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Shaham-Niv S, Ezra A, Zaguri D, Shotan SR, Haimov E, Engel H, Brider T, Simhaev L, Barr HM, Adler-Abramovich L, Gazit E. Targeting phenylalanine assemblies as a prospective disease-modifying therapy for phenylketonuria. Biophys Chem 2024; 308:107215. [PMID: 38432113 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107215] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Phenylketonuria is characterized by the accumulation of phenylalanine, resulting in severe cognitive and neurological disorders if not treated by a remarkably strict diet. There are two approved drugs today, yet both provide only a partial solution. We have previously demonstrated the formation of amyloid-like toxic assemblies by aggregation of phenylalanine, suggesting a new therapeutic target to be further pursued. Moreover, we showed that compounds that halt the formation of these assemblies also prevent their resulting toxicity. Here, we performed high-throughput screening, searching for compounds with inhibitory effects on phenylalanine aggregation. Morin hydrate, one of the most promising hits revealed during the screen, was chosen to be tested in vivo using a phenylketonuria mouse model. Morin hydrate significantly improved cognitive and motor function with a reduction in the number of phenylalanine brain deposits. Moreover, while phenylalanine levels remained high, we observed a recovery in dopaminergic, adrenergic, and neuronal markers. To conclude, the ability of Morin hydrate to halt phenylalanine aggregation without reducing phenylalanine levels implies the toxic role of the phenylalanine assemblies in phenylketonuria and opens new avenues for disease-modifying treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Shaham-Niv
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Assaf Ezra
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Dor Zaguri
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Stav Roni Shotan
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Elvira Haimov
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Hamutal Engel
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Tamara Brider
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Luba Simhaev
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Haim Michael Barr
- Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Lihi Adler-Abramovich
- Department of Oral Biology, The Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
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2
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Kudo R, Samitsu S, Mori H. Self-healing amino acid-bearing acrylamides/ n-butyl acrylate copolymers via multiple noncovalent bonds. RSC Adv 2024; 14:7850-7857. [PMID: 38449826 PMCID: PMC10915467 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00800f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Four amino acid-bearing acrylamides, N-acryloyl-l-threonine (AThrOH), N-acryloyl-l-glutamic acid (AGluOH), N-acryloyl-l-phenylalanine (APheOH), and N-acryloyl-l, l-diphenylalanine (APhePheOH), were selected for copolymerization with n-butyl acrylate (nBA) to develop amino acid-based self-healable copolymers. A series of copolymers comprising amino acid-bearing acrylamides and nBA with tunable comonomer compositions and molecular weights were synthesized by free radical and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer copolymerization. Self-healing and mechanical properties originated from the noncovalent bonds between the carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amide groups, and π-π stacking interactions among the amino acid residues in the side chains were evaluated. Among these copolymers, P(nBA-co-AGluOH) with suitable comonomer compositions and molecular weights (nBA : AGluOH = 82 : 18, Mn = 18 300, Mw/Mn = 2.58) exhibited good mechanical properties (modulus of toughness = 17.3 MJ m-3) and self-healing under ambient conditions. The multiple noncovalent bonds of P(nBA-co-AGluOH)s were also efficient in improving the optical properties with an enhanced refractive index and good transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Kudo
- Department of Organic Material Science, Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University 4-3-16, Jonan Yonezawa City Yamagata Prefecture 992-8510 Japan
| | - Sadaki Samitsu
- National Institute for Materials Science 1-2-1, Sengen Tsukuba 305-0047 Japan
| | - Hideharu Mori
- Department of Organic Material Science, Graduate School of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University 4-3-16, Jonan Yonezawa City Yamagata Prefecture 992-8510 Japan
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3
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Mclean B, Ratcliffe J, Parker BJ, Field EH, Hughes SJ, Cutter SW, Iseppi KJ, Cameron NR, Binger KJ, Reynolds NP. Composite Bioprinted Hydrogels Containing Porous Polymer Microparticles Provide Tailorable Mechanical Properties for 3D Cell Culture. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:829-837. [PMID: 38173238 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical and architectural properties of the three-dimensional (3D) tissue microenvironment can have large impacts on cellular behavior and phenotype, providing cells with specialized functions dependent on their location. This is especially apparent in macrophage biology where the function of tissue resident macrophages is highly specialized to their location. 3D bioprinting provides a convenient method of fabricating biomaterials that mimic specific tissue architectures. If these printable materials also possess tunable mechanical properties, they would be highly attractive for the study of macrophage behavior in different tissues. Currently, it is difficult to achieve mechanical tunability without sacrificing printability, scaffold porosity, and a loss in cell viability. Here, we have designed composite printable biomaterials composed of traditional hydrogels [nanofibrillar cellulose (cellulose) or methacrylated gelatin (gelMA)] mixed with porous polymeric high internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE) microparticles. By varying the ratio of polyHIPEs to hydrogel, we fabricate composite hydrogels that mimic the mechanical properties of the neural tissue (0.1-0.5 kPa), liver (1 kPa), lungs (5 kPa), and skin (10 kPa) while maintaining good levels of biocompatibility to a macrophage cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Mclean
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Julian Ratcliffe
- Bioimaging Platform, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Bradyn J Parker
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Emily H Field
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Sarah J Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Sean W Cutter
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Kyle J Iseppi
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Neil R Cameron
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Katrina J Binger
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Reynolds
- Department of Biochemistry & Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
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4
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Li T, Kambanis J, Sorenson TL, Sunde M, Shen Y. From Fundamental Amyloid Protein Self-Assembly to Development of Bioplastics. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5-23. [PMID: 38147506 PMCID: PMC10777412 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Proteins can self-assemble into a range of nanostructures as a result of molecular interactions. Amyloid nanofibrils, as one of them, were first discovered with regard to the relevance of neurodegenerative diseases but now have been exploited as building blocks to generate multiscale materials with designed functions for versatile applications. This review interconnects the mechanism of amyloid fibrillation, the current approaches to synthesizing amyloid protein-based materials, and the application in bioplastic development. We focus on the fundamental structures of self-assembled amyloid fibrils and how external factors can affect protein aggregation to optimize the process. Protein self-assembly is essentially the autonomous congregation of smaller protein units into larger, organized structures. Since the properties of the self-assembly can be manipulated by changing intrinsic factors and external conditions, protein self-assembly serves as an excellent building block for bioplastic development. Building on these principles, general processing methods and pathways from raw protein sources to mature state materials are proposed, providing a guide for the development of large-scale production. Additionally, this review discusses the diverse properties of protein-based amyloid nanofibrils and how they can be utilized as bioplastics. The economic feasibility of the protein bioplastics is also compared to conventional plastics in large-scale production scenarios, supporting their potential as sustainable bioplastics for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchen Li
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, PNR Building, Darlington NSW 2008, Australia
| | - Jordan Kambanis
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, PNR Building, Darlington NSW 2008, Australia
| | - Timothy L. Sorenson
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, PNR Building, Darlington NSW 2008, Australia
| | - Margaret Sunde
- School
of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, The
University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Yi Shen
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Sydney Nano, The University of Sydney, PNR Building, Darlington NSW 2008, Australia
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5
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Li Y, Chen L, Xu Y, Li S, Yan H, Chen T, Hua Z, Wu D, Zhao R, Hu J. Helical-Like Assembly of Nateglinide as Coating for Oral Delivery of Insulin and Their Synergistic Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301879. [PMID: 37587777 PMCID: PMC10582466 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Oral delivery of antidiabetic active components promises to free millions of people from daily suffering who require routine injections. However, oral insulin (Ins) and other short-acting compounds such as nateglinide (NG) in harsh gastrointestinal tract still face great challenging, including low bioavailability, and rapid elimination. In this study, inspired by the self-assembly of phenylalanine-based peptides in nature, it is showed that NG a small phenylalanine derivative, assembles into left-handed helical nanofibers in the presence of Ca2+ . These helical NG nanofibers functioned as a coating layer on the surface of Ca2+ -linked alginate (Alg) microgels for the effective encapsulation of Ins. As expected, the sustained release and prolonged circulation of Ins and NG from the Ins-loading Alg/NG microgels (Ins@Alg/NG) in the intestinal tract synergistically maintain a relatively normal blood glucose level in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice after oral administration of Ins@Alg/NG. This further confirms that Ins@Alg/NG ameliorated Ins resistance mainly through activating Insreceptor substrate 1 (IRS1), protein kinase B (AKT), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), as well as by repressing glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). The strategy of using the assembly of NG as a coating achieves the oral delivery of insulin and showcases a potential for the treatment of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Li
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Lihang Chen
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Yu Xu
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Sihui Li
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Huijia Yan
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Tao Chen
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Ziqi Hua
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Di Wu
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Runan Zhao
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
| | - Jiangning Hu
- SKL of Marine Food Processing & Safety ControlNational Engineering Research Center of SeafoodCollaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep ProcessingSchool of Food Science and TechnologyDalian Polytechnic UniversityDalian116034China
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6
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Levkovich SA, Gazit E, Laor Bar-Yosef D. The Metabolostasis Network and the Cellular Depository of Aggregation-Prone Metabolites. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217622. [PMID: 37266966 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217622] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The vital role of metabolites across all branches of life and their involvement in various disorders have been investigated for decades. Many metabolites are poorly soluble in water or in physiological buffers and tend to form supramolecular aggregates. On the other hand, in the cell, they should be preserved in a pool and be readily available for the execution of biochemical functions. We thus propose that a quality-control network, termed "metabolostasis", has evolved to regulate the storage and retrieval of aggregation-prone metabolites. Such a system should control metabolite concentration, subcellular localization, supramolecular arrangement, and interaction in dynamic environments, thus enabling normal cellular physiology, healthy development, and preventing disease onset. The paradigm-shifting concept of metabolostasis calls for a reevaluation of the traditional view of metabolite storage and dynamics in physiology and pathology and proposes unprecedented directions for therapeutic targets under conditions where metabolostasis is imbalanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shon A Levkovich
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Dana Laor Bar-Yosef
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
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7
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Abernathy HG, Saha J, Kemp LK, Wadhwani P, Clemons TD, Morgan SE, Rangachari V. De novo amyloid peptides with subtle sequence variations differ in their self-assembly and nanomechanical properties. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:5150-5159. [PMID: 37386911 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00604b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteinaceous amyloids are well known for their widespread pathological roles but lately have emerged also as key components in several biological functions. The remarkable ability of amyloid fibers to form tightly packed conformations in a cross β-sheet arrangement manifests in their robust enzymatic and structural stabilities. These characteristics of amyloids make them attractive for designing proteinaceous biomaterials for various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. In order to design customizable and tunable amyloid nanomaterials, it is imperative to understand the sensitivity of the peptide sequence for subtle changes based on amino acid position and chemistry. Here we report our results from four rationally-designed amyloidogenic decapeptides that subtly differ in hydrophobicity and polarity at positions 5 and 6. We show that making the two positions hydrophobic renders the peptide with enhanced aggregation and material properties while introducing polar residues in position 5 dramatically changes the structure and nanomechanical properties of the fibrils formed. A charged residue at position 6, however, abrogates amyloid formation. In sum, we show that subtle changes in the sequence do not make the peptide innocuous but rather sensitive to aggregation, reflected in the biophysical and nanomechanical properties of the fibrils. We conclude that tolerance of peptide amyloid for changes in the sequence, however small they may be, should not be neglected for the effective design of customizable amyloid nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah G Abernathy
- School of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
| | - Jhinuk Saha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
| | - Lisa K Kemp
- School of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
| | - Parvesh Wadhwani
- Department of Molecular Biophysics (IBG 2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Tristan D Clemons
- School of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
| | - Sarah E Morgan
- School of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
| | - Vijayaraghavan Rangachari
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
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8
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Naskar S, Gour N. Realization of Amyloid-like Aggregation as a Common Cause for Pathogenesis in Diseases. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1523. [PMID: 37511898 PMCID: PMC10381831 DOI: 10.3390/life13071523] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloids were conventionally referred to as extracellular and intracellular accumulation of Aβ42 peptide, which causes the formation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles inside the brain leading to the pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently, amyloid-like deposition was found in the etiology of prion diseases, Parkinson's disease, type II diabetes, and cancer, which was attributed to the aggregation of prion protein, α-Synuclein, islet amyloid polypeptide protein, and p53 protein, respectively. Hence, traditionally amyloids were considered aggregates formed exclusively by proteins or peptides. However, since the last decade, it has been discovered that other metabolites, like single amino acids, nucleobases, lipids, glucose derivatives, etc., have a propensity to form amyloid-like toxic assemblies. Several studies suggest direct implications of these metabolite assemblies in the patho-physiology of various inborn errors of metabolisms like phenylketonuria, tyrosinemia, cystinuria, and Gaucher's disease, to name a few. In this review, we present a comprehensive literature overview that suggests amyloid-like structure formation as a common phenomenon for disease progression and pathogenesis in multiple syndromes. The review is devoted to providing readers with a broad knowledge of the structure, mode of formation, propagation, and transmission of different extracellular amyloids and their implications in the pathogenesis of diseases. We strongly believe a review on this topic is urgently required to create awareness about the understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanism behind the origin of diseases from an amyloid perspective and possibly look for a common therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these maladies by designing generic amyloid inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumick Naskar
- Department of Chemistry, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana 382740, Gujarat, India
| | - Nidhi Gour
- Department of Chemistry, Indrashil University, Kadi, Mehsana 382740, Gujarat, India
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9
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Tiwari OS, Rencus-Lazar S, Gazit E. Peptide- and Metabolite-Based Hydrogels: Minimalistic Approach for the Identification and Characterization of Gelating Building Blocks. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10330. [PMID: 37373477 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Minimalistic peptide- and metabolite-based supramolecular hydrogels have great potential relative to traditional polymeric hydrogels in various biomedical and technological applications. Advantages such as remarkable biodegradability, high water content, favorable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, self-healing, synthetic feasibility, low cost, easy design, biological function, remarkable injectability, and multi-responsiveness to external stimuli make supramolecular hydrogels promising candidates for drug delivery, tissue engineering, tissue regeneration, and wound healing. Non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic interactions, and π-π stacking interactions play key roles in the formation of peptide- and metabolite-containing low-molecular-weight hydrogels. Peptide- and metabolite-based hydrogels display shear-thinning and immediate recovery behavior due to the involvement of weak non-covalent interactions, making them supreme models for the delivery of drug molecules. In the areas of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, pre-clinical evaluation, and numerous other biomedical applications, peptide- and metabolite-based hydrogelators with rationally designed architectures have intriguing uses. In this review, we summarize the recent advancements in the field of peptide- and metabolite-based hydrogels, including their modifications using a minimalistic building-blocks approach for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Om Shanker Tiwari
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Sigal Rencus-Lazar
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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10
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Sheehan FK, Wang H, Podbevšek D, Naranjo E, Rivera-Cancel J, Moran C, Ulijn RV, Chen X. Aromatic Zipper Topology Dictates Water-Responsive Actuation in Phenylalanine-Based Crystals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2207773. [PMID: 36971275 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Water-responsive (WR) materials that reversibly deform in response to relative humidity (RH) changes are gaining increasing interest for their potential in energy harvesting and soft robotics applications. Despite progress, there are significant gaps in the understanding of how supramolecular structure underpins the reconfiguration and performance of WR materials. Here, three crystals are compared based on the amino acid phenylalanine (F) that contain water channels and F packing domains that are either layered (F), continuously connected (phenylalanyl-phenylalanine, FF), or isolated (histidyl-tyrosyl-phenylalanine, HYF). Hydration-induced reconfiguration is analyzed through changes in hydrogen-bond interactions and aromatic zipper topology. F crystals show the greatest WR deformation (WR energy density of 19.8 MJ m-3 ) followed by HYF (6.5 MJ m-3 ), while FF exhibits no observable response. The difference in water-responsiveness strongly correlates to the deformability of aromatic regions, with FF crystals being too stiff to deform, whereas HYF is too soft to efficiently transfer water tension to external loads. These findings reveal aromatic topology design rules for WR crystals and provide insight into general mechanisms of high-performance WR actuation. Moreover, the best-performing crystal, F emerges as an efficient WR material for applications at scale and low cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahmeed K Sheehan
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Haozhen Wang
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Darjan Podbevšek
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Elma Naranjo
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The City College of New York, 275 Convent Ave, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Janel Rivera-Cancel
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Cooper Moran
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Rein V Ulijn
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The City College of New York, 275 Convent Ave, New York, NY, 10031, USA
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11
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Diaz C, Missirlis D. Amyloid-Based Albumin Hydrogels. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2201748. [PMID: 36469813 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202201748] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils may serve as building blocks for the preparation of novel hydrogel materials from abundant, low-cost, and biocompatible polypeptides. This work presents the formation of physically cross-linked, self-healing hydrogels based on bovine serum albumin at room temperature through a straightforward disulfide reduction step induced by tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride. The structure and surface charge of the amyloid-like fibrils is determined by the pH of the solution during self-assembly, giving rise to hydrogels with distinct physicochemical properties. The hydrogel surface can be readily functionalized with the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin and supports cell adhesion, spreading, and long-term culture. This study offers a simple, versatile, and inexpensive method to prepare amyloid-based albumin hydrogels with potential applications in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Diaz
- Department of Cellular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr. 29, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP - CONICET, CC16 Suc 4 (1900), La Plata, Buenos Aires, 1900, Argentina
| | - Dimitris Missirlis
- Department of Cellular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr. 29, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Tiwari OS, Aizen R, Meli M, Colombo G, Shimon LJW, Tal N, Gazit E. Entropically-Driven Co-assembly of l-Histidine and l-Phenylalanine to Form Supramolecular Materials. ACS NANO 2023; 17:3506-3517. [PMID: 36745579 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c09872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecular self- and co-assembly allow the formation of diverse and well-defined supramolecular structures with notable physical properties. Among the associating molecules, amino acids are especially attractive due to their inherent biocompatibility and simplicity. The biologically active enantiomer of l-histidine (l-His) plays structural and functional roles in proteins but does not self-assemble to form discrete nanostructures. In order to expand the structural space to include l-His-containing materials, we explored the co-assembly of l-His with all aromatic amino acids, including phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp), all in both enantiomeric forms. In contrast to pristine l-His, the combination of this building block with all aromatic amino acids resulted in distinct morphologies including fibers, rods, and flake-like structures. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) indicated the formation of supramolecular co-assemblies in all six combinations, but time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) indicated the best seamless co-assembly occurs between l-His and l-Phe while in the other cases, different degrees of phase separation could be observed. Indeed, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) suggested the highest affinity between l-His and l-Phe where the formation of co-assembled structures was driven by entropy. In accordance, among all the combinations, the co-assembly of l-His and l-Phe produced single crystals. The structure revealed the formation of a 3D network with nanocavities stabilized by hydrogen bonding between -N (l-His) and -NH (l-Phe). Taken together, using the co-assembly approach we expanded the field of amino acid nanomaterials and showed the ability to obtain discrete supramolecular nanostructures containing l-His based on its specific interactions with l-Phe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Om Shanker Tiwari
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ruth Aizen
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | | | - Giorgio Colombo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Linda J W Shimon
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Noam Tal
- School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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13
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Xing H, Rodger A, Comer J, Picco AS, Huck-Iriart C, Ezell EL, Conda-Sheridan M. Urea-Modified Self-Assembling Peptide Amphiphiles That Form Well-Defined Nanostructures and Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:4599-4610. [PMID: 35653507 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00158] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogen bonding plays a critical role in the self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs). Herein, we studied the effect of replacing the amide linkage between the peptide and lipid portions of the PA with a urea group, which possesses an additional hydrogen bond donor. We prepared three PAs with the peptide sequence Phe-Phe-Glu-Glu (FFEE): two are amide-linked with hydrophobic tails of different lengths and the other possesses an alkylated urea group. The differences in the self-assembled structures formed by these PAs were assessed using diverse microscopies, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and dichroism techniques. We found that the urea group influences the morphology and internal arrangement of the assemblies. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that there are about 50% more hydrogen bonds in nanostructures assembled from the urea-PA than those assembled from the other PAs. Furthermore, in silico studies suggest the presence of urea-π stacking interactions with the phenyl group of Phe, which results in distinct peptide conformations in comparison to the amide-linked PAs. We then studied the effect of the urea modification on the mechanical properties of PA hydrogels. We found that the hydrogel made of the urea-PA exhibits increased stability and self-healing ability. In addition, it allows cell adhesion, spreading, and growth as a matrix. This study reveals that the inclusion of urea bonds might be useful in controlling the morphology, mechanical, and biological properties of self-assembled nanostructures and hydrogels formed by the PAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Xing
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Alison Rodger
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Comer
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Agustín S Picco
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas, INIFTA-CONICET-UNLP, Diagonal 113 and Calle 64, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Cristián Huck-Iriart
- Instituto de Tecnologías Emergentes y Ciencias Aplicadas (ITECA), UNSAM-CONICET, Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Laboratorio de Cristalografía Aplicada (LCA), Campus Miguelete, San Martín, Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina
| | - Edward L Ezell
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Martin Conda-Sheridan
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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14
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Florio D, Roviello V, La Manna S, Napolitano F, Maria Malfitano A, Marasco D. Small molecules enhancers of amyloid aggregation of C-terminal domain of Nucleophosmin 1 in acute myeloid leukemia. Bioorg Chem 2022; 127:106001. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Neurotoxic amyloidogenic peptides in the proteome of SARS-COV2: potential implications for neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3387. [PMID: 35697699 PMCID: PMC9189797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, neurological symptoms such as memory loss, sensory confusion, severe headaches, and even stroke are reported in up to 30% of cases and can persist even after the infection is over (long COVID). These neurological symptoms are thought to be produced by the virus infecting the central nervous system, however we don’t understand the molecular mechanisms triggering them. The neurological effects of COVID-19 share similarities to neurodegenerative diseases in which the presence of cytotoxic aggregated amyloid protein or peptides is a common feature. Following the hypothesis that some neurological symptoms of COVID-19 may also follow an amyloid etiology we identified two peptides from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome that self-assemble into amyloid assemblies. Furthermore, these amyloids were shown to be highly toxic to neuronal cells. We suggest that cytotoxic aggregates of SARS-CoV-2 proteins may trigger neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Here the authors report the formation of toxic clumps of protein, similar to amyloid assemblies found in Alzheimer’s disease and suggest their possible role for some of the neurological symptoms of long-COVID.
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16
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Huang Y, Liu Z, Liu S, Song F, Jin Y. Studies on the mechanism of Panax Ginseng in the treatment of deficiency of vital energy dementia rats based on urine metabolomics. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2022; 1191:123115. [PMID: 35042148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123115] [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: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Panax Ginseng (PG) has been used to strengthen memory and physique for thousands of years, because its main components ginsenosides (GS) and ginseng polysaccharides (GP) play a major role, but its mechanism is not clear. In this study, a rat model of dementia with vital energy deficiency (DED) was established through intraperitoneal injection with D-galactose and AlCl3 and combined with exhaustive swimming. Pharmacological studies and the urine metabolomics based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) were employed for evaluation the efficacy of PG and exploring this treatment mechanism. Through urine metabolic profiling, it can be seen that DED rats after PG administration are close to normal group (NG) rats, and PG can regulate the in vivo status of DED rats which tend to NG. The results of behavioral, biochemical indicators and immunohistochemistry further verified the above results, and the mechanism of action of each component is refined. Ultimately, we believe that the mechanism of PG in the treatment of DED is that ginsenosides (GS) intervenes in phenylalanine tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism, stimulates dopamine production, inhibits Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation; and that ginseng polysaccharides (GP) provides energy to strengthen the TCA cycle and improve immune capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Huang
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.
| | - Shu Liu
- Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Fengrui Song
- Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry, Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Yongri Jin
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
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17
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Zaguri D, Zimmermann MR, Meisl G, Levin A, Rencus-Lazar S, Knowles TPJ, Gazit E. Kinetic and Thermodynamic Driving Factors in the Assembly of Phenylalanine-Based Modules. ACS NANO 2021; 15:18305-18311. [PMID: 34694771 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c07537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The formation of ordered protein and peptide assemblies is a phenomenon related to a wide range of human diseases. However, the mechanism of assembly at the molecular level remains largely unknown. Minimal models enable the exploration of the underlying interactions that are at the core of such self-assembly processes. In particular, the ability of phenylalanine, a single aromatic amino acid, to form an amyloid-like structure has challenged the previous dogma viewing a peptide backbone as a prerequisite for assembly. The driving forces controlling the nucleation and assembly in the absence of a peptide backbone remain to be identified. Here, aiming to unravel these forces, we explored the kinetics and thermodynamics of three phenylalanine-containing molecules during their assembly process: the amino acid phenylalanine, which accumulates in phenylketonuria patients, the diphenylalanine core-motif of the amyloid β peptide related to Alzheimer's disease, and the extended triphenylalanine peptide which forms a range of distinct nanostructures in vitro. We found that the aggregation propensity, regarding the critical monomer concentration, strongly increases with size, with triphenylalanine being the most aggregation-prone species under our experimental conditions. In the context of classical nucleation theory, this increase in aggregation propensity can be attributed to the larger free energy decrease upon aggregation of larger peptides and is not due to the presence/absence of a peptide bond per se. Taken together, this work provides insights into the aggregation processes of chemically simple systems and suggests that both backbone-containing peptides and backbone-lacking amino acids assemble through a similar mechanism, thus supporting the classification of amino acids in the continuum of amyloid-forming building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dor Zaguri
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Manuela R Zimmermann
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Georg Meisl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Aviad Levin
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Sigal Rencus-Lazar
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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18
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Gour N, Gazit E. Metabolite assemblies: A surprising extension to the amyloid hypothesis. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 64:154-164. [PMID: 34482124 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The realization of the ability of metabolites to form self-assembled amyloid-like nanostructures was a surprising phenomenon. This discovery paved the way towards understanding the pathophysiology of the inborn error of metabolism disorders from a new perspective, relating them to amyloid-associated diseases that are characterized by the aggregation of proteins and polypeptides. Hence, a 'generic amyloid hypothesis' can be proposed. This theory implies that the formation of amyloid-like structures is a general phenomenon not limited to proteins and reflects a common etiology for both age-related amyloid-associated diseases and inborn error of metabolism disorders. Here, we present a comprehensive survey of the recent research related to metabolite amyloids including their structure formation through self-association, propagation, interactions, transmission, and their role in metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases and their applications for the fabrication of novel materials which implicate metabolite assemblies as a surprising extension to the amyloid scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Gour
- School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Indrashil University, Mehsana, Gujarat, 382740 India
| | - Ehud Gazit
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel; BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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19
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Adsi H, Levkovich SA, Haimov E, Kreiser T, Meli M, Engel H, Simhaev L, Karidi-Heller S, Colombo G, Gazit E, Laor Bar-Yosef D. Chemical Chaperones Modulate the Formation of Metabolite Assemblies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9172. [PMID: 34502079 PMCID: PMC8431448 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179172] [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: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of amyloid-like structures by metabolites is associated with several inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs). These structures display most of the biological, chemical and physical properties of protein amyloids. However, the molecular interactions underlying the assembly remain elusive, and so far, no modulating therapeutic agents are available for clinical use. Chemical chaperones are known to inhibit protein and peptide amyloid formation and stabilize misfolded enzymes. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of the inhibitory effect of osmolytes and hydrophobic chemical chaperones on metabolite assemblies, thus extending their functional repertoire. We applied a combined in vivo-in vitro-in silico approach and show their ability to inhibit metabolite amyloid-induced toxicity and reduce cellular amyloid content in yeast. We further used various biophysical techniques demonstrating direct inhibition of adenine self-assembly and alteration of fibril morphology by chemical chaperones. Using a scaffold-based approach, we analyzed the physiochemical properties of various dimethyl sulfoxide derivatives and their role in inhibiting metabolite self-assembly. Lastly, we employed whole-atom molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the role of hydrogen bonds in osmolyte inhibition. Our results imply a dual mode of action of chemical chaperones as IEMs therapeutics, that could be implemented in the rational design of novel lead-like molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanaa Adsi
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (H.A.); (S.A.L.); (T.K.)
| | - Shon A. Levkovich
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (H.A.); (S.A.L.); (T.K.)
| | - Elvira Haimov
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (E.H.); (H.E.); (L.S.)
| | - Topaz Kreiser
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (H.A.); (S.A.L.); (T.K.)
| | | | - Hamutal Engel
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (E.H.); (H.E.); (L.S.)
| | - Luba Simhaev
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (E.H.); (H.E.); (L.S.)
| | - Shai Karidi-Heller
- The Future Scientists Center–Alpha Program at Tel Aviv Youth University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- SCITEC-CNR, via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milano, Italy; (M.M.); (G.C.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (H.A.); (S.A.L.); (T.K.)
- BLAVATNIK CENTER for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (E.H.); (H.E.); (L.S.)
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Dana Laor Bar-Yosef
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; (H.A.); (S.A.L.); (T.K.)
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20
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Sangji MH, Sai H, Chin SM, Lee SR, R Sasselli I, Palmer LC, Stupp SI. Supramolecular Interactions and Morphology of Self-Assembling Peptide Amphiphile Nanostructures. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:6146-6155. [PMID: 34259001 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c01737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The morphology of supramolecular peptide nanostructures is difficult to predict given their complex energy landscapes. We investigated peptide amphiphiles containing β-sheet forming domains that form twisted nanoribbons in water. We explained the morphology based on a balance between the energetically favorable packing of molecules in the center of the nanostructures, the unfavorable packing at the edges, and the deformations due to packing of twisted β-sheets. We find that morphological polydispersity of PA nanostructures is determined by peptide sequences, and the twisting of their internal β-sheets. We also observed a change in the supramolecular chirality of the nanostructures as the peptide sequence was modified, although only amino acids with l-configuration were used. Upon increasing charge repulsion between molecules, we observed a change in morphology to long cylinders and then rodlike fragments and spherical micelles. Understanding the self-assembly mechanisms of peptide amphiphiles into nanostructures should be useful to optimize their well-known functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hussain Sangji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Hiroaki Sai
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, 303 E Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
- Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Stacey M Chin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sieun Ruth Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Ivan R Sasselli
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, 303 E Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
| | - Liam C Palmer
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, 303 E Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
- Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Samuel I Stupp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, 676 N St. Clair, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, 303 E Superior, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
- Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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21
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Li J, Zhu Y, Yu H, Dai B, Jun YS, Zhang F. Microbially Synthesized Polymeric Amyloid Fiber Promotes β-Nanocrystal Formation and Displays Gigapascal Tensile Strength. ACS NANO 2021; 15:11843-11853. [PMID: 34251182 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability of amyloid proteins to form stable β-sheet nanofibrils has made them potential candidates for material innovation in nanotechnology. However, such a nanoscale feature has rarely translated into attractive macroscopic properties for mechanically demanding applications. Here, we present a strategy by fusing amyloid peptides with flexible linkers from spidroin; the resulting polymeric amyloid proteins can be biosynthesized using engineered microbes and wet-spun into macroscopic fibers. Using this strategy, fibers from three different amyloid groups were fabricated. Structural analyses unveil the presence of β-nanocrystals that resemble the cross-β structure of amyloid nanofibrils. These polymeric amyloid fibers have displayed strong and molecular-weight-dependent mechanical properties. Fibers made of a protein polymer containing 128 repeats of the FGAILSS sequence displayed an average ultimate tensile strength of 0.98 ± 0.08 GPa and an average toughness of 161 ± 26 MJ/m3, surpassing most recombinant protein fibers and even some natural spider silk fibers. The design strategy and the biosynthetic approach can be expanded to create numerous functional materials, and the macroscopic amyloid fibers will enable a wide range of mechanically demanding applications.
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22
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Xu C, Xu L, Han R, Zhu Y, Zhang J. Blood circulation stable doxorubicin prodrug nanoparticles containing hydrazone and thioketal moieties for antitumor chemotherapy. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 201:111632. [PMID: 33667865 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prodrug nanoparticles with cleavable moieties sensitive to intracellular stimuli have drawn great attention on cancer chemotherapy. Herein, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive doxorubicin prodrug mPEG-Phe-TK-Phe-hyd-DOX was synthesized, in which hydrophilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) and hydrophobic anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) were conjugated with hydrazone (hyd) and ROS-responsive thioketal (TK) moieties. The ROS-responsiveness of prodrug was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Unexpectedly, the results of in vitro drug release indicated that the hydrazone bond of prodrug nanoparticles was insensitive to pH, which may be due to the strong hydrophobicity, π-π interactions and cation-π interactions jointly inhibited the hydrolysis of hydrazone bonds under acidic conditions. The cellular uptake and in vitro anticancer study showed that ROS-responsive prodrug nanoparticles exhibited faster cellular uptake and better anticancer efficacy. The in vivo experiments showed that the ROS-responsive prodrug nanoparticles had comparable antitumor efficacy with free anticancer drug DOX and reduced organ toxicity. Our results provide novel idea of successfully design multi-stimuli-responsive nano-drug carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caidie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Long Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
| | - Renlu Han
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Yabin Zhu
- Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
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23
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Chen R, Xu C, Lei Y, Liu H, Zhu Y, Zhang J, Xu L. Facile construction of a family of supramolecular gels with good levofloxacin hydrochloride loading capacity. RSC Adv 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00809a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A family of low molecular weight gelators with different alkyl chain lengths was constructed, having excellent gelation ability and antibiotic loading capacity. A low molecular weight hydrogelator was obtained by adjusting the length of alkyl chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renyuan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Ningbo University
- Ningbo
- China
| | - Caidie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Ningbo University
- Ningbo
- China
| | - Yihao Lei
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Ningbo University
- Ningbo
- China
| | - Hongxin Liu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering
- Wenzhou University
- Wenzhou
- China
| | - Yabin Zhu
- Medical School of Ningbo University
- Ningbo 315211
- China
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Ningbo University
- Ningbo
- China
| | - Long Xu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province
- School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
- Ningbo University
- Ningbo
- China
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Kaur H, Jain R, Roy S. Pathway-Dependent Preferential Selection and Amplification of Variable Self-Assembled Peptide Nanostructures and Their Biological Activities. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:52445-52456. [PMID: 33190483 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the formation of diverse peptide nanostructures, which are "out of equilibrium" based on a single dipeptide gelator. These structures represent the differential energy states of the free energy landscape, which are accessed by differential energy inputs provided by variable self-assembly pathways, that is, heat-cool method or ultrasonication. A higher energy input by the heat-cool method created a thermodynamically favored long entangled nanofibrillar network, while twisted ribbonlike structures were prevalent by ultrasonication. Interestingly, the nanofibrillar network representing the global thermodynamic minima could be accessed by simply melting the kinetically trapped structures as indicated by the thermoreversibility studies. The impact on the material strength was remarkable; gels with an order of magnitude difference in mechanical properties could be fabricated by simply modulating the self-assembly pathways. Interestingly, the thermodynamically favored nanofibrous network promoted cellular adhesion and survival, while a significant number of cells fail to adhere on the kinetically trapped twisted ribbons. Thus, nonequilibrium nanostructures open up new directions to develop advanced functional materials with diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsimran Kaur
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Phase-10, Sector-64, Mohali, Punjab 160062, India
| | - Rashmi Jain
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Phase-10, Sector-64, Mohali, Punjab 160062, India
| | - Sangita Roy
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Phase-10, Sector-64, Mohali, Punjab 160062, India
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