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Cao C, Magalhães P, Krapp LF, Bada Juarez JF, Mayer SF, Rukes V, Chiki A, Lashuel HA, Dal Peraro M. Deep Learning-Assisted Single-Molecule Detection of Protein Post-translational Modifications with a Biological Nanopore. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1504-1515. [PMID: 38112538 PMCID: PMC10795472 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a crucial role in countless biological processes, profoundly modulating protein properties on both spatial and temporal scales. Protein PTMs have also emerged as reliable biomarkers for several diseases. However, only a handful of techniques are available to accurately measure their levels, capture their complexity at a single molecule level, and characterize their multifaceted roles in health and disease. Nanopore sensing provides high sensitivity for the detection of low-abundance proteins, holding the potential to impact single-molecule proteomics and PTM detection, in particular. Here, we demonstrate the ability of a biological nanopore, the pore-forming toxin aerolysin, to detect and distinguish α-synuclein-derived peptides bearing single or multiple PTMs, namely, phosphorylation, nitration, and oxidation occurring at different positions and in various combinations. The characteristic current signatures of the α-synuclein peptide and its PTM variants could be confidently identified by using a deep learning model for signal processing. We further demonstrate that this framework can quantify α-synuclein peptides at picomolar concentrations and detect the C-terminal peptides generated by digestion of full-length α-synuclein. Collectively, our work highlights the advantage of using nanopores as a tool for simultaneous detection of multiple PTMs and facilitates their use in biomarker discovery and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Cao
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Department
of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Magalhães
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind
Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Lucien F. Krapp
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Juan F. Bada Juarez
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Simon Finn Mayer
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Verena Rukes
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind
Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind
Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Institute
of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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2
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Altay MF, Kumar ST, Burtscher J, Jagannath S, Strand C, Miki Y, Parkkinen L, Holton JL, Lashuel HA. Development and validation of an expanded antibody toolset that captures alpha-synuclein pathological diversity in Lewy body diseases. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:161. [PMID: 38062007 PMCID: PMC10703845 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00604-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The abnormal aggregation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in the brain is a defining hallmark of synucleinopathies. Various aSyn conformations and post-translationally modified forms accumulate in pathological inclusions and vary in abundance among these disorders. Relying on antibodies that have not been assessed for their ability to detect the diverse forms of aSyn may lead to inaccurate estimations of aSyn pathology in human brains or disease models. To address this challenge, we developed and characterized an expanded antibody panel that targets different sequences and post-translational modifications along the length of aSyn, and that recognizes all monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillar aSyn conformations. Next, we profiled aSyn pathology across sporadic and familial Lewy body diseases (LBDs) and reveal heterogeneous forms of aSyn pathology, rich in Serine 129 phosphorylation, Tyrosine 39 nitration and N- and C-terminal tyrosine phosphorylations, scattered both to neurons and glia. In addition, we show that aSyn can become hyperphosphorylated during processes of aggregation and inclusion maturation in neuronal and animal models of aSyn seeding and spreading. The validation pipeline we describe for these antibodies paves the way for systematic investigations into aSyn pathological diversity in the human brain, peripheral tissues, as well as in cellular and animal models of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melek Firat Altay
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Senthil T Kumar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Burtscher
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Somanath Jagannath
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Strand
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
| | - Yasuo Miki
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Laura Parkkinen
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Janice L Holton
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Abstract
Deposits of the microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) serve as a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. Numerous studies have demonstrated that in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Tau undergoes extensive remodeling. The attachment of post-translational modifications distributed throughout the entire sequence of the protein correlates with clinical presentation. A systematic examination of these protein alterations can shed light on their roles in both healthy and diseased states. However, the ability to access these modifications in the entire protein chain is limited as Tau can only be produced recombinantly or through semisynthesis. In this article, we describe the first chemical synthesis of the longest 2N4R isoform of Tau, consisting of 441 amino acids. The 2N4R Tau was divided into 3 major segments and a total of 11 fragments, all of which were prepared via solid-phase peptide synthesis. The successful chemical strategy has relied on the strategic use of two cysteine sites (C291 and C322) for the native chemical ligations (NCLs). This was combined with modern preparative protein chemistries, such as mercaptothreonine ligation (T205), diselenide-selenoester ligation (D358), and mutations of mercaptoamino acids into native residues via homogeneous radical desulfurization (A40, A77, A119, A157, A246, and A390). The successful completion of the synthesis has established a robust and scalable route to the native protein in multimilligram quantities and high purity. In broader terms, the presented strategy can be applied to the preparation of other shorter isoforms of Tau as well as to introduce all post-translational modifications that are characteristic of tauopathies such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wyatt C Powell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ruiheng Jing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Maciej A Walczak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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4
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Stéen EJL, Park AY, Beaino W, Gadhe CG, Kooijman E, Schuit RC, Schreurs M, Leferink P, Hoozemans JJM, Kim JE, Lee J, Windhorst AD. Development of 18F-Labeled PET Tracer Candidates for Imaging of the Abelson Non-receptor Tyrosine Kinase in Parkinson's Disease. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12990-13006. [PMID: 37712438 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Activated Abelson non-receptor tyrosine kinase (c-Abl) plays a harmful role in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Inhibition of c-Abl is reported to have a neuroprotective effect and be a promising therapeutic strategy for PD. We have previously identified a series of benzo[d]thiazole derivatives as selective c-Abl inhibitors from which one compound showed high therapeutic potential. Herein, we report the development of a complementary positron emission tomography (PET) tracer. In total, three PET tracer candidates were developed and eventually radiolabeled with fluorine-18 for in vivo evaluation studies in mice. Candidate [18F]3 was identified as the most promising compound, since it showed sufficient brain uptake, good washout kinetics, and satisfactory metabolic stability. In conclusion, we believe this tracer provides a good starting point to further validate and explore c-Abl as a target for therapeutic strategies against PD supported by PET.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Johanna L Stéen
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Yeong Park
- 1ST Biotherapeutics Inc. 240 Pangyoyeok-ro A-313, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13493, Republic of Korea
| | - Wissam Beaino
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Changdev Gorakshnath Gadhe
- 1ST Biotherapeutics Inc. 240 Pangyoyeok-ro A-313, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13493, Republic of Korea
| | - Esther Kooijman
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert C Schuit
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maxime Schreurs
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Prisca Leferink
- Industry Alliance Office, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J M Hoozemans
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jae Eun Kim
- 1ST Biotherapeutics Inc. 240 Pangyoyeok-ro A-313, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13493, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhwa Lee
- 1ST Biotherapeutics Inc. 240 Pangyoyeok-ro A-313, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13493, Republic of Korea
| | - Albert D Windhorst
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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5
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Zhang S, Zhu R, Pan B, Xu H, Olufemi MF, Gathagan RJ, Li Y, Zhang L, Zhang J, Xiang W, Kagan EM, Cao X, Yuan C, Kim SJ, Williams CK, Magaki S, Vinters HV, Lashuel HA, Garcia BA, James Petersson E, Trojanowski JQ, Lee VMY, Peng C. Post-translational modifications of soluble α-synuclein regulate the amplification of pathological α-synuclein. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:213-225. [PMID: 36690898 PMCID: PMC10103650 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01239-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell transmission and subsequent amplification of pathological proteins promote neurodegenerative disease progression. Most research on this has focused on pathological protein seeds, but how their normal counterparts, which are converted to pathological forms during transmission, regulate transmission is less understood. Here we show in cultured cells that phosphorylation of soluble, nonpathological α-synuclein (α-Syn) at previously identified sites dramatically affects the amplification of pathological α-Syn, which underlies Parkinson's disease and other α-synucleinopathies, in a conformation- and phosphorylation site-specific manner. We performed LC-MS/MS analyses on soluble α-Syn purified from Parkinson's disease and other α-synucleinopathies, identifying many new α-Syn post-translational modifications (PTMs). In addition to phosphorylation, acetylation of soluble α-Syn also modified pathological α-Syn transmission in a site- and conformation-specific manner. Moreover, phosphorylation of soluble α-Syn could modulate the seeding properties of pathological α-Syn. Our study represents the first systematic analysis how of soluble α-Syn PTMs affect the spreading and amplification of pathological α-Syn, which may affect disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ruowei Zhu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Buyan Pan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hong Xu
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Modupe F Olufemi
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ronald J Gathagan
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yuanxi Li
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Institute for Cognitive Neurodynamics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- School of Mathematics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Luyan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jasmine Zhang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wenxuan Xiang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eliot Masahiro Kagan
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Soo-Jung Kim
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher K Williams
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shino Magaki
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Harry V Vinters
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Neurology, and Brain Research Institute, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - E James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Chao Peng
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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6
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Pancoe SX, Wang YJ, Shimogawa M, Perez RM, Giannakoulias S, Petersson EJ. Effects of Mutations and Post-Translational Modifications on α-Synuclein In Vitro Aggregation. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167859. [PMID: 36270580 PMCID: PMC9922159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fibrillar aggregates of the α-synuclein (αS) protein are the hallmark of Parkinson's Disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Characterization of the effects of mutations and post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the αS aggregation rate can provide insight into the mechanism of fibril formation, which remains elusive in spite of intense study. A comprehensive collection (375 examples) of mutant and PTM aggregation rate data measured using the fluorescent probe thioflavin T is presented, as well as a summary of the effects of fluorescent labeling on αS aggregation (20 examples). A curated set of 131 single mutant de novo aggregation experiments are normalized to wild type controls and analyzed in terms of structural data for the monomer and fibrillar forms of αS. These tabulated data serve as a resource to the community to help in interpretation of aggregation experiments and to potentially be used as inputs for computational models of aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha X Pancoe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yanxin J Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marie Shimogawa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ryann M Perez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sam Giannakoulias
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - E James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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7
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Berkeley RF, Debelouchina GT. Chemical tools for study and modulation of biomolecular phase transitions. Chem Sci 2022; 13:14226-14245. [PMID: 36545140 PMCID: PMC9749140 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc04907d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular phase transitions play an important role in organizing cellular processes in space and time. Methods and tools for studying these transitions, and the intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that often drive them, are typically less developed than tools for studying their folded protein counterparts. In this perspective, we assess the current landscape of chemical tools for studying IDPs, with a specific focus on protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). We highlight methodologies that enable imaging and spectroscopic studies of these systems, including site-specific labeling with small molecules and the diverse range of capabilities offered by inteins and protein semisynthesis. We discuss strategies for introducing post-translational modifications that are central to IDP and LLPS function and regulation. We also investigate the nascent field of noncovalent small-molecule modulators of LLPS. We hope that this review of the state-of-the-art in chemical tools for interrogating IDPs and LLPS, along with an associated perspective on areas of unmet need, can serve as a valuable and timely resource for these rapidly expanding fields of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond F. Berkeley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Galia T. Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
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8
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Liu D, Liu Y, Duan HZ, Chen X, Wang Y, Wang T, Yu Q, Chen YX, Lu Y. Customized synthesis of phosphoprotein bearing phosphoserine or its nonhydrolyzable analog. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 8:69-78. [PMID: 36514487 PMCID: PMC9719085 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on the mechanism of protein phosphorylation and therapeutic interventions of its related molecular processes are limited by the difficulty in the production of purpose-built phosphoproteins harboring site-specific phosphorylated amino acids or their nonhydrolyzable analogs. Here we address this limitation by customizing the cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) machinery via chassis strain selection and orthogonal translation system (OTS) reconfiguration screening. The suited chassis strains and reconfigured OTS combinations with high orthogonality were consequently picked out for individualized phosphoprotein synthesis. Specifically, we synthesized the sfGFP protein and MEK1 protein with site-specific phosphoserine (O-pSer) or its nonhydrolyzable analog, 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (C-pSer). This study successfully realized building cell-free systems for site-specific incorporation of phosphonate mimics into the target protein. Our work lays the foundation for developing a highly expansible CFPS platform and the streamlined production of user-defined phosphoproteins, which can facilitate research on the physiological mechanism and potential interference tools toward protein phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hua-Zhen Duan
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xinjie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Corresponding author.
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9
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Revisiting the specificity and ability of phospho-S129 antibodies to capture alpha-synuclein biochemical and pathological diversity. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:136. [PMID: 36266318 PMCID: PMC9584898 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies against phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (aSyn) at S129 have emerged as the primary tools to investigate, monitor, and quantify aSyn pathology in the brain and peripheral tissues of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we demonstrate that the co-occurrence of multiple pathology-associated C-terminal post-translational modifications (PTMs) (e.g., phosphorylation at Tyrosine 125 or truncation at residue 133 or 135) differentially influences the detection of pS129-aSyn species by pS129-aSyn antibodies. These observations prompted us to systematically reassess the specificity of the most commonly used pS129 antibodies against monomeric and aggregated forms of pS129-aSyn in mouse brain slices, primary neurons, mammalian cells and seeding models of aSyn pathology formation. We identified two antibodies that are insensitive to pS129 neighboring PTMs. Although most pS129 antibodies showed good performance in detecting aSyn aggregates in cells, neurons and mouse brain tissue containing abundant aSyn pathology, they also showed cross-reactivity towards other proteins and often detected non-specific low and high molecular weight bands in aSyn knock-out samples that could be easily mistaken for monomeric or high molecular weight aSyn species. Our observations suggest that not all pS129 antibodies capture the biochemical and morphological diversity of aSyn pathology, and all should be used with the appropriate protein standards and controls when investigating aSyn under physiological conditions. Finally, our work underscores the need for more pS129 antibodies that are not sensitive to neighboring PTMs and more thorough characterization and validation of existing and new antibodies.
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10
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Opportunities and challenges of alpha-synuclein as a potential biomarker for Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:93. [PMID: 35869066 PMCID: PMC9307631 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00357-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disease, develops and progresses for 10–15 years before the clinical diagnostic symptoms of the disease are manifested. Furthermore, several aspects of PD pathology overlap with other neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) linked to alpha-synuclein (aSyn) aggregation, also called synucleinopathies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover and validate early diagnostic and prognostic markers that reflect disease pathophysiology, progression, severity, and potential differences in disease mechanisms between PD and other NDDs. The close association between aSyn and the development of pathology in synucleinopathies, along with the identification of aSyn species in biological fluids, has led to increasing interest in aSyn species as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of PD and differentiate it from other synucleinopathies. In this review, we (1) provide an overview of the progress toward mapping the distribution of aSyn species in the brain, peripheral tissues, and biological fluids; (2) present comparative and critical analysis of previous studies that measured total aSyn as well as other species such as modified and aggregated forms of aSyn in different biological fluids; and (3) highlight conceptual and technical gaps and challenges that could hinder the development and validation of reliable aSyn biomarkers; and (4) outline a series of recommendations to address these challenges. Finally, we propose a combined biomarker approach based on integrating biochemical, aggregation and structure features of aSyn, in addition to other biomarkers of neurodegeneration. We believe that capturing the diversity of aSyn species is essential to develop robust assays and diagnostics for early detection, patient stratification, monitoring of disease progression, and differentiation between synucleinopathies. This could transform clinical trial design and implementation, accelerate the development of new therapies, and improve clinical decisions and treatment strategies.
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11
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Mann G, Sadhu P, Brik A. Synthetic Proteins behind the Plasma Barrier: Molecular Spies. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:2055-2067. [PMID: 35833291 PMCID: PMC9352316 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
There is a continuous demand to improve our
understanding of fundamental
processes that underlie human health and disease. Therefore, novel
strategies that can assist in these efforts are required. For example,
molecular biology and genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding
of protein-mediated processes by facilitating their direct visualization
and analyses in living cells. Despite these developments, genetic
manipulation has limitations in controlling events that occur after
translation such as posttranslational modifications (PTMs), which
are imperative regulatory elements. As a result, developing new methods
to study PTMs in live cells is a major bottleneck in deciphering their
exact roles in the myriad cellular processes. Synthetic and
semisynthetic proteins are prepared by combining
solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and chemoselective ligation approaches
with synthetic or recombinant peptides. Employing protein synthesis
allows chemists to incorporate natural and unnatural modifications
with virtually unlimited number of functional groups into the protein’s
sequence, such as PTMs and their mimics. In addition, synthetic proteins
can include additional elements such as fluorescent tags, reactive
groups, caged units, and enrichment handles. Therefore, harnessing
the power of chemical protein synthesis offers great opportunities
to study fundamental biological processes. Unfortunately, the
low cell permeability of proteins limits their
applications mainly to in vitro settings, excluding
live cell studies. As a result, chemical biologists have been attempting
to overcome these limitations by developing protein delivery methods
that would enable the study of custom-made proteins in a biological
context. Success with these strategies should enable accurate determination
of protein localization, degradation, folding, interactions, and involvement
in the assembly of membrane-less organelles formed by liquid–liquid
phase separation inside cells. Importantly, protein delivery approaches
are complementary to genetic manipulations, and combining these approaches
should pave the way to new discoveries. In this Account, we
describe recent developments in protein delivery
methods, with emphasis on those most compatible with synthetic proteins.
We highlight experimental approaches and conceptual adaptations required
to design and study synthetic proteins in live cells, with or without
genetic manipulation. In addition, we highlight the strength and weakness
of these approaches for both the delivery and the subsequent studies.
We also describe our endeavors to deliver synthetic proteins to cells
via cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) and multiplexed bead loading
(MBL), as showcases of the applications of these methods to shed light
on biological processes. Lastly, we contemplate other future applications
of synthetic proteins to answer questions that are currently unapproachable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Mann
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200008, Israel
| | - Pradeep Sadhu
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200008, Israel
| | - Ashraf Brik
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200008, Israel
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12
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Petricca L, Chiki N, Hanna-El-Daher L, Aeschbach L, Burai R, Stoops E, Fares MB, Lashuel HA. Comparative Analysis of Total Alpha-Synuclein (αSYN) Immunoassays Reveals That They Do Not Capture the Diversity of Modified αSYN Proteoforms. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2022; 12:1449-1462. [PMID: 35527570 PMCID: PMC9398082 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-223285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background: The development of therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease (PD) requires the establishment of biomarker assays to enable stratifying patients, monitoring disease progression, and assessing target engagement. Attempts to develop diagnostic assays based on detecting levels of the α-synuclein (αSYN) protein, a central player in the pathogenesis of PD, have yielded inconsistent results. Objective: To determine whether the three commercial kits that have been extensively used for total αSYN quantification in human biological fluids (from Euroimmun, MSD, and Biolegend) are capable of capturing the diversity and complexity of relevant αSYN proteoforms. Methods: We investigated and compared the ability of the different assays to detect the diversity of αSYN proteoforms using a library of αSYN proteins that comprise the majority of disease-relevant αSYN variants and post-translational modifications (PTMs). Results: Our findings showed that none of the three tested immunoassays accurately capture the totality of relevant αSYN species, and that these assays are unable to recognize most disease-associated C-terminally truncated variants of αSYN. Moreover, several N-terminal truncations and phosphorylation/nitration PTMs differentially modify the level of αSYN detection and recovery by different immunoassays, and a CSF matrix effect was observed for most of the αSYN proteoforms analyzed by the three immunoassays. Conclusion: Our results show that the tested immunoassays do not capture the totality of the relevant αSYN species and therefore may not be appropriate tools to provide an accurate measure of total αSYN levels in samples containing modified forms of the protein. This highlights the need for next generation αSYN immunoassays that capture the diversity of αSYN proteoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nour Chiki
- ND Biosciences SA, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Layane Hanna-El-Daher
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute,Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lorène Aeschbach
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute,Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ritwik Burai
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute,Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erik Stoops
- ADx NeuroSciences NV, Technologiepark 94 - Bio Incubator, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Hilal A Lashuel
- ND Biosciences SA, Epalinges, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute,Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Bilbrough T, Piemontese E, Seitz O. Dissecting the role of protein phosphorylation: a chemical biology toolbox. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:5691-5730. [PMID: 35726784 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00991e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is a crucial regulator of protein and cellular function, yet, despite identifying an enormous number of phosphorylation sites, the role of most is still unclear. Each phosphoform, the particular combination of phosphorylations, of a protein has distinct and diverse biological consequences. Aberrant phosphorylation is implicated in the development of many diseases. To investigate their function, access to defined protein phosphoforms is essential. Materials obtained from cells often are complex mixtures. Recombinant methods can provide access to defined phosphoforms if site-specifically acting kinases are known, but the methods fail to provide homogenous material when several amino acid side chains compete for phosphorylation. Chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis has provided an invaluable toolbox to enable access to previously unreachable phosphoforms of proteins. In this review, we selected important tools that enable access to homogeneously phosphorylated protein and discuss examples that demonstrate how they can be applied. Firstly, we discuss the synthesis of phosphopeptides and proteins through chemical and enzymatic means and their advantages and limitations. Secondly, we showcase illustrative examples that applied these tools to answer biological questions pertaining to proteins involved in signal transduction, control of transcription, neurodegenerative diseases and aggregation, apoptosis and autophagy, and transmembrane proteins. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Bilbrough
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Emanuele Piemontese
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Oliver Seitz
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
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14
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Clark ET, Sievers EE, Debelouchina GT. A Chemical Biology Primer for NMR Spectroscopists. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE OPEN 2022; 10-11:100044. [PMID: 35494416 PMCID: PMC9053072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmro.2022.100044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Among structural biology techniques, NMR spectroscopy offers unique capabilities that enable the atomic resolution studies of dynamic and heterogeneous biological systems under physiological and native conditions. Complex biological systems, however, often challenge NMR spectroscopists with their low sensitivity, crowded spectra or large linewidths that reflect their intricate interaction patterns and dynamics. While some of these challenges can be overcome with the development of new spectroscopic approaches, chemical biology can also offer elegant and efficient solutions at the sample preparation stage. In this tutorial, we aim to present several chemical biology tools that enable the preparation of selectively and segmentally labeled protein samples, as well as the introduction of site-specific spectroscopic probes and post-translational modifications. The four tools covered here, namely cysteine chemistry, inteins, native chemical ligation, and unnatural amino acid incorporation, have been developed and optimized in recent years to be more efficient and applicable to a wider range of proteins than ever before. We briefly introduce each tool, describe its advantages and disadvantages in the context of NMR experiments, and offer practical advice for sample preparation and analysis. We hope that this tutorial will introduce beginning researchers in the field to the possibilities chemical biology can offer to NMR spectroscopists, and that it will inspire new and exciting applications in the quest to understand protein function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan T. Clark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Division of Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Elanor E. Sievers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Division of Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Galia T. Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Division of Physical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
- Corresponding author: Galia Debelouchina, University of California, San Diego, Natural Sciences Building 4322, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, 858-534-3038,
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15
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Landrieu I, Dupré E, Sinnaeve D, El Hajjar L, Smet-Nocca C. Deciphering the Structure and Formation of Amyloids in Neurodegenerative Diseases With Chemical Biology Tools. Front Chem 2022; 10:886382. [PMID: 35646824 PMCID: PMC9133342 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.886382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation into highly ordered, regularly repeated cross-β sheet structures called amyloid fibrils is closely associated to human disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, or systemic diseases like type II diabetes. Yet, in some cases, such as the HET-s prion, amyloids have biological functions. High-resolution structures of amyloids fibrils from cryo-electron microscopy have very recently highlighted their ultrastructural organization and polymorphisms. However, the molecular mechanisms and the role of co-factors (posttranslational modifications, non-proteinaceous components and other proteins) acting on the fibril formation are still poorly understood. Whether amyloid fibrils play a toxic or protective role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, such aberrant protein-protein interactions challenge the search of small-molecule drugs or immunotherapy approaches targeting amyloid formation. In this review, we describe how chemical biology tools contribute to new insights on the mode of action of amyloidogenic proteins and peptides, defining their structural signature and aggregation pathways by capturing their molecular details and conformational heterogeneity. Challenging the imagination of scientists, this constantly expanding field provides crucial tools to unravel mechanistic detail of amyloid formation such as semisynthetic proteins and small-molecule sensors of conformational changes and/or aggregation. Protein engineering methods and bioorthogonal chemistry for the introduction of protein chemical modifications are additional fruitful strategies to tackle the challenge of understanding amyloid formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Landrieu
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Davy Sinnaeve
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Léa El Hajjar
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
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16
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Werner MH, Olanow CW. Parkinson's Disease Modification through Abl Kinase Inhibition: An Opportunity. Mov Disord 2021; 37:6-15. [PMID: 34816484 PMCID: PMC8770606 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, with an estimated 5 000 000 cases worldwide. Historically characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, PD pathology is now known to be widespread and to affect serotonin, cholinergic and norepinephrine neurons as well as nerve cells in the olfactory system, cerebral hemisphere, brain stem, spinal cord, and peripheral autonomic nervous system. PD pathology is characterized by the accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein, which is thought to play a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Animal models of PD suggest that activation of the Abelson tyrosine kinase (c-Abl) plays an essential role in the initiation and progression of α-synuclein pathology and neurodegeneration. These studies demonstrate that internalization of misfolded α-synuclein activates c-Abl, which phosphorylates α-synuclein and promotes α-synuclein pathology within the affected neurons. Additionally, c-Abl inactivates parkin, disrupting mitochondrial quality control and biogenesis, promoting neurodegeneration. Post-mortem studies of PD patients demonstrate increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylated α-synuclein, consistent with the activation of c-Abl in human disease. Although the c-Abl inhibitor nilotinib failed to demonstrate clinical benefit in two double-blind trials, novel c-Abl inhibitors have been developed that accumulate in the brain and may inhibit c-Abl at saturating levels. These novel inhibitors have demonstrated benefits in animal models of PD and have now entered clinical development. Here, we review the role of c-Abl in the neurodegenerative disease process and consider the translational potential of c-Abl inhibitors from model studies to disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson's disease. © 2021 Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C Warren Olanow
- Department of Neurology and Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Clintrex Research Corporation, Sarasota, Florida, USA
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17
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Sano K, Iwasaki Y, Yamashita Y, Irie K, Hosokawa M, Satoh K, Mishima K. Tyrosine 136 phosphorylation of α-synuclein aggregates in the Lewy body dementia brain: involvement of serine 129 phosphorylation by casein kinase 2. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:182. [PMID: 34772466 PMCID: PMC8590312 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01281-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Serine 129 (S129) phosphorylation of α-synuclein (αSyn) is a central feature of Lewy body (LB) disease pathology. Although the neighboring tyrosine residues Y125, Y133, and Y136 are also phosphorylation sites, little is known regarding potential roles of phosphorylation cross-talk between these sites and its involvement in the pathogenesis of LB disease. Here, we found that αSyn aggregates are predominantly phosphorylated at Y136 in the Lewy body dementia brain, which is mediated by unexpected kinase activity of Casein kinase 2 (CK2). Aggregate formation with S129 and Y136 phosphorylation of recombinant αSyn (r-αSyn) were induced by CK2 but abolished by replacement of S129 with alanine (S129A) in vitro. Mutation of Y136 to alanine (Y136A) promoted aggregate formation and S129 phosphorylation of r-αSyn by CK2 in vitro. Introduction of Y136A r-αSyn oligomers into cultured cells exhibited increased levels of aggregates with S129 phosphorylation compared to wild-type r-αSyn oligomers. In addition, aggregate formation with S129 phosphorylation induced by introduction of wild-type r-αSyn oligomers was significantly attenuated by CK2 inhibition, which resulted in an unexpected increase in Y136 phosphorylation in cultured cells. Our findings suggest the involvement of CK2-related αSyn Y136 phosphorylation in the pathogenesis of LB disease and its potential as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Sano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180 Japan
| | - Yasushi Iwasaki
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, 480-1195 Japan
| | - Yuta Yamashita
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180 Japan
| | - Keiichi Irie
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180 Japan
| | - Masato Hosokawa
- Department of Immunological and Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180 Japan
| | - Katsuya Satoh
- Department of Health Sciences, Unit of Medical and Dental Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8523 Japan
| | - Kenichi Mishima
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180 Japan
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18
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Vogl DP, Conibear AC, Becker CFW. Segmental and site-specific isotope labelling strategies for structural analysis of posttranslationally modified proteins. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1441-1461. [PMID: 34704048 PMCID: PMC8496066 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00045d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications can alter protein structures, functions and locations, and are important cellular regulatory and signalling mechanisms. Spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as small-angle scattering, can provide insights into the structural and dynamic effects of protein posttranslational modifications and their impact on interactions with binding partners. However, heterogeneity of modified proteins from natural sources and spectral complexity often hinder analyses, especially for large proteins and macromolecular assemblies. Selective labelling of proteins with stable isotopes can greatly simplify spectra, as one can focus on labelled residues or segments of interest. Employing chemical biology tools for modifying and isotopically labelling proteins with atomic precision provides access to unique protein samples for structural biology and spectroscopy. Here, we review site-specific and segmental isotope labelling methods that are employed in combination with chemical and enzymatic tools to access posttranslationally modified proteins. We discuss illustrative examples in which these methods have been used to facilitate spectroscopic studies of posttranslationally modified proteins, providing new insights into biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik P Vogl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry Währinger Straße 38 1090 Vienna Austria +43-1-4277-870510 +43-1-4277-70510
| | - Anne C Conibear
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences St Lucia Brisbane 4072 QLD Australia
| | - Christian F W Becker
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry Währinger Straße 38 1090 Vienna Austria +43-1-4277-870510 +43-1-4277-70510
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19
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Zhang S, Liu YQ, Jia C, Lim YJ, Feng G, Xu E, Long H, Kimura Y, Tao Y, Zhao C, Wang C, Liu Z, Hu JJ, Ma MR, Liu Z, Jiang L, Li D, Wang R, Dawson VL, Dawson TM, Li YM, Mao X, Liu C. Mechanistic basis for receptor-mediated pathological α-synuclein fibril cell-to-cell transmission in Parkinson's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2011196118. [PMID: 34172566 PMCID: PMC8256039 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011196118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) is a crucial event in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Cell surface receptors such as lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG3) and amyloid precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1) can preferentially bind α-syn in the amyloid over monomeric state to initiate cell-to-cell transmission. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this selective binding is unknown. Here, we perform an array of biophysical experiments and reveal that LAG3 D1 and APLP1 E1 domains commonly use an alkaline surface to bind the acidic C terminus, especially residues 118 to 140, of α-syn. The formation of amyloid fibrils not only can disrupt the intramolecular interactions between the C terminus and the amyloid-forming core of α-syn but can also condense the C terminus on fibril surface, which remarkably increase the binding affinity of α-syn to the receptors. Based on this mechanism, we find that phosphorylation at serine 129 (pS129), a hallmark modification of pathological α-syn, can further enhance the interaction between α-syn fibrils and the receptors. This finding is further confirmed by the higher efficiency of pS129 fibrils in cellular internalization, seeding, and inducing PD-like α-syn pathology in transgenic mice. Our work illuminates the mechanistic understanding on the spread of pathological α-syn and provides structural information for therapeutic targeting on the interaction of α-syn fibrils and receptors as a potential treatment for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yu-Qing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chunyu Jia
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yeh-Jun Lim
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guoqin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic Chemistry and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Enquan Xu
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Houfang Long
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yasuyoshi Kimura
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Youqi Tao
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Chunyu Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chuchu Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhenying Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin-Jian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Meng-Rong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhijun Liu
- National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-organic Chemistry and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Innovative Drugs for the Treatment of Serious Diseases Based on Chronic Inflammation, College of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030619, China
| | - Valina L Dawson
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundation, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Ted M Dawson
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205;
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundation, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Xiaobo Mao
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205;
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China;
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20
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Moon SP, Balana AT, Pratt MR. Consequences of post-translational modifications on amyloid proteins as revealed by protein semisynthesis. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 64:76-89. [PMID: 34175787 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alterations to the global levels of certain types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) are commonly observed in neurodegenerative diseases. The net influence of these PTM changes to the progression of these diseases can be deduced from cellular and animal studies. However, at the molecular level, how one PTM influences a given protein is not uniform and cannot be easily generalized from systemic observations, thus requiring protein-specific interrogations. Given that protein aggregation is a shared pathological hallmark in neurodegeneration, it is important to understand how these PTMs affect the behavior of amyloid-forming proteins. For this purpose, protein semisynthesis techniques, largely via native chemical and expressed protein ligation, have been widely used. These approaches have thus far led to our increased understanding of the site-specific consequences of certain PTMs to amyloidogenic proteins' endogenous function, their propensity for aggregation, and the structural variations these PTMs induce toward the aggregates formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P Moon
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Aaron T Balana
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Matthew R Pratt
- Departments of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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21
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Tian M, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Zhou H, Yuan Z, Lu C. Design of ratiometric monoaromatic fluorescence probe via modulating intramolecular hydrogen bonding: A case study of alkaline phosphatase sensing. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1143:144-156. [PMID: 33384112 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Monoaromatic molecules are a category of molecules containing a single aromatic ring which generally emit light in the ultraviolet (UV) region. Despite their facile preparation, the UV emission greatly limits their application as organic probes. In this study, we developed a general method to red shift the emission of monoaromatic molecules. Significant fluorescence red-shift (∼100 nm per intramolecular hydrogen bonding) can be achieved by introducing intramolecular hydrogen bonding units to benzene, a typical monoaromatic molecule. Upon increasing the number of hydrogen bonding units on the benzene ring, UV, blue, and green emissions are screened, which are switchable by simply breaking/restoration the intramolecular hydrogen bonding. As a demonstration, with the breaking of one intramolecular H-bonding, the green emission (λemmax = 533 nm) of 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (DHTA) changed to cyan (λemmax = 463 nm) upon the formation of its phosphorylated form (denoted as PDHTA), which, in the presence of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hydrolyzed and recovered the green emission. By taking advantage of the switchable emission colors, ratiometric in vitro and endogenous ALP sensing was achieved. This general approach offers a great promise to develop organic probes with tunable emissions for fluorescence analysis and imaging by different intramolecular hydrogen bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingce Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- College of Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - He Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zhiqin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Chao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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22
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Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 inhibits α-synuclein-induced microglia inflammation to protect from neurotoxicity in Parkinson's disease. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:23. [PMID: 33461598 PMCID: PMC7814625 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microglia activation induced by α-synuclein (α-syn) is one of the most important factors in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which α-syn exerts neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity remain largely elusive. Targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been an attractive strategy to mediate microglia activation for neuroprotection, which might be an essential regulator to modulate α-syn-induced neuroinflammation for the treatment of PD. Here, we showed that mGluR5 inhibited α-syn-induced microglia inflammation to protect from neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Methods Co-immunoprecipitation assays were utilized to detect the interaction between mGluR5 and α-syn in microglia. Griess, ELISA, real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence assays were used to detect the regulation of α-syn-induced inflammatory signaling, cytokine secretion, and lysosome-dependent degradation. Results α-syn selectively interacted with mGluR5 but not mGluR3, and α-syn N terminal deletion region was essential for binding to mGluR5 in co-transfected HEK293T cells. The interaction between these two proteins was further detected in BV2 microglia, which was inhibited by the mGluR5 specific agonist CHPG without effect by its selective antagonist MTEP. Moreover, in both BV2 cells and primary microglia, activation of mGluR5 by CHPG partially inhibited α-syn-induced inflammatory signaling and cytokine secretion and also inhibited the microglia activation to protect from neurotoxicity. We further found that α-syn overexpression decreased mGluR5 expression via a lysosomal pathway, as evidenced by the lysosomal inhibitor, NH4Cl, by blocking mGluR5 degradation, which was not evident with the proteasome inhibitor, MG132. Additionally, co-localization of mGluR5 with α-syn was detected in lysosomes as merging with its marker, LAMP-1. Consistently, in vivo experiments with LPS- or AAV-α-syn-induced rat PD model also confirmed that α-syn accelerated lysosome-dependent degradation of mGluR5 involving a complex, to regulate neuroinflammation. Importantly, the binding is strengthened with LPS or α-syn overexpression but alleviated by urate, a potential clinical biomarker for PD. Conclusions These findings provided evidence for a novel mechanism by which the association of α-syn with mGluR5 was attributed to α-syn-induced microglia activation via modulation of mGluR5 degradation and its intracellular signaling. This may be a new molecular target for an effective therapeutic strategy for PD pathology. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02079-1.
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23
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Pan B, Kamo N, Shimogawa M, Huang Y, Kashina A, Rhoades E, Petersson EJ. Effects of Glutamate Arginylation on α-Synuclein: Studying an Unusual Post-Translational Modification through Semisynthesis. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:21786-21798. [PMID: 33337869 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A variety of post-translational modifications (PTMs) are believed to regulate the behavior and function of α-synuclein (αS), an intrinsically disordered protein that mediates synaptic vesicle trafficking. Fibrils of αS are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. In this study, we used chemical synthesis and biophysical techniques to characterize the neuroprotective effects of glutamate arginylation, a hitherto little characterized PTM in αS. We developed semisynthetic routes combining peptide synthesis, unnatural amino acid mutagenesis, and native chemical ligation (NCL) to site-specifically introduce the PTM of interest along with fluorescent probes into αS. We synthesized the arginylated glutamate as a protected amino acid, as well as a novel ligation handle for NCL, in order to generate full-length αS modified at various individual sites or a combination of sites. We assayed the lipid-vesicle binding affinities of arginylated αS using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and found that arginylated αS has the same vesicle affinity compared to control protein, suggesting that this PTM does not alter the native function of αS. On the other hand, we studied the aggregation kinetics of modified αS and found that arginylation at E83, but not E46, slows aggregation and decreases the percentage incorporation of monomer into fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. Arginylation at both sites also resulted in deceleration of fibril formation. Our study represents the first synthetic strategy for incorporating glutamate arginylation into proteins and provides insight into the neuroprotective effect of this unusual PTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buyan Pan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Naoki Kamo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Marie Shimogawa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Yun Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Anna Kashina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - E James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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24
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Cytotoxicity and Mitochondrial Dysregulation Caused by α-Synuclein in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102289. [PMID: 33066427 PMCID: PMC7602147 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha synuclein has been linked to both sporadic and familial forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is the most abundant protein in Lewy bodies a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. The function of this protein and the molecular mechanisms underlying its toxicity are still unclear, but many studies have suggested that the mechanism of α-synuclein toxicity involves alterations to mitochondrial function. Here we expressed human α-synuclein and two PD-causing α-synuclein mutant proteins (with a point mutation, A53T, and a C-terminal 20 amino acid truncation) in the eukaryotic model Dictyostelium discoideum. Mitochondrial disease has been well studied in D. discoideum and, unlike in mammals, mitochondrial dysfunction results in a clear set of defective phenotypes. These defective phenotypes are caused by the chronic hyperactivation of the cellular energy sensor, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Expression of α-synuclein wild type and mutant forms was toxic to the cells and mitochondrial function was dysregulated. Some but not all of the defective phenotypes could be rescued by down regulation of AMPK revealing both AMPK-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Importantly, we also show that the C-terminus of α-synuclein is required and sufficient for the localisation of the protein to the cell cortex in D. discoideum.
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25
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Landeck N, Strathearn KE, Ysselstein D, Buck K, Dutta S, Banerjee S, Lv Z, Hulleman JD, Hindupur J, Lin LK, Padalkar S, Stanciu LA, Lyubchenko YL, Kirik D, Rochet JC. Two C-terminal sequence variations determine differential neurotoxicity between human and mouse α-synuclein. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:49. [PMID: 32900375 PMCID: PMC7487555 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00380-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND α-Synuclein (aSyn) aggregation is thought to play a central role in neurodegenerative disorders termed synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Mouse aSyn contains a threonine residue at position 53 that mimics the human familial PD substitution A53T, yet in contrast to A53T patients, mice show no evidence of aSyn neuropathology even after aging. Here, we studied the neurotoxicity of human A53T, mouse aSyn, and various human-mouse chimeras in cellular and in vivo models, as well as their biochemical properties relevant to aSyn pathobiology. METHODS Primary midbrain cultures transduced with aSyn-encoding adenoviruses were analyzed immunocytochemically to determine relative dopaminergic neuron viability. Brain sections prepared from rats injected intranigrally with aSyn-encoding adeno-associated viruses were analyzed immunohistochemically to determine nigral dopaminergic neuron viability and striatal dopaminergic terminal density. Recombinant aSyn variants were characterized in terms of fibrillization rates by measuring thioflavin T fluorescence, fibril morphologies via electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and protein-lipid interactions by monitoring membrane-induced aSyn aggregation and aSyn-mediated vesicle disruption. Statistical tests consisted of ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons post hoc test and the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Dunn's multiple comparisons test or a two-tailed Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS Mouse aSyn was less neurotoxic than human aSyn A53T in cell culture and in rat midbrain, and data obtained for the chimeric variants indicated that the human-to-mouse substitutions D121G and N122S were at least partially responsible for this decrease in neurotoxicity. Human aSyn A53T and a chimeric variant with the human residues D and N at positions 121 and 122 (respectively) showed a greater propensity to undergo membrane-induced aggregation and to elicit vesicle disruption. Differences in neurotoxicity among the human, mouse, and chimeric aSyn variants correlated weakly with differences in fibrillization rate or fibril morphology. CONCLUSIONS Mouse aSyn is less neurotoxic than the human A53T variant as a result of inhibitory effects of two C-terminal amino acid substitutions on membrane-induced aSyn aggregation and aSyn-mediated vesicle permeabilization. Our findings highlight the importance of membrane-induced self-assembly in aSyn neurotoxicity and suggest that inhibiting this process by targeting the C-terminal domain could slow neurodegeneration in PD and other synucleinopathy disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Landeck
- Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Katherine E. Strathearn
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Present address: Fujifilm Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, CA USA
| | - Daniel Ysselstein
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Present address: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Kerstin Buck
- Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Present address: AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Sayan Dutta
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Siddhartha Banerjee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA
| | - Zhengjian Lv
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA
- Present address: Bruker Nanosurfaces Division, Goleta, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | - John D. Hulleman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Present address: Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
| | - Jagadish Hindupur
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Present address: Liveon Biolabs Pvt. Ltd., Tumakuru, Karnataka India
| | - Li-Kai Lin
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Sonal Padalkar
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Present address: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA
| | - Lia A. Stanciu
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Yuri L. Lyubchenko
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE USA
| | - Deniz Kirik
- Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jean-Christophe Rochet
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
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26
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Fayyad M, Erskine D, Majbour NK, Vaikath NN, Ghanem SS, Sudhakaran IP, Abdesselem H, Lamprokostopoulou A, Vekrellis K, Morris CM, Attems J, El-Agnaf OMA. Investigating the presence of doubly phosphorylated α-synuclein at tyrosine 125 and serine 129 in idiopathic Lewy body diseases. Brain Pathol 2020; 30:831-843. [PMID: 32324926 PMCID: PMC7384146 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of the protein α‐synuclein (α‐syn) into insoluble intracellular assemblies termed Lewy bodies (LBs) is thought to be a critical pathogenic event in LB diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia with LBs. In LB diseases, the majority of α‐syn is phosphorylated at serine 129 (pS129), suggesting that this is an important disease‐related post‐translational modification (PTM). However, PTMs do not typically occur in isolation and phosphorylation at the proximal tyrosine 125 (pY125) residue has received considerable attention and has been inconsistently reported to be present in LBs. Furthermore, the proximity of Y125 to S129 means that some pS129 antibodies may have epitopes that include Y125, in which case phosphorylation of Y125 will impede recognition of α‐syn. This would potentially lead to underestimating LB pathology burdens if pY125 occurs alongside pS129. To address the apparent controversy in the literature regarding the detection of pY125, we investigated its presence in the LB pathology. We generated pS129 antibodies whose epitope includes or does not include Y125 and compared the extent of α‐syn pathology recognized in mouse models of α‐synucleinopathies, human brain tissue lysates and fixed post‐mortem brain tissues. Our study demonstrated no difference in α‐syn pathology recognized between pS129 antibodies, irrespective of whether Y125 was part of the epitope or not. Furthermore, evaluation with pY125 antibodies whose epitope does not include S129 demonstrated no labeling of LB pathology. This study reconciles disparate results in the literature and demonstrates pY125 is not a key component of LB pathology in murine models or human tissues in idiopathic LB diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneera Fayyad
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Daniel Erskine
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nour K Majbour
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nishant N Vaikath
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Simona S Ghanem
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Indulekha P Sudhakaran
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Houari Abdesselem
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Kostas Vekrellis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christopher M Morris
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Johannes Attems
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Omar M A El-Agnaf
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.,Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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27
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Abstract
Protein semisynthesis-defined herein as the assembly of a protein from a combination of synthetic and recombinant fragments-is a burgeoning field of chemical biology that has impacted many areas in the life sciences. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of this area. We begin by discussing the various chemical and enzymatic methods now available for the manufacture of custom proteins containing noncoded elements. This section begins with a discussion of methods that are more chemical in origin and ends with those that employ biocatalysts. We also illustrate the commonalities that exist between these seemingly disparate methods and show how this is allowing for the development of integrated chemoenzymatic methods. This methodology discussion provides the technical foundation for the second part of the review where we cover the great many biological problems that have now been addressed using these tools. Finally, we end the piece with a short discussion on the frontiers of the field and the opportunities available for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom W. Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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28
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Pan B, Rhoades E, Petersson EJ. Chemoenzymatic Semisynthesis of Phosphorylated α-Synuclein Enables Identification of a Bidirectional Effect on Fibril Formation. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:640-645. [PMID: 32065743 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) impact the pathological aggregation of α-synuclein (αS), a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we synthesize αS phosphorylated at tyrosine 39 (pY39) through a novel route using in vitro enzymatic phosphorylation of a fragment followed by ligation to form the full-length protein. We can execute this synthesis in combination with unnatural amino acid mutagenesis to include two fluorescent labels for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies. We determine the effect of pY39 on the aggregation of αS and compare our authentically phosphorylated material to the corresponding glutamate 39 "phosphomimetic." Intriguingly, we find that αS-pY39 can either accelerate or decelerate aggregation, depending on the fraction of phosphorylated protein. The αS-E39 mutant can qualitatively reproduce some, but not all, of these effects. FRET measurements and analysis of existing structures of αS help to provide an explanation for this phenomenon. Our results have important implications for the treatment of PD patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and highlight the importance of validating phosphomimetics through studies of authentic PTMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buyan Pan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - E. James Petersson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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29
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Moon SP, Balana AT, Galesic A, Rakshit A, Pratt MR. Ubiquitination Can Change the Structure of the α-Synuclein Amyloid Fiber in a Site Selective Fashion. J Org Chem 2019; 85:1548-1555. [PMID: 31809571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b02641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Toxic amyloid aggregates are a feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. A number of biochemical and structural studies have demonstrated that not all amyloids of a given protein are equivalent but rather that an aggregating protein can form different amyloid structures or polymorphisms. Different polymorphisms can also induce different amounts of pathology and toxicity in cells and in mice, suggesting that the structural differences may play important roles in disease. However, the features that cause the formation of polymorphisms in vivo are still being uncovered. Posttranslational modifications on several amyloid forming proteins, including the Parkinson's disease causing protein α-synuclein, may be one such cause. Here, we explore whether ubiquitination can induce structural changes in α-synuclein aggregates in vitro. We used protein chemistry to first synthesize ubiquitinated analogues at three different positions using disulfide linkages. After aggregation, these linkages can be reversed, allowing us to make relative comparisons between the structures using a proteinase K assay. We find that, while ubiquitination at residue 6, 23, or 96 inhibits α-synuclein aggregation, only modification at residue 96 causes an alteration in the aggregate structure, providing further evidence that posttranslational modifications may be an important feature in amyloid polymorphism formation.
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30
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Gerding HR, Karreman C, Daiber A, Delp J, Hammler D, Mex M, Schildknecht S, Leist M. Reductive modification of genetically encoded 3-nitrotyrosine sites in alpha synuclein expressed in E.coli. Redox Biol 2019; 26:101251. [PMID: 31226647 PMCID: PMC6586993 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine nitration is a post-translational protein modification relevant to various pathophysiological processes. Chemical nitration procedures have been used to generate and study nitrated proteins, but these methods regularly lead to modifications at other amino acid residues. A novel strategy employs a genetic code modification that allows incorporation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) during ribosomal protein synthesis to generate a recombinant protein with defined 3-NT-sites, in the absence of other post-translational modifications. This approach was applied to study the generation and stability of the 3-NT moiety in recombinant proteins produced in E.coli. Nitrated alpha-synuclein (ASYN) was selected as exemplary protein, relevant in Parkinson's disease (PD). A procedure was established to obtain pure tyrosine-modified ASYN in mg amounts. However, a rapid (t1/2 = 0.4 h) reduction of 3-NT to 3-aminotyrosine (3-AT) was observed. When screening for potential mechanisms, we found that 3-NT can be reduced enzymatically to 3-AT, whilst biologically relevant low molecular weight reductants, such as NADPH or GSH, did not affect 3-NT. A genetic screen for E.coli proteins, involved in the observed 3-NT reduction, revealed the contribution of several, possibly redundant pathways. Green fluorescent protein was studied as an alternative model protein. These data confirm 3-NT reduction as a broadly-relevant pathway in E.coli. In conclusion, incorporation of 3-NT as a genetically-encoded non-natural amino acid allows for generation of recombinant proteins with specific nitration sites. The potential reduction of the 3-NT moiety by E.coli, however, requires attention to the design of the purification strategy for obtaining pure nitrated protein. 3-nitrotyrosine in proteins is reduced to 3-aminotyrosine in E.coli. 3-aminotyrosine is stable in E.coli. 3-nitrotyrosine reduction is independent of the harboring protein but affected by protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne R Gerding
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christiaan Karreman
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andreas Daiber
- Zentrum für Kardiologie, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Johannes Delp
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Daniel Hammler
- Research School Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Mex
- Research School Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stefan Schildknecht
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
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31
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Efficient and robust preparation of tyrosine phosphorylated intrinsically disordered proteins. Biotechniques 2019; 67:16-22. [PMID: 31092000 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2019-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are subject to post-translational modifications. This allows the same polypeptide to be involved in different interaction networks with different consequences, ranging from regulatory signalling networks to the formation of membrane-less organelles. We report a robust method for co-expression of modification enzyme and SUMO-tagged IDPs with a subsequent purification procedure that allows for the production of modified IDP. The robustness of our protocol is demonstrated using a challenging system: RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD); that is, a low-complexity repetitive region with multiple phosphorylation sites. In vitro phosphorylation approaches fail to yield multiple-site phosphorylated CTD, whereas our in vivo protocol allows the rapid production of near homogeneous phosphorylated CTD at a low cost. These samples can be used in functional and structural studies.
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32
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Marvian AT, Koss DJ, Aliakbari F, Morshedi D, Outeiro TF. In vitro models of synucleinopathies: informing on molecular mechanisms and protective strategies. J Neurochem 2019; 150:535-565. [PMID: 31004503 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a central player in Parkinson's disease (PD) and in a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as synucleinopathies. The protein was first associated with PD just over 20 years ago, when it was found to (i) be a major component of Lewy bodies and (ii) to be also associated with familial forms of PD. The characterization of α-Syn pathology has been achieved through postmortem studies of human brains. However, the identification of toxic mechanisms associated with α-Syn was only achieved through the use of experimental models. In vitro models are highly accessible, enable relatively rapid studies, and have been extensively employed to address α-Syn-associated neurodegeneration. Given the diversity of models used and the outcomes of the studies, a cumulative and comprehensive perspective emerges as indispensable to pave the way for further investigations. Here, we subdivided in vitro models of α-Syn pathology into three major types: (i) models simulating α-Syn fibrillization and the formation of different aggregated structures in vitro, (ii) models based on the intracellular expression of α-Syn, reporting on pathogenic conditions and cellular dysfunctions induced, and (iii) models using extracellular treatment with α-Syn aggregated species, reporting on sites of interaction and their downstream consequences. In summary, we review the underlying molecular mechanisms discovered and categorize protective strategies, in order to pave the way for future studies and the identification of effective therapeutic strategies. This article is part of the Special Issue "Synuclein".
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Tayaranian Marvian
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - David J Koss
- Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Farhang Aliakbari
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dina Morshedi
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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Membrane interactions of intrinsically disordered proteins: The example of alpha-synuclein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:879-889. [PMID: 31096049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral membrane proteins associate reversibly with biological membranes that, compared to protein binding partners, are structurally labile and devoid of specific binding pockets. Membranes in different subcellular compartments vary primarily in their chemical composition and physical properties, and recognition of these features is therefore critical for allowing such proteins to engage their proper membrane targets. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are well-suited to accomplish this task using highly specific and low- to moderate-affinity interactions governed by recognition principles that are both similar to and different from those that mediate the membrane interactions of rigid proteins. IDPs have also evolved multiple mechanisms to regulate membrane (and other) interactions and achieve their impressive functional diversity. Moreover, IDP-membrane interactions may have a kinetic advantage in fast processes requiring rapid control of such interactions, such as synaptic transmission or signaling. Herein we review the biophysics, regulation and functional implications of IDP-membrane interactions and include a brief overview of some of the methods that can be used to study such interactions. At each step, we use the example of alpha-synuclein, a protein involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and one of the best characterized membrane-binding IDP, to illustrate some of the principles discussed.
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Araman C, 't Hart BA. Neurodegeneration meets immunology - A chemical biology perspective. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:1911-1924. [PMID: 30910473 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C Araman
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry and the Institute for Chemical Immunology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - B A 't Hart
- University of Groningen, Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Centre, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, Free University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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El Turk F, De Genst E, Guilliams T, Fauvet B, Hejjaoui M, Di Trani J, Chiki A, Mittermaier A, Vendruscolo M, Lashuel HA, Dobson CM. Exploring the role of post-translational modifications in regulating α-synuclein interactions by studying the effects of phosphorylation on nanobody binding. Protein Sci 2019; 27:1262-1274. [PMID: 29603451 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular deposits of α-synuclein in the form of Lewy bodies are major hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) and a range of related neurodegenerative disorders. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of α-synuclein are increasingly thought to be major modulators of its structure, function, degradation and toxicity. Among these PTMs, phosphorylation near the C-terminus at S129 has emerged as a dominant pathogenic modification as it is consistently observed to occur within the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of post-mortem PD patients, and its level appears to correlate with disease progression. Phosphorylation at the neighboring tyrosine residue Y125 has also been shown to protect against α-synuclein toxicity in a Drosophila model of PD. In the present study we address the potential roles of C-terminal phosphorylation in modulating the interaction of α-synuclein with other protein partners, using a single domain antibody fragment (NbSyn87) that binds to the C-terminal region of α-synuclein with nanomolar affinity. The results reveal that phosphorylation at S129 has negligible effect on the binding affinity of NbSyn87 to α-synuclein while phosphorylation at Y125, only four residues away, decreases the binding affinity by a factor of 400. These findings show that, despite the fact that α-synuclein is intrinsically disordered in solution, selective phosphorylation can modulate significantly its interactions with other molecules and suggest how this particular form of modification could play a key role in regulating the normal and aberrant function of α-synuclein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah El Turk
- Centre for Mosfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
| | - Erwin De Genst
- Centre for Mosfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Guilliams
- Centre for Mosfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Fauvet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Mirva Hejjaoui
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Justin Di Trani
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
| | - Anass Chiki
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Mittermaier
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2K6, Canada
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Mosfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Mosfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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Chen H, Zhao YF, Chen YX, Li YM. Exploring the Roles of Post-Translational Modifications in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease Using Synthetic and Semisynthetic Modified α-Synuclein. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:910-921. [PMID: 30628768 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-syn), a small soluble protein containing 140 amino acids, is associated with the recycling pool of synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals. The misfolding and aggregation of α-syn is closely related to a group of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), which is one of the most common progressive neurodegenerative diseases. Varieties of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of α-syn, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and glycosylation, have been detected in soluble and aggregated α-syn in vivo. These PTMs can have either positive or negative effects on α-syn aggregation and toxicity, which may play critical roles in PD pathogenesis. Herein, we review the advances in synthetic and semisynthetic chemistry to generate homogeneous α-syn variants with site-specific modifications. Using these modified α-syn, we gain insight into the consequences of PTMs on α-syn aggregation and other biophysical properties, which can help elucidate the role of PTMs in the pathogenesis of PD and develop potential therapies to PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huai Chen
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Lab of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
- Beijing Institute
for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, P.R. China
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
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Iyer A, Claessens MMAE. Disruptive membrane interactions of alpha-synuclein aggregates. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2018; 1867:468-482. [PMID: 30315896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alpha synuclein (αS) is a ~14 kDa intrinsically disordered protein. Decades of research have increased our knowledge on αS yet its physiological function remains largely elusive. The conversion of monomeric αS into oligomers and amyloid fibrils is believed to play a central role of the pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is becoming increasingly clear that the interactions of αS with cellular membranes are important for both αS's functional and pathogenic actions. Therefore, understanding interactions of αS with membranes seems critical to uncover functional or pathological mechanisms. This review summarizes our current knowledge of how physicochemical properties of phospholipid membranes affect the binding and aggregation of αS species and gives an overview of how post-translational modifications and point mutations in αS affect phospholipid membrane binding and protein aggregation. We discuss the disruptive effects resulting from the interaction of αS aggregate species with membranes and highlight current approaches and hypotheses that seek to understand the pathogenic and/or protective role of αS in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Iyer
- Membrane Enzymology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Exciting new technological developments have pushed the boundaries of structural biology, and have enabled studies of biological macromolecules and assemblies that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Yet, the enhanced capabilities of structural biologists to pry into the complex molecular world have also placed new demands on the abilities of protein engineers to reproduce this complexity into the test tube. With this challenge in mind, we review the contents of the modern molecular engineering toolbox that allow the manipulation of proteins in a site-specific and chemically well-defined fashion. Thus, we cover concepts related to the modification of cysteines and other natural amino acids, native chemical ligation, intein and sortase-based approaches, amber suppression, as well as chemical and enzymatic bio-conjugation strategies. We also describe how these tools can be used to aid methodology development in X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, cryo-electron microscopy and in the studies of dynamic interactions. It is our hope that this monograph will inspire structural biologists and protein engineers alike to apply these tools to novel systems, and to enhance and broaden their scope to meet the outstanding challenges in understanding the molecular basis of cellular processes and disease.
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39
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Ma X, Li H, He Y, Hao J. The emerging link between O-GlcNAcylation and neurological disorders. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:3667-3686. [PMID: 28534084 PMCID: PMC11107615 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2542-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
O-linked β-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) is involved in the regulation of many cellular cascades and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke. In the brain, the expression of O-GlcNAcylation is notably heightened, as is that of O-linked N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (OGT) and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (OGA), the presence of which is prominent in many regions of neurological importance. Most importantly, O-GlcNAcylation is believed to contribute to the normal functioning of neurons; conversely, its dysregulation participates in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. In neurodegenerative diseases, O-GlcNAcylation of the brain's key proteins, such as tau and amyloid-β, interacts with their phosphorylation, thereby triggering the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. An increase of O-GlcNAcylation by pharmacological intervention prevents neuronal loss. Additionally, O-GlcNAcylation is stress sensitive, and its elevation is cytoprotective. Increased O-GlcNAcylation ameliorated brain damage in victims of both trauma-hemorrhage and stroke. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of O-GlcNAcylation's physiological and pathological roles in the nervous system and provide a foundation for development of a therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Ma
- Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - He Li
- Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Yating He
- Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Junwei Hao
- Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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40
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Kumar P, Schilderink N, Subramaniam V, Huber M. Membrane Binding of Parkinson's Protein α-Synuclein: Effect of Phosphorylation at Positions 87 and 129 by the S to D Mutation Approach. Isr J Chem 2017; 57:762-770. [PMID: 28919642 PMCID: PMC5573911 DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201600083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Human α-synuclein, a protein relevant in the brain with so-far unknown function, plays an important role in Parkinson's disease. The phosphorylation state of αS was related to the disease, prompting interest in this process. The presumed physiological function and the disease action of αS involves membrane interaction. Here, we study the effect of phosphorylation at positions 87 and 129, mimicked by the mutations S87A, S129A (nonphosphorylated) and S87D, S129D (phosphorylated) on membrane binding. Local binding is detected by spin-label continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance. For S87A/D, six positions (27, 56, 63, 69, 76, and 90) are probed; and for S129A/D, three (27, 56, and 69). Binding to large unilamellar vesicles of 100 nm diameter of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in a 1 : 1 composition is not affected by the phosphorylation state of S129. For phosphorylation at S87, local unbinding of αS from the membrane is observed. We speculate that modulating the local membrane affinity by phosphorylation could tune the way αS interacts with different membranes; for example, tuning its membrane fusion activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravin Kumar
- Department of Physics, Huygens-Kamerlingh-Onnes LaboratoryLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Nathalie Schilderink
- Nanobiophysics, MESA+ Institute for NanotechnologyUniversity of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Vinod Subramaniam
- Nanobiophysics, MESA+ Institute for NanotechnologyUniversity of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
- FOM Institute AMOLFAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Martina Huber
- Department of Physics, Huygens-Kamerlingh-Onnes LaboratoryLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
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41
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Kim T, Vemuganti R. Mechanisms of Parkinson's disease-related proteins in mediating secondary brain damage after cerebral ischemia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:1910-1926. [PMID: 28273718 PMCID: PMC5444552 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x17694186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Both Parkinson's disease (PD) and stroke are debilitating conditions that result in neuronal death and loss of neurological functions. These two conditions predominantly affect aging populations with the deterioration of the quality of life for the patients themselves and a tremendous burden to families. While the neurodegeneration and symptomology of PD develop chronically over the years, post-stroke neuronal death and dysfunction develop rapidly in days. Despite the discrepancy in the pathophysiological time frame and severity, both conditions share common molecular mechanisms that include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and activation of various cell death pathways (apoptosis/necrosis/autophagy) that synergistically modulate the neuronal death. Emerging evidence indicates that several proteins associated with early-onset familial PD play critical roles in mediating the neuronal death. Importantly, mutations in the genes encoding Parkin, PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 and DJ-1 mediate autosomal recessive forms of PD, whereas mutations in the genes encoding leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 and α-synuclein are responsible for autosomal dominant PD. This review discusses the significance of these proteins with the emphasis on the role of α-synuclein in mediating post-ischemic brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- TaeHee Kim
- 1 Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,2 Neuroscience Training Program, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Raghu Vemuganti
- 1 Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,2 Neuroscience Training Program, Madison, WI, USA.,3 Cellular & Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,4 William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
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Uversky VN. Looking at the recent advances in understanding α-synuclein and its aggregation through the proteoform prism. F1000Res 2017; 6:525. [PMID: 28491292 PMCID: PMC5399969 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.10536.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite attracting the close attention of multiple researchers for the past 25 years, α-synuclein continues to be an enigma, hiding sacred truth related to its structure, function, and dysfunction, concealing mechanisms of its pathological spread within the affected brain during disease progression, and, above all, covering up the molecular mechanisms of its multipathogenicity, i.e. the ability to be associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases. The goal of this article is to present the most recent advances in understanding of this protein and its aggregation and to show that the remarkable structural, functional, and dysfunctional multifaceted nature of α-synuclein can be understood using the proteoform concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. MDC07, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.,Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 7 Institutskaya St., 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russian Federation.,Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding Of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky Av., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
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43
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Jiang Z, Heinrich F, McGlinchey RP, Gruschus JM, Lee JC. Segmental Deuteration of α-Synuclein for Neutron Reflectometry on Tethered Bilayers. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:29-34. [PMID: 27936328 PMCID: PMC5367044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b02304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Neutron reflectometry (NR) is uniquely suited for studying protein interaction with phospholipid bilayers along the bilayer normal on an angstrom scale. However, NR on its own cannot discern specific membrane-bound regions due to a lack of scattering contrast within a protein. Here we report the successful coupling of native chemical ligation (NCL) and NR to study α-synuclein (α-syn), a membrane-binding neuronal protein central in Parkinson's disease. Two α-syn variants were generated where either the first 86 or last 54 residues are deuterated, allowing for region-specific contrast within the protein and the identification of membrane interacting residues by NR. Residues 1-86 are positioned at the hydrocarbon/headgroup interface of the outer leaflet, whereas the density distribution of the 54 C-terminal residues ranges from the hydrocarbon region to the aqueous environment. Coupling of NCL and NR should have broad utility in studies of membrane protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Jiang
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Frank Heinrich
- Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - Ryan P. McGlinchey
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - James M. Gruschus
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jennifer C. Lee
- Laboratory of Protein Conformation and Dynamics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Ma MR, Hu ZW, Zhao YF, Chen YX, Li YM. Phosphorylation induces distinct alpha-synuclein strain formation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37130. [PMID: 27853185 PMCID: PMC5112567 DOI: 10.1038/srep37130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases associated with alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation. Recently, increasing evidence has demonstrated the existence of different structural characteristics or 'strains' of α-Syn, supporting the concept that synucleinopathies share several common features with prion diseases and possibly explaining how a single protein results in different clinical phenotypes within synucleinopathies. In earlier studies, the different strains were generated through the regulation of solution conditions, temperature, or repetitive seeded fibrillization in vitro. Here, we synthesize homogeneous α-Syn phosphorylated at serine 129 (pS129 α-Syn), which is highly associated with the pathological changes, and demonstrate that phosphorylation at Ser129 induces α-Syn to form a distinct strain with different structures, propagation properties, and higher cytotoxicity compared with the wild-type α-Syn. The results are the first demonstration that post-translational modification of α-Syn can induce different strain formation, offering a new mechanism for strain formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Rong Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Wen Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, P. R. China
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45
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Dikiy I, Fauvet B, Jovičić A, Mahul-Mellier AL, Desobry C, El-Turk F, Gitler AD, Lashuel HA, Eliezer D. Semisynthetic and in Vitro Phosphorylation of Alpha-Synuclein at Y39 Promotes Functional Partly Helical Membrane-Bound States Resembling Those Induced by PD Mutations. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:2428-37. [PMID: 27356045 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein is a presynaptic protein of poorly understood function that is linked to both genetic and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease. We have proposed that alpha-synuclein may function specifically at synaptic vesicles docked at the plasma membrane, and that the broken-helix state of the protein, comprising two antiparallel membrane-bound helices connected by a nonhelical linker, may target the protein to such docked vesicles by spanning between the vesicle and the plasma membrane. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of alpha-synuclein at tyrosine 39, carried out by c-Abl in vivo, may facilitate interconversion of synuclein from the vesicle-bound extended-helix state to the broken-helix state. Specifically, in the presence of lipid vesicles, Y39 phosphorylation leads to decreased binding of a region corresponding to helix-2 of the broken-helix state, potentially freeing this region of the protein to interact with other membrane surfaces. This effect is largely recapitulated by the phosphomimetic mutation Y39E, and expression of this mutant in yeast results in decreased membrane localization. Intriguingly, the effects of Y39 phosphorylation on membrane binding closely resemble those of the recently reported disease linked mutation G51D. These findings suggest that Y39 phosphorylation could modulate functional aspects of alpha-synuclein and perhaps influence pathological aggregation of the protein as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Dikiy
- Department
of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Bruno Fauvet
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ana Jovičić
- Department
of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Anne-Laure Mahul-Mellier
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carole Desobry
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Farah El-Turk
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aaron D. Gitler
- Department
of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory
of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Doha, Qatar
| | - David Eliezer
- Department
of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10065, United States
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Komatsu T, Virdee S. ICBS and ECBS Chemical Biology Meeting 2015 - Let Them Come to Berlin! ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:1159-66. [PMID: 27198933 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Toru Komatsu
- Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- JST PRESTO, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satpal Virdee
- MRC
Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Bah A, Forman-Kay JD. Modulation of Intrinsically Disordered Protein Function by Post-translational Modifications. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:6696-705. [PMID: 26851279 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r115.695056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 337] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) produce significant changes in the structural properties of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) by affecting their energy landscapes. PTMs can induce a range of effects, from local stabilization or destabilization of transient secondary structure to global disorder-to-order transitions, potentially driving complete state changes between intrinsically disordered and folded states or dispersed monomeric and phase-separated states. Here, we discuss diverse biological processes that are dependent on PTM regulation of IDPs. We also present recent tools for generating homogenously modified IDPs for studies of PTM-mediated IDP regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaji Bah
- From the Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4 and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Julie D Forman-Kay
- From the Program in Molecular Structure & Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4 and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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Fauvet B, Lashuel HA. Semisynthesis and Enzymatic Preparation of Post-translationally Modified α-Synuclein. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1345:3-20. [PMID: 26453202 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2978-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) serve as molecular switches for regulating protein folding, function, and interactome and have been implicated in the misfolding and amyloid formation by several proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Understanding the role of individual PTMs in protein misfolding and aggregation requires the preparation of site-specifically modified proteins, as well as the identification of the enzymes involved in regulating these PTMs. Recently, our group has pioneered the development of enzymatic, synthetic, and semisynthetic strategies that allow site-specific introduction of PTMs at single or multiple sites and generation of modified proteins in milligram quantities. In this chapter, we provide detailed description of enzymatic and semisynthetic strategies for the generation of the phosphorylated α-Synuclein (α-Syn) at S129, (pS129), which has been identified as a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. The semisynthetic method described for generation of α-Syn-pS129 requires expertise with protein chemical ligation, but can be used to incorporate other PTMs (single or multiple) within the α-Syn C-terminus if desired. On the other hand, the in vitro kinase-mediated phosphorylation strategy does not require any special setup and is rather easy to apply, but its application is restricted to the generation of α-Syn_pS129. These methods have the potential to increase the availability of pure and homogenous modified α-Syn reagents, which may be used as standards in numerous applications, including the search for potential biomarkers of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Fauvet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, AI 2.151, Station 19, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, AI 2.151, Station 19, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
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O-GlcNAc modification blocks the aggregation and toxicity of the protein α-synuclein associated with Parkinson's disease. Nat Chem 2015; 7:913-20. [PMID: 26492012 PMCID: PMC4618406 DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Several aggregation-prone proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases can be modified by O-linked N-acetyl-glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) in vivo. One of these proteins, α-synuclein, is a toxic aggregating protein associated with synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease. However, the effect of O-GlcNAcylation on α-synuclein is not clear. Here, we use synthetic protein chemistry to generate both unmodified α-synuclein and α-synuclein bearing a site-specific O-GlcNAc modification at the physiologically relevant threonine residue 72. We show that this single modification has a notable and substoichiometric inhibitory effect on α-synuclein aggregation, while not affecting the membrane binding or bending properties of α-synuclein. O-GlcNAcylation is also shown to affect the phosphorylation of α-synuclein in vitro and block the toxicity of α-synuclein that was exogenously added to cells in culture. These results suggest that increasing O-GlcNAcylation may slow the progression of synucleinopathies and further support a general function for O-GlcNAc in preventing protein aggregation.
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50
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Robust production of recombinant phosphoproteins using cell-free protein synthesis. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8168. [PMID: 26350765 PMCID: PMC4566161 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the functional and structural consequences of site-specific protein phosphorylation has remained limited by our inability to produce phosphoproteins at high yields. Here we address this limitation by developing a cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform that employs crude extracts from a genomically recoded strain of Escherichia coli for site-specific, co-translational incorporation of phosphoserine into proteins. We apply this system to the robust production of up to milligram quantities of human MEK1 kinase. Then, we recapitulate a physiological signalling cascade in vitro to evaluate the contributions of site-specific phosphorylation of mono- and doubly phosphorylated forms on MEK1 activity. We discover that only one phosphorylation event is necessary and sufficient for MEK1 activity. Our work sets the stage for using CFPS as a rapid high-throughput technology platform for direct expression of programmable phosphoproteins containing multiple phosphorylated residues. This work will facilitate study of phosphorylation-dependent structure–function relationships, kinase signalling networks and kinase inhibitor drugs. The inability to produce recombinant phosphoproteins has hindered research into their structure and function. Here the authors develop a cell-free protein synthesis platform to site-specifically incorporate phosphoserine into proteins at high yields, and recapitulate a MEK1 kinase signalling cascade.
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