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Ziaunys M, Sulskis D, Mikalauskaite K, Sakalauskas A, Snieckute R, Smirnovas V. S100A9 inhibits and redirects prion protein 89-230 fragment amyloid aggregation. Arch Biochem Biophys 2024; 758:110087. [PMID: 38977154 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.110087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Protein aggregation in the form of amyloid fibrils has long been associated with the onset and development of various amyloidoses, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or prion diseases. Recent studies of their fibril formation process have revealed that amyloidogenic protein cross-interactions may impact aggregation pathways and kinetic parameters, as well as the structure of the resulting aggregates. Despite a growing number of reports exploring this type of interaction, they only cover just a small number of possible amyloidogenic protein pairings. One such pair is between two neurodegeneration-associated proteins: the pro-inflammatory S100A9 and prion protein, which are known to co-localize in vivo. In this study, we examined their cross-interaction in vitro and discovered that the fibrillar form of S100A9 modulated the aggregation pathway of mouse prion protein 89-230 fragment, while non-aggregated S100A9 also significantly inhibited its primary nucleation process. These results complement previous observations of the pro-inflammatory protein's role in amyloid aggregation and highlight its potential role against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mantas Ziaunys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Darius Sulskis
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Kamile Mikalauskaite
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Andrius Sakalauskas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ruta Snieckute
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vytautas Smirnovas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
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2
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Mancusi A, Egidio M, Marrone R, Scotti L, Paludi D, Dini I, Proroga YTR. The In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Argirium SUNc against Most Common Pathogenic and Spoilage Food Bacteria. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:109. [PMID: 38275338 PMCID: PMC10812583 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Foodborne diseases are one of the main issues for human health, and antibacterial packaging plays a major role in food security assurance. Silver ultra nanoparticles (Argirium SUNc) are antimicrobial agents that have a wide spectrum of action, including against pathogenic bacteria and spoilage fungi. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Argirium SUNc on the bacteria most commonly found in food: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella typhimurium. In this regard, an in vitro study was carried out by assessing the Argirium SUNc effectiveness on different concentrations of each tested microbial strain and at different time intervals. The data showed that the antimicrobial activity of Argirium SUNc was directly related to the microbial concentration and varied depending on the microbial species. Moreover, a greater effectiveness against Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive bacteria was observed. These preliminary results provided important information on the silver nanoparticles spectrum of action, and this is an aspect that appears particularly promising for obtaining a viable alternative to traditional antimicrobials to be used against the pathogens and spoilage agents most commonly found in the food chain, harmful both to health and quality aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mancusi
- Department of Food Safety Coordination, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy; (A.M.); (Y.T.R.P.)
| | - Marica Egidio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.E.); (R.M.)
| | - Raffaele Marrone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy; (M.E.); (R.M.)
| | - Luca Scotti
- Department of Medical, Oral, and Biotechnological Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Domenico Paludi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Irene Dini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Yolande Thérèse Rose Proroga
- Department of Food Safety Coordination, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy; (A.M.); (Y.T.R.P.)
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3
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Agamennone M, Storchi L, Marrone A, Paciotti R. Hampering the early aggregation of PrP-E200K protein by charge-based inhibitors: a computational study. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2021; 35:751-770. [PMID: 34110550 PMCID: PMC8213589 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-021-00393-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A multilayered computational workflow was designed to identify a druggable binding site on the surface of the E200K pathogenic mutant of the human prion protein, and to investigate the effect of the binding of small molecules in the inhibition of the early aggregation of this protein. At this purpose, we developed an efficient computational tool to scan the molecular interaction properties of a whole MD trajectory, thus leading to the characterization of plausible binding regions on the surface of PrP-E200K. These structural data were then employed to drive structure-based virtual screening and fragment-based approaches to the seeking of small molecular binders of the PrP-E200K. Six promising compounds were identified, and their binding stabilities were assessed by MD simulations. Therefore, analyses of the molecular electrostatic potential similarity between the bound complexes and unbound protein evidenced their potential activity as charged-based inhibitors of the PrP-E200K early aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Loriano Storchi
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Molecular Discovery Limited, Middlesex, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Roberto Paciotti
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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4
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Ziaunys M, Sneideris T, Smirnovas V. Formation of distinct prion protein amyloid fibrils under identical experimental conditions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4572. [PMID: 32165692 PMCID: PMC7067779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61663-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation into amyloid fibrils is linked to multiple neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A better understanding of the way these aggregates form is vital for the development of drugs. A large detriment to amyloid research is the ability of amyloidogenic proteins to spontaneously aggregate into multiple structurally distinct fibrils (strains) with different stability and seeding properties. In this work we show that prion proteins are capable of forming more than one type of fibril under the exact same conditions by assessing their Thioflavin T (ThT) binding ability, morphology, secondary structure, stability and seeding potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mantas Ziaunys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Tomas Sneideris
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vytautas Smirnovas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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5
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Paciotti R, Storchi L, Marrone A. An insight of early PrP-E200K aggregation by combined molecular dynamics/fragment molecular orbital approaches. Proteins 2018; 87:51-61. [PMID: 30367504 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Unveiling the events leading to the formation of prion particles is a nowadays challenge in the field of neurochemistry. Pathogenic mutants of prion protein (PrP) are characterized by both an intrinsic tendency to aggregation and scrapie conversion propensity. However, the question about a possible correlation between these two events lasts still unanswered. Here, a multilayered computational workflow was employed to investigate structure, stability, and molecular interaction properties of a dimer of PrPC -E200K, a well-known mutant of the PrP that represents a reduced model of early aggregates of this protein. Based on the combination of molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical approaches, this study provided for an in depth insight of PrPC -E200K dimer in terms of residue-residue interactions. Assembly hypotheses for the early aggregation of PrPC -E200K are paved and compared with PrPSc models reported in the literature to find a structural link between early and late (scrapie) aggregates of this protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Paciotti
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Loriano Storchi
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Molecular Discovery Limited, Middlesex, London, United Kingdom.,ISTM - CNR, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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6
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Paulo JA, Jedrychowski MP, Chouchani ET, Kazak L, Gygi SP. Multiplexed Isobaric Tag-Based Profiling of Seven Murine Tissues Following In Vivo Nicotine Treatment Using a Minimalistic Proteomics Strategy. Proteomics 2018; 18:e1700326. [PMID: 29660237 PMCID: PMC5992107 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine is a major addictive compound in tobacco and a component of smoking-related products, such as e-cigarettes. Once internalized, nicotine can perturb many cellular pathways and can induce alterations in proteins across different cell types; however, the mechanisms thereof remain undetermined. The authors hypothesize that both tissue-specific and global protein abundance alterations result from nicotine exposure. Presented here is the first proteomic profiling of multiple tissues from mice treated orally with nicotine. Proteins extracted from seven tissues (brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, and spleen) from treated (n = 5) and untreated control (n = 5) mice are assembled into a TMT10-plex experiment. A minimalistic proteomics strategy is employed using TMT reagents efficiently and centrifugation-based reversed-phase columns to streamline sample preparation. Combined, over 11 000 non-redundant proteins from over 138 000 different peptides are quantified in seven TMT10-plex experiments. Between 7 and 126 proteins are significantly altered in tissues from nicotine-exposed mice, 11 which are altered in two or more tissues. Our data showcase the vast extent of nicotine exposure across murine tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao A. Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Mark P. Jedrychowski
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Edward T. Chouchani
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Lawrence Kazak
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Steven P. Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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Thellung S, Scoti B, Corsaro A, Villa V, Nizzari M, Gagliani MC, Porcile C, Russo C, Pagano A, Tacchetti C, Cortese K, Florio T. Pharmacological activation of autophagy favors the clearing of intracellular aggregates of misfolded prion protein peptide to prevent neuronal death. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:166. [PMID: 29416016 PMCID: PMC5833808 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-017-0252-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
According to the “gain-of-toxicity mechanism”, neuronal loss during cerebral proteinopathies is caused by accumulation of aggregation-prone conformers of misfolded cellular proteins, although it is still debated which aggregation state actually corresponds to the neurotoxic entity. Autophagy, originally described as a variant of programmed cell death, is now emerging as a crucial mechanism for cell survival in response to a variety of cell stressors, including nutrient deprivation, damage of cytoplasmic organelles, or accumulation of misfolded proteins. Impairment of autophagic flux in neurons often associates with neurodegeneration during cerebral amyloidosis, suggesting a role in clearing neurons from aggregation-prone misfolded proteins. Thus, autophagy may represent a target for innovative therapies. In this work, we show that alterations of autophagy progression occur in neurons following in vitro exposure to the amyloidogenic and neurotoxic prion protein-derived peptide PrP90-231. We report that the increase of autophagic flux represents a strategy adopted by neurons to survive the intracellular accumulation of misfolded PrP90-231. In particular, PrP90-231 internalization in A1 murine mesencephalic neurons occurs in acidic structures, showing electron microscopy hallmarks of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes. However, these structures do not undergo resolution and accumulate in cytosol, suggesting that, in the presence of PrP90-231, autophagy is activated but its progression is impaired; the inability to clear PrP90-231 via autophagy induces cytotoxicity, causing impairment of lysosomal integrity and cytosolic diffusion of hydrolytic enzymes. Conversely, the induction of autophagy by pharmacological blockade of mTOR kinase or trophic factor deprivation restored autophagy resolution, reducing intracellular PrP90-231 accumulation and neuronal death. Taken together, these data indicate that PrP90-231 internalization induces an autophagic defensive response in A1 neurons, although incomplete and insufficient to grant survival; the pharmacological enhancement of this process exerts neuroprotection favoring the clearing of the internalized peptide and could represents a promising neuroprotective tool for neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Thellung
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Beatrice Scoti
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Villa
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Mario Nizzari
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Gagliani
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Carola Porcile
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Claudio Russo
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Aldo Pagano
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.,Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, IRCCS per l'Oncologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Carlo Tacchetti
- Centro Imaging Sperimentale, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
| | - Katia Cortese
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Tullio Florio
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), and Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
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8
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Different Molecular Mechanisms Mediate Direct or Glia-Dependent Prion Protein Fragment 90-231 Neurotoxic Effects in Cerebellar Granule Neurons. Neurotox Res 2017; 32:381-397. [PMID: 28540665 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-017-9749-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Glia over-stimulation associates with amyloid deposition contributing to the progression of central nervous system neurodegenerative disorders. Here we analyze the molecular mechanisms mediating microglia-dependent neurotoxicity induced by prion protein (PrP)90-231, an amyloidogenic polypeptide corresponding to the protease-resistant portion of the pathological prion protein scrapie (PrPSc). PrP90-231 neurotoxicity is enhanced by the presence of microglia within neuronal culture, and associated to a rapid neuronal [Ca++] i increase. Indeed, while in "pure" cerebellar granule neuron cultures, PrP90-231 causes a delayed intracellular Ca++ entry mediated by the activation of NMDA receptors; when neuron and glia are co-cultured, a transient increase of [Ca++] i occurs within seconds after treatment in both granule neurons and glial cells, then followed by a delayed and sustained [Ca++] i raise, associated with the induction of the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and phagocytic NADPH oxidase. [Ca++] i fast increase in neurons is dependent on the activation of multiple pathways since it is not only inhibited by the blockade of voltage-gated channel activity and NMDA receptors but also prevented by the inhibition of nitric oxide and PGE2 release from glial cells. Thus, Ca++ homeostasis alteration, directly induced by PrP90-231 in cerebellar granule cells, requires the activation of NMDA receptors, but is greatly enhanced by soluble molecules released by activated glia. In glia-enriched cerebellar granule cultures, the activation of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and NADPH oxidase represents the main mechanism of toxicity since their pharmacological inhibition prevented PrP90-231 neurotoxicity, whereas NMDA blockade by D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid is ineffective; conversely, in pure cerebellar granule cultures, NMDA blockade but not iNOS inhibition strongly reduced PrP90-231 neurotoxicity. These data indicate that amyloidogenic peptides induce neurotoxic signals via both direct neuron interaction and glia activation through different mechanisms responsible of calcium homeostasis disruption in neurons and potentiating each other: the activation of excitotoxic pathways via NMDA receptors and the release of radical species that establish an oxidative milieu.
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9
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Marrone A, Re N, Storchi L. The Effects of Ca2+ Concentration and E200K Mutation on the Aggregation Propensity of PrPC: A Computational Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168039. [PMID: 27959938 PMCID: PMC5154561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The propensity of cellular prion protein to aggregation is reputed essential for the initiation of the amyloid cascade that ultimately lead to the accumulation of neurotoxic aggregates. In this paper, we extended and applied an already reported computational workflow [Proteins 2015; 83: 1751–1765] to elucidate in details the aggregation propensity of PrP protein systems including wild type, wild type treated at different [Ca2+] and E200K mutant. The application of the computational procedure to two segments of PrPC, i.e. 125–228 and 120–231, allowed to emphasize how the inclusion of complete C-terminus and last portion (120–126) of the neurotoxic segment 106–126 may be crucial to unveil significant and unexpected interaction properties. Indeed, the anchoring of N-terminus on H2 domain detected in the wild type resulted to be disrupted upon either E200K mutation or Ca2+ binding, and to unbury hydrophobic spots on the PrPC surface. A peculiar dinuclear Ca2+ binding motif formed by the C-terminus and the S2-H2 loop was detected for [Ca2+] > 5 mM and showed similarities with binding motifs retraced in other protein systems, thus suggesting a possible functional meaning for its formation. Therefore, we potentiated the computational procedure by including a tool that clusterize the minima of molecular interaction fields of a proteinand delimit the regions of space with higher hydrophobic or higher hydrophilic character, hence, more likely involved in the self-assembly process. Plausible models for the self-assembly of either the E200K mutated or Ca2+-bound PrPC were sketched and discussed. The present investigation provides for structure-based information and new prompts that may represent a starting point for future experimental or computational works on the PrPC aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Marrone
- Università “G d’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara, Department of Pharmacy, Chieti, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Nazzareno Re
- Università “G d’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara, Department of Pharmacy, Chieti, Italy
| | - Loriano Storchi
- Università “G d’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara, Department of Pharmacy, Chieti, Italy
- Molecular Discovery Limited, Middlesex, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Villa V, Thellung S, Bajetto A, Gatta E, Robello M, Novelli F, Tasso B, Tonelli M, Florio T. Novel celecoxib analogues inhibit glial production of prostaglandin E2, nitric oxide, and oxygen radicals reverting the neuroinflammatory responses induced by misfolded prion protein fragment 90-231 or lipopolysaccharide. Pharmacol Res 2016; 113:500-514. [PMID: 27667770 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We tested the efficacy of novel cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors in counteracting glia-driven neuroinflammation induced by the amyloidogenic prion protein fragment PrP90-231 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In search for molecules with higher efficacy than celecoxib, we focused our study on its 2,3-diaryl-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one analogues. As experimental models, we used the immortalized microglial cell line N9, rat purified microglial primary cultures, and mixed cultures of astrocytes and microglia. Microglia activation in response to PrP90-231 or LPS was characterized by growth arrest, morphology changes and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, PrP90-231 treatment caused the overexpression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2, with the consequent nitric oxide (NO), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) accumulation. These effects were challenged by different celecoxib analogues, among which Q22 (3-[4-(sulfamoyl)phenyl]-2-(4-tolyl)thiazolidin-4-one) inhibited microglia activation more efficiently than celecoxib, lowering both iNOS and COX-2 activity and reducing ROS release. During neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation induced by amyloidogenic peptides causes the activation of both astrocytes and microglia with these cell populations mutually regulating each other. Thus the effects of PrP90-231 and LPS were also studied on mixed glial cultures containing astrocytes and microglia. PrP90-231 treatment elicited different responses in the co-cultures induced astrocyte proliferation and microglia growth arrest, resulting in a differential ability to release proinflammatory molecules with the production of NO and ROS mainly attributable on microglia, while COX-2 expression was induced also in astrocytes. Q22 effects on both NO and PGE2 secretion were more significant in the mixed glial cultures than in purified microglia, demonstrating Q22 ability to revert the functional interaction between astrocytes and microglia. These results demonstrate that Q22 is a powerful drug able to revert glial neuroinflammatory responses and might represent a lead to explore the chemical space around celecoxib frameworks to design even more effective agents, paving the way to novel approaches to contrast the neuroinflammation-dependent toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Villa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefano Thellung
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Adriana Bajetto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Elena Gatta
- Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mauro Robello
- Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Federica Novelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Bruno Tasso
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Tullio Florio
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
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11
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Effect of calcium ions on human calcitonin. Possible implications for bone resorption by osteoclasts. Biometals 2015; 29:61-79. [DOI: 10.1007/s10534-015-9896-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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12
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Storchi L, Paciotti R, Re N, Marrone A. Investigation of the molecular similarity in closely related protein systems: The PrP case study. Proteins 2015; 83:1751-65. [PMID: 26018750 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The amyloid conversion is a massive detrimental modification affecting several proteins upon specific physical or chemical stimuli characterizing a plethora of diseases. In many cases, the amyloidogenic stimuli induce specific structural features to the protein conferring the propensity to misfold and form amyloid deposits. The investigation of mutants, structurally similar to their native isoform but inherently prone to amyloid conversion, may be a viable strategy to elucidate the structural features connected with amyloidogenesis. In this article, we present a computational protocol based on the combination of molecular dynamics (MD) and grid-based approaches suited for the pairwise comparison of closely related protein structures. This method was applied on the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) as a case study and, in particular, addressed to the quali/quantification of the structural features conferred by either E200K mutations and treatment with CaCl(2), both able to induce the scrapie conversion of PrP. Several schemes of comparison were developed and applied to this case study, and made up suitable of application to other protein systems. At this purpose an in-house python codes has been implemented that, together with the parallelization of the GRID force fields program, will spread the applicability of the proposed computational procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loriano Storchi
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G D'annunzio" Di Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Italy.,Molecular Discovery Limited, Pinner, Middlesex, UK-Ha5 5NE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Paciotti
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G D'annunzio" Di Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Italy
| | - Nazzareno Re
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G D'annunzio" Di Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G D'annunzio" Di Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Italy
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13
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Celecoxib Inhibits Prion Protein 90-231-Mediated Pro-inflammatory Responses in Microglial Cells. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 53:57-72. [PMID: 25404089 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8982-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Activation of microglia is a central event in the atypical inflammatory response occurring during prion encephalopathies. We report that the prion protein fragment encompassing amino acids 90-231 (PrP90-231), a model of the neurotoxic activity of the pathogenic prion protein (PrP(Sc)), causes activation of both primary microglia cultures and N9 microglial cells in vitro. This effect was characterized by cell proliferation arrest and induction of a secretory phenotype, releasing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO). Conditioned medium from PrP90-231-treated microglia induced in vitro cytotoxicity of A1 mesencephalic neurons, supporting the notion that soluble mediators released by activated microglia contributes to the neurodegeneration during prion diseases. The neuroinflammatory role of COX activity, and its potential targeting for anti-prion therapies, was tested measuring the effects of ketoprofen and celecoxib (preferential inhibitors of COX1 and COX2, respectively) on PrP90-231-induced microglial activation. Celecoxib, but not ketoprofen significantly reverted the growth arrest as well as NO and PGE2 secretion induced by PrP90-231, indicating that PrP90-231 pro-inflammatory response in microglia is mainly dependent on COX2 activation. Taken together, these data outline the importance of microglia in the neurotoxicity occurring during prion diseases and highlight the potentiality of COX2-selective inhibitors to revert microglia as adjunctive pharmacological approach to contrast the neuroinflammation-dependent neurotoxicity.
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Mutant PrPCJD prevails over wild-type PrPCJD in the brain of V210I and R208H genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 454:289-94. [PMID: 25450391 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of the pathological conformer (PrP(CJD)) of the host encoded cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). In genetic CJD associated with V210I or R208H PrP substitutions, the pathogenic role of mutant residues is still poorly understood. To understand how V210I or R208H PrP mutations facilitate the development of the disease, we determined by mass spectrometry the quantitative ratio of mutant/wild-type PrP(CJD) allotypes in brains from affected subjects. We found that the mutant PrP(CJD) allotypes moderately exceeds of 2- or 3-fold the amount of the wild-type counterpart suggesting that these mutations mainly exert their pathogenic effect on the onset of the pathogenic cascade. Different mechanisms can be hypothesized to explain the pathogenic role of mutant residues: V210I and R208H substitutions can increase the concentration of PrP(C) and the probability to form insoluble aggregates, or they may facilitate the formation of pathological intermediates, or, alternatively, they may increase the affinity for ligands that are involved in the initial phases of PrP(CJD) formation and aggregation. Whatever the mechanism, the enrichment found for the mutated PrP(CJD) species indicates that these altered structures are more prone, with respect to the non-mutated ones, to be captured in the polymerization process either at the onset or during the development of the disease.
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Secondary structure preferences of mn (2+) binding sites in bacterial proteins. Adv Bioinformatics 2014; 2014:501841. [PMID: 24778647 PMCID: PMC3977119 DOI: 10.1155/2014/501841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
3D structures of proteins with coordinated Mn2+ ions from bacteria with low, average, and high genomic GC-content have been analyzed (149 PDB files were used). Major Mn2+ binders are aspartic acid (6.82% of Asp residues), histidine (14.76% of His residues), and glutamic acid (3.51% of Glu residues). We found out that the motif of secondary structure “beta strand-major binder-random coil” is overrepresented around all the three major Mn2+ binders. That motif may be followed by either alpha helix or beta strand. Beta strands near Mn2+ binding residues should be stable because they are enriched by such beta formers as valine and isoleucine, as well as by specific combinations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acid residues characteristic to beta sheet. In the group of proteins from GC-rich bacteria glutamic acid residues situated in alpha helices frequently coordinate Mn2+ ions, probably, because of the decrease of Lys usage under the influence of mutational GC-pressure. On the other hand, the percentage of Mn2+ sites with at least one amino acid in the “beta strand-major binder-random coil” motif of secondary structure (77.88%) does not depend on genomic GC-content.
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