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Sahayaraj AE, Abdul Vahid A, Dhara A, Babu AT, Vijayan V. Role of G326 in Determining the Aggregation Propensity of R3 Tau Repeat: Insights from Studies on R1R3 Tau Construct. J Phys Chem B 2024. [PMID: 38676652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The Microtubule-binding repeat region (MTBR) of Tau has been studied extensively due to its pathological implications in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. The pathological property of MTBR is mainly due to the R3 repeat's high propensity for self-aggregation, highlighting the critical molecular grammar of the repeat. Utilizing the R1R3 construct (WT) and its G326E mutant (EE), we determine the distinct characteristics of various peptide segments that modulate the aggregation propensity of the R3 repeat using NMR spectroscopy. Through time-dependent experiments, we have identified 317KVTSKCGS324 in R3 repeat as the aggregation initiating motif (AIM) due to its role at the initial stages of aggregation. The G326E mutation induces changes in conformation and dynamics at the AIM, thereby effectively abrogating the aggregation propensity of the R1R3 construct. We further corroborate our findings through MD simulations and propose that AIM is a robust site of interest for tauopathy drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Asmita Dhara
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Ann Teres Babu
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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Martinho M, Allegro D, Etienne E, Lohberger C, Bonucci A, Belle V, Barbier P. Structural Flexibility of Tau in Its Interaction with Microtubules as Viewed by Site-Directed Spin Labeling EPR Spectroscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:55-75. [PMID: 38512660 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that belongs to the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) family. IDPs or Intrinsically Disordered Regions (IDRs) play key roles in protein interaction networks and their dysfunctions are often related to severe diseases. Defined by their lack of stable secondary and tertiary structures in physiological conditions while being functional, these proteins use their inherent structural flexibility to adapt to and interact with various binding partners. Knowledges on the structural dynamics of IDPs and their different conformers are crucial to finely decipher fundamental biological processes controlled by mechanisms such as conformational adaptations or switches, induced fit, or conformational selection events. Different mechanisms of binding have been proposed: among them, the so-called folding-upon-binding in which the IDP adopts a certain conformation upon interacting with a partner protein, or the formation of a "fuzzy" complex in which the IDP partly keeps its dynamical character at the surface of its partner. The dynamical nature and physicochemical properties of unbound as well as bound IDPs make this class of proteins particularly difficult to characterize by classical bio-structural techniques and require specific approaches for the fine description of their inherent dynamics.Among other techniques, Site-Directed Spin Labeling combined with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (SDSL-EPR) spectroscopy has gained much interest in this last decade for the study of IDPs. SDSL-EPR consists in grafting a paramagnetic label (mainly a nitroxide radical) at selected site(s) of the macromolecule under interest followed by its observation using and/or combining different EPR strategies. These nitroxide spin labels detected by continuous wave (cw) EPR spectroscopy are used as perfect reporters or "spy spins" of their local environment, being able to reveal structural transitions, folding/unfolding events, etc. Another approach is based on the measurement of inter-label distance distributions in the 1.5-8.0 nm range using pulsed dipolar EPR experiments, such as Double Electron-Electron Resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. The technique is then particularly well suited to study the behavior of Tau in its interaction with its physiological partner: microtubules (MTs). In this chapter we provide a detailed experimental protocol for the labeling of Tau protein and its EPR study while interacting with preformed (Paclitaxel-stabilized) MTs, or using Tau as MT inducer. We show how the choice of nitroxide label can be crucial to obtain functional information on Tau/tubulin complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diane Allegro
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, France
| | | | - Cynthia Lohberger
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Pascale Barbier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, France.
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Lam M, Kuo SY, Reis S, Gestwicki JE, Silva MC, Haggarty SJ. Cholesterol Dysregulation Drives Seed-Dependent Tau Aggregation in Patient Stem Cell-Derived Models of Tauopathy. bioRxiv 2023:2023.12.11.571147. [PMID: 38168389 PMCID: PMC10759997 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.11.571147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the progressive misfolding and accumulation of pathological tau protein in focal regions of the brain, leading to insidious neurodegeneration. Abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis have also been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the connection between cholesterol dysregulation and tau pathology remains largely unknown. To model and measure the impact of cholesterol dysregulation on tau, we utilized a combination of in vitro and ex vivo tau aggregation assays using an engineered tau biosensor cell line and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal cultures from an individual harboring an autosomal dominant P301L tau mutation and from a healthy control. We demonstrate that excess cholesterol esters lead to an increased rate of tau aggregation in vitro and an increase in seed-dependent insoluble tau aggregates detected in the biosensor line. We observed a strong correlation between cholesterol ester concentration and the presence of high-molecular-weight, oligomeric tau species. Importantly, in tauopathy patient iPSC-derived neurons harboring a P301L tau mutation with endogenous forms of misfolded tau, we show that acute dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis through acute exposure to human plasma-purified cholesterol esters formed by the linkage of fatty acids to the hydroxyl group of cholesterol leads to the rapid accumulation of phosphorylated tau. Conversely, treatment with the same cholesterol esters pool did not lead to subsequent accumulation of phosphorylated tau in control iPSC-derived neurons. Finally, treatment with a heterobifunctional, small-molecule degrader designed to selectively engage and catalyze the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of aberrant tau species prevented cholesterol ester-induced aggregation of tau in the biosensor cell line in a Cereblon E3 ligase-dependent manner. Degrader treatment also restored the resiliency of tauopathy patient-derived neurons towards cholesterol ester-induced tau aggregation phenotypes. Taken together, our study supports a key role of cholesterol dysregulation in tau aggregation. Moreover, it provides further pre-clinical validation of the therapeutic strategy of targeted protein degradation with heterobifunctional tau degraders for blocking tau seeding.
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Passaro ML, Matarazzo F, Abbadessa G, Pezone A, Porcellini A, Tranfa F, Rinaldi M, Costagliola C. Glaucoma as a Tauopathy-Is It the Missing Piece in the Glaucoma Puzzle? J Clin Med 2023; 12:6900. [PMID: 37959365 PMCID: PMC10650423 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12216900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder affecting the visual system which can result in vision loss and blindness. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying glaucomatous optic neuropathy are ultimately enigmatic, prompting ongoing investigations into its potential shared pathogenesis with other neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Tauopathies represent a subclass of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal deposition of tau protein within the brain and consequent microtubule destabilization. The extended spectrum of tauopathies includes conditions such as frontotemporal dementias, progressive supranuclear palsy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. Notably, recent decades have witnessed emerging documentation of tau inclusion among glaucoma patients, providing substantiation that this ocular disease may similarly manifest features of tauopathies. These studies found that: (i) aggregated tau inclusions are present in the somatodendritic compartment of RGCs in glaucoma patients; (ii) the etiology of the disease may affect tau splicing, phosphorylation, oligomerization, and subcellular localization; and (iii) short interfering RNA against tau, administered intraocularly, significantly decreased retinal tau accumulation and enhanced RGC somas and axon survival, demonstrating a crucial role for tau modifications in ocular hypertension-induced neuronal injury. Here, we examine the most recent evidence surrounding the interplay between tau protein dysregulation and glaucomatous neurodegeneration. We explore the novel perspective of glaucoma as a tau-associated disorder and open avenues for cross-disciplinary collaboration and new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Laura Passaro
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | | | - Gianmarco Abbadessa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonio Pezone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Antonio Porcellini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Fausto Tranfa
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Michele Rinaldi
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Ciro Costagliola
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
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Abstract
The intrinsically disordered protein tau aggregates into β-sheet amyloid fibrils that spread in human brains afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Tau interaction with lipid membranes might play a role in the formation and spreading of these pathological aggregates. Here we investigate the conformation and assembly of membrane-induced tau aggregates using solid-state NMR and transmission electron microscopy. A tau construct that encompasses the microtubule-binding repeats and a proline-rich domain is reconstituted into cholesterol-containing phospholipid membranes. 2D 13C-13C correlation spectra indicate that tau converted from a random coil to a β-sheet conformation over weeks. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) cause different equilibrium conformations from large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) and multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). Importantly, SUV-bound tau developed long fibrils that exhibit the characteristic β-sheet chemical shifts of Tyr310 in heparin-fibrillized tau. In comparison, LUVs and MLVs do not induce fibrils but cause different β-sheet aggregates. Lipid-protein correlation spectra indicate that these tau aggregates reside at the membrane-water interface, without inserting into the middle of the lipid bilayer. Removal of cholesterol from the SUVs abolished the fibrils, indicating that both membrane curvature and cholesterol are required for tau fibril formation. These results have implications for how lipid membranes might nucleate tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olivia Gampp
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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El Mammeri N, Dregni AJ, Duan P, Wang HK, Hong M. Microtubule-binding core of the tau protein. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabo4459. [PMID: 35857846 PMCID: PMC9299549 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The protein tau associates with microtubules to maintain neuronal health. Posttranslational modifications of tau interfere with this binding, leading to tau aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we use solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate the structure of the microtubule-binding domain of tau. Wild-type tau that contains four microtubule-binding repeats and a pseudorepeat R' is studied. Complexed with taxol-stabilized microtubules, the immobilized residues exhibit well-resolved two-dimensional spectra that can be assigned to the amino-terminal region of R4 and the R' domain. When tau coassembles with tubulin to form unstable microtubules, the R' signals remain, whereas the R4 signals disappear, indicating that R' remains immobilized, whereas R4 becomes more mobile. Therefore, R' outcompetes the other four repeats to associate with microtubules. These NMR data, together with previous cryo-electron microscopy densities, indicate an extended conformation for microtubule-bound R'. R' contains the largest number of charged residues among all repeats, suggesting that charge-charge interaction drives tau-microtubule association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Harrison K. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Yang Y, Tapias V, Acosta D, Xu H, Chen H, Bhawal R, Anderson ET, Ivanova E, Lin H, Sagdullaev BT, Chen J, Klein WL, Viola KL, Gandy S, Haroutunian V, Beal MF, Eliezer D, Zhang S, Gibson GE. Altered succinylation of mitochondrial proteins, APP and tau in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2022; 13:159. [PMID: 35013160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27572-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in brain glucose metabolism and accumulation of abnormal protein deposits called plaques and tangles are neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but their relationship to disease pathogenesis and to each other remains unclear. Here we show that succinylation, a metabolism-associated post-translational protein modification (PTM), provides a potential link between abnormal metabolism and AD pathology. We quantified the lysine succinylomes and proteomes from brains of individuals with AD, and healthy controls. In AD, succinylation of multiple mitochondrial proteins declined, and succinylation of small number of cytosolic proteins increased. The largest increases occurred at critical sites of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and microtubule-associated tau. We show that in vitro, succinylation of APP disrupted its normal proteolytic processing thereby promoting Aβ accumulation and plaque formation and that succinylation of tau promoted its aggregation to tangles and impaired microtubule assembly. In transgenic mouse models of AD, elevated succinylation associated with soluble and insoluble APP derivatives and tau. These findings indicate that a metabolism-linked PTM may be associated with AD. Succinylation is a metabolism-associated post-translational protein modification. Here the authors describe changes to the succinylation of proteins in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Acosta DM, Mancinelli C, Bracken C, Eliezer D. Post-translational modifications within tau paired helical filament nucleating motifs perturb microtubule interactions and oligomer formation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101442. [PMID: 34838590 PMCID: PMC8741514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translationally modified tau is the primary component of tau neurofibrillary tangles, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Post-translational modifications within the tau microtubule binding domain (MBD), which encompasses two hexapeptide motifs that act as critical nucleating regions for tau aggregation, can potentially modulate tau aggregation as well as interactions with microtubules (MTs) and membranes. Here we characterize the effects of a recently discovered tau PTM, lysine succinylation, on tau-tubulin interactions, and compare these to the effects of two previously reported MBD modifications, lysine acetylation and tyrosine phosphorylation. As generation of site-specific PTMs in proteins is challenging, we used short synthetic peptides to quantify the effects on tubulin binding of three site-specific PTMs located within the PHF6* (residues 275-280) and PHF6 (residues 306-311) hexapeptide motifs: K280 acetylation, Y310 phosphorylation and K311 succinylation. We compared these effects to those observed for MBD PTM-mimetic point mutations K280Q, Y310E and K311E. Finally, we evaluated the effects of these PTM-mimetic mutations on MBD membrane binding and membrane-induced fibril and oligomer formation. We found that all three PTMs perturb tau MT binding, with Y310 phosphorylation exerting the strongest effect. PTM mimetic mutations partially recapitulated the effects of the PTMs on MT binding and also disrupted tau membrane binding and membrane induced oligomer and fibril formation. These results imply that these PTMs, including the novel and AD-specific succinylation of tau K311, may influence both the physiological and pathological interactions of tau and thus represent targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Acosta
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Chiara Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Clay Bracken
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Eliezer
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065.
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Imbimbo BP, Ippati S, Watling M, Balducci C. A critical appraisal of tau-targeting therapies for primary and secondary tauopathies. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 18:1008-1037. [PMID: 34533272 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Primary tauopathies are neurological disorders in which tau protein deposition is the predominant pathological feature. Alzheimer's disease is a secondary tauopathy with tau forming hyperphosphorylated insoluble aggregates. Tau pathology can propagate from region to region in the brain, while alterations in tau processing may impair tau physiological functions. METHODS We reviewed literature on tau biology and anti-tau drugs using PubMed, meeting abstracts, and ClnicalTrials.gov. RESULTS The past 15 years have seen >30 drugs interfering with tau aggregation, processing, and accumulation reaching the clinic. Initial results with tau aggregation inhibitors and anti-tau monoclonal antibodies have not shown clinical efficacy. DISCUSSION The reasons for these clinical failures are unclear but could be linked to the clearing of physiological forms of tau by non-specific drugs. Research is now concentrating efforts on developing reliable translational animal models and selective compounds targeting specific tau epitopes, neurotoxic tau aggregates, and post-translational tau modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno P Imbimbo
- Department of Research & Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefania Ippati
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Mark Watling
- CNS & Pain Department, TranScrip Ltd, Reading, UK
| | - Claudia Balducci
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri" IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Silva MC, Haggarty SJ. Tauopathies: Deciphering Disease Mechanisms to Develop Effective Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238948. [PMID: 33255694 PMCID: PMC7728099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the pathological accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) in the form of neurofibrillary tangles and paired helical filaments in neurons and glia, leading to brain cell death. These diseases include frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can be sporadic or inherited when caused by mutations in the MAPT gene. Despite an incredibly high socio-economic burden worldwide, there are still no effective disease-modifying therapies, and few tau-focused experimental drugs have reached clinical trials. One major hindrance for therapeutic development is the knowledge gap in molecular mechanisms of tau-mediated neuronal toxicity and death. For the promise of precision medicine for brain disorders to be fulfilled, it is necessary to integrate known genetic causes of disease, i.e., MAPT mutations, with an understanding of the dysregulated molecular pathways that constitute potential therapeutic targets. Here, the growing understanding of known and proposed mechanisms of disease etiology will be reviewed, together with promising experimental tau-directed therapeutics, such as recently developed tau degraders. Current challenges faced by the fields of tau research and drug discovery will also be addressed.
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Knossow M, Campanacci V, Khodja LA, Gigant B. The Mechanism of Tubulin Assembly into Microtubules: Insights from Structural Studies. iScience 2020; 23:101511. [PMID: 32920486 PMCID: PMC7491153 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are cytoskeletal components involved in pivotal eukaryotic functions such as cell division, ciliogenesis, and intracellular trafficking. They assemble from αβ-tubulin heterodimers and disassemble in a process called dynamic instability, which is driven by GTP hydrolysis. Structures of the microtubule and of soluble tubulin have been determined by cryo-EM and by X-ray crystallography, respectively. Altogether, these data define the mechanism of tubulin assembly-disassembly at atomic or near-atomic level. We review here the structural changes that occur during assembly, tubulin switching from a curved conformation in solution to a straight one in the microtubule core. We also present more subtle changes associated with GTP binding, leading to tubulin activation for assembly. Finally, we show how cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography are complementary methods to characterize the interaction of tubulin with proteins involved either in intracellular transport or in microtubule dynamics regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Knossow
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Valérie Campanacci
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Liza Ammar Khodja
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Benoît Gigant
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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12
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Birol M, Melo AM. Untangling the Conformational Polymorphism of Disordered Proteins Associated With Neurodegeneration at the Single-Molecule Level. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 12:309. [PMID: 31998071 PMCID: PMC6965022 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A large fraction of the human genome encodes intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs/IDRs) that are involved in diverse cellular functions/regulation and dysfunctions. Moreover, several neurodegenerative disorders are associated with the pathological self-assembly of neuronal IDPs, including tau [Alzheimer's disease (AD)], α-synuclein [Parkinson's disease (PD)], and huntingtin exon 1 [Huntington's disease (HD)]. Therefore, there is an urgent and emerging clinical interest in understanding the physical and structural features of their functional and disease states. However, their biophysical characterization is inherently challenging by traditional ensemble techniques. First, unlike globular proteins, IDPs lack stable secondary/tertiary structures under physiological conditions and may interact with multiple and distinct biological partners, subsequently folding differentially, thus contributing to the conformational polymorphism. Second, amyloidogenic IDPs display a high aggregation propensity, undergoing complex heterogeneous self-assembly mechanisms. In this review article, we discuss the advantages of employing cutting-edge single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) techniques to characterize the conformational ensemble of three selected neuronal IDPs (huntingtin exon 1, tau, and α-synuclein). Specifically, we survey the versatility of these powerful approaches to describe their monomeric conformational ensemble under functional and aggregation-prone conditions, and binding to biological partners. Together, the information gained from these studies provides unique insights into the role of gain or loss of function of these disordered proteins in neurodegeneration, which may assist the development of new therapeutic molecules to prevent and treat these devastating human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Birol
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ana M Melo
- Centro de Química-Física Molecular- IN and iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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McKibben KM, Rhoades E. Independent tubulin binding and polymerization by the proline-rich region of Tau is regulated by Tau's N-terminal domain. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:19381-19394. [PMID: 31699899 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is an intrinsically disordered, microtubule-associated protein that has a role in regulating microtubule dynamics. Despite intensive research, the molecular mechanisms of Tau-mediated microtubule polymerization are poorly understood. Here we used single-molecule fluorescence to investigate the role of Tau's N-terminal domain (NTD) and proline-rich region (PRR) in regulating interactions of Tau with soluble tubulin. We assayed both full-length Tau isoforms and truncated variants for their ability to bind soluble tubulin and stimulate microtubule polymerization. We found that Tau's PRR is an independent tubulin-binding domain that has tubulin polymerization capacity. In contrast to the relatively weak interactions with tubulin mediated by sites distributed throughout Tau's microtubule-binding region (MTBR), resulting in heterogeneous Tau: tubulin complexes, the PRR bound tubulin tightly and stoichiometrically. Moreover, we demonstrate that interactions between the PRR and MTBR are reduced by the NTD through a conserved conformational ensemble. On the basis of these results, we propose that Tau's PRR can serve as a core tubulin-binding domain, whereas the MTBR enhances polymerization capacity by increasing the local tubulin concentration. Moreover, the NTD appears to negatively regulate tubulin-binding interactions of both of these domains. The findings of our study draw attention to a central role of the PRR in Tau function and provide mechanistic insight into Tau-mediated polymerization of tubulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M McKibben
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 .,Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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14
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Barbier P, Zejneli O, Martinho M, Lasorsa A, Belle V, Smet-Nocca C, Tsvetkov PO, Devred F, Landrieu I. Role of Tau as a Microtubule-Associated Protein: Structural and Functional Aspects. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:204. [PMID: 31447664 PMCID: PMC6692637 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) play a fundamental role in many vital processes such as cell division and neuronal activity. They are key structural and functional elements in axons, supporting neurite differentiation and growth, as well as transporting motor proteins along the axons, which use MTs as support tracks. Tau is a stabilizing MT associated protein, whose functions are mainly regulated by phosphorylation. A disruption of the MT network, which might be caused by Tau loss of function, is observed in a group of related diseases called tauopathies, which includes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Tau is found hyperphosphorylated in AD, which might account for its loss of MT stabilizing capacity. Since destabilization of MTs after dissociation of Tau could contribute to toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases, a molecular understanding of this interaction and its regulation is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Barbier
- Fac Pharm, Aix Marseille Univ., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Inst Neurophysiopathol (INP), Fac Pharm, Marseille, France
| | - Orgeta Zejneli
- Univ. Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Lille, France.,Univ. Lille, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), CHU-Lille, UMR-S 1172, Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre AUBERT (JPArc), Lille, France
| | - Marlène Martinho
- Aix Marseille Univ., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 7281, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines (BIP), Marseille, France
| | - Alessia Lasorsa
- Univ. Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Lille, France
| | - Valérie Belle
- Aix Marseille Univ., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 7281, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines (BIP), Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- Univ. Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Lille, France
| | - Philipp O Tsvetkov
- Fac Pharm, Aix Marseille Univ., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Inst Neurophysiopathol (INP), Fac Pharm, Marseille, France
| | - François Devred
- Fac Pharm, Aix Marseille Univ., Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Inst Neurophysiopathol (INP), Fac Pharm, Marseille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- Univ. Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Lille, France
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15
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Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein involved in the regulation of axonal microtubules in neurons. In pathological conditions, it forms fibrils that are molecular hallmarks of neurological disorders known as tauopathies. In the last 2 years, cryo-EM has given unprecedented high-resolution views of Tau in both physiological and pathological conditions. We review here these new findings and put them into the context of the knowledge about Tau before this structural breakthrough. The first structures of Tau fibrils, a molecular hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), were based on fibrils from the brain of an individual with AD and, along with similar patient-derived structures, have set the gold standard for the field. Cryo-EM structures of Tau fibers in three distinct diseases, AD, Pick's disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, represent the end points of Tau's molecular trajectory. We propose that the recent Tau structures may call for a re-examination of databases that link different Tau variants to various forms of dementia. We also address the question of how this structural information may link Tau's functional and pathological aspects. Because this structural information on Tau was obtained in a very short period, the new structures should be viewed in light of earlier structural observations and past and present functional data to shed additional light on Tau function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Lippens
- From the Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques (LISBP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, 135 avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 04, France and
| | - Benoît Gigant
- the Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
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16
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Melková K, Zapletal V, Narasimhan S, Jansen S, Hritz J, Škrabana R, Zweckstetter M, Ringkjøbing Jensen M, Blackledge M, Žídek L. Structure and Functions of Microtubule Associated Proteins Tau and MAP2c: Similarities and Differences. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9030105. [PMID: 30884818 PMCID: PMC6468450 DOI: 10.3390/biom9030105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The stability and dynamics of cytoskeleton in brain nerve cells are regulated by microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), tau and MAP2. Both proteins are intrinsically disordered and involved in multiple molecular interactions important for normal physiology and pathology of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Nuclear magnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy recently revealed propensities of MAPs to form transient local structures and long-range contacts in the free state, and conformations adopted in complexes with microtubules and filamentous actin, as well as in pathological aggregates. In this paper, we compare the longest, 441-residue brain isoform of tau (tau40), and a 467-residue isoform of MAP2, known as MAP2c. For both molecules, we present transient structural motifs revealed by conformational analysis of experimental data obtained for free soluble forms of the proteins. We show that many of the short sequence motifs that exhibit transient structural features are linked to functional properties, manifested by specific interactions. The transient structural motifs can be therefore classified as molecular recognition elements of tau40 and MAP2c. Their interactions are further regulated by post-translational modifications, in particular phosphorylation. The structure-function analysis also explains differences between biological activities of tau40 and MAP2c.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Melková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Vojtěch Zapletal
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Subhash Narasimhan
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Séverine Jansen
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jozef Hritz
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Rostislav Škrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia.
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | | | - Lukáš Žídek
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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17
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Fichou Y, Al-Hilaly YK, Devred F, Smet-Nocca C, Tsvetkov PO, Verelst J, Winderickx J, Geukens N, Vanmechelen E, Perrotin A, Serpell L, Hanseeuw BJ, Medina M, Buée L, Landrieu I. The elusive tau molecular structures: can we translate the recent breakthroughs into new targets for intervention? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:31. [PMID: 30823892 PMCID: PMC6397507 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0682-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Insights into tau molecular structures have advanced significantly in recent years. This field has been the subject of recent breakthroughs, including the first cryo-electron microscopy structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer’s and Pick’s disease inclusions, as well as the structure of the repeat regions of tau bound to microtubules. Tau structure covers various species as the tau protein itself takes many forms. We will here address a range of studies that help to define the many facets of tau protein structures and how they translate into pathogenic forms. New results shed light on previous data that need now to be revisited in order to up-date our knowledge of tau molecular structure. Finally, we explore how these data can contribute the important medical aspects of this research - diagnosis and therapeutics.
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18
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Kesten C, Wallmann A, Schneider R, McFarlane HE, Diehl A, Khan GA, van Rossum BJ, Lampugnani ER, Szymanski WG, Cremer N, Schmieder P, Ford KL, Seiter F, Heazlewood JL, Sanchez-Rodriguez C, Oschkinat H, Persson S. The companion of cellulose synthase 1 confers salt tolerance through a Tau-like mechanism in plants. Nat Commun 2019; 10:857. [PMID: 30787279 PMCID: PMC6382854 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08780-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are filamentous structures necessary for cell division, motility and morphology, with dynamics critically regulated by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Here we outline the molecular mechanism by which the MAP, COMPANION OF CELLULOSE SYNTHASE1 (CC1), controls microtubule bundling and dynamics to sustain plant growth under salt stress. CC1 contains an intrinsically disordered N-terminus that links microtubules at evenly distributed points through four conserved hydrophobic regions. By NMR and live cell analyses we reveal that two neighboring residues in the first hydrophobic binding motif are crucial for the microtubule interaction. The microtubule-binding mechanism of CC1 is reminiscent to that of the prominent neuropathology-related protein Tau, indicating evolutionary convergence of MAP functions across animal and plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Kesten
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia.,Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Arndt Wallmann
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - René Schneider
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia.,Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Heather E McFarlane
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne Diehl
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ghazanfar Abbas Khan
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Barth-Jan van Rossum
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edwin R Lampugnani
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Witold G Szymanski
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Nils Cremer
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Schmieder
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristina L Ford
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Florian Seiter
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joshua L Heazlewood
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Hartmut Oschkinat
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), NMR-supported Structural Biology, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Staffan Persson
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia. .,Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
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19
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Campanacci V, Urvoas A, Consolati T, Cantos-Fernandes S, Aumont-Nicaise M, Valerio-Lepiniec M, Surrey T, Minard P, Gigant B. Selection and Characterization of Artificial Proteins Targeting the Tubulin α Subunit. Structure 2019; 27:497-506.e4. [PMID: 30661854 PMCID: PMC6408325 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Microtubules are cytoskeletal filaments of eukaryotic cells made of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Structural studies of non-microtubular tubulin rely mainly on molecules that prevent its self-assembly and are used as crystallization chaperones. Here we identified artificial proteins from an αRep library that are specific to α-tubulin. Turbidity experiments indicate that these αReps impede microtubule assembly in a dose-dependent manner and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy further shows that they specifically block growth at the microtubule (−) end. Structural data indicate that they do so by targeting the α-tubulin longitudinal surface. Interestingly, in one of the complexes studied, the α subunit is in a conformation that is intermediate between the ones most commonly observed in X-ray structures of tubulin and those seen in the microtubule, emphasizing the plasticity of tubulin. These α-tubulin-specific αReps broaden the range of tools available for the mechanistic study of microtubule dynamics and its regulation. Selection of α-tubulin-specific artificial αRep proteins The αReps inhibit microtubule assembly and specifically block growth at the (−) end The αReps target the longitudinal surface of α-tubulin The αReps are useful tools for the mechanistic study of microtubule dynamics
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Campanacci
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France
| | - Agathe Urvoas
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France
| | - Tanja Consolati
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Soraya Cantos-Fernandes
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France
| | - Magali Aumont-Nicaise
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France
| | - Marie Valerio-Lepiniec
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France
| | - Thomas Surrey
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Philippe Minard
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France.
| | - Benoît Gigant
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex 91198, France.
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20
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Martinho M, Allegro D, Huvent I, Chabaud C, Etienne E, Kovacic H, Guigliarelli B, Peyrot V, Landrieu I, Belle V, Barbier P. Two Tau binding sites on tubulin revealed by thiol-disulfide exchanges. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13846. [PMID: 30218010 PMCID: PMC6138654 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32096-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a Microtubule-associated protein that induces and stabilizes the formation of the Microtubule cytoskeleton and plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases. The Microtubules binding region of Tau has been determined for a long time but where and how Tau binds to its partner still remain a topic of debate. We used Site Directed Spin Labeling combined with EPR spectroscopy to monitor Tau upon binding to either Taxol-stabilized MTs or to αβ-tubulin when Tau is directly used as an inducer of MTs formation. Using maleimide-functionalized labels grafted on the two natural cysteine residues of Tau, we found in both cases that Tau remains highly flexible in these regions confirming the fuzziness of Tau:MTs complexes. More interestingly, using labels linked by a disulfide bridge, we evidenced for the first time thiol disulfide exchanges between αβ-tubulin or MTs and Tau. Additionally, Tau fragments having the two natural cysteines or variants containing only one of them were used to determine the role of each cysteine individually. The difference observed in the label release kinetics between preformed MTs or Tau-induced MTs, associated to a comparison of structural data, led us to propose two putative binding sites of Tau on αβ-tubulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlène Martinho
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7281 BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Marseille, France
| | - Diane Allegro
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7051, INP, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Marseille, France
| | | | - Charlotte Chabaud
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7281 BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7051, INP, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Marseille, France
| | - Emilien Etienne
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7281 BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Marseille, France
| | - Hervé Kovacic
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7051, INP, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Guigliarelli
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7281 BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Marseille, France
| | - Vincent Peyrot
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7051, INP, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Marseille, France
| | | | - Valérie Belle
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7281 BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Marseille, France.
| | - Pascale Barbier
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7051, INP, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Marseille, France.
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21
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Shariati B, Yektadoost E, Behzadi E, Azmoodeh E, Attar F, Sari S, Akhtari K, Falahati M. Interaction of silica nanoparticles with tau proteins and PC12 cells: Colloidal stability, thermodynamic, docking, and cellular studies. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 118:1963-1973. [PMID: 30009913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Study on the side effects of the nanoparticles (NPs) can provide useful information regarding their biological and medical applications. Herein, the colloidal stability of the silicon dioxide NPs (SiO2 NPs) in the absence and presence of tau was investigated by TEM and DLS techniques. Afterwards, the thermodynamic parameters of interaction between SiO2 NPs and tau were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy and docking studies. Finally, the cytotoxic effects of SiO2 NPs on the viability of PC12 cells were investigated by MTT, AO/EB staining and flow cytometry assays. TEM, DLS, and zeta potential investigations revealed that tau can reduce the colloidal stability of SiO2 NPs. Fluorescence spectroscopy study indicated that SiO2 NPs bound to the tau with high affinity through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions. Docking study also determined that Ser, Thr and Tyr residues provide a polar microenvironment for SiO2 NPs/tau interaction. Cellular studies demonstrated that SiO2 NPs can induce cell mortality through both apoptosis and necrosis mechanisms. Therefore, it may be concluded that the biological systems such as nervous system proteins can affect the colloidal stability of NPs and vice versa NPs in the biological systems can bind to proteins and cell membranes non-specifically and may induce toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behdad Shariati
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Yektadoost
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Behzadi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Azmoodeh
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Farnoosh Attar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Food Industry & Agriculture, Standard Research Institute (SRI), Karaj, Iran
| | - Soyar Sari
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advance Science and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Keivan Akhtari
- Department of Physics, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Falahati
- Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advance Science and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAUPS), Tehran, Iran.
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22
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Kadavath H, Cabrales Fontela Y, Jaremko M, Jaremko Ł, Overkamp K, Biernat J, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Der Bindungsmodus eines Tau-Peptids mit Tubulin. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201712089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harindranath Kadavath
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
- Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Am Fassberg 11 37077 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Yunior Cabrales Fontela
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
- Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Am Fassberg 11 37077 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Łukasz Jaremko
- Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Am Fassberg 11 37077 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Kerstin Overkamp
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
| | - Jacek Biernat
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
- CAESAR Forschungszentrum; Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
- CAESAR Forschungszentrum; Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2 Bonn Deutschland
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); Von-Siebold Straße 3a 37075 Göttingen Deutschland
- Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Am Fassberg 11 37077 Göttingen Deutschland
- Klinik für Neurologie; Universitätsmedizin Göttingen; Waldweg 33 37073 Göttingen Deutschland
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23
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Kadavath H, Cabrales Fontela Y, Jaremko M, Jaremko Ł, Overkamp K, Biernat J, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. The Binding Mode of a Tau Peptide with Tubulin. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:3246-3250. [PMID: 29314492 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201712089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein Tau promotes the polymerization of tubulin and modulates the function of microtubules. As a consequence of the dynamic nature of the Tau-tubulin interaction, the structural basis of this complex has remained largely elusive. By using NMR methods optimized for ligand-receptor interactions in combination with site-directed mutagenesis we demonstrate that the flanking domain downstream of the four microtubule-binding repeats of Tau binds competitively to a site on the α-tubulin surface. The binding process is complex, involves partial coupling of different interacting regions, and is modulated by phosphorylation at Y394 and S396. This study strengthens the hypothesis of an intimate relationship between Tau phosphorylation and tubulin binding and highlights the power of the INPHARMA NMR method to characterize the interaction of peptides derived from intrinsically disordered proteins with their molecular partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harindranath Kadavath
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yunior Cabrales Fontela
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Łukasz Jaremko
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Overkamp
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold Strasse 3a, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Klinik für Neurologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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24
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Abstract
Tau is an intrinsically disordered protein with a central role in the pathology of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Tau normally functions to stabilize neuronal microtubules, although the mechanism underlying this function is not well understood. Of note is that the interaction between tau and soluble tubulin, which has implications both in understanding tau function as well as its role in disease, is underexplored. Here we investigate the relationship between heterogeneity in tau-tubulin complexes and tau function. Specifically, we created a series of truncated and scrambled tau constructs and characterized the size and heterogeneity of the tau-tubulin complexes formed under nonpolymerizing conditions. Function of the constructs was verified by tubulin polymerization assays. We find that, surprisingly, the pseudo-repeat region of tau, which flanks the core microtubule-binding domain of tau, contributes largely to the formation of large, heterogeneous tau tubulin complexes; additional independent tubulin binding sites exist in repeats two and three of the microtubule binding domain. Of particular interest is that we find positive correlation between the size and heterogeneity of the complexes and rate of tau-promoted microtubule polymerization. We propose that tau-tubulin can be described as a "fuzzy" complex, and our results demonstrate the importance of heterogeneous complex formation in tau function. This work provides fundamental insights into the functional mechanism of tau, and more broadly underscores the relevance of heterogeneous and dynamic complexes in the functions of intrinsically disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Han Li
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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25
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Despres C, Byrne C, Qi H, Cantrelle FX, Huvent I, Chambraud B, Baulieu EE, Jacquot Y, Landrieu I, Lippens G, Smet-Nocca C. Identification of the Tau phosphorylation pattern that drives its aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9080-5. [PMID: 28784767 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708448114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the functional relationship between Tau phosphorylation and aggregation has proven a challenge owing to the multiple potential phosphorylation sites and their clustering in the Tau sequence. We use here in vitro kinase assays combined with NMR spectroscopy as an analytical tool to generate well-characterized phosphorylated Tau samples and show that the combined phosphorylation at the Ser202/Thr205/Ser208 sites, together with absence of phosphorylation at the Ser262 site, yields a Tau sample that readily forms fibers, as observed by thioflavin T fluorescence and electron microscopy. On the basis of conformational analysis of synthetic phosphorylated peptides, we show that aggregation of the samples correlates with destabilization of the turn-like structure defined by phosphorylation of Ser202/Thr205.
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26
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Abstract
Protein-misfolding diseases are based on a common principle of aggregation initiated by intra- and inter-molecular contacts. The structural and conformational changes induced by biochemical transformations such as post-translational modifications (PTMs), often lead to protein unfolding and misfolding. Thus, these order-to-disorder or disorder-to-order transitions may regulate cellular function. Tau, a neuronal protein, regulates microtubule (MT) structure and overall cellular integrity. However, misfolded tau modified by PTMs results in MT destabilization, toxic tau aggregate formation, and ultimately cell death, leading to neurodegeneration. Currently, the lack of structural information surrounding tau severely limits understanding of neurodegeneration. This minireview focuses on the current methodologies and approaches aimed at probing tau conformation and the role of conformation in various aspects of tau biochemistry. The recent applications of nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, Förster resonance electron transfer, and molecular dynamics simulations toward structural analysis of conformational landscapes of tau will be described. The strategies developed for structural evaluation of tau may significantly improve our understanding of misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Zabik
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
| | - Matthew M Imhof
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
| | - Sanela Martic-Milne
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
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27
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Xiang S, Kulminskaya N, Habenstein B, Biernat J, Tepper K, Paulat M, Griesinger C, Becker S, Lange A, Mandelkow E, Linser R. A Two-Component Adhesive: Tau Fibrils Arise from a Combination of a Well-Defined Motif and Conformationally Flexible Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:2639-2646. [PMID: 28124562 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b09619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fibrillar aggregates of Aβ and Tau in the brain are the major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Most Tau fibers have a twisted appearance, but the twist can be variable and even absent. This ambiguity, which has also been associated with different phenotypes of tauopathies, has led to controversial assumptions about fibril constitution, and it is unclear to-date what the molecular causes of this polymorphism are. To tackle this question, we used solid-state NMR strategies providing assignments of non-seeded three-repeat-domain Tau3RD with an inherent heterogeneity. This is in contrast to the general approach to characterize the most homogeneous preparations by construct truncation or intricate seeding protocols. Here, carbon and nitrogen chemical-shift conservation between fibrils revealed invariable secondary-structure properties, however, with inter-monomer interactions variable among samples. Residues with variable amide shifts are localized mostly to N- and C-terminal regions within the rigid beta structure in the repeat region of Tau3RD. By contrast, the hexapeptide motif in repeat R3, a crucial motif for fibril formation, shows strikingly low variability of all NMR parameters: Starting as a nucleation site for monomer-monomer contacts, this six-residue sequence element also turns into a well-defined structural element upon fibril formation. Given the absence of external causes in vitro, the interplay of structurally differently conserved elements in this protein likely reflects an intrinsic property of Tau fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqi Xiang
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Natalia Kulminskaya
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Habenstein
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), Université de Bordeaux/CBMN UMR5248 , 2 rue Robert Escarpit, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Jacek Biernat
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Tepper
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Paulat
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Griesinger
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Adam Lange
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstrasse 110, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,Department of Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) , Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center , Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.,Hamburg Outstation, c/o DESY, Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research , Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rasmus Linser
- Department NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry , Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Department Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich , Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
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28
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Melo AM, Coraor J, Alpha-Cobb G, Elbaum-Garfinkle S, Nath A, Rhoades E. A functional role for intrinsic disorder in the tau-tubulin complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14336-41. [PMID: 27911791 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610137113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is an intrinsically disordered protein with an important role in maintaining the dynamic instability of neuronal microtubules. Despite intensive study, a detailed understanding of the functional mechanism of tau is lacking. Here, we address this deficiency by using intramolecular single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) to characterize the conformational ensemble of tau bound to soluble tubulin heterodimers. Tau adopts an open conformation on binding tubulin, in which the long-range contacts between both termini and the microtubule binding region that characterize its compact solution structure are diminished. Moreover, the individual repeats within the microtubule binding region that directly interface with tubulin expand to accommodate tubulin binding, despite a lack of extension in the overall dimensions of this region. These results suggest that the disordered nature of tau provides the significant flexibility required to allow for local changes in conformation while preserving global features. The tubulin-associated conformational ensemble is distinct from its aggregation-prone one, highlighting differences between functional and dysfunctional states of tau. Using constraints derived from our measurements, we construct a model of tubulin-bound tau, which draws attention to the importance of the role of tau's conformational plasticity in function.
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29
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Wegmann S, Nicholls S, Takeda S, Fan Z, Hyman BT. Formation, release, and internalization of stable tau oligomers in cells. J Neurochem 2016; 139:1163-1174. [PMID: 27731899 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a neuronal microtubule-binding protein that, in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, can form oligomeric and large fibrillar aggregates, which deposit in neurofibrillary tangles. Tau's physiological state of multimerization appears to vary across conditions, and a stable dimeric form of soluble tau has been suggested from experiments using recombinant tau in vitro. We tested if tau dimerization or oligomerization, also occurs in cells, and if soluble tau oligomers are relevant for the release and internalization of tau. We developed a sensitive tau split-luciferase assay to show the rapid intracellular formation of stable tau dimers that are released and taken up by cells. Our data further suggest that tau dimerization can be accelerated slightly by aggregation catalysts. We conclude that tau oligomers are a stable physiological form of tau, and that tau oligomerization does not necessarily lead to tau aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Wegmann
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Samantha Nicholls
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shuko Takeda
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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30
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Lippens G, Landrieu I, Smet C, Huvent I, Gandhi NS, Gigant B, Despres C, Qi H, Lopez J. NMR Meets Tau: Insights into Its Function and Pathology. Biomolecules 2016; 6:E28. [PMID: 27338491 DOI: 10.3390/biom6020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we focus on what we have learned from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies on the neuronal microtubule-associated protein Tau. We consider both the mechanistic details of Tau: the tubulin relationship and its aggregation process. Phosphorylation of Tau is intimately linked to both aspects. NMR spectroscopy has depicted accurate phosphorylation patterns by different kinases, and its non-destructive character has allowed functional assays with the same samples. Finally, we will discuss other post-translational modifications of Tau and its interaction with other cellular factors in relationship to its (dys)function.
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31
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Kutter S, Eichner T, Deaconescu AM, Kern D. Regulation of Microtubule Assembly by Tau and not by Pin1. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:1742-59. [PMID: 26996940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism by which the microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau regulates the formation of microtubules (MTs) is poorly understood. The activity of tau is controlled via phosphorylation at specific Ser/Thr sites. Of those phosphorylation sites, 17 precede a proline, making them potential recognition sites for the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1. Pin1 binding and catalysis of phosphorylated tau at the AT180 epitope, which was implicated in Alzheimer's disease, has been reported to be crucial for restoring tau's ability to promote MT polymerization in vitro and in vivo [1]. Surprisingly, we discover that Pin1 does not promote phosphorylated tau-induced MT formation in vitro, refuting the commonly accepted model in which Pin1 binding and catalysis on the A180 epitope restores the function of the Alzheimer's associated phosphorylated tau in tubulin assembly [1, 2]. Using turbidity assays, time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and time-resolved negative stain electron microscopy (EM), we investigate the mechanism of tau-mediated MT assembly and the role of the Thr231 and Ser235 phosphorylation on this process. We discover novel GTP-tubulin ring-shaped species, which are detectable in the earliest stage of tau-induced polymerization and may play a crucial role in the early nucleation phase of MT assembly. Finally, by NMR and SAXS experiments, we show that the tau molecules must be located on the surface of MTs and tubulin rings during the polymerization reaction. The interaction between tau and tubulin is multipartite, with a high affinity interaction of the four tubulin-binding repeats, and a weaker interaction with the proline-rich sequence and the termini of tau.
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32
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Abstract
Understanding the mechanism by which tau binds to and promotes microtubule (MT) assembly as part of its native function may also provide insight into its loss of function that occurs in neurodegenerative disease. Both mechanistic and structural studies of tau have been hindered by its intrinsic disorder and highly dynamic nature. Here, we combine fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and acrylodan fluorescence screening to study the stoichiometry and structural features of tau-tubulin assemblies. Our results show that tau binds to multiple tubulin dimers, even when MT assembly is inhibited. Moreover, we observe helical structure in the repeat regions of the MT binding domain of tau in the tau-tubulin complex, reflecting partial folding upon binding. Our findings support a role for tau's intrinsic disorder in providing a flexible scaffold for binding tubulin and MTs and a disorder-to-order transition in mediating this important interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Han Li
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | | | - Elizabeth Rhoades
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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33
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Kadavath H, Jaremko M, Jaremko Ł, Biernat J, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Faltungszustand des Proteins Tau bei Bindung an Mikrotubuli. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201501714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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34
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Kadavath H, Jaremko M, Jaremko Ł, Biernat J, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Folding of the Tau Protein on Microtubules. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:10347-51. [PMID: 26094605 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201501714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Microtubules are regulated by microtubule-associated proteins. However, little is known about the structure of microtubule-associated proteins in complex with microtubules. Herein we show that the microtubule-associated protein Tau, which is intrinsically disordered in solution, locally folds into a stable structure upon binding to microtubules. While Tau is highly flexible in solution and adopts a β-sheet structure in amyloid fibrils, in complex with microtubules the conserved hexapeptides at the beginning of the Tau repeats two and three convert into a hairpin conformation. Thus, binding to microtubules stabilizes a unique conformation in Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harindranath Kadavath
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany).,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen (Germany).,Center for the Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center, Göttingen (Germany)
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany).,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen (Germany).,Center for the Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center, Göttingen (Germany)
| | - Łukasz Jaremko
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany).,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen (Germany).,Center for the Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center, Göttingen (Germany)
| | - Jacek Biernat
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) & CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn (Germany)
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) & CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn (Germany)
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany). .,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen (Germany). .,Center for the Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center, Göttingen (Germany).
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35
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Kadavath H, Hofele RV, Biernat J, Kumar S, Tepper K, Urlaub H, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Tau stabilizes microtubules by binding at the interface between tubulin heterodimers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7501-6. [PMID: 26034266 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1504081112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure, dynamic behavior, and spatial organization of microtubules are regulated by microtubule-associated proteins. An important microtubule-associated protein is the protein Tau, because its microtubule interaction is impaired in the course of Alzheimer's disease and several other neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we show that Tau binds to microtubules by using small groups of evolutionary conserved residues. The binding sites are formed by residues that are essential for the pathological aggregation of Tau, suggesting competition between physiological interaction and pathogenic misfolding. Tau residues in between the microtubule-binding sites remain flexible when Tau is bound to microtubules in agreement with a highly dynamic nature of the Tau-microtubule interaction. By binding at the interface between tubulin heterodimers, Tau uses a conserved mechanism of microtubule polymerization and, thus, regulation of axonal stability and cell morphology.
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36
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Mittelmeier TM, Thompson MD, Lamb MR, Lin H, Dieckmann CL. MLT1 links cytoskeletal asymmetry to organelle placement in chlamydomonas. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2015; 72:113-23. [PMID: 25809438 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Asymmetric placement of the photosensory eyespot organelle in Chlamydomonas is patterned by mother-daughter differences between the two basal bodies, which template the anterior flagella. Each basal body is associated with two bundled microtubule rootlets, one with two microtubules and one with four, forming a cruciate pattern. In wild-type cells, the single eyespot is positioned at the equator in close proximity to the plus end of the daughter rootlet comprising four microtubules, the D4. Here we identify mutations in two linked loci, MLT1 and MLT2, which cause multiple eyespots. Antiserum raised against MLT1 localized the protein along the D4 rootlet microtubules, from the basal bodies to the eyespot. MLT1 associates immediately with the new D4 as it extends during cell division, before microtubule acetylation. MLT1 is a low-complexity protein of over 300,000 Daltons. The expression or stability of MLT1 is dependent on MLT2, predicted to encode a second large, low-complexity protein. MLT1 was not restricted to the D4 rootlet in cells with the vfl2-220 mutation in the gene encoding the basal body-associated protein centrin. The cumulative data highlight the role of mother-daughter basal body differences in establishing asymmetry in associated rootlets, and suggest that eyespot components are directed to the correct location by MLT1 on the D4 microtubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Telsa M Mittelmeier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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