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Feng RR, Wang M, Zhang W, Gai F. Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6501-6542. [PMID: 38722769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00944] [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: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran-Ran Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Manxi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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2
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Peng B, Xu S, Liang Y, Dong X, Sun Y. Effect of Bacterial Amyloid Protein Phenol-Soluble Modulin Alpha 3 on the Aggregation of Amyloid Beta Protein Associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:459. [PMID: 37887589 PMCID: PMC10604207 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8060459] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the proposal of the brainstem axis theory, increasing research attention has been paid to the interactions between bacterial amyloids produced by intestinal flora and the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) related to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and it has been considered as the possible cause of AD. Therefore, phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) α3, the most virulent protein secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, has attracted much attention. In this work, the effect of PSMα3 with a unique cross-α fibril architecture on the aggregation of pathogenic Aβ40 of AD was studied by extensive biophysical characterizations. The results proposed that the PSMα3 monomer inhibited the aggregation of Aβ40 in a concentration-dependent manner and changed the aggregation pathway to form granular aggregates. However, PSMα3 oligomers promoted the generation of the β-sheet structure, thus shortening the lag phase of Aβ40 aggregation. Moreover, the higher the cross-α content of PSMα3, the stronger the effect of the promotion, indicating that the cross-α structure of PSMα3 plays a crucial role in the aggregation of Aβ40. Further molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have shown that the Met1-Gly20 region in the PSMα3 monomer can be combined with the Asp1-Ala2 and His13-Val36 regions in the Aβ40 monomer by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, which prevents the conformational conversion of Aβ40 from the α-helix to β-sheet structure. By contrast, PSMα3 oligomers mainly combined with the central hydrophobic core (CHC) and the C-terminal region of the Aβ40 monomer by weak H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, which could not inhibit the transition to the β-sheet structure in the aggregation pathway. Thus, the research has unraveled molecular interactions between Aβ40 and PSMα3 of different structures and provided a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between bacterial amyloids and AD-related pathogenic Aβ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaoyan Dong
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering and Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China; (B.P.); (S.X.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering and Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China; (B.P.); (S.X.); (Y.L.)
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3
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Lin J, Li H, Guo J, Xu Y, Li H, Yan J, Wang Y, Chen H, Yuan Z. Potential of fluorescent nanoprobe in diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2022; 17:1191-1211. [PMID: 36154269 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2022-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is well known for its insidious nature, slow progression and high incidence as a neurodegenerative disease. In the past, diagnosis of AD mainly depended on analysis of a patient's cognitive ability and behavior. Without a unified standard for analysis methods, this is prone to produce incorrect diagnoses. Currently, definitive diagnosis mainly relies on histopathological examination. Because of the advantages of precision, noninvasiveness, low toxicity and high spatiotemporal resolution, fluorescent nanoprobes are suitable for the early diagnosis of AD. This review summarizes the research progress of different kinds of fluorescent nanoprobes for AD diagnosis and therapy in recent years and provides an outlook on the development prospects of fluorescent nanoprobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hanhan Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jingxuan Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Haiyan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zhenwei Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Road, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 210009, China
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Xu L, Wang H, Xu Y, Cui W, Ni W, Chen M, Huang H, Stewart C, Li L, Li F, Han J. Machine Learning-Assisted Sensor Array Based on Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) Dendrimers for Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Sens 2022; 7:1315-1322. [PMID: 35584464 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, and the early diagnosis of AD remains challenging. Here we have developed a fluorescent sensor array composed of three modified polyamidoamine dendrimers. Proteins of various properties were differentiated via this array with 100% accuracy, proving the rationality of the array's design. The mechanism of the fluorescence response was discussed. Furthermore, the robust three-element array enables parallel detection of multiple Aβ40/Aβ42 aggregates (0.5 μM) in diverse interferents, serum media, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with high accuracy, through machine learning algorithms, demonstrating the tremendous potential of the sensor array in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Yu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Wenyu Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Weiwei Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Mingqi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Hui Huang
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Callum Stewart
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linxian Li
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
| | - Jinsong Han
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and National R&D Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine Processing, Department of Food Quality and Safety, College of Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211109, China
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Sciacca MF, Naletova I, Giuffrida ML, Attanasio F. Semax, a Synthetic Regulatory Peptide, Affects Copper-Induced Abeta Aggregation and Amyloid Formation in Artificial Membrane Models. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:486-496. [PMID: 35080861 PMCID: PMC8855339 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00707] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
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Alzheimer’s
disease, the most common form of dementia, is
characterized by the aggregation of amyloid beta protein (Aβ).
The aggregation and toxicity of Aβ are strongly modulated by
metal ions and phospholipidic membranes. In particular, Cu2+ ions play a pivotal role in modulating Aβ aggregation. Although
in the last decades several natural or synthetic compounds were evaluated
as candidate drugs, to date, no treatments are available for the pathology.
Multifunctional compounds able to both inhibit fibrillogenesis, and
in particular the formation of oligomeric species, and prevent the
formation of the Aβ:Cu2+ complex are of particular
interest. Here we tested the anti-aggregating properties of a heptapeptide,
Semax, an ACTH-like peptide, which is known to form a stable complex
with Cu2+ ions and has been proven to have neuroprotective
and nootropic effects. We demonstrated through a combination of spectrofluorometric,
calorimetric, and MTT assays that Semax not only is able to prevent
the formation of Aβ:Cu2+ complexes but also has anti-aggregating
and protective properties especially in the presence of Cu2+. The results suggest that Semax inhibits fiber formation by interfering
with the fibrillogenesis of Aβ:Cu2+ complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele F.M. Sciacca
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Cristallografia, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, Catania 95126, Italy
| | - Irina Naletova
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Cristallografia, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, Catania 95126, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Giuffrida
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Cristallografia, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, Catania 95126, Italy
| | - Francesco Attanasio
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Cristallografia, Via Paolo Gaifami, 18, Catania 95126, Italy
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