1
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Das D, Mattaparthi VSK. Computational investigation on the conformational dynamics of C-terminal truncated α-synuclein bound to membrane. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38321955 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2310788] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Accelerated progression rates in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been linked to C-terminal domain (CTD) truncations of monomeric α-Synuclein (α-Syn), which have been suggested to increase amyloid aggregation in vivo and in vitro. In the brain of PD patients, CTD truncated α-Syn was found to have lower cell viability and tends to increase in the formation of fibrils. The CTD of α-Syn acts as a guard for regulating the normal functioning of α-Syn. The absence of the CTD may allow the N-terminal of α-Syn to interact with the membrane thereby affecting the normal functioning of α-Syn, and all of which will affect the etiology of PD. In this study, the conformational dynamics of CTD truncated α-Syn (1-99 and 1-108) monomers and their effect on the protein-membrane interactions were demonstrated using the all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. From the MD analyses, it was noticed that among the two truncated monomers, α-Syn (1-108) was found to be more stable, shows rigidness at the N-terminal region and contains a significant number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the non-amyloid β-component (NAC) region and membrane, and lesser number of extended strands. Further, the bending angle in the N-terminal domain was found to be lesser in the α-Syn (1-108) in comparison with the α-Syn (1-99). Our findings suggest that the truncation on the CTD of α-Syn affects its interaction with the membrane and subsequently has an impact on the aggregation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Das
- Molecular Modelling and Simulation Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
| | - Venkata Satish Kumar Mattaparthi
- Molecular Modelling and Simulation Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
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2
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Aubrey LD, Ninkina N, Ulamec SM, Abramycheva NY, Vasili E, Devine OM, Wilkinson M, Mackinnon E, Limorenko G, Walko M, Muwanga S, Amadio L, Peters OM, Illarioshkin SN, Outeiro TF, Ranson NA, Brockwell DJ, Buchman VL, Radford SE. Substitution of Met-38 to Ile in γ-synuclein found in two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis induces aggregation into amyloid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309700120. [PMID: 38170745 PMCID: PMC10786281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309700120] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
α-, β-, and γ-Synuclein are intrinsically disordered proteins implicated in physiological processes in the nervous system of vertebrates. α-synuclein (αSyn) is the amyloidogenic protein associated with Parkinson's disease and certain other neurodegenerative disorders. Intensive research has focused on the mechanisms that cause αSyn to form amyloid structures, identifying its NAC region as being necessary and sufficient for amyloid assembly. Recent work has shown that a 7-residue sequence (P1) is necessary for αSyn amyloid formation. Although γ-synuclein (γSyn) is 55% identical in sequence to αSyn and its pathological deposits are also observed in association with neurodegenerative conditions, γSyn is resilient to amyloid formation in vitro. Here, we report a rare single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the SNCG gene encoding γSyn, found in two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The SNP results in the substitution of Met38 with Ile in the P1 region of the protein. These individuals also had a second, common and nonpathological, SNP in SNCG resulting in the substitution of Glu110 with Val. In vitro studies demonstrate that the Ile38 variant accelerates amyloid fibril assembly. Contrastingly, Val110 retards fibril assembly and mitigates the effect of Ile38. Substitution of residue 38 with Leu had little effect, while Val retards, and Ala increases the rate of amyloid formation. Ile38 γSyn also results in the formation of γSyn-containing inclusions in cells. The results show how a single point substitution can enhance amyloid formation of γSyn and highlight the P1 region in driving amyloid formation in another synuclein family member.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam D. Aubrey
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Ninkina
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod308015, Russian Federation
| | - Sabine M. Ulamec
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Y. Abramycheva
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Tissue Engineering, Brain Science Institute, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow125367, Russia
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Oliver M. Devine
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Wilkinson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Eilish Mackinnon
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Galina Limorenko
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Martin Walko
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Muwanga
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Leonardo Amadio
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Owen M. Peters
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Sergey N. Illarioshkin
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Tissue Engineering, Brain Science Institute, Research Center of Neurology, Moscow125367, Russia
| | - Tiago F. Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen37075, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen37075, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon TyneNE2 4HH, United Kingdom
- Scientific employee with a honorary contract at Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Göttingen37075, Germany
| | - Neil A. Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir L. Buchman
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod308015, Russian Federation
| | - Sheena E. Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Taha HB, Chawla E, Bitan G. IM-MS and ECD-MS/MS Provide Insight into Modulation of Amyloid Proteins Self-Assembly by Peptides and Small Molecules. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2023; 34:2066-2086. [PMID: 37607351 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative proteinopathies are characterized by formation and deposition of misfolded, aggregated proteins in the nervous system leading to neuronal dysfunction and death. It is widely believed that metastable oligomers of the offending proteins, preceding the fibrillar aggregates found in the tissue, are the proximal neurotoxins. There are currently almost no disease-modifying therapies for these diseases despite an active pipeline of preclinical development and clinical trials for over two decades, largely because studying the metastable oligomers and their interaction with potential therapeutics is notoriously difficult. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical tool for structural investigation of proteins, including protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. Specific MS tools have been useful in determining the composition and conformation of abnormal protein oligomers involved in proteinopathies and the way they interact with drug candidates. Here, we analyze critically the utilization of ion-mobility spectroscopy-MS (IM-MS) and electron-capture dissociation (ECD) MS/MS for analyzing the oligomerization and conformation of multiple amyloidogenic proteins. We also discuss IM-MS investigation of their interaction with two classes of compounds developed by our group over the last two decades: C-terminal fragments derived from the 42-residue form of amyloid β-protein (Aβ42) and molecular tweezers. Finally, we review the utilization of ECD-MS/MS for elucidating the binding sites of the ligands on multiple proteins. These approaches are readily applicable to future studies addressing similar questions and hold promise for facilitating the development of successful disease-modifying drugs against neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hash Brown Taha
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Esha Chawla
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Gal Bitan
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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Marín I. Emergence of the Synucleins. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:1053. [PMID: 37626939 PMCID: PMC10451939 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081053] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
This study establishes the origin and evolutionary history of the synuclein genes. A combination of phylogenetic analyses of the synucleins from twenty-two model species, characterization of local synteny similarities among humans, sharks and lampreys, and statistical comparisons among lamprey and human chromosomes, provides conclusive evidence for the current diversity of synuclein genes arising from the whole-genome duplications (WGDs) that occurred in vertebrates. An ancestral synuclein gene was duplicated in a first WGD, predating the diversification of all living vertebrates. The two resulting genes are still present in agnathan vertebrates. The second WGD, specific to the gnathostome lineage, led to the emergence of the three classical synuclein genes, SNCA, SNCB and SNCG, which are present in all jawed vertebrate lineages. Additional WGDs have added new genes in both agnathans and gnathostomes, while some gene losses have occurred in particular species. The emergence of synucleins through WGDs prevented these genes from experiencing dosage effects, thus avoiding the potential detrimental effects associated with individual duplications of genes that encode proteins prone to aggregation. Additional insights into the structural and functional features of synucleins are gained through the analysis of the highly divergent synuclein proteins present in chondrichthyans and agnathans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Marín
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain
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Brembati V, Faustini G, Longhena F, Bellucci A. Alpha synuclein post translational modifications: potential targets for Parkinson's disease therapy? Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1197853. [PMID: 37305556 PMCID: PMC10248004 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1197853] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder with motor symptoms. The neuropathological alterations characterizing the brain of patients with PD include the loss of dopaminergic neurons of the nigrostriatal system and the presence of Lewy bodies (LB), intraneuronal inclusions that are mainly composed of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) fibrils. The accumulation of α-Syn in insoluble aggregates is a main neuropathological feature in PD and in other neurodegenerative diseases, including LB dementia (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), which are therefore defined as synucleinopathies. Compelling evidence supports that α-Syn post translational modifications (PTMs) such as phosphorylation, nitration, acetylation, O-GlcNAcylation, glycation, SUMOylation, ubiquitination and C-terminal cleavage, play important roles in the modulation α-Syn aggregation, solubility, turnover and membrane binding. In particular, PTMs can impact on α-Syn conformational state, thus supporting that their modulation can in turn affect α-Syn aggregation and its ability to seed further soluble α-Syn fibrillation. This review focuses on the importance of α-Syn PTMs in PD pathophysiology but also aims at highlighting their general relevance as possible biomarkers and, more importantly, as innovative therapeutic targets for synucleinopathies. In addition, we call attention to the multiple challenges that we still need to face to enable the development of novel therapeutic approaches modulating α-Syn PTMs.
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Zohoorian-Abootorabi T, Meratan AA, Jafarkhani S, Muronetz V, Haertlé T, Saboury AA. Modulation of cytotoxic amyloid fibrillation and mitochondrial damage of α-synuclein by catechols mediated conformational changes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5275. [PMID: 37002248 PMCID: PMC10066314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32075-9] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The interplay between α-synuclein (α-syn) and catechols plays a central role in Parkinson's disease. This may be related to the modulating effects of catechols on the various aspects of α-syn fibrillization. Some of these effects may be attributed to the membrane-binding properties of the protein. In this work, we compare the effect of some catechols, including dopamine, epinephrine, DOPAL, and levodopa in micromolar concentrations, on the in vitro cytotoxicity of α-syn fibrils on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The study was followed by comparing the interactions of resulting structures with rat brain mitochondria used as an in vitro biological model. The obtained results demonstrate that catechols-induced structures have lost their cytotoxicity mimicking apoptotic cell death mediated by α-syn aggregates in different proportions. Moreover, α-syn fibrils-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, evaluated by a range of biochemical assays, was modulated by catechols-modified α-syn oligomers in different manners, as levodopa and DOPAL demonstrated the maximal and minimal effects, respectively. The plausible mechanism causing the inhibition of α-syn cytotoxic fibrillization and mitochondrial dysfunction by catechols is discussed. Taken together, we propose that catechols can prevent the cytotoxic assembly of α-syn and its destructive effects on mitochondria at various stages, suggesting that decreased levels of catechols in dopaminergic neurons might accelerate the α-syn cytotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction implicating Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Akbar Meratan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran.
| | - Saeed Jafarkhani
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, 57131-14399, Iran
| | - Vladimir Muronetz
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Thomas Haertlé
- National Institute of Agronomic and Environmental Research, 44316, Nantes, France
| | - Ali Akbar Saboury
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, 14176-14335, Iran.
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Forloni G. Alpha Synuclein: Neurodegeneration and Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065914. [PMID: 36982988 PMCID: PMC10059798 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065914] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn) is one of the most important molecules involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and related disorders, synucleinopathies, but also in several other neurodegenerative disorders with a more elusive role. This review analyzes the activities of α-Syn, in different conformational states, monomeric, oligomeric and fibrils, in relation to neuronal dysfunction. The neuronal damage induced by α-Syn in various conformers will be analyzed in relation to its capacity to spread the intracellular aggregation seeds with a prion-like mechanism. In view of the prominent role of inflammation in virtually all neurodegenerative disorders, the activity of α-Syn will also be illustrated considering its influence on glial reactivity. We and others have described the interaction between general inflammation and cerebral dysfunctional activity of α-Syn. Differences in microglia and astrocyte activation have also been observed when in vivo the presence of α-Syn oligomers has been combined with a lasting peripheral inflammatory effect. The reactivity of microglia was amplified, while astrocytes were damaged by the double stimulus, opening new perspectives for the control of inflammation in synucleinopathies. Starting from our studies in experimental models, we extended the perspective to find useful pointers to orient future research and potential therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milano, Italy
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Mondal S, Ghanta KP, Bandyopadhyay S. Microscopic Understanding of the Conformational Stability of the Aggregated Nonamyloid β Components of α-Synuclein. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1542-1555. [PMID: 36866721 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-association of α-synuclein peptides into oligomeric species and ordered amyloid fibrils is associated with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. In particular, the peptide domain formed between the residues Glu-61 (or E61) and Val-95 (or V95) of α-synuclein, typically termed the "nonamyloid β component" (NAC), is known to play critical roles in forming aggregated structures. In this work, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations to explore the conformational properties and relative stabilities of aggregated protofilaments of different orders, namely, tetramer (P(4)), hexamer (P(6)), octamer (P(8)), decamer (P(10)), dodecamer (P(12)), and tetradecamer (P(14)), formed by the NAC domains of α-synuclein. Besides, center-of-mass pulling and umbrella sampling simulation methods have also been employed to characterize the mechanistic pathway of peptide association/dissociation and the corresponding free energy profiles. Structural analysis showed that the disordered C-terminal loop and the central core regions of the peptide units lead to more flexible and distorted structures of the lower order protofilaments (P(4) and P(6)) as compared to the higher order ones. Interestingly, our calculation shows the presence of multiple distinctly populated conformational states for the lower order protofilament P(4), which may drive the oligomerization process along multiple pathways to form different polymorphic α-synuclein fibrillar structures. It is further observed that the nonpolar interaction between the peptides and the corresponding nonpolar solvation free energy play a dominant role in stabilizing the aggregated protofilaments. Importantly, our result showed that reduced cooperativity during the binding of a peptide unit beyond a critical size of the protofilament (P(12)) leads to less favorable binding free energy of a peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Mondal
- Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Krishna Prasad Ghanta
- Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Sanjoy Bandyopadhyay
- Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India
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Ho DH, Kim H, Nam D, Heo J, Son I. Nuclear α-Synuclein-Derived Cytotoxic Effect via Altered Ribosomal RNA Processing in Primary Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36768455 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αSyn) is an important player in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. The aggregation of αSyn is mainly formed in the cytoplasm, whereas some αSyn accumulation has also been found in the nuclei of neurons. To assess the effect of nuclear αSyn, we generated αSyn conjugated with a nuclear export signal (NES) or a nuclear localization signal (NLS), and compared them with wild-type αSyn in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) using DNA transfection. Overexpression of NLS-αSyn increased cytotoxicity. The levels of apoptotic markers were increased by NLS-αSyn in MEF. Interestingly, an increase in the levels of 40S ribosomal protein 15 was observed in MEF expressing NLS-αSyn. These MEF also showed a higher 28S/18S rRNA ratio. Intriguingly, the expression of NLS-αSyn in MEF enhanced segmentation of nucleolin (NCL)-positive nucleolar structures. We also observed that the downregulation of NCL, using shRNA, promoted a relatively higher 28S/18S rRNA ratio. The reduction in NCL expression accelerated the accumulation of αSyn, and NCL transfection enhanced the degradation of αSyn. These results suggest that nuclear αSyn contributes to the alteration in ribosomal RNA processing via NCL malfunction-mediated nucleolar segmentation, and that NCL is a key factor for the degradation of αSyn.
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Bopardikar M, Koti Ainavarapu SR, Hosur RV. Pyrogallol, Corilagin and Chebulagic acid target the "fuzzy coat" of alpha-synuclein to inhibit the fibrillization of the protein. RSC Adv 2022; 12:35770-35777. [PMID: 36545068 PMCID: PMC9749937 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra04358k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of the intrinsically disordered protein alpha-synuclein (αSyn) in the form of insoluble fibrillar aggregates in the central nervous system is linked to a variety of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy. Here we show that Pyrogallol, Corilagin and Chebulagic acid, compounds containing a different number of catechol rings, are independently capable of delaying and reducing the extent of αSyn fibrillization. The efficiency of inhibition was found to correlate with the number of catechol rings. Further, our NMR studies reveal that these compounds interact with the N-terminal region of αSyn which is unstructured even in the fibrillar form of the protein and is known as the "fuzzy coat" of fibrils. Thus, Corilagin and Chebulagic acid target the fuzzy coat of αSyn and not the amyloid core which is a common target for the inhibition of protein fibrillization. Our results indicate that the N-terminus also plays a key role in the fibrillization of αSyn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandar Bopardikar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchHomi Bhabha Road, ColabaMumbai 400005India
| | - Sri Rama Koti Ainavarapu
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchHomi Bhabha Road, ColabaMumbai 400005India
| | - Ramakrishna V. Hosur
- UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina CampusSantacruzMumbai 400098India
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Ulamec SM, Maya-Martinez R, Byrd EJ, Dewison KM, Xu Y, Willis LF, Sobott F, Heath GR, van Oosten Hawle P, Buchman VL, Radford SE, Brockwell DJ. Single residue modulators of amyloid formation in the N-terminal P1-region of α-synuclein. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4986. [PMID: 36008493 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is a protein involved in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease. Amyloid formation of αSyn can be modulated by the ‘P1 region’ (residues 36-42). Here, mutational studies of P1 reveal that Y39A and S42A extend the lag-phase of αSyn amyloid formation in vitro and rescue amyloid-associated cytotoxicity in C. elegans. Additionally, L38I αSyn forms amyloid fibrils more rapidly than WT, L38A has no effect, but L38M does not form amyloid fibrils in vitro and protects from proteotoxicity. Swapping the sequence of the two residues that differ in the P1 region of the paralogue γSyn to those of αSyn did not enhance fibril formation for γSyn. Peptide binding experiments using NMR showed that P1 synergises with residues in the NAC and C-terminal regions to initiate aggregation. The remarkable specificity of the interactions that control αSyn amyloid formation, identifies this region as a potential target for therapeutics, despite their weak and transient nature. The authors of this work characterize the effect of amino acid substitution on α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation. Residues 38 and 42 (in addition to 39) within the P1 region of α-Syn affect amyloid formation. The effect of substitution at position 38 is dependent on the amino-acid introduced, suggesting that specific interactions control α -Syn aggregation.
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Forloni G, La Vitola P, Balducci C. Oligomeropathies, inflammation and prion protein binding. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:822420. [PMID: 36081661 PMCID: PMC9445368 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.822420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The central role of oligomers, small soluble aggregates of misfolded proteins, in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders is recognized in numerous experimental conditions and is compatible with clinical evidence. To underline this concept, some years ago we coined the term oligomeropathies to define the common mechanism of action of protein misfolding diseases like Alzheimer, Parkinson or prion diseases. Using simple experimental conditions, with direct application of synthetic β amyloid or α-synuclein oligomers intraventricularly at micromolar concentrations, we could detect differences and similarities in the biological consequences. The two oligomer species affected cognitive behavior, neuronal dysfunction and cerebral inflammatory reactions with distinct mechanisms. In these experimental conditions the proposed mediatory role of cellular prion protein in oligomer activities was not confirmed. Together with oligomers, inflammation at different levels can be important early in neurodegenerative disorders; both β amyloid and α-synuclein oligomers induce inflammation and its control strongly affects neuronal dysfunction. This review summarizes our studies with β-amyloid or α-synuclein oligomers, also considering the potential curative role of doxycycline, a well-known antibiotic with anti-amyloidogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. These actions are analyzed in terms of the therapeutic prospects.
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Hmila I, Vaikath NN, Majbour NK, Erskine D, Sudhakaran IP, Gupta V, Ghanem SS, Islam Z, Emara MM, Abdesselem HB, Kolatkar PR, Achappa DK, Vinardell T, El‐Agnaf OMA. Novel engineered nanobodies specific for N‐terminal region of alpha‐synuclein recognize Lewy‐body pathology and inhibit
in‐vitro
seeded aggregation and toxicity. FEBS J 2022; 289:4657-4673. [PMID: 35090199 PMCID: PMC9545584 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nanobodies (Nbs), the single‐domain antigen‐binding fragments of dromedary heavy‐chain antibodies (HCAb), are excellent candidates as therapeutic and diagnostic tools in synucleinopathies because of their small size, solubility and stability. Here, we constructed an immune nanobody library specific to the monomeric form of alpha‐synuclein (α‐syn). Phage display screening of the library allowed the identification of a nanobody, Nbα‐syn01, specific for α‐syn. Unlike previously developed nanobodies, Nbα‐syn01 recognized the N‐terminal region which is critical for in vitro and in vivo aggregation and contains many point mutations involved in early PD cases. The affinity of the monovalent Nbα‐syn01 and the engineered bivalent format BivNbα‐syn01 measured by isothermal titration calorimetry revealed unexpected results where Nbα‐syn01 and its bivalent format recognized preferentially α‐syn fibrils compared to the monomeric form. Nbα‐syn01 and BivNbα‐syn01 were also able to inhibit α‐syn‐seeded aggregation in vitro and reduced α‐syn‐seeded aggregation and toxicity in cells showing their potential to reduce α‐syn pathology. Moreover, both nanobody formats were able to recognize Lewy‐body pathology in human post‐mortem brain tissue from PD and DLB cases. Additionally, we present evidence through structural docking that Nbα‐syn01 binds the N‐terminal region of the α‐syn aggregated form. Overall, these results highlight the potential of Nbα‐syn01 and BivNbα‐syn01 in developing into a diagnostic or a therapeutic tool for PD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issam Hmila
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Nishant N. Vaikath
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Nour K. Majbour
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Daniel Erskine
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute Newcastle University UK
| | - Indulekha P. Sudhakaran
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Vijay Gupta
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Simona S. Ghanem
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Zeyaul Islam
- Diabetes Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Mohamed M. Emara
- Basic Medical Sciences Department College of Medicine QU Health Qatar University Doha Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit QU Health Qatar University Doha Qatar
| | - Houari B. Abdesselem
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Prasanna R. Kolatkar
- Diabetes Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | | | - Tatiana Vinardell
- Equine Veterinary Medical Center Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
- College of Health & Life Science Hamad Bin Khalifa University Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
| | - Omar M. A. El‐Agnaf
- Neurological Disorder Research Center Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) Qatar Foundation Doha Qatar
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14
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Shafiq M, Da Vela S, Amin L, Younas N, Harris DA, Zerr I, Altmeppen HC, Svergun D, Glatzel M. The prion protein and its ligands: Insights into structure-function relationships. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 2022; 1869:119240. [PMID: 35192891 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The prion protein is a multifunctional protein that exists in at least two different folding states. It is subject to diverse proteolytic processing steps that lead to prion protein fragments some of which are membrane-bound whereas others are soluble. A multitude of ligands bind to the prion protein and besides proteinaceous binding partners, interaction with metal ions and nucleic acids occurs. Although of great importance, information on structural and functional consequences of prion protein binding to its partners is limited. Here, we will reflect on the structure-function relationship of the prion protein and its binding partners considering the different folding states and prion protein fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsin Shafiq
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg c/o German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ladan Amin
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Neelam Younas
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-str. 40, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-str. 40, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg c/o German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.
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15
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Bonaccorsi di Patti MC, Angiulli E, Casini A, Vaccaro R, Cioni C, Toni M. Synuclein Analysis in Adult Xenopus laevis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116058. [PMID: 35682736 PMCID: PMC9181771 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116058] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The α-, β- and γ-synucleins are small soluble proteins expressed in the nervous system of mammals and evolutionary conserved in vertebrates. After being discovered in the cartilaginous fish Torpedo californica, synucleins have been sequenced in all vertebrates, showing differences in the number of genes and splicing isoforms in different taxa. Although α-, β- and γ-synucleins share high homology in the N-terminal sequence, suggesting their evolution from a common ancestor, the three isoforms also differ in molecular characteristics, expression levels and tissue distribution. Moreover, their functions have yet to be fully understood. Great scientific interest on synucleins mainly derives from the involvement of α-synuclein in human neurodegenerative diseases, collectively named synucleinopathies, which involve the accumulation of amyloidogenic α-synuclein inclusions in neurons and glia cells. Studies on synucleinopathies can take advantage of the development of new vertebrate models other than mammals. Moreover, synuclein expression in non-mammalian vertebrates contribute to clarify the physiological role of these proteins in the evolutionary perspective. In this paper, gene expression levels of α-, β- and γ-synucleins have been analysed in the main organs of adult Xenopus laevis by qRT-PCR. Moreover, recombinant α-, β- and γ-synucleins were produced to test the specificity of commercial antibodies against α-synuclein used in Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Finally, the secondary structure of Xenopus synucleins was evaluated by circular dichroism analysis. Results indicate Xenopus as a good model for studying synucleinopathies, and provide a useful background for future studies on synuclein functions and their evolution in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Angiulli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.A.); (C.C.)
| | - Arianna Casini
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.V.)
| | - Rosa Vaccaro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.V.)
| | - Carla Cioni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.A.); (C.C.)
| | - Mattia Toni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (E.A.); (C.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.B.d.P.); (M.T.)
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16
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Simon C, Soga T, Ahemad N, Bhuvanendran S, Parhar I. Kisspeptin-10 Rescues Cholinergic Differentiated SHSY-5Y Cells from α-Synuclein-Induced Toxicity In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5193. [PMID: 35563582 PMCID: PMC9105316 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropathological substrate of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is defined by the inextricable cross-seeding accretion of amyloid-β (Aβ) and α-synuclein (α-syn)-laden deposits in cholinergic neurons. The recent revelation that neuropeptide kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) is able to mitigate Aβ toxicity via an extracellular binding mechanism may provide a new horizon for innovative drug design endeavors. Considering the sequence similarities between α-syn’s non-amyloid-β component (NAC) and Aβ’s C-terminus, we hypothesized that KP-10 would enhance cholinergic neuronal resistance against α-syn’s deleterious consequences through preferential binding. Here, human cholinergic SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transformed to upsurge the mRNA expression of α-syn while α-syn-mediated cholinergic toxicity was quantified utilizing a standardized viability-based assay. Remarkably, the E46K mutant α-syn displayed elevated α-syn mRNA levels, which subsequently induced more cellular toxicity compared with the wild-type α-syn in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive cholinergic neurons. Treatment with a high concentration of KP-10 (10 µM) further decreased cholinergic cell viability, while low concentrations of KP-10 (0.01–1 µM) substantially suppressed wild-type and E46K mutant α-syn-mediated toxicity. Correlating with the in vitro observations are approximations from in silico algorithms, which inferred that KP-10 binds favorably to the C-terminal residues of wild-type and E46K mutant α-syn with CDOCKER energy scores of −118.049 kcal/mol and −114.869 kcal/mol, respectively. Over the course of 50 ns simulation time, explicit-solvent molecular dynamics conjointly revealed that the docked complexes were relatively stable despite small-scale fluctuations upon assembly. Taken together, our findings insinuate that KP-10 may serve as a novel therapeutic scaffold with far-reaching implications for the conceptualization of α-syn-based treatments.
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17
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Carnazza KE, Komer LE, Xie YX, Pineda A, Briano JA, Gao V, Na Y, Ramlall T, Buchman VL, Eliezer D, Sharma M, Burré J. Synaptic vesicle binding of α-synuclein is modulated by β- and γ-synucleins. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110675. [PMID: 35417693 PMCID: PMC9116446 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
α-synuclein, β-synuclein, and γ-synuclein are abundantly expressed proteins in the vertebrate nervous system. α-synuclein functions in neurotransmitter release by binding to and clustering synaptic vesicles and chaperoning SNARE-complex assembly. Pathologically, aggregates originating from soluble pools of α-synuclein are deposited into Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies. The functions of β-synuclein and γ-synuclein in presynaptic terminals remain poorly studied. Using in vitro liposome binding studies, circular dichroism spectroscopy, immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments on isolated synaptic vesicles in combination with subcellular fractionation of brains from synuclein mouse models, we show that β-synuclein and γ-synuclein have a reduced affinity toward synaptic vesicles compared with α-synuclein, and that heteromerization of β-synuclein or γ-synuclein with α-synuclein results in reduced synaptic vesicle binding of α-synuclein in a concentration-dependent manner. Our data suggest that β-synuclein and γ-synuclein are modulators of synaptic vesicle binding of α-synuclein and thereby reduce α-synuclein's physiological activity at the neuronal synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Carnazza
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Lauren E Komer
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ying Xue Xie
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - André Pineda
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Juan Antonio Briano
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Virginia Gao
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Yoonmi Na
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Trudy Ramlall
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Vladimir L Buchman
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF103AX, UK; Belgorod State National Research University, 85 Pobedy Street, Belgorod, Belgorod 308015, Russian Federation
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Manu Sharma
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jacqueline Burré
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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18
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Reimer L, Haikal C, Gram H, Theologidis V, Kovacs G, Ruesink H, Baun A, Nielsen J, Otzen DE, Li JY, Jensen PH. Low dose DMSO treatment induces oligomerization and accelerates aggregation of α-synuclein. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3737. [PMID: 35260646 PMCID: PMC8904838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07706-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a highly utilized small molecule that serves many purposes in scientific research. DMSO offers unique polar, aprotic and amphiphilic features, which makes it an ideal solvent for a wide variety of both polar and nonpolar molecules. Furthermore, DMSO is often used as a cryoprotectant in cell-based research. However, recent reports suggest that DMSO, even at low concentration, might interfere with important cellular processes, and cause macromolecular changes to proteins where a shift from α-helical to β-sheet structure can be observed. To investigate how DMSO might influence current research, we assessed biochemical and cellular impacts of DMSO treatment on the structure of the aggregation-prone protein α-synuclein, which plays a central role in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease, and other brain-related disorders, collectively termed the synucleinopathies. Here, we found that addition of DMSO increased the particle-size of α-synuclein, and accelerated the formation of seeding-potent fibrils in a dose-dependent manner. These fibrils made in the presence of DMSO were indistinguishable from fibrils made in pure PBS, when assessed by proteolytic digestion, cytotoxic profile and their ability to seed cellular aggregation of α-synuclein. Moreover, as evident through binding to the MJFR-14-6-4-2 antibody, which preferentially recognizes aggregated forms of α-synuclein, and a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay, cells exposed to DMSO experienced increased aggregation of α-synuclein. However, no observable α-synuclein abnormalities nor differences in neuronal survival were detected after oral DMSO-treatment in either C57BL/6- or α-synuclein transgenic F28 mice. In summary, we demonstrate that low concentrations of DMSO makes α-synuclein susceptible to undergo aggregation both in vitro and in cells. This may affect experimental outcomes when studying α-synuclein in the presence of DMSO, and should call for careful consideration when such experiments are planned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Reimer
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark. .,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Caroline Haikal
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hjalte Gram
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Vasileios Theologidis
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Gergo Kovacs
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Harm Ruesink
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Andreas Baun
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Janni Nielsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center - iNANO, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel Erik Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center - iNANO, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jia-Yi Li
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Institute of Health Sciences, China Medical University, 110112, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Poul Henning Jensen
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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19
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Shadfar S, Brocardo M, Atkin JD. The Complex Mechanisms by Which Neurons Die Following DNA Damage in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052484. [PMID: 35269632 PMCID: PMC8910227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cells are exposed to numerous exogenous and endogenous insults every day. Unlike other molecules, DNA cannot be replaced by resynthesis, hence damage to DNA can have major consequences for the cell. The DNA damage response contains overlapping signalling networks that repair DNA and hence maintain genomic integrity, and aberrant DNA damage responses are increasingly described in neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, DNA repair declines during aging, which is the biggest risk factor for these conditions. If unrepaired, the accumulation of DNA damage results in death to eliminate cells with defective genomes. This is particularly important for postmitotic neurons because they have a limited capacity to proliferate, thus they must be maintained for life. Neuronal death is thus an important process in neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the inability of neurons to divide renders them susceptible to senescence or re-entry to the cell cycle. The field of cell death has expanded significantly in recent years, and many new mechanisms have been described in various cell types, including neurons. Several of these mechanisms are linked to DNA damage. In this review, we provide an overview of the cell death pathways induced by DNA damage that are relevant to neurons and discuss the possible involvement of these mechanisms in neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Shadfar
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; (S.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Mariana Brocardo
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; (S.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Julie D. Atkin
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; (S.S.); (M.B.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Correspondence:
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20
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Abstract
Parkinson's disease is associated with the accumulation of α-synuclein (AS) aggregates that include polymorphic AS oligomers and polymorphic fibrils. There have been advances in solving the polymorphic state of AS fibrils, both by experimental techniques and molecular modeling tools. Yet, the polymorphic AS oligomers are now considered as the neurotoxic species, thus current and future studies making efforts to solve their structures at the molecular level. Importantly, it is crucial to explore the specific interactions between AS monomers within the dimer that stabilize the dimer and yield nucleation. Herein, we present a first work that probes at the molecular level the specific interactions between monomers in polymorphic AS dimers are derived from AS fibrils by applying molecular modeling tools. Our work reveals that both N-terminal and the non-amyloidogenic component domains play a role in the dimerization of all polymorphic AS dimers. In addition, helices along the N-terminal of AS monomers impede the contacts between AS monomers, thus preventing the nucleation or the dimerization of AS. This work provides insights into several mechanisms of the production of polymorphic AS dimers. Thus, the findings obtained in this work may assist in developing new therapeutic strategies for inhibiting the formation of the early-stage neurotoxic AS dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapir Lan-Mark
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
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21
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Rajeshkumar RR, Kumar BK, Parasuraman P, Panneerselvam T, Sundar K, Ammunje DN, Ram Kumar Pandian S, Murugesan S, Kabilan SJ, Kunjiappan S. Graph theoretical network analysis, in silico exploration, and validation of bioactive compounds from Cynodon dactylon as potential neuroprotective agents against α-synuclein. Bioimpacts 2022; 12:487-499. [PMID: 36644543 PMCID: PMC9809135 DOI: 10.34172/bi.2022.24113] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, devastating neurodegenerative disorder marked by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain's substantia nigra pars compacta (Snpc). In alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) self-aggregation, the existence of intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies called Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs) causes PD, which is a cause of neuronal death. Methods: The present study is aimed at finding potential bioactive compounds from Cynodon dectylon that can degrade α-Syn aggregation in the brain, through in silico molecular docking investigations. Graph theoretical network analysis was used to identify the bioactive compounds that target α-Syn and decipher their network as a graph. From the data repository, twenty-nine bioactive chemicals from C. dactylon were chosen and their structures were retrieved from Pubchem. On the basis of their docking scores and binding energies, significant compounds were chosen for future investigation. The in silico prediction of chosen compounds, and their pharmacokinetic and physicochemical parameters were utilized to confirm their drug-likeness profile. Results: During molecular docking investigation the bioactive compounds vitexin (-7.3 kcal.mol-1) and homoorientin (-7.1 kcal.mol-1) showed significant binding energy against the α-Syn target protein. A computer investigation of molecular dynamics simulation study verifies the stability of the α-Syn-ligand complex. The intermolecular interactions assessed by the dynamic conditions indicate that the bioactive compound vitexin has the potency to prevent α-Syn aggregation. Conclusion: Interestingly, the observed results indicate that vitexin is a potential lead compound against α-Syn aggregation, and in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to confirm the promising therapeutic capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Rajeswari Rajeshkumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Banoth Karan Kumar
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani-333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Pavadai Parasuraman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, M S R Nagar, Bengaluru-560054, Karnataka, India
| | - Theivendren Panneerselvam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Swamy Vivekanandha College of Pharmacy, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengodu-637205, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Krishnan Sundar
- Department of Biotechnology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Damodar Nayak Ammunje
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, M S R Nagar, Bengaluru-560054, Karnataka, India
| | - Sureshbabu Ram Kumar Pandian
- Department of Biotechnology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sankaranarayanan Murugesan
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani-333031, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Selvaraj Kunjiappan
- Department of Biotechnology, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil-626126, Tamil Nadu, India
,Corresponding author: Selvaraj Kunjiappan,
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22
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Ramirez AE, Fernández-Pérez EJ, Olivos N, Burgos CF, Boopathi S, Armijo-Weingart L, Pacheco CR, González W, Aguayo LG. The Stimulatory Effects of Intracellular α-Synuclein on Synaptic Transmission Are Attenuated by 2-Octahydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-ylethanamine. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413253. [PMID: 34948050 PMCID: PMC8705949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413253] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αSyn) species can be detected in synaptic boutons, where they play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease (PD). However, the effects of intracellular αSyn species on synaptic transmission have not been thoroughly studied. Here, using patch-clamp recordings in hippocampal neurons, we report that αSyn oligomers (αSynO), intracellularly delivered through the patch electrode, produced a fast and potent effect on synaptic transmission, causing a substantial increase in the frequency, amplitude and transferred charge of spontaneous synaptic currents. We also found an increase in the frequency of miniature synaptic currents, suggesting an effect located at the presynaptic site of the synapsis. Furthermore, our in silico approximation using docking analysis and molecular dynamics simulations showed an interaction between a previously described small anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) molecule, termed M30 (2-octahydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-ylethanamine), with a central hydrophobic region of αSyn. In line with this finding, our empirical data aimed to obtain oligomerization states with thioflavin T (ThT) and Western blot (WB) indicated that M30 interfered with αSyn aggregation and decreased the formation of higher-molecular-weight species. Furthermore, the effect of αSynO on synaptic physiology was also antagonized by M30, resulting in a decrease in the frequency, amplitude, and charge transferred of synaptic currents. Overall, the present results show an excitatory effect of intracellular αSyn low molecular-weight species, not previously described, that are able to affect synaptic transmission, and the potential of a small neuroactive molecule to interfere with the aggregation process and the synaptic effect of αSyn, suggesting that M30 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra E. Ramirez
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
| | - Eduardo J. Fernández-Pérez
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
- Correspondence: (E.J.F.-P.); (L.G.A.)
| | - Nicol Olivos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
| | - Carlos F. Burgos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
| | - Subramanian Boopathi
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico;
- Center for Bioinformatics, Simulations and Modeling, The Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), University of Talca, Talca 3530000, Chile;
| | - Lorena Armijo-Weingart
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
| | - Carla R. Pacheco
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
| | - Wendy González
- Center for Bioinformatics, Simulations and Modeling, The Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), University of Talca, Talca 3530000, Chile;
- Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases, The Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), University of Talca, Talca 3530000, Chile
| | - Luis G. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, 160-C, Concepción 4030000, Chile; (A.E.R.); (N.O.); (C.F.B.); (L.A.-W.); (C.R.P.)
- Programa de Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Anatomy Building,
Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4030000, Chile
- Correspondence: (E.J.F.-P.); (L.G.A.)
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23
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are associated with intra- or extra-cellular deposition of aggregates of misfolded insoluble proteins. These deposits composed of tau, amyloid-β or α-synuclein spread from cell to cell, in a prion-like manner. Novel evidence suggests that the circulating soluble oligomeric species of these misfolded proteins could play a major role in pathology, while insoluble aggregates would represent their protective less toxic counterparts. Recent convincing data support the proposition that the cellular prion protein, PrPC, act as a toxicity-inducing receptor for amyloid-β oligomers. As a consequence, several studies focused their investigations to the role played by PrPC in binding other protein aggregates, such as tau and α-synuclein, for its possible common role in mediating toxic signalling. The biological relevance of PrPC as key ligand and potential mediator of toxicity for multiple proteinaceous aggregated species, prions or PrPSc included, could lead to relevant therapeutic implications. Here we describe the structure of PrPC and the proposed interplay with its pathological counterpart PrPSc and then we recapitulate the most recent findings regarding the role of PrPC in the interaction with aggregated forms of other neurodegeneration-associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Scialò
- Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
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24
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Holec SAM, Woerman AL. Evidence of distinct α-synuclein strains underlying disease heterogeneity. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:73-86. [PMID: 32440702 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by the misfolding and self-templating of the protein α-synuclein, or the formation of α-synuclein prions. Each disorder differs by age of onset, presenting clinical symptoms, α-synuclein inclusion morphology, and neuropathological distribution. Explaining this disease-specific variability, the strain hypothesis postulates that each prion disease is encoded by a distinct conformation of the misfolded protein, and therefore, each synucleinopathy is caused by a unique α-synuclein structure. This review discusses the current data supporting the role of α-synuclein strains in disease heterogeneity. Several in vitro and in vivo models exist for evaluating strain behavior, however, as the focus of this article is to compare strains across synucleinopathy patients, our discussion predominantly focuses on the two models most commonly used for this purpose: the α-syn140*A53T-YFP cell line and the TgM83+/- mouse model. Here we define each strain based on biochemical stability, ability to propagate in α-syn140-YFP cell lines, and incubation period, inclusion morphology and distribution, and neurological signs in TgM83+/- mice.
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25
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Ghanem SS, Fayed HS, Zhu Q, Lu JH, Vaikath NN, Ponraj J, Mansour S, El-Agnaf OMA. Natural Alkaloid Compounds as Inhibitors for Alpha-Synuclein Seeded Fibril Formation and Toxicity. Molecules 2021; 26:3736. [PMID: 34205249 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) is the main pathologic event in Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. α-Syn-seeded fibril formation and its induced toxicity occupy a major role in PD pathogenesis. Thus, assessing compounds that inhibit this seeding process is considered a key towards the therapeutics of synucleinopathies. Using biophysical and biochemical techniques and seeding-dependent cell viability assays, we screened a total of nine natural compounds of alkaloid origin extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs. Of these compounds, synephrine, trigonelline, cytisine, harmine, koumine, peimisine, and hupehenine exhibited in vitro inhibition of α-syn-seeded fibril formation. Furthermore, using cell viability assays, six of these compounds inhibited α-syn-seeding-dependent toxicity. These six potent inhibitors of amyloid fibril formation and toxicity caused by the seeding process represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PD and other synucleinopathies.
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26
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Melo F, Caballero L, Zamorano E, Ventura N, Navarro C, Doll I, Zamorano P, Cornejo A. The Cytotoxic Effect of α-Synuclein Aggregates. Chemphyschem 2021; 22:526-532. [PMID: 33482036 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder involving a functional protein, α-synuclein, whose primary function is related to vesicle trafficking. However, α-synuclein is prone to form aggregates, and these inclusions, known as Lewy bodies, are the hallmark of Parkinson's disease. α-synuclein can alter its conformation and acquire aggregating capacity, forming aggregates containing β-sheets. This protein's pathogenic importance is based on its ability to form oligomers that impair synaptic transmission and neuronal function by increasing membrane permeability and altering homeostasis, generating a deleterious effect over cells. First, we establish that oligomers interfere with the mechanical properties of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) membrane, as demonstrated by nanoindentation curves. In contrast, nanoindentation revealed that the α-synuclein monomer's presence leads to a much more resistant lipid bilayer. Moreover, the oligomers' interaction with cell membranes can promote lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, suggesting the activation of cytotoxic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Melo
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Ecuador 3493, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Soft Matter Research, SMAT-C, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonardo Caballero
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Ecuador 3493, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Soft Matter Research, SMAT-C, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile
| | - Esteban Zamorano
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, Laboratorio Catem V, Santiago, Chile
| | - Natalia Ventura
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, Laboratorio Catem V, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camilo Navarro
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, Laboratorio Catem V, Santiago, Chile
| | - Irving Doll
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, Laboratorio Catem V, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro Zamorano
- Departamento Biomédico, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Alberto Cornejo
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, Laboratorio Catem V, Santiago, Chile
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27
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Abstract
A presynaptic protein closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein (α-Syn), has been studied extensively regarding its pathogenic mechanisms. As a physiological protein in presynapses, however, α-Syn's physiological function remains unclear. Its location in nerve terminals and effects on membrane fusion also imply its functional role in synaptic transmission, including its possible interaction with high-curvature membranes via its N-terminus and amorphous C-terminus. PD-related mutants that disrupt the membrane interaction (e.g., A30P and G51D) additionally suggest a relationship between α-Syn's pathogenic mechanisms and physiological roles through the membrane binding. Here, we summarize recent research on how α-Syn and its variants interact with membranes and influence synaptic transmission. We list several membrane-related connections between the protein's physiological function and the pathological mechanisms that stand to expand current understandings of α-Syn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cencen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yunfei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Huan Xi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wei Dong
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Neurosurgical Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China
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28
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Yamauchi M, Okumura H. Dimerization of α-Synuclein Fragments Studied by Isothermal-Isobaric Replica-Permutation Molecular Dynamics Simulation. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1307-1321. [PMID: 33625841 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Aggregates and fibrils of intrinsically disordered α-synuclein are associated with Parkinson's disease. Within a non-amyloid β component (NAC) spanning from the 61st to the 95th residue of α-synuclein, an 11-residue segment called NACore (68GAVVTGVTAVA78) is an essential region for both fibril formation and cytotoxicity. Although NACore peptides alone are known to form aggregates and amyloid fibrils, the mechanisms of aggregation and fibrillation remain unknown. This study investigated the dimerization process of NACore peptides as the initial stage of the aggregation and fibrillation processes. We performed an isothermal-isobaric replica-permutation molecular dynamics simulation, which is one of the efficient sampling methods, for the two NACore peptides in explicit water over 96 μs. The simulation succeeded in sampling a variety of dimer structures. An analysis of secondary structure revealed that most of the NACore dimers form intermolecular β-bridges. In particular, more antiparallel β-bridges were observed than parallel β-bridges. We also found that intramolecular secondary structures such as α-helix and antiparallel β-bridge are stabilized in the pre-dimer state. However, we identified that the intermolecular β-bridges tend to form directly between residues with no specific structure rather than via the intramolecular β-bridges. This is because the NACore peptides still have a low propensity to form the intramolecular secondary structures even though they are stabilized in the pre-dimer state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Yamauchi
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies(SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies(SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
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29
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Manna M, Murarka RK. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Modulates Membrane-Bound Monomeric α-Synuclein by Modulating Membrane Microenvironment through Preferential Interactions. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:675-688. [PMID: 33538574 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence that both native functions and pathogenic aggregation of α-synuclein are intimately dependent on lipid interactions and fatty acid type; the regulatory mechanism however remains unclear. In the present work, using extensive atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and enhanced-sampling, we have focused on exploring the mechanism of fatty acid dependent regulation of monomeric α-Syn100 in a native synaptic vesicle-like membrane. Our results show that α-Syn100 spontaneously binds to the membrane through its N-terminal region (residues 1-34), where the depth of membrane insertion, the structure, and orientation of the membrane-bound α-Syn100 and its impact on membrane structure are modulated by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid abundantly found in the brain and known to promote the oligomerization of α-synuclein. We found that DHA exhibits marked propensity to interact with monomeric α-Syn100 and modulates the microenvironment of the protein by preferentially sorting DHA-containing phospholipids, depleting other phospholipids and cholesterol as well as increasing the proportion of anionic to neutral lipids in the immediate vicinity of the protein. Owing to the unique conformational flexibility, DHA chains form more lipid-packing defects in the membrane and efficiently coat the membrane-embedded surface of the protein, compared to the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. DHA thus makes the bilayer more amiable to protein adsorption and less prone to α-synuclein-induced perturbation associated with cytotoxicity. Indeed, in the absence of DHA, we observed significant thinning of the local bilayer membrane induced by α-Syn100. Though α-Syn100 is predominantly α-helical in membranes studied here, in the presence of DHA we observe formation of β-sheet/β-strands in the C-terminal region (residues 35-100) of α-Syn100, which is extended out from the membrane surface. Notably, DHA induces β structure in the NAC domain of α-Syn100 and promotes extended conformations as well as large solvent exposure of this hydrophobic domain, properties that are known to facilitate self-assembly of α-synuclein. To the best of our knowledge, this study for the first time provides the atomistic insights into DHA-induced regulatory mechanism of monomeric α-synuclein, having implications in protein structure and its physiological/pathological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moutusi Manna
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 066, India
- Applied Phycology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR−Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR−CSMCRI), Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar, Gujarat 364002, India
| | - Rajesh K. Murarka
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 066, India
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30
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Brás IC, Outeiro TF. Alpha-Synuclein: Mechanisms of Release and Pathology Progression in Synucleinopathies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020375. [PMID: 33673034 PMCID: PMC7917664 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein (aSyn) throughout the brain, as Lewy pathology, is a phenomenon central to Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. The stereotypical distribution and evolution of the pathology during disease is often attributed to the cell-to-cell transmission of aSyn between interconnected brain regions. The spreading of conformationally distinct aSyn protein assemblies, commonly referred as strains, is thought to result in a variety of clinically and pathologically heterogenous diseases known as synucleinopathies. Although tremendous progress has been made in the field, the mechanisms involved in the transfer of these assemblies between interconnected neural networks and their role in driving PD progression are still unclear. Here, we present an update of the relevant discoveries supporting or challenging the prion-like spreading hypothesis. We also discuss the importance of aSyn strains in pathology progression and the various putative molecular mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell protein release. Understanding the pathways underlying aSyn propagation will contribute to determining the etiology of PD and related synucleinopathies but also assist in the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês C. Brás
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Tiago F. Outeiro
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
- Scientific Employee with a Honorary Contract at Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)-551-391-3544; Fax: +49-(0)-551-392-2693
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31
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Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder mainly characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Degenerating neurons contain abnormal aggregates called Lewy bodies, that are predominantly composed of the misfolded and/or mutated alpha-synuclein protein. Post-translational modifications, cellular stress, inflammation and gene mutations are thought to trigger its pathological misfolding and aggregation. With alpha-synuclein pathology being strongly associated with dopaminergic neuronal toxicity, strategies aimed to reduce its burden are expected to be beneficial in slowing disease progression. Moreover, multiple sources of evidence suggest a cell-to-cell transmission of pathological alpha-synuclein in a prion-like manner. Therefore, antibodies targeting extra- or intracellular alpha-synuclein could be efficient in limiting the aggregation and transmission. Several active and passive immunization strategies have been explored to target alpha-synuclein. Here, we summarize immunotherapeutic approaches that were tested in pre-clinical or clinical studies in the last two decades in an attempt to treat Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Castonguay
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Claude Gravel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Lévesque
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, Canada
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32
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Roux A, Wang X, Becker K, Ma J. Modeling α-Synucleinopathy in Organotypic Brain Slice Culture with Preformed α-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils. J Parkinsons Dis 2020; 10:1397-1410. [PMID: 32716318 PMCID: PMC7683096 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-202026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background: Synucleinopathy is a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neurodegeneration and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates in various brain regions. The detailed mechanism of α-syn-caused neurotoxicity remains obscure, which is partly due to the lack of a suitable model that retains the in vivo three-dimensional cellular network and allows a convenient dissection of the neurotoxic pathways. Recent studies revealed that the pre-formed recombinant α-syn amyloid fibrils (PFFs) induce a robust accumulation of pathogenic α-syn species in cultured cells and animals. Objective: Our goal is to determine whether PFFs are able to induce the pathogenic α-syn accumulation and neurotoxicity in organotypic brain slice culture, an ex vivo system that retains the in vivo three-dimensional cell-cell connections. Methods/Results: Adding PFFs to cultured wild-type rat or mouse brain slices induced a time-dependent accumulation of pathogenic α-syn species, which was indicated by α-syn phosphorylated at serine 129 (pα-syn). The PFF-induced pα-syn was abolished in brain slices prepared from α-syn null mice, suggesting that the pα-syn is from the phosphorylation of endogenous α-syn. Human PFFs also induced pα-syn in brain slices prepared from mice expressing human α-syn on a mouse α-syn-null background. Furthermore, the synaptophysin immunoreactivity was inversely associated with pα-syn accumulation and an increase of neuronal loss was detected. Conclusion: PFF-treatment of brain slices is able to induce key pathological features of synucleinopathy: pα-syn accumulation and neurotoxicity. This model will be useful for investigating the neurotoxic mechanism and evaluating efficacy of therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Roux
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Xinhe Wang
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Katelyn Becker
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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33
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Henríquez G, Gomez A, Guerrero E, Narayan M. Potential Role of Natural Polyphenols against Protein Aggregation Toxicity: In Vitro, In Vivo, and Clinical Studies. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:2915-2934. [PMID: 32822152 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main features of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease is the amyloidogenic behavior of disease-specific proteins including amyloid β, tau, α-synuclein, and mutant Huntingtin which participate in the formation, accumulation, and deposition of toxic misfolded aggregates. Consequently, these proteins not only associated with the progress of their respective neurodegenerative pathologies but also qualify as disease-specific biomarkers. The aim of using natural polyphenols is to target amyloid-dependent proteopathies by decreasing free radical damage and inhibiting and dissolving amyloid fibrils. We explore the effectiveness of the polyphenols epigallocatechin-3-gallate, oleuropein aglycone, and quercetin on their ability to inhibit aggregation of amyloid β, tau, and α-synuclein and mitigate other pathological features for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The analysis was carried from in vitro and cell line studies to animal models and clinical trials. This Review describes the use of phytochemical compounds as prophylactic agents for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other proteopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Henríquez
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Alejandra Gomez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Erick Guerrero
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Mahesh Narayan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
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Scialò C, Legname G. The role of the cellular prion protein in the uptake and toxic signaling of pathological neurodegenerative aggregates. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci 2020; 175:297-323. [PMID: 32958237 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are invariably associated with intra- or extra-cellular deposition of aggregates composed of misfolded insoluble proteins. These deposits composed of tau, amyloid-β or α-synuclein spread from cell to cell, in a prion-like manner. Emerging evidence suggests that the circulating soluble species of these misfolded proteins (usually referred as oligomers) could play a major role in pathology, while insoluble aggregates would represent their protective less toxic counterparts. Convincing data support the hypothesis that the cellular prion protein, PrPC, act as a toxicity-transducing receptor for amyloid-β oligomers. As a consequence, several studies extended investigations to the role played by PrPC in binding aggregates of proteins other than Aβ, such as tau and α-synuclein, for its possible common role in mediating toxic signaling. A better characterization of the biological relevance of PrPC as key ligand and potential mediator of toxicity for multiple proteinaceous aggregated species, prions or PrPSc included, would bring relevant therapeutic implications. Here we will first describe the structure of the prion protein and the hypothesized interplay with its pathological counterpart PrPSc and then we will recapitulate the most relevant discoveries regarding the role of PrPC in the interaction with aggregated forms of other neurodegeneration-associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Scialò
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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Fouka M, Mavroeidi P, Tsaka G, Xilouri M. In Search of Effective Treatments Targeting α-Synuclein Toxicity in Synucleinopathies: Pros and Cons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:559791. [PMID: 33015057 PMCID: PMC7500083 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.559791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) represent pathologically similar, progressive neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the pathological aggregation of the neuronal protein α-synuclein. PD and DLB are characterized by the abnormal accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein in proteinaceous inclusions within neurons named Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs), whereas in MSA α-synuclein inclusions are mainly detected within oligodendrocytes named glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs). The presence of pathologically aggregated α-synuclein along with components of the protein degradation machinery, such as ubiquitin and p62, in LBs and GCIs is considered to underlie the pathogenic cascade that eventually leads to the severe neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation that characterizes these diseases. Importantly, α-synuclein is proposed to undergo pathogenic misfolding and oligomerization into higher-order structures, revealing self-templating conformations, and to exert the ability of "prion-like" spreading between cells. Therefore, the manner in which the protein is produced, is modified within neural cells and is degraded, represents a major focus of current research efforts in the field. Given that α-synuclein protein load is critical to disease pathogenesis, the identification of means to limit intracellular protein burden and halt α-synuclein propagation represents an obvious therapeutic approach in synucleinopathies. However, up to date the development of effective therapeutic strategies to prevent degeneration in synucleinopathies is limited, due to the lack of knowledge regarding the precise mechanisms underlying the observed pathology. This review critically summarizes the recent developed strategies to counteract α-synuclein toxicity, including those aimed to increase protein degradation, to prevent protein aggregation and cell-to-cell propagation, or to engage antibodies against α-synuclein and discuss open questions and unknowns for future therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maria Xilouri
- Center of Clinical Research, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Chi TH, Hsieh BY, Liang PS, Han TH, Hsieh M. Expression and Functional Study of Single Mutations of Carbonic Anhydrase 8 in Neuronal Cells. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 41:1355-1371. [PMID: 32583043 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00907-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase 8 (CA8), an isozyme of α-carbonic anhydrases, lacks the ability to catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2 to bicarbonate and proton. Previous studies have shown that single point mutations of CA8, CA8-S100P, and CA8-G162R, are associated with novel syndromes including congenital ataxia and mild cognitive impairment. Our previous results demonstrated that overexpression of wild type (WT) CA8 promoted cell proliferation, neurite outgrowth, anti-apoptosis, invasion and migration abilities in neuronal cells. In this study, we examined the expressions and functions of CA8-S100P and CA8-G162R in neuroblastoma cells lines, compared with those of WT CA8. Our results show that the protein expressions of mutant CA8-S100P and CA8-G162R were significantly decreased in Neuro-2a and SK-N-SH cells. Interestingly, CA8-S100P demonstrated a significant increase in cell proliferation in both Neuro-2a and SK-N-SH cells. However, both CA8 mutations showed significantly decreased effects on cell protection and migration in SK-N-SH cells. Surprisingly, a significant increase of invasive ability was observed in SK-N-SH cells with overexpression of CA8-S100P as compared with those with overexpression of WT CA8 under retinoic acid (RA) treatment. In addition, we found that Neuro-2a cells with overexpression of CA8-S100P and CA8-G162R showed significantly increased neurite outgrowth. Taken together, our data suggest that the expressions of CA8-S100P and CA8-G162R in neuronal cells alter cell morphology, proliferation, mobility and viability; indicating that the homozygous point mutations of CA8 lead to not only the loss of WT CA8 function, but also the gain of novel functions leading to neuromuscular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tang-Hao Chi
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, No.1727, Sec. 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung, 407, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Benjamin Y Hsieh
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Shin Liang
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, No.1727, Sec. 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung, 407, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tien-Heng Han
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, No.1727, Sec. 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung, 407, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Mingli Hsieh
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, No.1727, Sec. 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung, 407, Taiwan, ROC. .,Life Science Research Center, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
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Gupta V, Salim S, Hmila I, Vaikath NN, Sudhakaran IP, Ghanem SS, Majbour NK, Abdulla SA, Emara MM, Abdesselem HB, Lukacsovich T, Erskine D, El-Agnaf OMA. Fibrillar form of α-synuclein-specific scFv antibody inhibits α-synuclein seeds induced aggregation and toxicity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8137. [PMID: 32424162 PMCID: PMC7235225 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are characterized by pathological accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn). Amongst the various approaches attempting to tackle the pathological features of synucleinopathies, antibody-based immunotherapy holds much promise. However, the large size of antibodies and corresponding difficulty in crossing the blood-brain barrier has limited development in this area. To overcome this issue, we engineered single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) against fibrillar α-syn, a putative disease-relevant form of α-syn. The purified scFvs showed specific activity towards α-syn fibrils and oligomers in comparison to monomers and recognized intracellular inclusions in human post-mortem brain tissue of Lewy body disease cases, but not aged controls. In vitro studies indicated scFvs inhibit the seeding of α-syn aggregation in a time-dependent manner, decreased α-syn seed-induced toxicity in a cell model of PD, and reduced the production of insoluble α-syn phosphorylated at Ser-129 (pS129-α-syn). These results suggest that our α-syn fibril-specific scFvs recognize α-syn pathology and can inhibit the aggregation of α-syn in vitro and prevent seeding-dependent toxicity. Therefore, the scFvs described here have considerable potential to be utilized towards immunotherapy in synucleinopathies and may also have applications in ante-mortem imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Gupta
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Safa Salim
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Issam Hmila
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nishant N Vaikath
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Indulekha P Sudhakaran
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Simona S Ghanem
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nour K Majbour
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sara A Abdulla
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed M Emara
- Basic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Houari B Abdesselem
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Daniel Erskine
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Omar M A El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
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Al-Edresi S, Alsalahat I, Freeman S, Aojula H, Penny J. Resveratrol-mediated cleavage of amyloid β 1-42 peptide: potential relevance to Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 94:24-33. [PMID: 32512325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of amyloid β1-42 (Aβ1-42) peptide within the brain is considered one of the main causes of the neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. Resveratrol is a well-known antioxidant but has also been reported to bind to Aβ1-42 peptide, thereby reducing aggregation. However, little is known of the precise mechanism by which resveratrol reduces Aβ1-42 peptide aggregation. Using the thioflavin-T assay, the ability of resveratrol to reduce the extent of Aβ1-42 peptide aggregation was investigated. The findings of the present study demonstrate that interaction of resveratrol with Aβ1-42 peptide resulted in the cleavage of Aβ1-42 peptide into smaller fragments, as detected by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Atomic force microscopy analyses revealed Aβ1-42 peptide, under control conditions, aggregated into oligomers, protofibrils, and fibrils, whereas there was a distinct lack of these structures when Aβ1-42 peptide was incubated with resveratrol. Following 10 days incubation of Aβ1-42 peptide with resveratrol, particles with a mean z-height of 1.940 nm (range 0.675-3.275 nm) were observed, which are characteristic of shorter peptide species. In cell-based studies, resveratrol significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of Aβ1-42 peptide toward SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, suggesting a protective effect of the polyphenol. We therefore propose a novel mechanism by which resveratrol disrupts Aβ1-42 aggregation by mediating fragmentation of Aβ1-42 into smaller peptides, which have no propensity to aggregate further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmad Al-Edresi
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
| | - Izzeddin Alsalahat
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sally Freeman
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Harmesh Aojula
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jeffrey Penny
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Ardah MT, Ghanem SS, Abdulla SA, Lv G, Emara MM, Paleologou KE, Vaikath NN, Lu JH, Li M, Vekrellis K, Eliezer D, El-Agnaf OMA. Inhibition of alpha-synuclein seeded fibril formation and toxicity by herbal medicinal extracts. BMC Complement Med Ther 2020; 20:73. [PMID: 32143619 PMCID: PMC7076823 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-020-2849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies indicated that seeded fibril formation and toxicity of α-synuclein (α-syn) play a main role in the pathogenesis of certain diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Therefore, examination of compounds that abolish the process of seeding is considered a key step towards therapy of several synucleinopathies. Methods Using biophysical, biochemical and cell-culture-based assays, assessment of eleven compounds, extracted from Chinese medicinal herbs, was performed in this study for their effect on α-syn fibril formation and toxicity caused by the seeding process. Results Salvianolic acid B and dihydromyricetin were the two compounds that strongly inhibited the fibril growth and neurotoxicity of α-syn. In an in-vitro cell model, these compounds decreased the insoluble phosphorylated α-syn and aggregation. Also, in primary neuronal cells, these compounds showed a reduction in α-syn aggregates. Both compounds inhibited the seeded fibril growth with dihydromyricetin having the ability to disaggregate preformed α-syn fibrils. In order to investigate the inhibitory mechanisms of these two compounds towards fibril formation, we demonstrated that salvianolic acid B binds predominantly to monomers, while dihydromyricetin binds to oligomeric species and to a lower extent to monomers. Remarkably, these two compounds stabilized the soluble non-toxic oligomers lacking β-sheet content after subjecting them to proteinase K digestion. Conclusions Eleven compounds were tested but only two showed inhibition of α-syn aggregation, seeded fibril formation and toxicity in vitro. These findings highlight an essential beginning for development of new molecules in the field of synucleinopathies treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa T Ardah
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Simona S Ghanem
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sara A Abdulla
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar
| | - Guohua Lv
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohamed M Emara
- Basic Medical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Katerina E Paleologou
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Nishant N Vaikath
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jia-Hong Lu
- State Key Lab of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Min Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Konstantinos Vekrellis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Omar M A El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Education City, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar.
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Corbett GT, Wang Z, Hong W, Colom-Cadena M, Rose J, Liao M, Asfaw A, Hall TC, Ding L, DeSousa A, Frosch MP, Collinge J, Harris DA, Perkinton MS, Spires-Jones TL, Young-Pearse TL, Billinton A, Walsh DM. PrP is a central player in toxicity mediated by soluble aggregates of neurodegeneration-causing proteins. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:503-526. [PMID: 31853635 PMCID: PMC7035229 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02114-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [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: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are an enormous public health problem, affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Nearly all of these diseases are characterized by oligomerization and fibrillization of neuronal proteins, and there is great interest in therapeutic targeting of these aggregates. Here, we show that soluble aggregates of α-synuclein and tau bind to plate-immobilized PrP in vitro and on mouse cortical neurons, and that this binding requires at least one of the same N-terminal sites at which soluble Aβ aggregates bind. Moreover, soluble aggregates of tau, α-synuclein and Aβ cause both functional (impairment of LTP) and structural (neuritic dystrophy) compromise and these deficits are absent when PrP is ablated, knocked-down, or when neurons are pre-treated with anti-PrP blocking antibodies. Using an all-human experimental paradigm involving: (1) isogenic iPSC-derived neurons expressing or lacking PRNP, and (2) aqueous extracts from brains of individuals who died with Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Pick's disease, we demonstrate that Aβ, α-synuclein and tau are toxic to neurons in a manner that requires PrPC. These results indicate that PrP is likely to play an important role in a variety of late-life neurodegenerative diseases and that therapeutic targeting of PrP, rather than individual disease proteins, may have more benefit for conditions which involve the aggregation of more than one protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant T Corbett
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zemin Wang
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wei Hong
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Meichen Liao
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adhana Asfaw
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tia C Hall
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lai Ding
- Program for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alexandra DeSousa
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Massachusetts General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Tracy L Young-Pearse
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Andrew Billinton
- Neuroscience, IMED Biotechnology Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Dominic M Walsh
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Zaidi FK, Deep S. Scutellarin inhibits the uninduced and metal-induced aggregation of α-Synuclein and disaggregates preformed fibrils: implications for Parkinson's disease. Biochem J 2020; 477:645-70. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of the protein alpha synuclein (α-Syn), a known contributor in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis is triggered by transition metal ions through occupational exposure and disrupted metal ion homeostasis. Naturally occurring small molecules such as polyphenols have emerged as promising inhibitors of α-Syn fibrillation and toxicity and could be potential therapeutic agents against PD. Here, using an array of biophysical tools combined with cellular assays, we demonstrate that the novel polyphenolic compound scutellarin efficiently inhibits the uninduced and metal-induced fibrillation of α-Syn by acting at the nucleation stage and stabilizes a partially folded intermediate of α-Syn to form SDS-resistant, higher-order oligomers (∼680 kDa) and also disaggregates preformed fibrils of α-Syn into similar type of higher-order oligomers. ANS binding assay, fluorescence lifetime measurements and cell-toxicity experiments reveal scutellarin-generated oligomers as compact, low hydrophobicity structures with modulated surface properties and significantly reduced cytotoxicity than the fibrillation intermediates of α-Syn control. Fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry establish the binding between scutellarin and α-Syn to be non-covalent in nature and of moderate affinity (Ka ∼ 105 M−1). Molecular docking approaches suggest binding of scutellarin to the residues present in the NAC region and C-terminus of monomeric α-Syn and the C-terminal residues of fibrillar α-Syn, demonstrating inhibition of fibrillation upon binding to these residues and possible stabilization of the autoinhibitory conformation of α-Syn. These findings reveal interesting insights into the mechanism of scutellarin action and establish it as an efficient modulator of uninduced as well as metal-induced α-Syn fibrillation and toxicity.
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Guerrero-Ferreira R, Taylor NM, Arteni AA, Kumari P, Mona D, Ringler P, Britschgi M, Lauer ME, Makky A, Verasdonck J, Riek R, Melki R, Meier BH, Böckmann A, Bousset L, Stahlberg H. Two new polymorphic structures of human full-length alpha-synuclein fibrils solved by cryo-electron microscopy. eLife 2019; 8:48907. [PMID: 31815671 PMCID: PMC6957273 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular inclusions rich in alpha-synuclein are a hallmark of several neuropathological diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Previously, we reported the structure of alpha-synuclein fibrils (residues 1-121), composed of two protofibrils that are connected via a densely-packed interface formed by residues 50-57 (Guerrero-Ferreira, eLife 218;7:e36402). We here report two new polymorphic atomic structures of alpha-synuclein fibrils termed polymorphs 2a and 2b, at 3.0 Å and 3.4 Å resolution, respectively. These polymorphs show a radically different structure compared to previously reported polymorphs. The new structures have a 10 nm fibril diameter and are composed of two protofilaments which interact via intermolecular salt-bridges between amino acids K45, E57 (polymorph 2a) or E46 (polymorph 2b). The non-amyloid component (NAC) region of alpha-synuclein is fully buried by previously non-described interactions with the N-terminus. A hydrophobic cleft, the location of familial PD mutation sites, and the nature of the protofilament interface now invite to formulate hypotheses about fibril formation, growth and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Guerrero-Ferreira
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA), Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas Mi Taylor
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Programme, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ana-Andreea Arteni
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Institut Fancois Jacob (MIRCen), CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-Aux-Roses, France
| | - Pratibha Kumari
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Mona
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Medicine Area, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Ringler
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA), Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Britschgi
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Medicine Area, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias E Lauer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ali Makky
- Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Joeri Verasdonck
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roland Riek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ronald Melki
- Institut Fancois Jacob (MIRCen), CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-Aux-Roses, France
| | - Beat H Meier
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Böckmann
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Labex Ecofect, UMR 5086 CNRS, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Luc Bousset
- Institut Fancois Jacob (MIRCen), CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-Aux-Roses, France
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA), Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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43
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Chatterjee D, Kordower JH. Immunotherapy in Parkinson’s disease: Current status and future directions. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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44
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Tamtaji OR, Reiter RJ, Alipoor R, Dadgostar E, Kouchaki E, Asemi Z. Melatonin and Parkinson Disease: Current Status and Future Perspectives for Molecular Mechanisms. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 40:15-23. [PMID: 31388798 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00720-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is a chronic and neurodegenerative disease with motor and nonmotor symptoms. Multiple pathways are involved in the pathophysiology of PD, including apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, inflammation, α-synuclein aggregation, and changes in the neurotransmitters. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that melatonin supplementation is an appropriate therapy for PD. Administration of melatonin leads to inhibition of some pathways related to apoptosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, inflammation, α-synuclein aggregation, and dopamine loss in PD. In addition, melatonin improves some nonmotor symptom in patients with PD. Limited studies, however, have evaluated the role of melatonin on molecular mechanisms and clinical symptoms in PD. This review summarizes what is known regarding the impact of melatonin on PD in preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Reza Tamtaji
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Reza Alipoor
- Student Research Committee, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | | | - Ebrahim Kouchaki
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Zatollah Asemi
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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45
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Vaikath NN, Hmila I, Gupta V, Erskine D, Ingelsson M, El-Agnaf OMA. Antibodies against alpha-synuclein: tools and therapies. J Neurochem 2019; 150:612-625. [PMID: 31055836 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy are characterized by the abnormal accumulation and propagation of α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology in the central and peripheral nervous system as Lewy bodies or glial cytoplasmic inclusions. Several antibodies against α-syn have been developed since it was first detected as the major component of Lewy bodies and glial cytoplasmic inclusions. Over the years, researchers have generated specific antibodies that alleviate the accumulation of intracellular aggregated α-syn and associated pathology in cellular and preclinical models of synucleinopathies. So far, antibodies have been the first choice as tools for research and diagnosis and currently, a wide variety of antibody fragments have been developed as an alternative to full-length antibodies for increasing its therapeutic usefulness. Recently, conformation specific antibody-based approaches have been found to be promising as therapeutic strategies, both to block α-syn aggregation and ameliorate the resultant cytotoxicity, and as diagnostic tools. In this review, we summarize different α-syn specific antibodies and provide their usefulness in tackling synucleinopathies. This article is part of the Special Issue "Synuclein".
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant N Vaikath
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Issam Hmila
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Vijay Gupta
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Daniel Erskine
- Institute of Neuroscience, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Omar M A El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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46
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Marvian AT, Koss DJ, Aliakbari F, Morshedi D, Outeiro TF. In vitro models of synucleinopathies: informing on molecular mechanisms and protective strategies. J Neurochem 2019; 150:535-565. [PMID: 31004503 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a central player in Parkinson's disease (PD) and in a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as synucleinopathies. The protein was first associated with PD just over 20 years ago, when it was found to (i) be a major component of Lewy bodies and (ii) to be also associated with familial forms of PD. The characterization of α-Syn pathology has been achieved through postmortem studies of human brains. However, the identification of toxic mechanisms associated with α-Syn was only achieved through the use of experimental models. In vitro models are highly accessible, enable relatively rapid studies, and have been extensively employed to address α-Syn-associated neurodegeneration. Given the diversity of models used and the outcomes of the studies, a cumulative and comprehensive perspective emerges as indispensable to pave the way for further investigations. Here, we subdivided in vitro models of α-Syn pathology into three major types: (i) models simulating α-Syn fibrillization and the formation of different aggregated structures in vitro, (ii) models based on the intracellular expression of α-Syn, reporting on pathogenic conditions and cellular dysfunctions induced, and (iii) models using extracellular treatment with α-Syn aggregated species, reporting on sites of interaction and their downstream consequences. In summary, we review the underlying molecular mechanisms discovered and categorize protective strategies, in order to pave the way for future studies and the identification of effective therapeutic strategies. This article is part of the Special Issue "Synuclein".
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Tayaranian Marvian
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - David J Koss
- Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Farhang Aliakbari
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dina Morshedi
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany.,University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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47
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Abstract
The misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein (αsyn) in the central nervous system is associated with a group of neurodegenerative disorders referred to as the synucleinopathies. In addition to being a pathological hallmark of disease, it is now well-established that upon misfolding, αsyn acquires pathogenic properties, such as neurotoxicity, that can contribute to disease development. The mechanisms that produce αsyn misfolding and the molecular events underlying the neuronal damage caused by these misfolded species are not well-defined. A consistent observation that may be relevant to αsyn's pathogenicity is its ability to associate with lipids. This appears important not only to how αsyn aggregates, but also to the mechanism by which the misfolded protein causes intracellular damage. This review discusses the current literature reporting a role of lipids in αsyn misfolding and neurotoxicity in various synucleinopathy disorders and provides an overview of current methods to assess protein misfolding and pathogenicity both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn L Ugalde
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia, .,the Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and.,the Howard Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia, and
| | | | - David I Finkelstein
- the Howard Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Andrew F Hill
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia, .,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia, and
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48
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Li X, Koudstaal W, Fletcher L, Costa M, van Winsen M, Siregar B, Inganäs H, Kim J, Keogh E, Macedo J, Holland T, Perry S, Bard F, Hoozemans JJ, Goudsmit J, Apetri A, Pascual G. Naturally occurring antibodies isolated from PD patients inhibit synuclein seeding in vitro and recognize Lewy pathology. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 137:825-836. [PMID: 30805666 PMCID: PMC6482120 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01974-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Deposition of α-synuclein into Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites is the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is hypothesized that α-synuclein pathology spreads by a “prion-like” mechanism (i.e., by seeded aggregation or templated misfolding). Therefore, various extracellular α-synuclein conformers and/or posttranslational modifications may serve as biomarkers of disease or potential targets for novel interventions. To explore whether the antibody repertoires of PD patients contain anti-α-synuclein antibodies that can potentially be used as markers or immunotherapy, we interrogated peripheral IgG+ memory B cells from PD patients for reactivity to α-synuclein. In total, ten somatically mutated antibodies were recovered, suggesting the presence of an ongoing antigen-driven immune response. The three antibodies that had the highest affinity to recombinant full-length α-synuclein, aSyn-323.1, aSyn-336.1 and aSyn-338.1, were characterized further and shown to recognize epitopes in the C terminus of α-synuclein with binding affinities between 0.3 and 2.8 μM. Furthermore, all three antibodies were able to neutralize the “seeding” of intracellular synuclein aggregates in an in vitro α-synuclein seeding assay. Finally, differential reactivities were observed for all three human anti-α-synuclein antibodies across tissue treatment conditions by immunohistochemistry. Our results suggest that the memory B-cell repertoire of PD patients might represent a potential source of biomarkers and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Li
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Wouter Koudstaal
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
- Present Address: Lucidity Biomedical Consulting, Calle Emir 11, 18006 Granada, Spain
| | - Lauren Fletcher
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Martha Costa
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Margot van Winsen
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Berdien Siregar
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna Inganäs
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Julie Kim
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Elissa Keogh
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Jeremy Macedo
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Trevin Holland
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Stuart Perry
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Frederique Bard
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
| | - Jeroen J. Hoozemans
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Goudsmit
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Center, Meidreefberg 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian Apetri
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Archimedesweg 6, 2333 CN Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Pascual
- Janssen Prevention Center, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121 USA
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49
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Alza NP, Iglesias González PA, Conde MA, Uranga RM, Salvador GA. Lipids at the Crossroad of α-Synuclein Function and Dysfunction: Biological and Pathological Implications. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:175. [PMID: 31118888 PMCID: PMC6504812 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its discovery, the study of the biological role of α-synuclein and its pathological implications has been the subject of increasing interest. The propensity to adopt different conformational states governing its aggregation and fibrillation makes this small 14-kDa cytosolic protein one of the main etiologic factors associated with degenerative disorders known as synucleinopathies. The structure, function, and toxicity of α-synuclein and the possibility of different therapeutic approaches to target the protein have been extensively investigated and reviewed. One intriguing characteristic of α-synuclein is the different ways in which it interacts with lipids. Though in-depth studies have been carried out in this field, the information they have produced is puzzling and the precise role of lipids in α-synuclein biology and pathology and vice versa is still largely unknown. Here we provide an overview and discussion of the main findings relating to α-synuclein/lipid interaction and its involvement in the modulation of lipid metabolism and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia P Alza
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.,Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Pablo A Iglesias González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Melisa A Conde
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.,Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Romina M Uranga
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.,Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Gabriela A Salvador
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.,Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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50
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Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal cells are multipotent cells that are being used to treat a variety of medical conditions. Over the past decade, there has been considerable excitement about using MSCs to treat neurodegenerative diseases, which are diseases that are typically fatal and without other robust therapies. In this review, we discuss the proposed MSC mechanisms of action in neurodegenerative diseases, which include growth factor secretion, exosome secretion, and attenuation of neuroinflammation. We then provide a summary of preclinical and early clinical work on MSC therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease. Continued rigorous and controlled studies of MSC therapies will be critical in order to establish efficacy and protect patients from possible untoward effects.
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