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García-Cárceles J, Vázquez-Villa H, Brea J, Ladron de Guevara-Miranda D, Cincilla G, Sánchez-Martínez M, Sánchez-Merino A, Algar S, Teresa de Los Frailes M, Roberts RS, Ballesteros JA, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Benhamú B, Loza MI, López-Rodríguez ML. 2-(Fluoromethoxy)-4'-( S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (UCM-1306), an Orally Bioavailable Positive Allosteric Modulator of the Human Dopamine D 1 Receptor for Parkinson's Disease. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12256-12272. [PMID: 36044544 PMCID: PMC9511493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00949] [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: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
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Tolerance development caused by dopamine replacement
with l-DOPA and therapeutic drawbacks upon activation of
dopaminergic receptors
with orthosteric agonists reveal a significant unmet need for safe
and effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In search for
selective modulators of the D1 receptor, the screening
of a chemical library and subsequent medicinal chemistry program around
an identified hit resulted in new synthetic compound 26 [UCM-1306, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-4′-(S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1′-biphenyl]
that increases the dopamine maximal effect in a dose-dependent manner
in human and mouse D1 receptors, is inactive in the absence
of dopamine, modulates dopamine affinity for the receptor, exhibits
subtype selectivity, and displays low binding competition with orthosteric
ligands. The new allosteric modulator potentiates cocaine-induced
locomotion and enhances l-DOPA recovery of decreased locomotor
activity in reserpinized mice after oral administration. The behavior
of compound 26 supports the interest of a positive allosteric
modulator of the D1 receptor as a promising therapeutic
approach for Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier García-Cárceles
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Henar Vázquez-Villa
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Brea
- Biofarma Research Group, USEF Screening Platform, CIMUS, USC, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Giovanni Cincilla
- Molomics S.L., Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 4-8, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anabel Sánchez-Merino
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Algar
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Teresa de Los Frailes
- Fundación Kærtor, Edificio EMPRENDIA, Planta 2, Oficina 4. Campus Vida, E-15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Richard S Roberts
- Fundación Kærtor, Edificio EMPRENDIA, Planta 2, Oficina 4. Campus Vida, E-15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | | | - Bellinda Benhamú
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María I Loza
- Biofarma Research Group, USEF Screening Platform, CIMUS, USC, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Fundación Kærtor, Edificio EMPRENDIA, Planta 2, Oficina 4. Campus Vida, E-15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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2
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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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3
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Chen L, Nagaraja C, Daniels S, Fisk ZA, Dvorak R, Meyerdirk L, Steiner JA, Escobar Galvis ML, Henderson MX, Rousseaux MWC, Brundin P, Chu HY. Synaptic location is a determinant of the detrimental effects of α-Synuclein pathology to glutamatergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala. eLife 2022; 11:78055. [PMID: 35775627 PMCID: PMC9286736 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The presynaptic protein α-synuclein (αSyn) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In PD, the amygdala is prone to develop insoluble αSyn aggregates, and it has been suggested that circuit dysfunction involving the amygdala contributes to the psychiatric symptoms. Yet, how αSyn aggregates affect amygdala function is unknown. In this study, we examined αSyn in glutamatergic axon terminals and the impact of its aggregation on glutamatergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). We found that αSyn is primarily present in the vesicular glutamate transporter 1-expressing (vGluT1+) terminals in the mouse BLA, which is consistent with higher levels of αSyn expression in vGluT1+ glutamatergic neurons in the cerebral cortex relative to the vGluT2+ glutamatergic neurons in the thalamus. We found that αSyn aggregation selectively decreased the cortico-BLA, but not the thalamo-BLA, transmission; and that cortico-BLA synapses displayed enhanced short-term depression upon repetitive stimulation. In addition, using confocal microscopy, we found that vGluT1+ axon terminals exhibited decreased levels of soluble αSyn, which suggests that lower levels of soluble αSyn might underlie the enhanced short-term depression of cortico-BLA synapses. In agreement with this idea, we found that cortico-BLA synaptic depression was also enhanced in αSyn knockout mice. In conclusion, both basal and dynamic cortico-BLA transmission were disrupted by abnormal aggregation of αSyn and these changes might be relevant to the perturbed cortical control of the amygdala that has been suggested to play a role in psychiatric symptoms in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Chen
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | - Chetan Nagaraja
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | - Samuel Daniels
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | - Zoe A Fisk
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Rachel Dvorak
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, GRand Rapids, United States
| | - Lindsay Meyerdirk
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | - Jennifer A Steiner
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | | | - Michael X Henderson
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
| | - Maxime W C Rousseaux
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Patrik Brundin
- Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Little Falls, United States
| | - Hong-Yuan Chu
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, United States
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4
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Won SY, Park JJ, You ST, Hyeun JA, Kim HK, Jin BK, McLean C, Shin EY, Kim EG. p21-activated kinase 4 controls the aggregation of α-synuclein by reducing the monomeric and aggregated forms of α-synuclein: involvement of the E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4-1. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:575. [PMID: 35773260 PMCID: PMC9247077 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05030-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) is a central player in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the regulatory mechanism underlying α-synuclein aggregation has been intensively studied in Parkinson's disease (PD) but remains poorly understood. Here, we report p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) as a key regulator of α-synuclein aggregation. Immunohistochemical analysis of human PD brain tissues revealed an inverse correlation between PAK4 activity and α-synuclein aggregation. To investigate their causal relationship, we performed loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies using conditional PAK4 depletion in nigral dopaminergic neurons and the introduction of lentivirus expressing a constitutively active form of PAK4 (caPAK4; PAK4S445N/S474E), respectively. For therapeutic relevance in the latter setup, we injected lentivirus into the striatum following the development of motor impairment and analyzed the effects 6 weeks later. In the loss-of-function study, Cre-driven PAK4 depletion in dopaminergic neurons enhanced α-synuclein aggregation, intracytoplasmic Lewy body-like inclusions and Lewy-like neurites, and reduced dopamine levels in PAK4DAT-CreER mice compared to controls. Conversely, caPAK4 reduced α-synuclein aggregation, as assessed by a marked decrease in both proteinase K-resistant and Triton X100-insoluble forms of α-synuclein in the AAV-α-synuclein-induced PD model. Mechanistically, PAK4 specifically interacted with the NEDD4-1 E3 ligase, whose pharmacological inhibition and knockdown suppressed the PAK4-mediated downregulation of α-synuclein. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the pathogenesis of PD and suggest PAK4-based gene therapy as a potential disease-modifying therapy in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- So-Yoon Won
- grid.289247.20000 0001 2171 7818Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration Control Research Center, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447 South Korea
| | - Jung-Jin Park
- grid.254229.a0000 0000 9611 0917Department of Biochemistry and Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, 28644 South Korea
| | - Soon-Tae You
- grid.416965.90000 0004 0647 774XDepartment of Neurosurgery, the Catholic University of Korea, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16247 South Korea
| | - Jong-A Hyeun
- grid.254229.a0000 0000 9611 0917Department of Biochemistry and Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, 28644 South Korea
| | - Hyong-Kyu Kim
- grid.254229.a0000 0000 9611 0917Department of Medicine and Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, 28644 South Korea
| | - Byung Kwan Jin
- grid.289247.20000 0001 2171 7818Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration Control Research Center, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447 South Korea
| | - Catriona McLean
- grid.1623.60000 0004 0432 511XDepartment of Pathology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Eun-Young Shin
- grid.254229.a0000 0000 9611 0917Department of Biochemistry and Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, 28644 South Korea
| | - Eung-Gook Kim
- grid.254229.a0000 0000 9611 0917Department of Biochemistry and Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, 28644 South Korea
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5
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Bianchini M, Giambelluca M, Scavuzzo MC, Di Franco G, Guadagni S, Palmeri M, Furbetta N, Gianardi D, Costa A, Gentiluomo M, Gaeta R, Pollina LE, Falcone A, Vivaldi C, Di Candio G, Biagioni F, Busceti CL, Soldani P, Puglisi-Allegra S, Morelli L, Fornai F. In Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Alpha-Synuclein Increases and Marks Peri-Neural Infiltration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3775. [PMID: 35409135 PMCID: PMC8999122 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a protein involved in neuronal degeneration. However, the family of synucleins has recently been demonstrated to be involved in the mechanisms of oncogenesis by selectively accelerating cellular processes leading to cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal human cancers, with a specifically high neurotropism. The molecular bases of this biological behavior are currently poorly understood. Here, α-synuclein was analyzed concerning the protein expression in PDAC and the potential association with PDAC neurotropism. Tumor (PDAC) and extra-tumor (extra-PDAC) samples from 20 patients affected by PDAC following pancreatic resections were collected at the General Surgery Unit, University of Pisa. All patients were affected by moderately or poorly differentiated PDAC. The amount of α-syn was compared between tumor and extra-tumor specimen (sampled from non-affected neighboring pancreatic areas) by using in situ immuno-staining with peroxidase anti-α-syn immunohistochemistry, α-syn detection by using Western blotting, and electron microscopy by using α-syn-conjugated immuno-gold particles. All the methods consistently indicate that each PDAC sample possesses a higher amount of α-syn compared with extra-PDAC tissue. Moreover, the expression of α-syn was much higher in those PDAC samples from tumors with perineural infiltration compared with tumors without perineural infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bianchini
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Maria Giambelluca
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Maria Concetta Scavuzzo
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Gregorio Di Franco
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Simone Guadagni
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Matteo Palmeri
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Niccolò Furbetta
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Desirée Gianardi
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Aurelio Costa
- General Surgery Unit, ASL Toscana Nord Ovest Pontedera Hospital, 56025 Pontedera, Italy;
| | | | - Raffaele Gaeta
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (R.G.); (L.E.P.)
| | - Luca Emanuele Pollina
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (R.G.); (L.E.P.)
| | - Alfredo Falcone
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.F.); (C.V.)
| | - Caterina Vivaldi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.F.); (C.V.)
| | - Giulio Di Candio
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
| | - Francesca Biagioni
- IRCCS Neuromed-Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Carla Letizia Busceti
- IRCCS Neuromed-Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Paola Soldani
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.S.); (P.S.)
| | - Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- IRCCS Neuromed-Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Luca Morelli
- General Surgery Unit, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.B.); (G.D.F.); (S.G.); (M.P.); (N.F.); (D.G.); (G.D.C.)
- EndoCAS (Center for Computer Assisted Surgery), University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Human Anatomy, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.S.); (P.S.)
- IRCCS Neuromed-Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (S.P.-A.)
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Zunke F, Winner B, Richter F, Caraveo G. Editorial: Intracellular Mechanisms of α-Synuclein Processing. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:752378. [PMID: 34595182 PMCID: PMC8476858 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.752378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Zunke
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Beate Winner
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Richter
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Gabriela Caraveo
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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7
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Lee Y, Jeon S, Kang SW, Park M, Baik K, Yoo HS, Chung SJ, Jeong SH, Jung JH, Lee PH, Sohn YH, Evans AC, Ye BS. Interaction of CSF α-synuclein and amyloid beta in cognition and cortical atrophy. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 13:e12177. [PMID: 34046519 PMCID: PMC8140203 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lewy body-related pathology is commonly observed at autopsy in individuals with dementia, but in vivo biomarkers for α-synucleinopathy are lacking. METHODS Baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, polygenic risk score (PRS) for Parkinson's disease (PRS-PD) and Alzheimer's disease (PRS-AD), longitudinal cognitive scores, and magnetic resonance imaging were measured in 217 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Linear mixed models were used to find the relationship of CSF biomarkers and the PRS with cognition and cortical atrophy. RESULTS Higher PRS-PD and PRS-AD were associated with lower CSF α-synuclein and amyloid beta (Aβ), respectively. Lower CSF α-synuclein and the interaction of CSF α-synuclein and Aβ were associated with lower cognitive scores and global cortical atrophy most prominently in the occipital cortex. DISCUSSION Lower CSF α-synuclein could be a biomarker for α-synucleinopathy, and the simultaneous evaluation of CSF biomarkers for AD and CSF α-synuclein could reveal the independent and interactive effects on cognition and cortical atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young‐gun Lee
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Seun Jeon
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Sung Woo Kang
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Mincheol Park
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Kyoungwon Baik
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Han Soo Yoo
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Seok Jong Chung
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Seong Ho Jeong
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Jin Ho Jung
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Phil Hyu Lee
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Young Ho Sohn
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Alan C. Evans
- Brain Research InstituteYonsei University College of MedicineSeoulKorea
| | - Byoung Seok Ye
- Department of NeurologyInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
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8
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Caldwell KA, Willicott CW, Caldwell GA. Modeling neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:13/10/dmm046110. [PMID: 33106318 PMCID: PMC7648605 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.046110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The global burden of neurodegenerative diseases underscores the urgent need for innovative strategies to define new drug targets and disease-modifying factors. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has served as the experimental subject for multiple transformative discoveries that have redefined our understanding of biology for ∼60 years. More recently, the considerable attributes of C. elegans have been applied to neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Transgenic nematodes with genes encoding normal and disease variants of proteins at the single- or multi-copy level under neuronal-specific promoters limits expression to select neuronal subtypes. The anatomical transparency of C. elegans affords the use of co-expressed fluorescent proteins to follow the progression of neurodegeneration as the animals age. Significantly, a completely defined connectome facilitates detailed understanding of the impact of neurodegeneration on organismal health and offers a unique capacity to accurately link cell death with behavioral dysfunction or phenotypic variation in vivo. Moreover, chemical treatments, as well as forward and reverse genetic screening, hasten the identification of modifiers that alter neurodegeneration. When combined, these chemical-genetic analyses establish critical threshold states to enhance or reduce cellular stress for dissecting associated pathways. Furthermore, C. elegans can rapidly reveal whether lifespan or healthspan factor into neurodegenerative processes. Here, we outline the methodologies employed to investigate neurodegeneration in C. elegans and highlight numerous studies that exemplify its utility as a pre-clinical intermediary to expedite and inform mammalian translational research. Summary: While unsurpassed as an experimental system for fundamental biology, Caenorhabditis elegans remains undervalued for its translational potential. Here, we highlight significant outcomes from, and resources available for, C. elegans-based research into neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA .,Departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, and Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Corey W Willicott
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Guy A Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.,Departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, and Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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9
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Lashuel HA. Do Lewy bodies contain alpha-synuclein fibrils? and Does it matter? A brief history and critical analysis of recent reports. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104876. [PMID: 32339655 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several lines of evidence from neuropathological studies, human genetics, in vitro aggregation studies and cellular and animal models support the hypothesis that aSyn plays a central role in the formation of Lewy pathologies. These are cytoplasmic proteinaceous and lipid-rich inclusions that represent key pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, collectively referred to as synucleinopathies. For decades, light microscopy and electron microscopy studies of these inclusions have consistently shown that they are rich in filamentous structures that exhibit distinct distribution and organizational patterns depending on where they occur in the brain (e.g., classical brain-stem Lewy bodies (LBs) and cortical LBs) and the type of synucleinopathies. Although the identity of the protein that form these filaments was a subject of debate for decades, the discovery of PD-linked aSyn mutations, the demonstration that LBs are enriched in insoluble forms of aSyn, and the ability of aSyn to form fibrils of similar dimensions have led to convergence on the hypothesis that aSyn fibrils are key components of LBs. In a recent study, Shahmoradian et al used a combination of advanced electron microscopy and immunofluorescence based imaging techniques to investigate the structure, composition, and architecture of LBs from postmortem brain tissues of individuals with PD or other synucleinopathies (Shahmoradian et al., 2019). The paper's main conclusions suggest that "lipid membrane fragments and distorted organelles together with a non-fibrillar form of αSyn are the main structural building blocks for the formation of Lewy pathology". Their proposal that LBs are devoid of aSyn fibrils or that LB formation occurs independently of aSyn fibril formation casts doubts on a substantial body of work that forms the foundation of many of the current basic and translational research programs in academia and industry. In this article, I present a critical analysis of their data and claims in the context of the existing literature In addition, I examine the extent to which their findings and proposed models of the mechanisms of LB formation are consistent with existing data and are supported by other experimental evidence. The results from this analysis caution against overinterpretation of observations from a single report, especially given the limitations of the techniques and experimental approaches used by Shahmoradian et al and for more collaborative and systematic efforts to revisit and characterize LBs and other aSyn pathologies in the brain pathologies at the biochemical, morphological and structural level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland.
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10
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Pathways of protein synthesis and degradation in PD pathogenesis. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2020; 252:217-270. [PMID: 32247365 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of protein aggregates in the brains of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in the early 20th century, the scientific community has been interested in the role of dysfunctional protein metabolism in PD etiology. Recent advances in the field have implicated defective protein handling underlying PD through genetic, in vitro, and in vivo studies incorporating many disease models alongside neuropathological evidence. Here, we discuss the existing body of research focused on understanding cellular pathways of protein synthesis and degradation, and how aberrations in either system could engender PD pathology with special attention to α-synuclein-related consequences. We consider transcription, translation, and post-translational modification to constitute protein synthesis, and protein degradation to encompass proteasome-, lysosome- and endoplasmic reticulum-dependent mechanisms. Novel findings connecting each of these steps in protein metabolism to development of PD indicate that deregulation of protein production and turnover remains an exciting area in PD research.
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11
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Krejciova Z, Carlson GA, Giles K, Prusiner SB. Replication of multiple system atrophy prions in primary astrocyte cultures from transgenic mice expressing human α-synuclein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:81. [PMID: 31109379 PMCID: PMC6526619 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0703-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) containing aggregated and hyperphosphorylated α-synuclein are the signature neuropathological hallmark of multiple system atrophy (MSA). Native α-synuclein can adopt a prion conformation that self-propagates and spreads throughout the brain ultimately resulting in neurodegeneration. A growing body of evidence argues that, in addition to oligodendrocytes, astrocytes contain α-synuclein inclusions in MSA and other α-synucleinopathies at advanced stages of disease. To study the role of astrocytes in MSA, we added MSA brain homogenate to primary cultures of astrocytes from transgenic (Tg) mouse lines expressing human α-synuclein. Astrocytes from four Tg lines, expressing either wild-type or mutant (A53T or A30P) human α-synuclein, propagated and accumulated α-synuclein prions. Furthermore, we found that MSA-infected astrocytes formed two morphologically distinct α-synuclein inclusions: filamentous and granular. Both types of cytoplasmic inclusions shared several features characteristic of α-synuclein inclusions in synucleinopathies: hyperphosphorylation preceded by aggregation, ubiquitination, thioflavin S–positivity, and co-localization with p62. Our findings demonstrate that human α-synuclein forms distinct inclusion morphologies and propagates within cultured Tg astrocytes exposed to MSA prions, indicating that α-synuclein expression determines the tropism of inclusion formation in certain cells. Thus, our work may prove useful in elucidating the role of astrocytes in the pathogenic mechanisms that feature in neurodegeneration caused by MSA prions.
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12
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Path mediation analysis reveals GBA impacts Lewy body disease status by increasing α-synuclein levels. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 121:205-213. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
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13
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Polymeropoulos MH. Revisiting the History of the 1997 Alpha-Synuclein Discovery in Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2019; 9:443-444. [PMID: 31127734 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-191569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mihael H Polymeropoulos
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals, 2200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA. Tel.: 202-734-3400; E-mail:
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14
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Wongkongkathep P, Han JY, Choi TS, Yin S, Kim HI, Loo JA. Native Top-Down Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility MS for Characterizing the Cobalt and Manganese Metal Binding of α-Synuclein Protein. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2018; 29:1870-1880. [PMID: 29951842 PMCID: PMC6087494 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-018-2002-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Structural characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) has been a major challenge in the field of protein science due to limited capabilities to obtain full-length high-resolution structures. Native ESI-MS with top-down MS was utilized to obtain structural features of protein-ligand binding for the Parkinson's disease-related protein, α-synuclein (αSyn), which is natively unstructured. Binding of heavy metals has been implicated in the accelerated formation of αSyn aggregation. Using high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry, native top-down MS with various fragmentation methods, including electron capture dissociation (ECD), collisional activated dissociation (CAD), and multistage tandem MS (MS3), deduced the binding sites of cobalt and manganese to the C-terminal region of the protein. Ion mobility MS (IM-MS) revealed a collapse toward compacted states of αSyn upon metal binding. The combination of native top-down MS and IM-MS provides structural information of protein-ligand interactions for intrinsically disordered proteins. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piriya Wongkongkathep
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Center of Excellence in Systems Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jong Yoon Han
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Su Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hugh I Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joseph A Loo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, and UCLA/DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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15
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Ghiglieri V, Calabrese V, Calabresi P. Alpha-Synuclein: From Early Synaptic Dysfunction to Neurodegeneration. Front Neurol 2018; 9:295. [PMID: 29780350 PMCID: PMC5945838 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, many experimental and clinical studies have provided solid evidence that alpha-synuclein (α-syn), a small, natively unfolded protein, is closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. To provide an overview on the different roles of this protein, here we propose a synopsis of seminal and recent studies that explored the many aspects of α-syn. Ranging from the physiological functions to its neurodegenerative potential, the relationship with the possible pathogenesis of PD will be discussed. Close attention will be paid on early cellular and molecular alterations associated with the presence of α-syn aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Ghiglieri
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Scienze Sociali, Umane e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Calabrese
- Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Laboratorio di Neurofisiologia, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Clinica Neurologica, Dipartimento di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Ospedale Santa Maria della Misericordia di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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16
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Abstract
α-Synuclein is an abundant neuronal protein that is highly enriched in presynaptic nerve terminals. Genetics and neuropathology studies link α-synuclein to Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Accumulation of misfolded oligomers and larger aggregates of α-synuclein defines multiple neurodegenerative diseases called synucleinopathies, but the mechanisms by which α-synuclein acts in neurodegeneration are unknown. Moreover, the normal cellular function of α-synuclein remains debated. In this perspective, we review the structural characteristics of α-synuclein, its developmental expression pattern, its cellular and subcellular localization, and its function in neurons. We also discuss recent progress on secretion of α-synuclein, which may contribute to its interneuronal spread in a prion-like fashion, and describe the neurotoxic effects of α-synuclein that are thought to be responsible for its role in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Burré
- Appel Institute for Alzheimer's Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021
| | - Manu Sharma
- Appel Institute for Alzheimer's Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305
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17
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Coskuner-Weber O, Uversky VN. Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases with Molecular Simulations: Understanding the Roles of Artificial and Pathological Missense Mutations in Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Related to Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E336. [PMID: 29364151 PMCID: PMC5855558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β and α-synuclein are intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which are at the center of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease pathologies, respectively. These IDPs are extremely flexible and do not adopt stable structures. Furthermore, both amyloid-β and α-synuclein can form toxic oligomers, amyloid fibrils and other type of aggregates in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Experimentalists face challenges in investigating the structures and thermodynamic properties of these IDPs in their monomeric and oligomeric forms due to the rapid conformational changes, fast aggregation processes and strong solvent effects. Classical molecular dynamics simulations complement experiments and provide structural information at the atomic level with dynamics without facing the same experimental limitations. Artificial missense mutations are employed experimentally and computationally for providing insights into the structure-function relationships of amyloid-β and α-synuclein in relation to the pathologies of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Furthermore, there are several natural genetic variations that play a role in the pathogenesis of familial cases of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, which are related to specific genetic defects inherited in dominant or recessive patterns. The present review summarizes the current understanding of monomeric and oligomeric forms of amyloid-β and α-synuclein, as well as the impacts of artificial and pathological missense mutations on the structural ensembles of these IDPs using molecular dynamics simulations. We also emphasize the recent investigations on residual secondary structure formation in dynamic conformational ensembles of amyloid-β and α-synuclein, such as β-structure linked to the oligomerization and fibrillation mechanisms related to the pathologies of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This information represents an important foundation for the successful and efficient drug design studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orkid Coskuner-Weber
- Türkisch-Deutsche Universität, Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, Molecular Biotechnology, Sahinkaya Caddesi, No. 86, Beykoz, Istanbul 34820, Turkey.
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
- Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.
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18
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Zondler L, Kostka M, Garidel P, Heinzelmann U, Hengerer B, Mayer B, Weishaupt JH, Gillardon F, Danzer KM. Proteasome impairment by α-synuclein. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184040. [PMID: 28945746 PMCID: PMC5612461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the patients’ midbrains. Both the presence of the protein α-synuclein in intracellular protein aggregates in surviving neurons and the genetic linking of the α-synuclein encoding gene point towards a major role of α-synuclein in PD etiology. The exact pathogenic mechanisms of PD development are not entirely described to date, neither is the specific role of α-synuclein in this context. Previous studies indicate that one aspect of α-synuclein-related cellular toxicity might be direct proteasome impairment. The 20/26S proteasomal machinery is an important instrument of intracellular protein degradation. Thus, direct proteasome impairment by α-synuclein might explain or at least contribute to the formation of intracellular protein aggregates. Therefore this study investigates direct proteasomal impairment by α-synuclein both in vitro using recombinant α-synuclein and isolated proteasomes as well as in living cells. Our experiments demonstrate that the impairment of proteasome activity by α-synuclein is highly dependent upon the cellular background and origin. We show that recombinant α-synuclein oligomers and fibrils scarcely affect 20S proteasome function in vitro, neither does transient α-synuclein expression in U2OS ps 2042 (Ubi(G76V)-GFP) cells. However, stable expression of both wild-type and mutant α-synuclein in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells results in a prominent impairment of the chymotrypsin-like 20S/26S proteasomal protein cleavage. Thus, our results support the idea that α-synuclein in a specific cellular environment, potentially present in dopaminergic cells, cannot be processed by the proteasome and thus contributes to a selective vulnerability of dopaminergic cells to α-synuclein pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Zondler
- Neurology Department, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marcus Kostka
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH Co.KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH Co.KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Udo Heinzelmann
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH Co.KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Bastian Hengerer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH Co.KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
| | - Benjamin Mayer
- Institute for Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Frank Gillardon
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH Co.KG, Biberach an der Riß, Germany
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19
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Fonseca-Ornelas L, Schmidt C, Camacho-Zarco AR, Fernandez CO, Becker S, Zweckstetter M. Small-Molecule-Induced Soluble Oligomers of α-Synuclein with Helical Structure. Chemistry 2017; 23:13010-13014. [PMID: 28763125 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201703001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates constitutes the hallmark of synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease. However, many steps from the innocuous, monomeric αSyn toward misfolded oligomers and fibrillar species remain unclear. Here, we show that αSyn can form in solution α-helical oligomers, which are off-pathway to fibrillization, through interaction with the tetrapyrrole phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate. Chemical cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry reveals a large number of intermolecular cross-links along the entire αSyn sequence in the phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate-stabilized αSyn oligomers. Our study suggests that stabilization of structured oligomers by small molecules provides a viable strategy to interfere with αSyn fibrillization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Fonseca-Ornelas
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carla Schmidt
- Interdisciplinary Research Center HALOmem, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120, Halle/ Saale, Germany
| | - Aldo R Camacho-Zarco
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudio O Fernandez
- Max Planck Laboratory for Structural Biology, Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics of Rosario (MPLbioR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, S2002LRK- Rosario, Argentina, Instituto de Investigaciones para el Descubrimiento de Farmacos de Rosario-IIDEFAR (CONICET-UNR), S2002LRK-, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Stefan Becker
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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20
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Abstract
In 2017, it is two hundred years since James Parkinson provided the first complete clinical description of the disease named after him, fifty years since the introduction of high-dose D,L-DOPA treatment and twenty years since α-synuclein aggregation came to the fore. In 1998, multiple system atrophy joined Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies as the third major synucleinopathy. Here we review our work, which led to the identification of α-synuclein in Lewy bodies, Lewy neurites and Papp-Lantos bodies, as well as what has happened since. Some of the experiments described were carried out in collaboration with ML Schmidt, JQ Trojanowski and VMY Lee.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ross Jakes
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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21
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Butler DC, Joshi SN, Genst ED, Baghel AS, Dobson CM, Messer A. Bifunctional Anti-Non-Amyloid Component α-Synuclein Nanobodies Are Protective In Situ. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165964. [PMID: 27824888 PMCID: PMC5100967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolding, abnormal accumulation, and secretion of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) are closely associated with synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). VH14 is a human single domain intrabody selected against the non-amyloid component (NAC) hydrophobic interaction region of α-Syn, which is critical for initial aggregation. Using neuronal cell lines, we show that as a bifunctional nanobody fused to a proteasome targeting signal, VH14PEST can counteract heterologous proteostatic effects of mutant α-Syn on mutant huntingtin Exon1 and protect against α-Syn toxicity using propidium iodide or Annexin V readouts. We compared this anti-NAC candidate to NbSyn87, which binds to the C-terminus of α-Syn. NbSyn87PEST degrades α-Syn as well or better than VH14PEST. However, while both candidates reduced toxicity, VH14PEST appears more effective in both proteostatic stress and toxicity assays. These results show that the approach of reducing intracellular monomeric targets with novel antibody engineering technology should allow in vivo modulation of proteostatic pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Butler
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, United States of America; and Department of Biomedical Sciences; University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
| | - Shubhada N. Joshi
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
| | - Erwin De Genst
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Ankit S. Baghel
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Messer
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, United States of America; and Department of Biomedical Sciences; University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, 12208, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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22
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Tambasco N, Nigro P, Romoli M, Prontera P, Simoni S, Calabresi P. A53T in a parkinsonian family: a clinical update of the SNCA phenotypes. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:1301-1307. [PMID: 27250986 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1578-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 15 % of PD patients with Parkinson Disease (PD) have the familial type and 5-10 % of these are known to have monogenic forms with either an autosomal dominant or a recessive inheritance pattern. Here, we report on a family carrying the A53T SNCA mutation and we review SNCA mutation phenotypes by comparing point mutations within each other as well as with duplication and triplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Tambasco
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria di Perugia, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Nigro
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria di Perugia, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy
| | - Michele Romoli
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria di Perugia, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paolo Prontera
- Servizio di Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Simone Simoni
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria di Perugia, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paolo Calabresi
- Clinica Neurologica, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria di Perugia, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy.,I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione S.Lucia, Rome, Italy
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23
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Gonçalves SA, Macedo D, Raquel H, Simões PD, Giorgini F, Ramalho JS, Barral DC, Ferreira Moita L, Outeiro TF. shRNA-Based Screen Identifies Endocytic Recycling Pathway Components That Act as Genetic Modifiers of Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation, Secretion and Toxicity. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005995. [PMID: 27123591 PMCID: PMC4849646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-Synuclein (aSyn) misfolding and aggregation is common in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, which are known as synucleinopathies. Accumulating evidence suggests that secretion and cell-to-cell trafficking of pathological forms of aSyn may explain the typical patterns of disease progression. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling aSyn aggregation and spreading of pathology are still elusive. In order to obtain unbiased information about the molecular regulators of aSyn oligomerization, we performed a microscopy-based large-scale RNAi screen in living cells. Interestingly, we identified nine Rab GTPase and kinase genes that modulated aSyn aggregation, toxicity and levels. From those, Rab8b, Rab11a, Rab13 and Slp5 were able to promote the clearance of aSyn inclusions and rescue aSyn induced toxicity. Furthermore, we found that endocytic recycling and secretion of aSyn was enhanced upon Rab11a and Rab13 expression in cells accumulating aSyn inclusions. Overall, our study resulted in the identification of new molecular players involved in the aggregation, toxicity, and secretion of aSyn, opening novel avenues for our understanding of the molecular basis of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana A. Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Macedo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Pedro D. Simões
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Flaviano Giorgini
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - José S. Ramalho
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Duarte C. Barral
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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Caldwell GA, Caldwell KA. Use of Caenorhabditis elegans to Model Human Movement Disorders. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00006-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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25
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Goldstein DS, Kopin IJ, Sharabi Y. Catecholamine autotoxicity. Implications for pharmacology and therapeutics of Parkinson disease and related disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 144:268-82. [PMID: 24945828 PMCID: PMC4591072 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Several neurodegenerative diseases involve loss of catecholamine neurons-Parkinson disease is a prototypical example. Catecholamine neurons are rare in the nervous system, and why they are vulnerable in PD and related disorders has been mysterious. Accumulating evidence supports the concept of "autotoxicity"-inherent cytotoxicity of catecholamines and their metabolites in the cells in which they are produced. According to the "catecholaldehyde hypothesis" for the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease, long-term increased build-up of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), the catecholaldehyde metabolite of dopamine, causes or contributes to the eventual death of dopaminergic neurons. Lewy bodies, a neuropathologic hallmark of PD, contain precipitated alpha-synuclein. Bases for the tendency of alpha-synuclein to precipitate in the cytoplasm of catecholaminergic neurons have also been mysterious. Since DOPAL potently oligomerizes and aggregates alpha-synuclein, the catecholaldehyde hypothesis provides a link between alpha-synucleinopathy and catecholamine neuron loss in Lewy body diseases. The concept developed here is that DOPAL and alpha-synuclein are nodes in a complex nexus of interacting homeostatic systems. Dysfunctions of several processes, including decreased vesicular sequestration of cytoplasmic catecholamines, decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and oligomerization of alpha-synuclein, lead to conversion from the stability afforded by negative feedback regulation to the instability, degeneration, and system failure caused by induction of positive feedback loops. These dysfunctions result from diverse combinations of genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, stress, and time. The notion of catecholamine autotoxicity has several implications for treatment, disease modification, and prevention. Conversely, disease modification clinical trials would provide key tests of the catecholaldehyde hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Goldstein
- Clinical Neurocardiology Section, Clinical Neurosciences Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Irwin J Kopin
- Clinical Neurocardiology Section, Clinical Neurosciences Program, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Infante J, Prieto C, Sierra M, Sánchez-Juan P, González-Aramburu I, Sánchez-Quintana C, Berciano J, Combarros O, Sainz J. Identification of candidate genes for Parkinson's disease through blood transcriptome analysis in LRRK2-G2019S carriers, idiopathic cases, and controls. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 36:1105-9. [PMID: 25475535 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The commonest known cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the G2019S mutation of the LRRK2 gene, but this mutation is not sufficient for causing PD, and many carriers of the mutation never develop PD symptoms during life. Differences at the expression level of certain genes, resulting from either genetic variations or environmental interactions, might be one of the mechanisms underlying differential risks for developing both idiopathic and genetic PD. To identify the genes involved in PD pathogenesis, we compared genome-wide gene expression (RNA-seq) in peripheral blood of 20 PD patients carrying the G2019S mutation of the LRRK2 gene, 20 asymptomatic carriers of the mutation, 20 subjects with idiopathic PD, 20 controls and 7 PD patients before and after initiating dopaminergic therapy. We identified 13 common genes (ADARB2, CEACAM6, CNTNAP2, COL19A1, DEF4, DRAXIN, FCER2, HBG1, NCAPG2, PVRL2, SLC2A14, SNCA, and TCL1B) showing significant differential expression between G2019S-associated PD and asymptomatic carriers and also between idiopathic PD and controls but not between untreated and treated patients. Some of these genes are functionally involved in the processes known to be involved in PD pathogenesis, such as Akt signaling, glucose metabolism, or immunity. We consider that these genes merit further attention in future studies as potential candidate genes involved in both idiopathic and LRRK2-G2019S-associated forms of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Infante
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carlos Prieto
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Santander, Spain
| | - María Sierra
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pascual Sánchez-Juan
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel González-Aramburu
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Coro Sánchez-Quintana
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain
| | - José Berciano
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Onofre Combarros
- Service of Neurology, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), University of Cantabria (UC), Santander, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Sainz
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Santander, Spain
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Fishbein I, Kuo YM, Giasson BI, Nussbaum RL. Augmentation of phenotype in a transgenic Parkinson mouse heterozygous for a Gaucher mutation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:3235-47. [PMID: 25351739 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of the protein α-synuclein (SNCA) in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is strongly supported by the facts that (i) missense and copy number mutations in the SNCA gene can cause inherited Parkinson's disease; and (ii) Lewy bodies in sporadic Parkinson's disease are largely composed of aggregated SNCA. Unaffected heterozygous carriers of Gaucher disease mutations have an increased risk for Parkinson's disease. As mutations in the GBA gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GBA) are known to interfere with lysosomal protein degradation, GBA heterozygotes may demonstrate reduced lysosomal SNCA degradation, leading to increased steady-state SNCA levels and promoting its aggregation. We have created mouse models to investigate the interaction between GBA mutations and synucleinopathies. We investigated the rate of SNCA degradation in cultured primary cortical neurons from mice expressing wild-type mouse SNCA, wild-type human SNCA, or mutant A53T SNCA, in a background of either wild-type Gba or heterozygosity for the L444P GBA mutation associated with Gaucher disease. We also tested the effect of this Gaucher mutation on motor and enteric nervous system function in these transgenic animals. We found that human SNCA is stable, with a half-life of 61 h, and that the A53T mutation did not significantly affect its half-life. Heterozygosity for a naturally occurring Gaucher mutation, L444P, reduced GBA activity by 40%, reduced SNCA degradation and triggered accumulation of the protein in culture. This mutation also resulted in the exacerbation of motor and gastrointestinal deficits found in the A53T mouse model of Parkinson's disease. This study demonstrates that heterozygosity for a Gaucher disease-associated mutation in Gba interferes with SNCA degradation and contributes to its accumulation, and exacerbates the phenotype in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ianai Fishbein
- 1 Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yien-Ming Kuo
- 1 Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- 2 Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Robert L Nussbaum
- 1 Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Single-chain fragment variable passive immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:19109-27. [PMID: 24048248 PMCID: PMC3794823 DOI: 10.3390/ijms140919109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded proteins has been implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including prion diseases, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). In the past decade, single-chain fragment variable (scFv) -based immunotherapies have been developed to target abnormal proteins or various forms of protein aggregates including Aβ, SNCA, Htt, and PrP proteins. The scFvs are produced by fusing the variable regions of the antibody heavy and light chains, creating a much smaller protein with unaltered specificity. Because of its small size and relative ease of production, scFvs are promising diagnostic and therapeutic reagents for protein misfolded diseases. Studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of scFvs in preventing amyloid protein aggregation in preclinical models. Herein, we discuss recent developments of these immunotherapeutics. We review efforts of our group and others using scFv in neurodegenerative disease models. We illustrate the advantages of scFvs, including engineering to enhance misfolded conformer specificity and subcellular targeting to optimize therapeutic action.
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29
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Lindgren HS, Dunnett SB. Cognitive dysfunction and depression in Parkinson's disease: what can be learned from rodent models? Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1894-907. [PMID: 22708601 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08162.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) has for decades been considered a pure motor disorder and its cardinal motor symptoms have been attributed to the loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and to nigral Lewy body pathology. However, there has more recently been a shift in the conceptualization of the disease, and its pathological features have now been recognized as involving several other areas of the brain and indeed even outside the central nervous system. There are a corresponding variety of intrinsic non-motor symptoms such as autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances and neuropsychiatric problems, which cannot be explained exclusively by nigral pathology. In this review, we will focus on cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in PD, and we will consider whether, and how, these deficits can best be modelled in rodent models of the disorder. As only a few of the non-motor symptoms respond to standard DA replacement therapies, the quest for a broader therapeutic approach remains a major research effort, and success in this area in particular will be strongly dependent on appropriate rodent models. In addition, better understanding of the different models, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the available behavioural tasks, will result in better tools for evaluating new treatment strategies for PD patients suffering from these neuropsychological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna S Lindgren
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Life Sciences Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
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30
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Lopes da Fonseca T, Correia A, Hasselaar W, van der Linde HC, Willemsen R, Outeiro TF. The zebrafish homologue of Parkinson's disease ATP13A2 is essential for embryonic survival. Brain Res Bull 2012; 90:118-26. [PMID: 23123961 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Revised: 09/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
ATP13A2 is a lysosome-specific transmembrane ATPase protein of unknown function. This protein was initially linked to Kufor-Rakeb syndrome where it is absent or mutated. More recently, point mutations in ATP13A2 were linked to familial cases of Parkinson's disease. Zebrafish is commonly used as a vertebrate model for the study of different neurodegenerative diseases and has homologues of several Parkinson's disease associated proteins. Here, we describe for the first time the zebrafish homologue of human ATP13A2, demonstrating the homology between the protein sequences, which supports a conserved biological role. Furthermore, the spatial pattern of protein expression was studied and the lethality of the knockdown of ATP13A2 suggests it plays a crucial role during embryonic development. Our findings bring new insight into the biology of ATP13A2 and open novel opportunities for its study using zebrafish as a model organism.
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Abstract
No animal model to date perfectly replicates Parkinson's disease (PD) etiopathogenesis, and the anatomical organization of the nigrostriatal system differs considerably between species. Human postmortem material therefore remains the gold standard for both formulating hypotheses for subsequent testing in in vitro and in vivo PD models and verifying hypotheses derived from experimental PD models with regard to their validity in the human disease. This article focuses on recent and relevant fields in which human postmortem work has generated significant impact in our understanding of PD. These fields include Lewy body formation, regional vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons, oxidative/nitrative cellular stress, inflammation, apoptosis, infectious and environmental agents, and nondopaminergic lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hartmann
- Fédération de Neurologie, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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32
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Cai H, Cong WN, Ji S, Rothman S, Maudsley S, Martin B. Metabolic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Curr Alzheimer Res 2012; 9:5-17. [PMID: 22329649 DOI: 10.2174/156720512799015064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2011] [Revised: 07/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other related neurodegenerative diseases are highly debilitating disorders that affect millions of people worldwide. Efforts towards developing effective treatments for these disorders have shown limited efficacy at best, with no true cure to this day being present. Recent work, both clinical and experimental, indicates that many neurodegenerative disorders often display a coexisting metabolic dysfunction which may exacerbate neurological symptoms. It stands to reason therefore that metabolic pathways may themselves contain promising therapeutic targets for major neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the most recent evidence for metabolic dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease, and discuss several potential mechanisms that may underlie the potential relationships between metabolic dysfunction and etiology of nervous system degeneration. We also highlight some prominent signaling pathways involved in the link between peripheral metabolism and the central nervous system that are potential targets for future therapies, and we will review some of the clinical progress in this field. It is likely that in the near future, therapeutics with combinatorial neuroprotective and 'eumetabolic' activities may possess superior efficacies compared to less pluripotent remedies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Cai
- Metabolism Unit, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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33
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Sierks MR, Chatterjee G, McGraw C, Kasturirangan S, Schulz P, Prasad S. CSF levels of oligomeric alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid as biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease. Integr Biol (Camb) 2011; 3:1188-96. [PMID: 22076255 DOI: 10.1039/c1ib00018g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is a critically important feature in many devastating neurodegenerative diseases, therefore characterization of the CSF concentration profiles of selected key forms and morphologies of proteins involved in these diseases, including β-amyloid (Aβ) and α-synuclein (a-syn), can be an effective diagnostic assay for these diseases. CSF levels of tau and Aβ have been shown to have great promise as biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. However since the onset and progression of many neurodegenerative diseases have been strongly correlated with the presence of soluble oligomeric aggregates of proteins including various Aβ and a-syn aggregate species, specific detection and quantification of levels of each of these different toxic protein species in CSF may provide a simple and accurate means to presymptomatically diagnose and distinguish between these diseases. Here we show that the presence of different protein morphologies in human CSF samples can be readily detected using highly selective morphology specific reagents in conjunction with a sensitive electronic biosensor. We further show that these morphology specific reagents can readily distinguish between post-mortem CSF samples from AD, PD and cognitively normal sources. These studies suggest that detection of specific oligomeric aggregate species holds great promise as sensitive biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Sierks
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Box 876106, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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Hinault MP, Cuendet AFH, Mattoo RUH, Mensi M, Dietler G, Lashuel HA, Goloubinoff P. Stable alpha-synuclein oligomers strongly inhibit chaperone activity of the Hsp70 system by weak interactions with J-domain co-chaperones. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:38173-82. [PMID: 20847048 PMCID: PMC2992251 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.127753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2010] [Revised: 09/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein aggregation and accumulation in Lewy bodies are implicated in progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson disease and related disorders. In neurons, the Hsp70s and their Hsp40-like J-domain co-chaperones are the only known components of chaperone network that can use ATP to convert cytotoxic protein aggregates into harmless natively refolded polypeptides. Here we developed a protocol for preparing a homogeneous population of highly stable β-sheet enriched toroid-shaped α-Syn oligomers with a diameter typical of toxic pore-forming oligomers. These oligomers were partially resistant to in vitro unfolding by the bacterial Hsp70 chaperone system (DnaK, DnaJ, GrpE). Moreover, both bacterial and human Hsp70/Hsp40 unfolding/refolding activities of model chaperone substrates were strongly inhibited by the oligomers but, remarkably, not by unstructured α-Syn monomers even in large excess. The oligomers acted as a specific competitive inhibitor of the J-domain co-chaperones, indicating that J-domain co-chaperones may preferably bind to exposed bulky misfolded structures in misfolded proteins and, thus, complement Hsp70s that bind to extended segments. Together, our findings suggest that inhibition of the Hsp70/Hsp40 chaperone system by α-Syn oligomers may contribute to the disruption of protein homeostasis in dopaminergic neurons, leading to apoptosis and tissue loss in Parkinson disease and related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Pierre Hinault
- From the Plant Molecular Biology Department, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | | | - Rayees U. H. Mattoo
- From the Plant Molecular Biology Department, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
| | - Mounir Mensi
- the Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, IPMC-SB and
| | | | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Neuroproteomics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Goloubinoff
- From the Plant Molecular Biology Department, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland and
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Harrington AJ, Hamamichi S, Caldwell GA, Caldwell KA. C. elegans as a model organism to investigate molecular pathways involved with Parkinson's disease. Dev Dyn 2010; 239:1282-95. [PMID: 20108318 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related movement disorder resulting, in part, from selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Both invertebrate and mammalian models have been developed to study the cellular mechanisms altered during disease progression; nevertheless there are limitations within each model. Mammalian models remain invaluable in studying PD, but are expensive and time consuming. Here, we review genetic and environmental factors associated with PD, and describe how the nematode roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, has been used as a model organism for studying various aspects of this neurodegenerative disease. Both genetic and chemical screens have been conducted in C. elegans to identify molecular pathways, proteins, and small molecules that can impact PD pathology. Lastly, we highlight future areas of investigation, in the context of emerging fields in biology, where the nematode can be exploited to provide mechanistic insights and potential strategies to accelerate the path toward possible therapeutic intervention for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Harrington
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0344, USA
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36
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Kuo YM, Li Z, Jiao Y, Gaborit N, Pani AK, Orrison BM, Bruneau BG, Giasson BI, Smeyne RJ, Gershon MD, Nussbaum RL. Extensive enteric nervous system abnormalities in mice transgenic for artificial chromosomes containing Parkinson disease-associated alpha-synuclein gene mutations precede central nervous system changes. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:1633-50. [PMID: 20106867 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with motor as well as non-motor signs in the gastrointestinal tract that include dysphagia, gastroparesis, prolonged gastrointestinal transit time, constipation and difficulty with defecation. The gastrointestinal dysfunction commonly precedes the motor symptoms by decades. Most PD is sporadic and of unknown etiology, but a fraction is familial. Among familial forms of PD, a small fraction is caused by missense (A53T, A30P and E46K) and copy number mutations in SNCA which encodes alpha-synuclein, a primary protein constituent of Lewy bodies, the pathognomonic protein aggregates found in neurons in PD. We set out to develop transgenic mice expressing mutant alpha-synuclein (either A53T or A30P) from insertions of an entire human SNCA gene as models for the familial disease. Both the A53T and A30P lines show robust abnormalities in enteric nervous system (ENS) function and synuclein-immunoreactive aggregates in ENS ganglia by 3 months of age. The A53T line also has abnormal motor behavior but neither demonstrates cardiac autonomic abnormalities, olfactory dysfunction, dopaminergic neurotransmitter deficits, Lewy body inclusions or neurodegeneration. These animals recapitulate the early gastrointestinal abnormalities seen in human PD. The animals also serve as an in vivo system in which to investigate therapies for reversing the neurological dysfunction that target alpha-synuclein toxicity at its earliest stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yien-Ming Kuo
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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37
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Oueslati A, Fournier M, Lashuel HA. Role of post-translational modifications in modulating the structure, function and toxicity of alpha-synuclein: implications for Parkinson's disease pathogenesis and therapies. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2010; 183:115-45. [PMID: 20696318 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(10)83007-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants that influence the pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is essential for developing effective diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic strategies to treat this devastating disease. A number of post-translational modifications to alpha-syn are present within the Lewy bodies in the brains of affected patients and transgenic models of PD and related disorders. However, whether disease-associated alpha-syn post-translational modifications promote or inhibit alpha-syn aggregation and neurotoxicity in vivo remains unknown. Herein, we summarize and discuss the major disease-associated post-translational modifications (phosphorylation, truncation and ubiquitination) and present our current understanding of the effect of these modifications on alpha-syn aggregation and toxicity. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying post-translation modifications of alpha-syn and the consequences of such modifications on the biochemical, structural, aggregation and toxic properties of the protein is essential for unravelling the molecular basis of its function(s) in health and disease. Furthermore, the identification of the natural enzymes involved in regulating the post-translational modifications of alpha-synuclein will yield novel and more tractable therapeutic targets to treat PD and related synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Oueslati
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Neuroproteomics, Brain Mind Institute, The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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38
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Messer A, Lynch SM, Butler DC. Developing intrabodies for the therapeutic suppression of neurodegenerative pathology. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2009; 9:1189-97. [PMID: 19653865 DOI: 10.1517/14712590903176387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases have misfolded proteins as a primary occurrence in pathogenesis. A combination of antibody and genetic engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for developing reagents that specifically target the misfolding process itself, and/or abnormal interactions of the misfolded protein species. This review focuses on the selection and testing of intracellular antibody fragments (intrabodies), with a particular focus on Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), both of which show prominent intracellular protein aggregates in affected neurons. The most dramatic advances are in HD, where in vivo efficacy of intrabodies has been demonstrated. Targets in other neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases, are noted more briefly, with an emphasis on the potential for intracellular manipulations. Given the specificity and versatility of antibody-based reagents, the wide range of options for conformational and post-translationally-modified targets, and the recent improvement in gene delivery, this should be a fertile field for 21(st) century pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Messer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York 12208, USA.
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A Swedish family with de novo alpha-synuclein A53T mutation: evidence for early cortical dysfunction. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2009; 15:627-32. [PMID: 19632874 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2009.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2009] [Revised: 05/22/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A de novo alpha-synuclein A53T (p.Ala53 Th; c.209G > A) mutation has been identified in a Swedish family with autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease (PD). Two affected individuals had early-onset (before 31 and 40 years), severe levodopa-responsive PD with prominent dysphasia, dysarthria, and cognitive decline. Longitudinal clinical follow-up, EEG, SPECT and CSF biomarker examinations suggested an underlying encephalopathy with cortical involvement. The mutated allele (c.209A) was present within a haplotype different from that shared among mutation carriers in the Italian (Contursi) and the Greek-American Family H kindreds. One unaffected family member carried the mutation haplotype without the c.209A mutation, strongly suggesting its de novo occurrence within this family. Furthermore, a novel mutation c.488G > A (p.Arg163His; R163H) in the presenilin-2 (PSEN2) gene was detected, but was not associated with disease state.
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Sevlever D, Jiang P, Yen SHC. Cathepsin D is the main lysosomal enzyme involved in the degradation of alpha-synuclein and generation of its carboxy-terminally truncated species. Biochemistry 2008; 47:9678-87. [PMID: 18702517 PMCID: PMC2630205 DOI: 10.1021/bi800699v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein is likely to play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease as well as other synucleinopathies. In animal models, overexpression of full-length or carboxy-terminally truncated alpha-synuclein has been shown to produce pathology. Although the proteosome and lysosome have been proposed to play a role in the degradation of alpha-synuclein, the enzyme(s) involved in alpha-synuclein clearance and generation of its carboxy-terminally truncated species have not been identified. In this study, the role of cathepsin D and calpain I in these processes was analyzed. In vitro experiments, using either recombinant or endogenous alpha-synuclein as substrates and purified cathepsin D or lysosomes, demonstrated that cathepsin D degraded alpha-synuclein very efficiently, and that limited proteolysis resulted in the generation of carboxy-terminally truncated species. Purified calpain I also cleaved alpha-synuclein, but carboxy-terminally truncated species were not the main cleavage products, and calpain I activity present in cellular lysates was not able to degrade the protein. Knockdown of cathepsin D in cells overexpressing wild-type alpha-synuclein increased total alpha-synuclein levels by 28% and lysosomal alpha-synuclein by 2-fold. In in vitro experiments, pepstatin A completely blocked the degradation of alpha-synuclein in purified lysosomes. Furthermore, lysosomes isolated from cathepsin D knockdown cells showed a marked reduction in alpha-synuclein degrading activity, indicating that cathepsin D is the main lysosomal enzyme involved in alpha-synuclein degradation. Our findings suggest that upregulation of cathepsin D could be an additional therapeutic strategy to lessen alpha-synuclein burden in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sevlever
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, USA.
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41
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Rao JN, Dua V, Ulmer TS. Characterization of alpha-synuclein interactions with selected aggregation-inhibiting small molecules. Biochemistry 2008; 47:4651-6. [PMID: 18366183 DOI: 10.1021/bi8002378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The 140-residue protein alpha-synuclein (aS) has been implicated in the molecular chain of events leading to Parkinson's disease, which relates to the hierarchical aggregation of aS into soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils. A number of small organic molecules have been reported to inhibit aS aggregation. Here, the interactions of chlorazole black E, Congo red, lacmoid, PcTS-Cu (2+), and rosmarinic acid with aS are examined by NMR spectroscopy to identify aS sequence elements that are masked by these compounds. Surprisingly, similar aS interaction sites, encompassing residues 3-18 and 38-51, were obtained for all molecules at equimolar small molecule:aS ratios. At higher ratios, virtually the entire amphiphilic region of aS (residues 2-92) is affected, revealing the presence of additional, lower affinity interaction sites. Upon rearranging the high-affinity interaction sites over the aS amphiphilic region in an aS mutant form, perturbations of the entire amphiphilic region were found to have already been obtained at equimolar ratios, indicating a high specificity for the original binding sites. CD spectroscopy reveals that, in the presence of the small molecules, the aS structure is still dominated by random-coil characteristics. The strongest effects are exerted by molecules that contain sulfonate groups adjacent to aromatic systems, often present in multiple copies in a symmetrical arrangement, suggesting that these elements are useful for developing an aS-specific chemical chaperone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jampani Nageswara Rao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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42
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Silencing alpha-synuclein gene expression enhances tyrosine hydroxylase activity in MN9D cells. Neurochem Res 2008; 33:1401-9. [PMID: 18357527 PMCID: PMC2413118 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-008-9599-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2007] [Accepted: 01/15/2008] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Previous studies have shown that α-synuclein is involved in the regulation of dopamine (DA) metabolism, possibly by down-regulating the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in DA biosynthesis. In this study, we constructed α-synuclein stably silenced MN9D/α-SYN− cells by vector mediated RNA interference and examined its effects on DA metabolism. We found that there were no significant differences in TH protein and mRNA levels between MN9D, MN9D/α-SYN− and MN9D/CON cells, suggesting that silencing α-synuclein expression does not affect TH gene expression. However, significant increases in phosphorylated TH, cytosolic 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) and DA levels were observed in MN9D/α-SYN− cells. Our data show that TH activity and DA biosynthesis were enhanced by down-regulation of α-synuclein, suggesting that α-synuclein may act as a negative regulator of cytosolic DA. With respect to PD pathology, a loss of functional α-synuclein may result in increased DA levels in neurons that may lead to cell injury or even death.
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An scFv intrabody against the nonamyloid component of alpha-synuclein reduces intracellular aggregation and toxicity. J Mol Biol 2007; 377:136-47. [PMID: 18237741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.11.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2007] [Revised: 11/16/2007] [Accepted: 11/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prevention of abnormal misfolding and aggregation of alpha synuclein (syn) protein in vulnerable neurons should be viable therapeutic strategies for reducing pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease. The nonamyloid component (NAC) region of alpha-syn shows strong tendencies to form beta-sheet structures, and deletion of this region has been shown to reduce aggregation and toxicity in vitro and in vivo. The binding of a molecular species to this region may mimic the effects of such deletions. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies retain the binding specificity of antibodies and, when genetically manipulated to create high-diversity libraries, allow in vitro selection against peptides. Accordingly, we used a yeast surface display library of an entire naive repertoire of human scFv antibodies to select for binding to a NAC peptide. Candidate scFv antibodies (after transfer to mammalian expression vectors) were screened for viability in a neuronal cell line by transient cotransfection with A53T mutant alpha-syn. This provided a ranking of the protective efficacies of the initial panel of intracellular antibodies (intrabodies). High steady-state expression levels and apparent conformational epitope binding appeared more important than in vitro affinity in these assays. None of the scFv antibodies selected matched the sequences of previously reported anti-alpha-syn scFv antibodies. A stable cell line expressing the most effective intrabody, NAC32, showed highly significant reductions in abnormal aggregation in two separate models. Recently, intrabodies have shown promising antiaggregation and neuroprotective effects against misfolded mutant huntingtin protein. The NAC32 study extends such work significantly by utilizing information about the pathogenic capacity of a specific alpha-syn region to offer a new generation of in vitro-derived antibody fragments, both for further engineering as direct therapeutics and as a tool for rational drug design for Parkinson's disease.
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Su X, Maguire-Zeiss KA, Giuliano R, Prifti L, Venkatesh K, Federoff HJ. Synuclein activates microglia in a model of Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2007; 29:1690-701. [PMID: 17537546 PMCID: PMC2621109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 04/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder afflicting >500,000 patients in the United States alone. This age-related progressive disorder is typified by invariant loss of dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons (DAN), dystrophic neurites, the presence of alpha-synuclein (SYN) positive intracytoplasmic inclusions (Lewy bodies) in the remaining DAN, and activated microglia. As such, microglial activation and resultant increase in proinflammatory molecules have moved to the forefront of PD research as a potential pathobiologic mechanism of disease. Herein, we present data demonstrating early microglial activation in mice that over-express wild-type SYN, the release of SYN from a SYN overexpressing MN9D cell line, and dose-dependent SYN-mediated activation of primary microglial cultures with consequent increases in proinflammatory molecules. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the CD36 scavenger receptor and downstream kinases are involved in SYN-mediated microglial activation. Together, our data suggest an early role for SYN and inflammation in PD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Su
- Center for Aging and Developmental Biology, Aab Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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45
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Miller RM, Kiser GL, Kaysser-Kranich T, Casaceli C, Colla E, Lee MK, Palaniappan C, Federoff HJ. Wild-type and mutant alpha-synuclein induce a multi-component gene expression profile consistent with shared pathophysiology in different transgenic mouse models of PD. Exp Neurol 2007; 204:421-32. [PMID: 17254569 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2006.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2006] [Revised: 12/04/2006] [Accepted: 12/06/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiological processes that cause Parkinson's disease (PD) affect dopamine neurons residing in the substantia nigra with devastating consequences for normal movement. One important gene involved in both familial and sporadic PD is alpha-synuclein. We have generated three strains of alpha-synuclein transgenic mice to study the pathologic consequences of the targeted expression of mutant or wild-type human alpha-synuclein in a model system. We have analyzed gene expression patterns in these mice using high throughput microarrays in anatomical regions implicated in disease (substantia nigra and brainstem). Our study reveals gene dosage-dependent dysregulation of several genes important for the dopaminergic phenotype in mice over-expressing wild-type human alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra at time points preceding neuronal cell death. Analysis of mutant alpha-synuclein mice at a time point when pathology is advanced reveals several new candidate genes that may play a role in neuronal demise and/or protein accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee M Miller
- Center for Aging and Developmental Biology, Aab Institute for Biomedical Research, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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46
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Abstract
The alpha-synuclein (Snca) gene is expressed at higher levels in alcohol-naïve, inbred alcohol-preferring (iP) rats than in alcohol-non preferring (iNP) rats. Snca modulates dopamine transmission and the dopamineregic system, which play a role in mediating the rewarding properties of alcohol consumption. Thus, understanding regulation of Snca gene expression could provide insight into the relationship of Snca and alcohol consumption. To study regulation of rat Snca expression, 1,912 bp of the iP and iNP 5'-regions were cloned and sequenced. 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), primer extension and RT-PCR mapped three transcription start site clusters (clusters TSS1, TSS2 and TSS3), suggesting that the Snca proximal promoter region has a complex architecture. This proximal promoter region has three TATA-less core promoters containing SP1 binding sites, initiator elements and downstream core promoter elements, which are often located in such promoters. Snca-luc constructs transiently transfected into SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells showed that the region from - 1,912 to - 1,746 contained a strong core promoter, and that the entire approximately 2 kb region had significant promoter activity. Five polymorphisms identified between the iP and iNP in the proximal promoter region did not influence differential expression between the strains. In contrast, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at + 679 in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) resulted in a 1.3-fold longer half-life of iP mRNA compared with iNP mRNA, which is consistent with the differential expression observed between the iP and iNP strains. These results suggest that regulation of rat Snca gene expression is complex and may contribute to alcohol preference in the iP rats.
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MESH Headings
- 3' Untranslated Regions/drug effects
- 3' Untranslated Regions/physiology
- Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System/genetics
- Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System/metabolism
- Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System/physiopathology
- Alcoholism/genetics
- Alcoholism/metabolism
- Alcoholism/physiopathology
- Animals
- Base Sequence/genetics
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/metabolism
- Brain/physiopathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Central Nervous System Depressants/adverse effects
- Choice Behavior
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dopamine/metabolism
- Ethanol/adverse effects
- Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation/physiology
- HeLa Cells
- Humans
- Neural Pathways/drug effects
- Neural Pathways/metabolism
- Neural Pathways/physiopathology
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/drug effects
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/drug effects
- Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Rats
- Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional/genetics
- Species Specificity
- alpha-Synuclein/biosynthesis
- alpha-Synuclein/drug effects
- alpha-Synuclein/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiebing Liang
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, 46202, USA
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47
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Xu J, Wei C, Xu C, Bennett MC, Zhang G, Li F, Tao E. Rifampicin protects PC12 cells against MPP+-induced apoptosis and inhibits the expression of an alpha-Synuclein multimer. Brain Res 2007; 1139:220-5. [PMID: 17280646 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.12.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2006] [Revised: 12/26/2006] [Accepted: 12/27/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The potential cytoprotective effects of the anti-leprosy antibiotic rifampicin were investigated in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells prior to intoxication with 1-Methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP(+)). MPP(+) induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death, and increased the expression of a 57 kDa species of alpha-Synuclein. This species of alpha-Synuclein is larger than the monomer, and is therefore an oligomer or an aggregated form of the protein. Rifampicin significantly increased survival of these catecholaminergic cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The expression of the higher molecular mass alpha-Synuclein was increased by MPP(+) exposure, and its expression was inversely related to cell survival in the rifampicin-treated cells. Importantly, rifampicin suppressed apoptosis almost completely, without shifting the death cascade to necrosis, which is a problem that has been reported with caspase inhibitors of apoptosis (Hartmann, A., Troadec, J.D., Hunot, S., Kikly, K., Faucheux, B.A., Mouatt-Prigent, A., Ruberg, M. Agid, Y., Hirsch, E.C., 2001. Caspase-8 is an effector in apoptotic death of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease, but pathway inhibition results in neuronal necrosis. J. Neurosci. 21, 2247-2255). These results suggest that rifampicin improves survival of catecholamine- and alpha-Synuclein-containing cells, which degenerate in Parkinson's disease (PD), and thus may be therapeutic in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
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48
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Maguire-Zeiss KA, Wang CI, Yehling E, Sullivan MA, Short DW, Su X, Gouzer G, Henricksen LA, Wuertzer CA, Federoff HJ. Identification of human alpha-synuclein specific single chain antibodies. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 349:1198-205. [PMID: 16973126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.08.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2006] [Accepted: 08/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Evidence suggests a role for protein misfolding in disease pathogenesis. One pathologic feature observed in dopaminergic neurons is the intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions known as Lewy bodies. One component of Lewy bodies, the presynaptic protein, alpha-synuclein forms oligomers and higher order aggregates and is proposed to be involved in dopaminergic neuronal death. In an effort to discriminate between alpha-synuclein conformational forms as well as design potential disruptors of pathogenic misfolding we panned a human phage antibody library for anti-synuclein single chain antibodies (scFvs). We identified six scFvs which recognize different conformers of alpha-synuclein in both an ELISA and Western blot analysis. These scFvs may further our understanding of alpha-synuclein's role in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A Maguire-Zeiss
- Department of Neurology and the Center for Aging and Developmental Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY 14642, USA
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49
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McNaught KSP, Olanow CW. Protein aggregation in the pathogenesis of familial and sporadic Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2006; 27:530-45. [PMID: 16207501 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2005.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2005] [Revised: 07/25/2005] [Accepted: 08/20/2005] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slowly progressive, age-related, neurodegenerative disorder. The cause and mechanism of neuronal death have been elusive. However, recent genetic, postmortem and experimental evidence show that protein accumulation and aggregation are prominent occurrences in both sporadic and familial PD. The relevance of these events to other cellular and biochemical changes, and to the neurodegenerative process, is being unraveled. It is increasingly evident that one or a combination of defects, including mutations, oxidative stress, mitochondrial impairment and dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, lead to an excess production and aggregation of abnormal proteins in PD. In this respect, altered protein handling appears to be a central factor in the pathogenic process occurring in the various hereditary and sporadic forms of PD. This suggests that manipulation of proteolytic systems is a rational approach in the development of neuroprotective therapies that could modify the pathological course of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin St P McNaught
- Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Annenberg 14-73, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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50
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Utton MA, Noble WJ, Hill JE, Anderton BH, Hanger DP. Molecular motors implicated in the axonal transport of tau and alpha-synuclein. J Cell Sci 2005; 118:4645-54. [PMID: 16176937 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.02558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau and alpha-synuclein are both proteins implicated in the pathology of neurodegenerative disease. Here we have investigated the mechanisms of axonal transport of tau and alpha-synuclein, because failure of axonal transport has been implicated in the development of several neurodegenerative disorders. We found that the transport of both of these proteins depend on an intact microtubule- but not actin-cytoskeleton, and that tau and alpha-synuclein both move at overall slow rates of transport. We used time-lapse video microscopy to obtain images of live neurons that had been transfected with plasmids expressing proteins tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein. We found that particulate structures containing tau or alpha-synuclein travel rapidly when moving along axons but spend the majority of the time paused, and these structures have similar characteristics to those previously observed for neurofilaments. The motile particles containing tau or alpha-synuclein colocalise with the fast-transporting molecular motor kinesin-1 in neurons. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that tau and alpha-synuclein are each associated with complexes containing kinesin-1, whereas only alpha-synuclein appears to interact with dynein-containing complexes. In vitro glutathione S-transferase-binding assays using rat brain homogenate or recombinant protein as bait reveals a direct interaction of kinesin-1 light chains 1 and 2 with tau, but not with alpha-synuclein. Our findings suggest that the axonal transport of tau occurs via a mechanism utilising fast transport motors, including the kinesin family of proteins, and that alpha-synuclein transport in neurons may involve both kinesin and dynein motor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Utton
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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