1
|
Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken BT, Von Schulze A, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh JR, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box AC, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. eLife 2023; 12:RP86939. [PMID: 37921648 PMCID: PMC10624427 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- The Open UniversityMilton KeynesUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jay R Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Andrew C Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighUnited States
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kandola T, Venkatesan S, Zhang J, Lerbakken B, Schulze AV, Blanck JF, Wu J, Unruh J, Berry P, Lange JJ, Box A, Cook M, Sagui C, Halfmann R. Pathologic polyglutamine aggregation begins with a self-poisoning polymer crystal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.20.533418. [PMID: 36993401 PMCID: PMC10055281 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.20.533418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal of amyloid research has been to characterize the structural basis of the rate-determining nucleating event. However, the ephemeral nature of nucleation has made this goal unachievable with existing biochemistry, structural biology, and computational approaches. Here, we addressed that limitation for polyglutamine (polyQ), a polypeptide sequence that causes Huntington's and other amyloid-associated neurodegenerative diseases when its length exceeds a characteristic threshold. To identify essential features of the polyQ amyloid nucleus, we used a direct intracellular reporter of self-association to quantify frequencies of amyloid appearance as a function of concentration, conformational templates, and rational polyQ sequence permutations. We found that nucleation of pathologically expanded polyQ involves segments of three glutamine (Q) residues at every other position. We demonstrate using molecular simulations that this pattern encodes a four-stranded steric zipper with interdigitated Q side chains. Once formed, the zipper poisoned its own growth by engaging naive polypeptides on orthogonal faces, in a fashion characteristic of polymer crystals with intramolecular nuclei. We further show that self-poisoning can be exploited to block amyloid formation, by genetically oligomerizing polyQ prior to nucleation. By uncovering the physical nature of the rate-limiting event for polyQ aggregation in cells, our findings elucidate the molecular etiology of polyQ diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tej Kandola
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keyes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | | | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | | | - Alex Von Schulze
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jillian F Blanck
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jianzheng Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Paula Berry
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Andrew Box
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Malcolm Cook
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Amyloid Fragmentation and Disaggregation in Yeast and Animals. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11121884. [PMID: 34944528 PMCID: PMC8699242 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloids are filamentous protein aggregates that are associated with a number of incurable diseases, termed amyloidoses. Amyloids can also manifest as infectious or heritable particles, known as prions. While just one prion is known in humans and animals, more than ten prion amyloids have been discovered in fungi. The propagation of fungal prion amyloids requires the chaperone Hsp104, though in excess it can eliminate some prions. Even though Hsp104 acts to disassemble prion fibrils, at normal levels it fragments them into multiple smaller pieces, which ensures prion propagation and accelerates prion conversion. Animals lack Hsp104, but disaggregation is performed by the same complement of chaperones that assist Hsp104 in yeast—Hsp40, Hsp70, and Hsp110. Exogenous Hsp104 can efficiently cooperate with these chaperones in animals and promotes disaggregation, especially of large amyloid aggregates, which indicates its potential as a treatment for amyloid diseases. However, despite the significant effects, Hsp104 and its potentiated variants may be insufficient to fully dissolve amyloid. In this review, we consider chaperone mechanisms acting to disassemble heritable protein aggregates in yeast and animals, and their potential use in the therapy of human amyloid diseases.
Collapse
|
4
|
Joy J, Barrio L, Santos-Tapia C, Romão D, Giakoumakis NN, Clemente-Ruiz M, Milán M. Proteostasis failure and mitochondrial dysfunction leads to aneuploidy-induced senescence. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2043-2058.e7. [PMID: 34216545 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Aneuploidy, an unbalanced number of chromosomes, is highly deleterious at the cellular level and leads to senescence, a stress-induced response characterized by permanent cell-cycle arrest and a well-defined associated secretory phenotype. Here, we use a Drosophila epithelial model to delineate the pathway that leads to the induction of senescence as a consequence of the acquisition of an aneuploid karyotype. Whereas aneuploidy induces, as a result of gene dosage imbalance, proteotoxic stress and activation of the major protein quality control mechanisms, near-saturation functioning of autophagy leads to compromised mitophagy, accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, and the production of radical oxygen species (ROS). We uncovered a role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in driving senescence as a consequence of dysfunctional mitochondria and ROS. We show that activation of the major protein quality control mechanisms and mitophagy dampens the deleterious effects of aneuploidy, and we identify a role of senescence in proteostasis and compensatory proliferation for tissue repair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jery Joy
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lara Barrio
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Santos-Tapia
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniela Romão
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nikolaos Nikiforos Giakoumakis
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Clemente-Ruiz
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marco Milán
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Marcelo A, Koppenol R, de Almeida LP, Matos CA, Nóbrega C. Stress granules, RNA-binding proteins and polyglutamine diseases: too much aggregation? Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:592. [PMID: 34103467 PMCID: PMC8187637 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03873-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are membraneless cell compartments formed in response to different stress stimuli, wherein translation factors, mRNAs, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and other proteins coalesce together. SGs assembly is crucial for cell survival, since SGs are implicated in the regulation of translation, mRNA storage and stabilization and cell signalling, during stress. One defining feature of SGs is their dynamism, as they are quickly assembled upon stress and then rapidly dispersed after the stress source is no longer present. Recently, SGs dynamics, their components and their functions have begun to be studied in the context of human diseases. Interestingly, the regulated protein self-assembly that mediates SG formation contrasts with the pathological protein aggregation that is a feature of several neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, aberrant protein coalescence is a key feature of polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases, a group of nine disorders that are caused by an abnormal expansion of PolyQ tract-bearing proteins, which increases the propensity of those proteins to aggregate. Available data concerning the abnormal properties of the mutant PolyQ disease-causing proteins and their involvement in stress response dysregulation strongly suggests an important role for SGs in the pathogenesis of PolyQ disorders. This review aims at discussing the evidence supporting the existence of a link between SGs functionality and PolyQ disorders, by focusing on the biology of SGs and on the way it can be altered in a PolyQ disease context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Marcelo
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedial Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rebekah Koppenol
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal
- PhD Program in Biomedial Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos A Matos
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal
- Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Faro, Portugal.
- Centre for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.
- Champalimaud Research Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Fluorescence-based techniques for the detection of the oligomeric status of proteins: implication in amyloidogenic diseases. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2021; 50:671-685. [PMID: 33564930 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-021-01505-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have captured attention in the last couple of decades due to their functional roles despite a lack of specific structure. Moreover, these proteins are found to be highly aggregation prone depending on the mutational and environmental changes to which they are subjected. The aggregation of such proteins either in the intracellular context or extracellular matrix is associated with several adverse pathophysiological conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, Spinocerebellar ataxia, and Type-II diabetes. Interestingly, it has been noted that the smaller oligomers formed by IDPs are more toxic to cells than their larger aggregates. This necessitates the development of techniques that can detect the smaller oligomers formed by IDPs for diagnosis of such diseases during their early onset. Fluorescence-based spectroscopic and microscopic techniques are highly effective as compared to other techniques for the evaluation of protein oligomerization, organization, and dynamics. In this review, we discuss several fluorescence-based techniques including fluorescence/Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), homo-FRET, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), and photobleaching image correlation spectroscopy (pbICS) that are routinely used to identify protein oligomers in extracellular and intracellular matrices.
Collapse
|
7
|
Recasens-Alvarez C, Alexandre C, Kirkpatrick J, Nojima H, Huels DJ, Snijders AP, Vincent JP. Ribosomopathy-associated mutations cause proteotoxic stress that is alleviated by TOR inhibition. Nat Cell Biol 2021; 23:127-135. [PMID: 33495632 PMCID: PMC7116740 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-020-00626-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomes are multicomponent molecular machines that synthesize all of the proteins of living cells. Most of the genes that encode the protein components of ribosomes are therefore essential. A reduction in gene dosage is often viable albeit deleterious and is associated with human syndromes, which are collectively known as ribosomopathies1-3. The cell biological basis of these pathologies has remained unclear. Here, we model human ribosomopathies in Drosophila and find widespread apoptosis and cellular stress in the resulting animals. This is not caused by insufficient protein synthesis, as reasonably expected. Instead, ribosomal protein deficiency elicits proteotoxic stress, which we suggest is caused by the accumulation of misfolded proteins that overwhelm the protein degradation machinery. We find that dampening the integrated stress response4 or autophagy increases the harm inflicted by ribosomal protein deficiency, suggesting that these activities could be cytoprotective. Inhibition of TOR activity-which decreases ribosomal protein production, slows down protein synthesis and stimulates autophagy5-reduces proteotoxic stress in our ribosomopathy model. Interventions that stimulate autophagy, combined with means of boosting protein quality control, could form the basis of a therapeutic strategy for this class of diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hisashi Nojima
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- FUJIREBIO Inc, Tokyo, Japan
| | - David J Huels
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Academic Medical Center, Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chernoff YO, Grizel AV, Rubel AA, Zelinsky AA, Chandramowlishwaran P, Chernova TA. Application of yeast to studying amyloid and prion diseases. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2020; 105:293-380. [PMID: 32560789 PMCID: PMC7527210 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyloids are fibrous cross-β protein aggregates that are capable of proliferation via nucleated polymerization. Amyloid conformation likely represents an ancient protein fold and is linked to various biological or pathological manifestations. Self-perpetuating amyloid-based protein conformers provide a molecular basis for transmissible (infectious or heritable) protein isoforms, termed prions. Amyloids and prions, as well as other types of misfolded aggregated proteins are associated with a variety of devastating mammalian and human diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and transthyretinopathies. In yeast and fungi, amyloid-based prions control phenotypically detectable heritable traits. Simplicity of cultivation requirements and availability of powerful genetic approaches makes yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae an excellent model system for studying molecular and cellular mechanisms governing amyloid formation and propagation. Genetic techniques allowing for the expression of mammalian or human amyloidogenic and prionogenic proteins in yeast enable researchers to capitalize on yeast advantages for characterization of the properties of disease-related proteins. Chimeric constructs employing mammalian and human aggregation-prone proteins or domains, fused to fluorophores or to endogenous yeast proteins allow for cytological or phenotypic detection of disease-related protein aggregation in yeast cells. Yeast systems are amenable to high-throughput screening for antagonists of amyloid formation, propagation and/or toxicity. This review summarizes up to date achievements of yeast assays in application to studying mammalian and human disease-related aggregating proteins, and discusses both limitations and further perspectives of yeast-based strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yury O Chernoff
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States; Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Anastasia V Grizel
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksandr A Rubel
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Andrew A Zelinsky
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Tatiana A Chernova
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a genetically heterogeneous group of autosomal dominantly inherited progressive disorders, the clinical hallmark of which is loss of balance and coordination accompanied by slurred speech; onset is most often in adult life. Genetically, SCAs are grouped as repeat expansion SCAs, such as SCA3/Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), and rare SCAs that are caused by non-repeat mutations, such as SCA5. Most SCA mutations cause prominent damage to cerebellar Purkinje neurons with consecutive cerebellar atrophy, although Purkinje neurons are only mildly affected in some SCAs. Furthermore, other parts of the nervous system, such as the spinal cord, basal ganglia and pontine nuclei in the brainstem, can be involved. As there is currently no treatment to slow or halt SCAs (many SCAs lead to premature death), the clinical care of patients with SCA focuses on managing the symptoms through physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Intense research has greatly expanded our understanding of the pathobiology of many SCAs, revealing that they occur via interrelated mechanisms (including proteotoxicity, RNA toxicity and ion channel dysfunction), and has led to the identification of new targets for treatment development. However, the development of effective therapies is hampered by the heterogeneity of the SCAs; specific therapeutic approaches may be required for each disease.
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
This commentary describes scientific path and accomplishments of our late colleague, Prof. Michael D. Ter-Avanesyan, who made several seminal contributions into prion research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vitaly V Kushnirov
- a Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences , A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry , Moscow , Russia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
State-of-the-Art Fluorescence Fluctuation-Based Spectroscopic Techniques for the Study of Protein Aggregation. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19040964. [PMID: 29570669 PMCID: PMC5979297 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19040964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, are devastating proteinopathies with misfolded protein aggregates accumulating in neuronal cells. Inclusion bodies of protein aggregates are frequently observed in the neuronal cells of patients. Investigation of the underlying causes of neurodegeneration requires the establishment and selection of appropriate methodologies for detailed investigation of the state and conformation of protein aggregates. In the current review, we present an overview of the principles and application of several methodologies used for the elucidation of protein aggregation, specifically ones based on determination of fluctuations of fluorescence. The discussed methods include fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), imaging FCS, image correlation spectroscopy (ICS), photobleaching ICS (pbICS), number and brightness (N&B) analysis, super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI), and transient state (TRAST) monitoring spectroscopy. Some of these methodologies are classical protein aggregation analyses, while others are not yet widely used. Collectively, the methods presented here should help the future development of research not only into protein aggregation but also neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
|
12
|
Polanco JC, Li C, Bodea LG, Martinez-Marmol R, Meunier FA, Götz J. Amyloid-β and tau complexity — towards improved biomarkers and targeted therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2017; 14:22-39. [DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
13
|
Alexandrov AI, Serpionov GV, Kushnirov VV, Ter-Avanesyan MD. Wild type huntingtin toxicity in yeast: Implications for the role of amyloid cross-seeding in polyQ diseases. Prion 2017; 10:221-7. [PMID: 27220690 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1176659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) regions are prone to form amyloids, which can cause diseases in humans and toxicity in yeast. Recently, we showed that in yeast non-toxic amyloids of Q-rich proteins can induce aggregation and toxicity of wild type huntingtin (Htt) with a short non-pathogenic polyglutamine tract. Similarly to mutant Htt with an elongated N-terminal polyQ sequence, toxicity of its wild type counterpart was mediated by induced aggregation of the essential Sup35 protein, which contains a Q-rich region. Notably, polymerization of Sup35 was not caused by the initial benign amyloids and, therefore, aggregates of wild type Htt acted as intermediaries in seeding Sup35 polymerization. This exemplifies a protein polymerization cascade which can generate a network of interdependent polymers. Here we discuss cross-seeded protein polymerization as a possible mechanism underlying known interrelations between different polyQ diseases. We hypothesize that similar mechanisms may enable proteins, which possess expanded Q-rich tracts but are not associated with diseases, to promote the development of polyQ diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A I Alexandrov
- a Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia
| | - G V Serpionov
- a Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia
| | - V V Kushnirov
- a Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia
| | - M D Ter-Avanesyan
- a Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow , Russia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Isas JM, Langen A, Isas MC, Pandey NK, Siemer AB. Formation and Structure of Wild Type Huntingtin Exon-1 Fibrils. Biochemistry 2017. [PMID: 28621522 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The fact that the heritable neurodegenerative disorder Huntington's disease (HD) is autosomal dominant means that there is one wild type and one mutant allele in most HD patients. The CAG repeat expansion in the exon 1 of the protein huntingtin (HTTex1) that causes the disease leads to the formation of HTT fibrils in vitro and vivo. An important question for understanding the molecular mechanism of HD is which role wild type HTT plays for the formation, propagation, and structure of these HTT fibrils. Here we report that fibrils of mutant HTTex1 are able to seed the aggregation of wild type HTTex1 into amyloid fibrils, which in turn can seed the fibril formation of mutant HTTex1. Solid-state NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance data showed that wild type HTTex1 fibrils closely resemble the structure of mutant fibrils, with small differences indicating a less extended fibril core. These data suggest that wild type fibrils can faithfully perpetuate the structure of mutant fibrils in HD. However, wild type HTTex1 monomers have a much higher equilibrium solubility compared to mutant HTTex1, and only a small fraction incorporates into fibrils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Mario Isas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Andreas Langen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Myles C Isas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Nitin K Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Ansgar B Siemer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Serpionov GV, Alexandrov AI, Ter-Avanesyan MD. Distinct mechanisms of mutant huntingtin toxicity in different yeast strains. FEMS Yeast Res 2016; 17:fow102. [PMID: 27915242 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fow102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of polyglutamine stretches in several proteins causes neurodegenerative amyloidoses, including Huntington disease. In yeast, mutant huntingtin (mHtt) with a stretch of 103 glutamine residues (HttQ103) forms toxic aggregates. A range of yeast strains have been used to elucidate the mechanisms of mHtt toxicity, and have revealed perturbations of various unrelated processes. HttQ103 aggregates can induce aggregation of cellular proteins, many of which contain glutamine/asparagine-rich regions, including Sup35 and Def1. In the strain 74-D694 HttQ103, toxicity is related to aggregation-mediated depletion of soluble Sup35 and its interacting partner Sup45. Def1 was also implicated in mHtt toxicity, since its lack detoxified HttQ103 in another yeast strain, BY4741. Here we show that in BY4742, deletion of DEF1 lowers HttQ103 toxicity and decreases the amount of its polymers, but does not affect copolymerization of Sup35. Furthermore, in contrast to 74-D694, increasing the levels of soluble Sup35 and Sup45 does not alleviate toxicity of HttQ103 in BY4742. These data demonstrate a difference in the mechanisms underlying mHtt toxicity in different yeast strains and suggest that in humans with Huntington disease, neurons of different brain compartments and cells in other tissues can also be damaged by different mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genrikh V Serpionov
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Alexander I Alexandrov
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Michael D Ter-Avanesyan
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Multiple discrete soluble aggregates influence polyglutamine toxicity in a Huntington's disease model system. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34916. [PMID: 27721444 PMCID: PMC5056504 DOI: 10.1038/srep34916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) results from expansions of polyglutamine stretches (polyQ) in the huntingtin protein (Htt) that promote protein aggregation, neurodegeneration, and death. Since the diversity and sizes of the soluble Htt-polyQ aggregates that have been linked to cytotoxicity are unknown, we investigated soluble Htt-polyQ aggregates using analytical ultracentrifugation. Soon after induction in a yeast HD model system, non-toxic Htt-25Q and cytotoxic Htt-103Q both formed soluble aggregates 29S to 200S in size. Because current models indicate that Htt-25Q does not form soluble aggregates, reevaluation of previous studies may be necessary. Only Htt-103Q aggregation behavior changed, however, with time. At 6 hr mid-sized aggregates (33S to 84S) and large aggregates (greater than 100S) became present while at 24 hr primarily only mid-sized aggregates (20S to 80S) existed. Multiple factors that decreased cytotoxicity of Htt-103Q (changing the length of or sequences adjacent to the polyQ, altering ploidy or chaperone dosage, or deleting anti-aging factors) altered the Htt-103Q aggregation pattern in which the suite of mid-sized aggregates at 6 hr were most correlative with cytotoxicity. Hence, the amelioration of HD and other neurodegenerative diseases may require increased attention to and discrimination of the dynamic alterations in soluble aggregation processes.
Collapse
|