physiological metabolism, from its synthesis to its catabolism, is described. Furthermore, a large section of the review is dedicated to examining in depth the role of mutations and physiological ligands on the stability of TTR tetramers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Sanguinetti
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marianna Minniti
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vanessa Susini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Caponi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giorgia Panichella
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Castiglione
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Aimo
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michele Emdin
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vergaro
- “Health Science” Interdisciplinary Research Center, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Franzini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence:
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13
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Sun X, Ferguson JA, Dyson HJ, Wright PE. A transthyretin monomer intermediate undergoes local unfolding and transient interaction with oligomers in a kinetically concerted aggregation pathway. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102162. [PMID: 35724960 PMCID: PMC9293765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is associated with tissue deposition of TTR aggregates. TTR aggregation is initiated by dissociation of the native tetramer to form a monomeric intermediate, which locally unfolds and assembles into soluble oligomers and higher-order aggregates. However, a detailed mechanistic understanding requires kinetic and structural characterization of the low-population intermediates formed. Here we show that the monomeric intermediate exchanges with an ensemble of oligomers on the millisecond timescale. This transient and reversible exchange causes broadening of the 19F resonance of a trifluoromethyl probe coupled to the monomeric intermediate at S85C. We show the 19F linewidth and R2 relaxation rate increase in a linear manner with increasing concentration of the oligomer. Furthermore, introduction of 19F probes at additional TTR sites yielded distinct 19F chemical shifts for the TTR tetramer and monomer when the trifluoromethyl probe was attached at S100C, located near the same subunit interface as S85C, but not with probes attached at S46C or E63C, which are distant from any interfaces. The 19F probe at E63C shows that part of the DE loop, which is solvent-accessible in the tetramer, becomes more buried in the NMR-visible oligomers. Finally, using backbone amides as probes, we show that parts of the EF helix and H strand become highly flexible in the otherwise structured monomeric intermediate at acidic pH. We further find that TTR aggregation can be reversed by increasing pH. Taken together, this work provides insights into location-dependent conformational changes in the reversible early steps of a kinetically-concerted TTR aggregation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Sun
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - James A Ferguson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - H Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Peter E Wright
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
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14
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Gao L, Xie X, Liu P, Jin J. High-avidity binding drives nucleation of amyloidogenic transthyretin monomer. JCI Insight 2022; 7:150131. [PMID: 35393947 PMCID: PMC9057628 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloidosis involves stepwise growth of fibrils assembled from soluble precursors. Transthyretin (TTR) naturally folds into a stable tetramer, whereas conditions and mutations that foster aberrant monomer formations facilitate TTR oligomeric aggregation and subsequent fibril extension. We investigated the early assembly of oligomers by WT TTR compared with its V30M and V122I variants. We monitored time-dependent redistribution among monomer, dimer, tetramer, and oligomer contents in the presence and absence of multimeric TTR seeds. The seeds were artificially constructed recombinant multimers that contained 20–40 TTR subunits via engineered biotin-streptavidin (SA) interactions. As expected, these multimer seeds rapidly nucleated TTR monomers into larger complexes, while having less effect on dimers and tetramers. In vivo, SA-induced multimers formed TTR-like deposits in the heart and the kidney following i.v. injection in mice. While all 3 variants prominently deposited glomerulus in the kidney, only V30M resulted in extensive deposition in the heart. The cardiac TTR deposits varied in size and shape and were localized in the intermyofibrillar space along the capillaries. These results are consistent with the notion of monomeric TTR engaging in high-avidity interactions with tissue amyloids. Our multimeric induction approach provides a model for studying the initiation of TTR deposition in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gao
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Cardiology, and
| | - Xinfang Xie
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pan Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jing Jin
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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15
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Gonzalez-Duarte A, Ulloa-Aguirre A. A Brief Journey through Protein Misfolding in Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR Amyloidosis). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222313158. [PMID: 34884963 PMCID: PMC8658192 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidogenesis involves the formation, aggregation, and deposition of amyloid fibrils from tetrameric TTR in different organs and tissues. While the result of amyloidoses is the accumulation of amyloid fibrils resulting in end-organ damage, the nature, and sequence of the molecular causes leading to amyloidosis may differ between the different variants. In addition, fibril accumulation and toxicity vary between different mutations. Structural changes in amyloidogenic TTR have been difficult to identify through X-ray crystallography; but nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has revealed different chemical shifts in the backbone structure of mutated and wild-type TTR, resulting in diverse responses to the cellular conditions or proteolytic stress. Toxic mechanisms of TTR amyloidosis have different effects on different tissues. Therapeutic approaches have evolved from orthotopic liver transplants to novel disease-modifying therapies that stabilize TTR tetramers and gene-silencing agents like small interfering RNA and antisense oligonucleotide therapies. The underlying molecular mechanisms of the different TTR variants could be responsible for the tropisms to specific organs, the age at onset, treatment responses, or disparities in the prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Gonzalez-Duarte
- Departamento de Neurología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Col. Belisario Dominguez Sección XV, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
- Correspondence:
| | - Alfredo Ulloa-Aguirre
- Red de Apoyo a la Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 14080, Mexico;
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16
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Huang Y, Bai Y, Jin W, Shen D, Lyu H, Zeng L, Wang M, Liu Y. Common Pitfalls and Recommendations for Using a Turbidity Assay to Study Protein Phase Separation. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2447-2456. [PMID: 34369156 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The turbidity assay is commonly exploited to study protein liquid-to-liquid phase separation (LLPS) or liquid-to-solid phase separation (LSPS) processes in biochemical analyses. Herein, we present common pitfalls of this assay caused by exceeding the detection linear range. We showed that aggregated proteins of high concentration and large particle size can lead to inaccurate quantification in multiple applications, including the optical density measurement, the thermal shift assay, and the dynamic light scattering experiment. Finally, we demonstrated that a simple sample dilution of insoluble aggregated protein (LSPS) samples or direct imaging of liquid droplets (LLPS) can address these issues and improve the accuracy of the turbidity assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Yulong Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenhan Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Di Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Haochen Lyu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Lianggang Zeng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
| | - Mengdie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
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17
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Methods to study the structure of misfolded protein states in systemic amyloidosis. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:977-985. [PMID: 33929491 DOI: 10.1042/bst20201022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Systemic amyloidosis is defined as a protein misfolding disease in which the amyloid is not necessarily deposited within the same organ that produces the fibril precursor protein. There are different types of systemic amyloidosis, depending on the protein constructing the fibrils. This review will focus on recent advances made in the understanding of the structural basis of three major forms of systemic amyloidosis: systemic AA, AL and ATTR amyloidosis. The three diseases arise from the misfolding of serum amyloid A protein, immunoglobulin light chains or transthyretin. The presented advances in understanding were enabled by recent progress in the methodology available to study amyloid structures and protein misfolding, in particular concerning cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. An important observation made with these techniques is that the structures of previously described in vitro formed amyloid fibrils did not correlate with the structures of amyloid fibrils extracted from diseased tissue, and that in vitro fibrils were typically more protease sensitive. It is thus possible that ex vivo fibrils were selected in vivo by their proteolytic stability.
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18
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Transthyretin Misfolding, A Fatal Structural Pathogenesis Mechanism. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094429. [PMID: 33922648 PMCID: PMC8122960 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is an essential transporter of a thyroid hormone and a holo-retinol binding protein, found abundantly in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, this protein is infamous for its amyloidogenic propensity, causing various amyloidoses in humans, such as senile systemic amyloidosis, familial amyloid polyneuropathy, and familial amyloid cardiomyopathy. It has been known for over two decades that decreased stability of the native tetrameric conformation of TTR is the main cause of these diseases. Yet, mechanistic details on the amyloidogenic transformation of TTR were not clear until recent multidisciplinary investigations on various structural states of TTR. In this review, we discuss recent advancements in the structural understanding of TTR misfolding and amyloidosis processes. Special emphasis has been laid on the observations of novel structural features in various amyloidogenic species of TTR. In addition, proteolysis-induced fragmentation of TTR, a recently proposed mechanism facilitating TTR amyloidosis, has been discussed in light of its structural consequences and relevance to acknowledge the amyloidogenicity of TTR.
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19
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Diphenyl-Methane Based Thyromimetic Inhibitors for Transthyretin Amyloidosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073488. [PMID: 33800546 PMCID: PMC8038088 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyromimetics, whose physicochemical characteristics are analog to thyroid hormones (THs) and their derivatives, are promising candidates as novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative and metabolic pathologies. In particular, sobetirome (GC-1), one of the initial halogen-free thyromimetics, and newly synthesized IS25 and TG68, with optimized ADME-Tox profile, have recently attracted attention owing to their superior therapeutic benefits, selectivity, and enhanced permeability. Here, we further explored the functional capabilities of these thyromimetics to inhibit transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis. TTR is a homotetrameric transporter protein for THs, yet it is also responsible for severe amyloid fibril formation, which is facilitated by tetramer dissociation into non-native monomers. By combining nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, computational simulation, and biochemical assays, we found that GC-1 and newly designed diphenyl-methane-based thyromimetics, namely IS25 and TG68, are TTR stabilizers and efficient suppressors of TTR aggregation. Based on these observations, we propose the novel potential of thyromimetics as a multi-functional therapeutic molecule for TTR-related pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases.
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20
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Wasana Jayaweera S, Surano S, Pettersson N, Oskarsson E, Lettius L, Gharibyan AL, Anan I, Olofsson A. Mechanisms of Transthyretin Inhibition of IAPP Amyloid Formation. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030411. [PMID: 33802170 PMCID: PMC8001701 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-formation by the islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), produced by the β-cells in the human pancreas, has been associated with the development of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The human plasma-protein transthyretin (TTR), a well-known amyloid-inhibiting protein, is interestingly also expressed within the IAPP producing β-cells. In the present study, we have characterized the ability of TTR to interfere with IAPP amyloid-formation, both in terms of its intrinsic stability as well as with regard to the effect of TTR-stabilizing drugs. The results show that TTR can prolong the lag-phase as well as impair elongation in the course of IAPP-amyloid formation. We also show that the interfering ability correlates inversely with the thermodynamic stability of TTR, while no such correlation was observed as a function of kinetic stability. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ability of TTR to interfere is maintained also at the low pH environment within the IAPP-containing granules of the pancreatic β-cells. However, at both neutral and low pH, the addition of TTR-stabilizing drugs partly impaired its efficacy. Taken together, these results expose mechanisms of TTR-mediated inhibition of IAPP amyloid-formation and highlights a potential therapeutic target to prevent the onset of T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanduni Wasana Jayaweera
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Solmaz Surano
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Nina Pettersson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Elvira Oskarsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Lovisa Lettius
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Anna L. Gharibyan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Intissar Anan
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden;
| | - Anders Olofsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; (S.W.J.); (S.S.); (N.P.); (E.O.); (L.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-70-354-3301
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21
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He S, He X, Liu L, Zhang W, Yu L, Deng Z, Feiyi Z, Mo S, Fan Y, Zhao X, Wang L, Wang C, Zhang S. The Structural Understanding of Transthyretin Misfolding and the Inspired Drug Approaches for the Treatment of Heart Failure Associated With Transthyretin Amyloidosis. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:628184. [PMID: 33679409 PMCID: PMC7930814 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.628184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Substantial controversies exist in the exploration of the molecular mechanism of heart failure (HF) and pose challenges to the diagnosis of HF and the discovery of specific drugs for the treatment. Recently, cardiac transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is becoming recognized as one of major causes of underdiagnosed HF. The investigation and modulation of TTR misfolding and amyloidal aggregation open up a new revenue to reveal the molecular mechanisms of HF and provide new possibilities for the treatment of HF. The aim of this review is to briefly introduce the recent advances in the study of TTR native and misfolding structures, discuss the correlation between the genotype and phenotype of cardiac TTR amyloidosis, and summarize the therapeutic applications of TTR structural stabilizers in the treatment of TTR amyloidosis-associated HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan He
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyue He
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lanlan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhun Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhang Feiyi
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Institute for Advanced Materials, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Shanshan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Fan
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lun Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenxuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuyang Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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22
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Criddle RS, Lin HJL, James I, Park JS, Hansen LD, Price JC. Proposing a minimal set of metrics and methods to predict probabilities of amyloidosis disease and onset age in individuals. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:22356-22369. [PMID: 33203794 PMCID: PMC7746394 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Many amyloid-driven pathologies have both genetic and stochastic components where assessing risk of disease development requires a multifactorial assessment where many of the variables are poorly understood. Risk of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis is enhanced by age and mutation of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, but amyloidosis is not directly initiated by mutated TTR proteins. Nearly all of the 150+ known mutations increase dissociation of the homotetrameric protein structure and increase the probability of an individual developing a TTR amyloid disease late in life. TTR amyloidosis is caused by dissociated monomers that are destabilized and refold into an amyloidogenic form. Therefore, monomer concentration, monomer proteolysis rate, and structural stability are key variables that may determine the rate of development of amyloidosis. Here we develop a unifying biophysical model that quantifies the relationships among these variables in plasma and suggest the probability of an individual developing a TTR amyloid disease can be estimated. This may allow quantification of risk for amyloidosis and provide the information necessary for development of methods for early diagnosis and prevention. Given the similar observation of genetic and sporadic amyloidoses for other diseases, this model and the measurements to assess risk may be applicable to more proteins than just TTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard S. Criddle
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Hsien-Jung L. Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Isabella James
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Ji Sun Park
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Lee D. Hansen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - John C. Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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23
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Childers MC, Daggett V. Edge Strand Dissociation and Conformational Changes in Transthyretin under Amyloidogenic Conditions. Biophys J 2020; 119:1995-2009. [PMID: 33091379 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
During amyloidogenesis, proteins undergo conformational changes that allow them to aggregate and assemble into insoluble, fibrillar structures. Soluble oligomers that form during this process typically contain 2-24 monomeric subunits and are cytotoxic. Before the formation of these soluble oligomers, monomeric species first adopt aggregation-competent conformations. Knowledge of the structures of these intermediate states is invaluable to the development of molecular strategies to arrest pathological amyloid aggregation. However, the highly dynamic and interconverting nature of amyloidogenic species limits biophysical characterization of their structures during amyloidogenesis. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to probe conformations sampled by monomeric transthyretin under amyloidogenic conditions. We show that certain β-strands in transthyretin tend to unfold and sample nonnative conformations and that the edge strands in one β-sheet (the DAGH sheet) are particularly susceptible to conformational changes in the monomeric state. We also find that changes in the tertiary structure of transthyretin can be associated with disruptions to the secondary structure. We evaluated the conformations produced by molecular dynamics by calculating how well molecular-dynamics-derived structures reproduced NMR-derived interatomic distances. Finally, we leverage our computational results to produce experimentally testable hypotheses that may aid experimental explorations of pathological conformations of transthyretin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Childers
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Valerie Daggett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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24
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Alderson TR, Kay LE. Unveiling invisible protein states with NMR spectroscopy. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:39-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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25
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Sheng J, Olrichs NK, Geerts WJ, Kaloyanova DV, Helms JB. Metal ions and redox balance regulate distinct amyloid-like aggregation pathways of GAPR-1. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15048. [PMID: 31636315 PMCID: PMC6803662 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51232-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the CAP superfamily (Cysteine-rich secretory proteins, Antigen 5, and Pathogenesis-Related 1 proteins) are characterized by the presence of a structurally conserved CAP domain. The common structure-function relationship of this domain is still poorly understood. In this study, we unravel specific molecular mechanisms modulating the quaternary structure of the mammalian CAP protein GAPR-1 (Golgi-Associated plant Pathogenesis-Related protein 1). Copper ions are shown to induce a distinct amyloid-like aggregation pathway of GAPR-1 in the presence of heparin. This involves an immediate shift from native multimers to monomers which are prone to form amyloid-like fibrils. The Cu2+-induced aggregation pathway is independent of a conserved metal-binding site and involves the formation of disulfide bonds during the nucleation process. The elongation process occurs independently of the presence of Cu2+ ions, and amyloid-like aggregation can proceed under oxidative conditions. In contrast, the Zn2+-dependent aggregation pathway was found to be independent of cysteines and was reversible upon removal of Zn2+ ions. Together, our results provide insight into the regulation of the quaternary structure of GAPR-1 by metal ions and redox homeostasis with potential implications for regulatory mechanisms of other CAP proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Sheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nick K Olrichs
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willie J Geerts
- Biomolecular Imaging, Bijvoet Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dora V Kaloyanova
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J Bernd Helms
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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26
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Liu YT, Yen YJ, Ricardo F, Chang Y, Wu PH, Huang SJ, Lin KP, Yu TY. Biophysical characterization and modulation of Transthyretin Ala97Ser. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:1961-1970. [PMID: 31502419 PMCID: PMC6801203 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.50887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Ala97Ser (A97S) is the major transthyretin (TTR) mutation in Taiwanese patients of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP), characterized by a late‐onset but rapidly deteriorated neuropathy. Tafamidis can restore the stability of some mutant TTR tetramers and slow down the progression of TTR‐FAP. However, there is little understanding of the biophysical features of A97S‐TTR mutant and the pharmacological modulation effect of tafamidis on it. This study aims to delineate the biophysical characteristics of A97S‐TTR and the pharmacological modulation effect of tafamidis on this mutant. Method The stability of TTR tetramers was assessed by urea denaturation and differential scanning calorimetry. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to measure the binding constant of tafamidis to TTR. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) titration experiment was used to map out the tafamidis binding site. Results Chemical and thermal denaturation confirmed the destabilization effect of A97S. Consistent with other the amyloidogenic mutant, A97S‐TTR has slightly lower conformational stability. NMR revealed the binding site of A97S‐TTR with tafamidis is at the thyroxine binding pocket. The ITC experiments documented the high affinity of the binding which can effectively stabilize the A97S‐TTR tetramer. Interpretation This study confirmed the structural modulation effect of tafamidis on A97S‐TTR and implied the potential therapeutic benefit of tafamidis for A97S TTR‐FAP. This approach can be applied to investigate the modulation effect of tafamidis on other rare TTR variants and help to make individualized choices of available treatments for FAP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo-Tsen Liu
- Division of Epilepsy, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Jung Yen
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Frans Ricardo
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu Chang
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Hao Wu
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shing-Jong Huang
- Instrumentation Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kon-Ping Lin
- National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Peripheral Nervous System Disorders, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsyr-Yan Yu
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,International Graduate Program of Molecular Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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27
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Corazza A, Verona G, Waudby CA, Mangione PP, Bingham R, Uings I, Canetti D, Nocerino P, Taylor GW, Pepys MB, Christodoulou J, Bellotti V. Binding of Monovalent and Bivalent Ligands by Transthyretin Causes Different Short- and Long-Distance Conformational Changes. J Med Chem 2019; 62:8274-8283. [PMID: 31393717 PMCID: PMC6863598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The wild type protein,
transthyretin (TTR), and over 120 genetic
TTR variants are amyloidogenic and cause, respectively, sporadic and
hereditary systemic TTR amyloidosis. The homotetrameric TTR contains
two identical thyroxine binding pockets, occupation of which by specific
ligands can inhibit TTR amyloidogenesis in vitro. Ligand binding stabilizes
the tetramer, inhibiting its proteolytic cleavage and its dissociation.
Here, we show with solution-state NMR that ligand binding induces
long-distance conformational changes in the TTR that have not previously
been detected by X-ray crystallography, consistently with the inhibition
of the cleavage of the DE loop. The NMR findings, coupled with surface
plasmon resonance measurements, have identified dynamic exchange processes
underlying the negative cooperativity of binding of “monovalent”
ligand tafamidis. In contrast, mds84, our prototypic “bivalent”
ligand, which is a more potent stabilizer of TTR in vitro that occupies
both thyroxine pockets and the intramolecular channel between them,
has greater structural effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Corazza
- Department of Medicine (DAME) , University of Udine , Udine 33100 , Italy.,Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K.,Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi , Roma 00136 , Italy
| | - Guglielmo Verona
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K
| | - Christopher A Waudby
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , University College London , London WC1E 6BT , U.K.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , Birkbeck College , London WC1E 7HX , U.K
| | - P Patrizia Mangione
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry , University of Pavia , Pavia 27100 , Italy
| | - Ryan Bingham
- GSK Medicines Research Centre , Stevenage , Hertfordshire SG1 2NY , U.K
| | - Iain Uings
- GSK Medicines Research Centre , Stevenage , Hertfordshire SG1 2NY , U.K
| | - Diana Canetti
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K
| | - Paola Nocerino
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K
| | - Graham W Taylor
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K
| | - Mark B Pepys
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K.,National Amyloidosis Centre , University College London and Royal Free Hospital , London NW3 2PF , U.K
| | - John Christodoulou
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , University College London , London WC1E 6BT , U.K.,Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology , Birkbeck College , London WC1E 7HX , U.K
| | - Vittorio Bellotti
- Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit, Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins, Division of Medicine , University College London , London NW3 2PF , U.K.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry , University of Pavia , Pavia 27100 , Italy
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28
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Hinderhofer K, Obermaier C, Hegenbart U, Schönland S, Seidler M, Sommer-Ort I, Barth U. New sequence variants in patients affected by amyloidosis show transthyretin instability by isoelectric focusing. Amyloid 2019; 26:85-93. [PMID: 31074293 DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2019.1598358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The plasma protein transthyretin (TTR) can aggregate into insoluble amyloid fibrils causing systemic amyloidosis (ATTR amyloidosis) in patients carrying a variant TTR protein. If new variants arise, it is crucial to clarify whether they are disease-associated or benign. In this study, we further functionally characterize three new and unclassified TTR variants (Thr40Asn, Phe64Val and the described but not functionally assessed variant Leu12Val), using a simplified, fast isoelectric focusing (IEF) approach. After validating the system with known TTR variants, we assessed the sera of five patients carrying these new TTR variants in a heterozygous state. All three variants showed aberrant banding patterns that were similar to those of other well-characterized TTR variants, including the common Val30Met variant that causes ATTR amyloidosis. In addition to a clear band corresponding to monomeric wild-type TTR, we observed an additional variant band at the cathodal side of the IEF gel. These results indicate conformational instability of the new Thr40Asn, Phe64Val and Leu12Val variants. Together with the clinical and immunohistological data of these patients and affected family members, as well as the absence of these variants in human genetic mutation databases, our results strongly hint that these variants are amyloidogenic and therefore probably disease-associated. These findings have implications for patient therapy and for genetic counselling of family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Hinderhofer
- a Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital , Heidelberg , Germany
| | | | - Ute Hegenbart
- c Department of Medicine V (Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology), Amyloidosis Center Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Stefan Schönland
- c Department of Medicine V (Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology), Amyloidosis Center Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Marc Seidler
- b SERVA Electrophoresis GmbH , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Iris Sommer-Ort
- a Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital , Heidelberg , Germany
| | - Ulrike Barth
- a Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital , Heidelberg , Germany
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