1
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Burkart RC, Strotmann VI, Kirschner GK, Akinci A, Czempik L, Dolata A, Maizel A, Weidtkamp‐Peters S, Stahl Y. PLETHORA‐WOX5 interaction and subnuclear localization control
Arabidopsis
root stem cell maintenance. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54105. [PMID: 35373503 PMCID: PMC9171415 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202154105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance and homeostasis of the stem cell niche (SCN) in the Arabidopsis root is essential for growth and development of all root cell types. The SCN is organized around a quiescent center (QC) maintaining the stemness of cells in direct contact. The key transcription factors (TFs) WUSCHEL‐RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5) and PLETHORAs (PLTs) are expressed in the SCN where they maintain the QC and regulate distal columella stem cell (CSC) fate. Here, we describe the concerted mutual regulation of the key TFs WOX5 and PLTs on a transcriptional and protein interaction level. Additionally, by applying a novel SCN staining method, we demonstrate that both WOX5 and PLTs regulate root SCN homeostasis as they control QC quiescence and CSC fate interdependently. Moreover, we uncover that some PLTs, especially PLT3, contain intrinsically disordered prion‐like domains (PrDs) that are necessary for complex formation with WOX5 and its recruitment to subnuclear microdomains/nuclear bodies (NBs) in the CSCs. We propose that this partitioning of PLT‐WOX5 complexes to NBs, possibly by phase separation, is important for CSC fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Burkart
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Vivien I Strotmann
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | | | - Abdullah Akinci
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Laura Czempik
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Anika Dolata
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Alexis Maizel
- Center for Organismal Studies (COS) University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | | | - Yvonne Stahl
- Institute for Developmental Genetics Heinrich‐Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
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2
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Abstract
I have been invited to summarize my career with an emphasis on the time I spent in the laboratory of Prof Christopher M. Dobson, who sadly passed away on September 8th 2019, and to describe his role as a mentor. I accepted this slightly unusual request as it constitutes a unique way for me to express my deep gratitude and admiration for Chris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Dumoulin
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Centre for Protein Engineering, InBios, Departement of Life Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
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3
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Abstract
We study phase diagrams and liquid droplet formation for systems of polyglutamine and polyalanine chains in a coarse-grained model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marek Cieplak
- Institute of Physics
- Polish Academy of Sciences
- 02-668 Warsaw
- Poland
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4
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Risso VA, Ermácora MR. Equilibrium partially folded states of B. licheniformis[Formula: see text]-lactamase. Eur Biophys J 2019; 48:341-348. [PMID: 30929094 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-019-01361-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
[Formula: see text]-Lactamases (penicillinases) facilitate bacterial resistance to antibiotics and are excellent theoretical and experimental models in protein structure, dynamics and evolution. Bacillus licheniformis exo-small penicillinase (ESP) is a Class A [Formula: see text]-lactamase with three tryptophan residues located one in each of its two domains and one in the interface between domains. The conformational landscape of three well-characterized ESP Trp[Formula: see text]Phe mutants was characterized in equilibrium unfolding experiments by measuring tryptophan fluorescence, far-UV CD, activity, hydrodynamic radius, and limited proteolysis. The Trp[Formula: see text]Phe substitutions had little impact on the native conformation, but changed the properties of the partially folded states populated at equilibrium. The results were interpreted in the framework of modern theories of protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria A Risso
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, B1876BXD, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Mario R Ermácora
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, B1876BXD, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular, Conicet-CIC-UNLP, Calle 526 y Camino General Belgrano, B1906APO, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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5
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Johnston A, Wang Z. Necroptosis: MLKL Polymerization. J Nat Sci 2018; 4:e513. [PMID: 30294675 PMCID: PMC6173486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Necroptosis is a subtype of regulated necrosis that occurs when caspases are inhibited or fail to activate. Stimulus of cell death receptors results in a signaling cascade that triggers caspase independent, immunogenic cell death. The core pathway relies on receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 1 and 3, which interact through their receptor homotypic interacting motif (RHIM) domains, and form amyloid-like structures termed the necrosome. RIPK3 recruits and phosphorylates mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL), the terminal mediator in the necroptotic pathway. MLKL polymerizes to form a second amyloid-like structure that causes cell membrane disruption resulting in cell death. Although the core necroptosis pathway has been elucidated, the details of MLKL membrane translocation and membrane disruption remain an open area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Johnston
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., NA8.202, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Zhigao Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., NA8.202, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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6
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Thorn D, Kay J, Rhazi N, Dumoulin M, Corazza A, Damblon C. 1H, 13C and 15N backbone resonance assignments of the β-lactamase BlaP from Bacillus licheniformis 749/C and two mutational variants. Biomol NMR Assign 2018; 12:69-77. [PMID: 29030803 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-017-9782-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Class A β-lactamases have been widely used as versatile scaffolds to create hybrid (or chimeric) proteins for a series of applications ranging from basic research to medicine. We have, in particular, used the β-lactamase BlaP from Bacillus licheniformis 749/C (BlaP) as a protein scaffold to create model polyglutamine (polyQ) proteins in order to better understand the mechanism(s) by which an expanded polyQ sequence triggers the formation of amyloid fibrils. The model chimeras were designed by inserting a polyQ sequence of various lengths at two different locations within BlaP (i.e. position 197 or position 216) allowing a detailed comparison of the effects of subtle differences in the environment of the polyQ sequence on its ability to trigger protein aggregation. In order to investigate the effects of the polyQ insertion at both positions on the structure, stability and dynamics of BlaP, a series of NMR experiments including H/D exchange are foreseen. Accordingly, as necessitated by these studies, here we report the NMR assignment of the wild-type BlaP (BlaP-WT) and of the two reference proteins, BlaP197Q0 and BlaP216Q0, wherein a Pro-Gly dipeptide has been introduced at position 197 and 216, respectively; this dipeptide originates from the addition of the Sma1 restriction site at the genetic level to allow further polyQ sequence insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Thorn
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBios, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jennifer Kay
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBios, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Noureddine Rhazi
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBios, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Molecular Biomimetic and Protein Engineering Laboratory, GIGA-Research, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, avenue de l'Hopital 1, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mireille Dumoulin
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBios, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alessandra Corazza
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Piazzale Kolbe, 4, 33100, Udine, Italy.
| | - Christian Damblon
- Laboratory of Biological Structural Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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7
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Van Assche R, Borghgraef C, Vaneyck J, Dumoulin M, Schoofs L, Temmerman L. In vitro aggregating β-lactamase-polyQ chimeras do not induce toxic effects in an in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans model. J Negat Results Biomed 2017; 16:14. [PMID: 28830560 PMCID: PMC5568214 DOI: 10.1186/s12952-017-0080-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A series of human diseases are caused by the misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins or peptides into amyloid fibrils; nine of these diseases, referred to as polyglutamine diseases, are associated with proteins carrying an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) region. While the presence of this latter is thought to be the determinant factor for the development of polyQ diseases, the non-polyQ regions of the host proteins are thought to play a significant modulating role. METHOD In order to better understand the role of non-polyQ regions, the toxic effects of model proteins bearing different polyQ regions (containing up to 79 residues) embedded at two distinct locations within the β-lactamase (BlaP) host enzyme were evaluated in Caenorhabditis elegans. This small organism can be advantageous for the validation of in vitro findings, as it provides a multicellular context yet avoids the typical complexity of common studies relying on vertebrate models. Several phenotypic assays were performed in order to screen for potential toxic effects of the different BlaP-polyQ proteins. RESULTS Despite the significant in vitro aggregation of BlaP-polyQ proteins with long polyQ regions, none of the BlaP-polyQ chimeras aggregated in the generated transgenic in vivo models. CONCLUSION The absence of a toxic effect of the expression of BlaP-polyQ chimeras may find its cause in biochemical mechanisms present in vivo to cope with protein aggregation (e.g. presence of chaperones) or in C. elegans' limitations such as its short lifespan. It is plausible that the aggregation propensities of the different BlaP chimeras containing embedded polyQ sequences are too low in this in vivo environment to permit their aggregation. These experiments emphasize the need for several comparative and in vivo verification studies of biologically relevant in vitro findings, which reveal both the strengths and limitations of widely used model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Van Assche
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Charline Borghgraef
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Vaneyck
- Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBioS, Institute of Chemistry, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Mireille Dumoulin
- Enzymology and Protein Folding, Center for Protein Engineering, InBioS, Institute of Chemistry, University of Liège, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Liliane Schoofs
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Zoological Institute, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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8
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Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is a pathogenic feature shared among at least ten polyglutamine (polyQ) neurodegenerative diseases. While solvent-solution interaction is a key factor driving protein folding and aggregation, the solvation properties of expanded polyQ tracts are not well understood. By using GPU-enabled all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of polyQ monomers in an explicit solvent environment, this study shows that solvent-polyQ interaction propensity decreases as the lengths of polyQ tract increases. This study finds a predominance in long-distance interactions between residues far apart in polyQ sequences with longer polyQ segments, that leads to significant conformational differences. This study also indicates that large loops, comprised of parallel β-structures, appear in long polyQ tracts and present new aggregation building blocks with aggregation driven by long-distance intra-polyQ interactions. Finally, consistent with previous observations using coarse-grain simulations, this study demonstrates that there is a gain in the aggregation propensity with increased polyQ length, and that this gain is correlated with decreasing ability of solvent-polyQ interaction. These results suggest the modulation of solvent-polyQ interactions as a possible therapeutic strategy for treating polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingran Wen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Scoles
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Julio C. Facelli
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Amaro IA, Henderson LA. An Intrabody Drug (rAAV6-INT41) Reduces the Binding of N-Terminal Huntingtin Fragment(s) to DNA to Basal Levels in PC12 Cells and Delays Cognitive Loss in the R6/2 Animal Model. J Neurodegener Dis 2016; 2016:7120753. [PMID: 27595037 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7120753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal progressive disease linked to expansion of glutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein and characterized by the progressive loss of cognitive and motor function. We show that expression of a mutant human huntingtin exon-1-GFP fusion construct results in nonspecific gene dysregulation that is significantly reduced by 50% due to coexpression of INT41, an intrabody specific for the proline-rich region of the huntingtin protein. Using stable PC12 cell lines expressing either inducible human mutant huntingtin (mHtt, Q73) or normal huntingtin (nHtt, Q23), we investigated the effect of rAAV6-INT41, an adeno-associated virus vector with the INT41 coding sequence, on the subcellular distribution of Htt. Compartmental fractionation 8 days after induction of Htt showed a 6-fold increased association of a dominate N-terminal mHtt fragment with DNA compared to N-terminal nHtt. Transduction with rAAV6-INT41 reduced DNA binding of N-terminal mHtt 6.5-fold in the nucleus and reduced nuclear translocation of the detected fragments. Subsequently, when rAAV6-INT41 is delivered to the striatum in the R6/2 mouse model, treated female mice exhibited executive function statistically indistinguishable from wild type, accompanied by reductions in Htt aggregates in the striatum, suggesting that rAAV6-INT41 is promising as a gene therapy for Huntington's disease.
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10
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Carcamo-Noriega EN, Saab-Rincon G. Identification of fibrillogenic regions in human triosephosphate isomerase. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1676. [PMID: 26870617 PMCID: PMC4748702 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Amyloid secondary structure relies on the intermolecular assembly of polypeptide chains through main-chain interaction. According to this, all proteins have the potential to form amyloid structure, nevertheless, in nature only few proteins aggregate into toxic or functional amyloids. Structural characteristics differ greatly among amyloid proteins reported, so it has been difficult to link the fibrillogenic propensity with structural topology. However, there are ubiquitous topologies not represented in the amyloidome that could be considered as amyloid-resistant attributable to structural features, such is the case of TIM barrel topology. Methods. This work was aimed to study the fibrillogenic propensity of human triosephosphate isomerase (HsTPI) as a model of TIM barrels. In order to do so, aggregation of HsTPI was evaluated under native-like and destabilizing conditions. Fibrillogenic regions were identified by bioinformatics approaches, protein fragmentation and peptide aggregation. Results. We identified four fibrillogenic regions in the HsTPI corresponding to the β3, β6, β7 y α8 of the TIM barrel. From these, the β3-strand region (residues 59–66) was highly fibrillogenic. In aggregation assays, HsTPI under native-like conditions led to amorphous assemblies while under partially denaturing conditions (urea 3.2 M) formed more structured aggregates. This slightly structured aggregates exhibited residual cross-β structure, as demonstrated by the recognition of the WO1 antibody and ATR-FTIR analysis. Discussion. Despite the fibrillogenic regions present in HsTPI, the enzyme maintained under native-favoring conditions displayed low fibrillogenic propensity. This amyloid-resistance can be attributed to the three-dimensional arrangement of the protein, where β-strands, susceptible to aggregation, are protected in the core of the molecule. Destabilization of the protein structure may expose inner regions promoting β-aggregation, as well as the formation of hydrophobic disordered aggregates. Being this last pathway kinetically favored over the thermodynamically more stable fibril aggregation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edson N Carcamo-Noriega
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Cuernavaca, Morelos , Mexico
| | - Gloria Saab-Rincon
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Cuernavaca, Morelos , Mexico
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11
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Liebold J, Winter R, Golbik R, Hause G, Parthier C, Schwarz E. Conformational stability of the RNP domain controls fibril formation of PABPN1. Protein Sci 2015; 24:1789-99. [PMID: 26267866 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The disease oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy is caused by alanine codon trinucleotide expansions in the N-terminal segment of the nuclear poly(A) binding protein PABPN1. As histochemical features of the disease, intranuclear inclusions of PABPN1 have been reported. Whereas the purified N-terminal domain of PABPN1 forms fibrils in an alanine-dependent way, fibril formation of the full-length protein occurs also in the absence of alanines. Here, we addressed the question whether the stability of the RNP domain or domain swapping within the RNP domain may add to fibril formation. A variant of full-length PABPN1 with a stabilizing disulfide bond at position 185/201 in the RNP domain fibrillized in a redox-sensitive manner suggesting that the integrity of the RNP domain may contribute to fibril formation. Thermodynamic analysis of the isolated wild-type and the disulfide-linked RNP domain showed two state unfolding/refolding characteristics without detectable intermediates. Quantification of the thermodynamic stability of the mutant RNP domain pointed to an inverse correlation between fibril formation of full-length PABPN1 and the stability of the RNP domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Liebold
- Department of Protein Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Reno Winter
- Department of Protein Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Ralph Golbik
- Department of Virology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Gerd Hause
- Biocenter, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Christoph Parthier
- Department of Physical Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Schwarz
- Department of Protein Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, Halle Wittenberg, 06120, Halle, Germany
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12
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Pain C, Dumont J, Dumoulin M. Camelid single-domain antibody fragments: Uses and prospects to investigate protein misfolding and aggregation, and to treat diseases associated with these phenomena. Biochimie 2015; 111:82-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Abstract
Typical amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's were thought to exclusively result from de novo aggregation, but recently it was shown that amyloids formed in one cell can cross-seed aggregation in other cells, following a prion-like mechanism. Despite the large experimental effort devoted to understanding the phenomenon of prion transmissibility, it is still poorly understood how this property is encoded in the primary sequence. In many cases, prion structural conversion is driven by the presence of relatively large glutamine/asparagine (Q/N) enriched segments. Several studies suggest that it is the amino acid composition of these regions rather than their specific sequence that accounts for their priogenicity. However, our analysis indicates that it is instead the presence and potency of specific short amyloid-prone sequences that occur within intrinsically disordered Q/N-rich regions that determine their prion behaviour, modulated by the structural and compositional context. This provides a basis for the accurate identification and evaluation of prion candidate sequences in proteomes in the context of a unified framework for amyloid formation and prion propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimon Sabate
- Departament de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (RS); (SV)
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- VIB Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Departement for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- VIB Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Departement for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- * E-mail: (RS); (SV)
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14
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Huynen C, Willet N, Buell AK, Duwez AS, Jerôme C, Dumoulin M. Influence of the protein context on the polyglutamine length-dependent elongation of amyloid fibrils. Biochim Biophys Acta 2014; 1854:239-48. [PMID: 25489872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, including Huntington's disease, are neurodegenerative disorders associated with the abnormal expansion of a polyQ tract within nine proteins. The polyQ expansion is thought to be a major determinant in the development of neurotoxicity, triggering protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils, although non-polyQ regions play a modulating role. In this work, we investigate the relative importance of the polyQ length, its location within a host protein, and the conformational state of the latter in the amyloid fibril elongation. Model polyQ proteins made of the β-lactamase BlaP containing up to 79Q inserted at two different positions, and quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy were used for this purpose. We demonstrate that, independently of the polyQ tract location and the conformational state of the host protein, the relative elongation rate of fibrils increases linearly with the polyQ length. The slope of the linear fit is similar for both sets of chimeras (i.e., the elongation rate increases by ~1.9% for each additional glutamine), and is also similar to that previously observed for polyQ peptides. The elongation rate is, however, strongly influenced by the location of the polyQ tract within BlaP and the conformational state of BlaP. Moreover, comparison of our results with those previously reported for aggregation in solution indicates that these two parameters also modulate the ability of BlaP-polyQ chimeras to form the aggregation nucleus. Altogether our results suggest that non-polyQ regions are valuable targets in order to interfere with the process of amyloid fibril formation associated with polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Huynen
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Willet
- Nanochemistry and Molecular Systems, Department of Chemistry, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Alexander K Buell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Anne-Sophie Duwez
- Nanochemistry and Molecular Systems, Department of Chemistry, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Christine Jerôme
- Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), Department of Chemistry, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mireille Dumoulin
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
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15
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Hoffner G, Djian P. Monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric proteins in huntington disease and other diseases of polyglutamine expansion. Brain Sci 2014; 4:91-122. [PMID: 24961702 PMCID: PMC4066239 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci4010091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease and other diseases of polyglutamine expansion are each caused by a different protein bearing an excessively long polyglutamine sequence and are associated with neuronal death. Although these diseases affect largely different brain regions, they all share a number of characteristics, and, therefore, are likely to possess a common mechanism. In all of the diseases, the causative protein is proteolyzed, becomes abnormally folded and accumulates in oligomers and larger aggregates. The aggregated and possibly the monomeric expanded polyglutamine are likely to play a critical role in the pathogenesis and there is increasing evidence that the secondary structure of the protein influences its toxicity. We describe here, with special attention to huntingtin, the mechanisms of polyglutamine aggregation and the modulation of aggregation by the sequences flanking the polyglutamine. We give a comprehensive picture of the characteristics of monomeric and aggregated polyglutamine, including morphology, composition, seeding ability, secondary structure, and toxicity. The structural heterogeneity of aggregated polyglutamine may explain why polyglutamine-containing aggregates could paradoxically be either toxic or neuroprotective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guylaine Hoffner
- Génétique moléculaire et défense antivirale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Philippe Djian
- Génétique moléculaire et défense antivirale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris, France.
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Huynen C, Filée P, Matagne A, Galleni M, Dumoulin M. Class A β-lactamases as versatile scaffolds to create hybrid enzymes: applications from basic research to medicine. Biomed Res Int 2013; 2013:827621. [PMID: 24066299 DOI: 10.1155/2013/827621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Designing hybrid proteins is a major aspect of protein engineering and covers a very wide range of applications from basic research to medical applications. This review focuses on the use of class A β-lactamases as versatile scaffolds to design hybrid enzymes (referred to as β-lactamase hybrid proteins, BHPs) in which an exogenous peptide, protein or fragment thereof is inserted at various permissive positions. We discuss how BHPs can be specifically designed to create bifunctional proteins, to produce and to characterize proteins that are otherwise difficult to express, to determine the epitope of specific antibodies, to generate antibodies against nonimmunogenic epitopes, and to better understand the structure/function relationship of proteins.
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Blum ES, Schwendeman AR, Shaham S. PolyQ disease: misfiring of a developmental cell death program? Trends Cell Biol 2012; 23:168-74. [PMID: 23228508 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2012.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 11/06/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat diseases are neurodegenerative ailments elicited by glutamine-encoding CAG nucleotide expansions within endogenous human genes. Despite efforts to understand the basis of these diseases, the precise mechanism of cell death remains stubbornly unclear. Much of the data seem to be consistent with a model in which toxicity is an inherent property of the polyQ repeat, whereas host protein sequences surrounding the polyQ expansion modulate severity, age of onset, and cell specificity. Recently, a gene, pqn-41, encoding a glutamine-rich protein, was found to promote normally occurring non-apoptotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we review evidence for toxic and modulatory roles for polyQ repeats and their host proteins, respectively, and suggest similarities with pqn-41 function. We explore the hypothesis that toxicity mediated by glutamine-rich motifs may be important not only in pathology, but also in normal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse S Blum
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Abstract
Aggregation of lysozyme in an acidic solution generates inactive amyloid-like fibrils, with a broad infrared peak appearing at 1,610-1,630 cm(-1), characteristic of a β-sheet rich structure. We report here that spontaneous refolding of these fibrils in water could be promoted by mid-infrared free-electron laser (mid-IR FEL) irradiation targeting the amide bands. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of the fibrils reflected a β-sheet content that was as low as that of the native structure, following FEL irradiation at 1,620 cm(-1) (amide I band); both transmission-electron microscopy imaging and Congo Red assay results also demonstrated a reduced fibril structure, and the enzymatic activity of lysozyme fibrils recovered to 70-90 % of the native form. Both irradiations at 1,535 cm(-1)(amide II band) and 1,240 cm(-1) (amide III band) were also more effective for the refolding of the fibrils than mere heating in the absence of FEL. On the contrary, either irradiation at 1,100 or 2,000 cm(-1) afforded only about 60 % recovery of lysozyme activity. These results indicate that the specific FEL irradiation tuned to amide bands is efficient in refolding of lysozyme fibrils into native form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayasu Kawasaki
- IR Free Electron Laser Research Center, Research Institute for Science and Technology (RIST), Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba, Japan.
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