1
|
Cascella R, Chen SW, Bigi A, Camino JD, Xu CK, Dobson CM, Chiti F, Cremades N, Cecchi C. The release of toxic oligomers from α-synuclein fibrils induces dysfunction in neuronal cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1814. [PMID: 33753734 PMCID: PMC7985515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21937-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [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: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of α-synuclein (αS) into intraneuronal inclusion bodies is a key characteristic of Parkinson's disease. To define the nature of the species giving rise to neuronal damage, we have investigated the mechanism of action of the main αS populations that have been observed to form progressively during fibril growth. The αS fibrils release soluble prefibrillar oligomeric species with cross-β structure and solvent-exposed hydrophobic clusters. αS prefibrillar oligomers are efficient in crossing and permeabilize neuronal membranes, causing cellular insults. Short fibrils are more neurotoxic than long fibrils due to the higher proportion of fibrillar ends, resulting in a rapid release of oligomers. The kinetics of released αS oligomers match the observed kinetics of toxicity in cellular systems. In addition to previous evidence that αS fibrils can spread in different brain areas, our in vitro results reveal that αS fibrils can also release oligomeric species responsible for an immediate dysfunction of the neurons in the vicinity of these species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Cascella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Serene W Chen
- Department of Life Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alessandra Bigi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - José D Camino
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Joint Unit BIFI-Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano" (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Catherine K Xu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Joint Unit BIFI-Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano" (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Cristina Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Camino JD, Gracia P, Cremades N. The role of water in the primary nucleation of protein amyloid aggregation. Biophys Chem 2020; 269:106520. [PMID: 33341693 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the complex conformational landscape of amyloid aggregation and its modulation by relevant physicochemical and cellular factors is a prerequisite for elucidating some of the molecular basis of pathology in amyloid related diseases, and for developing and evaluating effective disease-specific therapeutics to reduce or eliminate the underlying sources of toxicity in these diseases. Interactions of proteins with solvating water have been long considered to be fundamental in mediating their function and folding; however, the relevance of water in the process of protein amyloid aggregation has been largely overlooked. Here, we provide a perspective on the role water plays in triggering primary amyloid nucleation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) based on recent experimental evidences. The initiation of amyloid aggregation likely results from the synergistic effect between both protein intermolecular interactions and the properties of the water hydration layer of the protein surface. While the self-assembly of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic IDPs would be thermodynamically favoured due to large water entropy contributions, large desolvation energy barriers are expected, particularly for the nucleation of hydrophilic IDPs. Under highly hydrating conditions, primary nucleation is slow, being facilitated by the presence of nucleation-active surfaces (heterogeneous nucleation). Under conditions of poor water activity, such as those found in the interior of protein droplets generated by liquid-liquid phase separation, however, the desolvation energy barrier is significantly reduced, and nucleation can occur very rapidly in the bulk of the solution (homogeneous nucleation), giving rise to structurally distinct amyloid polymorphs. Water, therefore, plays a key role in modulating the transition free energy of amyloid nucleation, thus governing the initiation of the process, and dictating the type of preferred primary nucleation and the type of amyloid polymorph generated, which could vary depending on the particular microenvironment that the protein molecules encounter in the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José D Camino
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR(CSIC), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
| | - Pablo Gracia
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR(CSIC), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR(CSIC), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Camino JD, Gracia P, Chen SW, Sot J, de la Arada I, Sebastián V, Arrondo JLR, Goñi FM, Dobson CM, Cremades N. The extent of protein hydration dictates the preference for heterogeneous or homogeneous nucleation generating either parallel or antiparallel β-sheet α-synuclein aggregates. Chem Sci 2020; 11:11902-11914. [PMID: 33520152 PMCID: PMC7816767 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc05297c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein amyloid self-assembly is the hallmark of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease, although there is still very limited understanding about the factors and mechanisms that trigger this process. Primary nucleation has been observed to be initiated in vitro at hydrophobic/hydrophilic interfaces by heterogeneous nucleation generating parallel β-sheet aggregates, although no such interfaces have yet been identified in vivo. In this work, we have discovered that α-synuclein can self-assemble into amyloid aggregates by homogeneous nucleation, without the need of an active surface, and with a preference for an antiparallel β-sheet arrangement. This particular structure has been previously proposed to be distinctive of stable toxic oligomers and we here demonstrate that it indeed represents the most stable structure of the preferred amyloid pathway triggered by homogeneous nucleation under limited hydration conditions, including those encountered inside α-synuclein droplets generated by liquid-liquid phase separation. In addition, our results highlight the key role that water plays not only in modulating the transition free energy of amyloid nucleation, and thus governing the initiation of the process, but also in dictating the type of preferred primary nucleation and the type of amyloid polymorph generated depending on the extent of protein hydration. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of in vivo α-synuclein aggregation where the protein can encounter a variety of hydration conditions in different cellular microenvironments, including the vicinity of lipid membranes or the interior of membraneless compartments, which could lead to the formation of remarkably different amyloid polymorphs by either heterogeneous or homogeneous nucleation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José D Camino
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC) , University of Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza , Spain .
| | - Pablo Gracia
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC) , University of Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza , Spain .
| | - Serene W Chen
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK
| | - Jesús Sot
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
| | - Igor de la Arada
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
| | - Víctor Sebastián
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) , CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza , 50009 Zaragoza , Spain
- Department of Chemical and Enviromental Engineering , Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragon) , University of Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza , Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine , CIBER-BBN , 28029 Madrid , Spain
| | - José L R Arrondo
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
| | - Félix M Goñi
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of the Basque Country , Campus Universitario, B. Sarriena , 48940 Leioa , Spain
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases , Department of Chemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1EW , UK
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC) , University of Zaragoza , 50018 Zaragoza , Spain .
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gracia P, Camino JD, Volpicelli-Daley L, Cremades N. Multiplicity of α-Synuclein Aggregated Species and Their Possible Roles in Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8043. [PMID: 33126694 PMCID: PMC7663424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [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: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein amyloid aggregation is a defining molecular feature of Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy, but can also be found in other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. The process of α-synuclein aggregation can be initiated through alternative nucleation mechanisms and dominated by different secondary processes giving rise to multiple amyloid polymorphs and intermediate species. Some aggregated species have more inherent abilities to induce cellular stress and toxicity, while others seem to be more potent in propagating neurodegeneration. The preference for particular types of polymorphs depends on the solution conditions and the cellular microenvironment that the protein encounters, which is likely related to the distinct cellular locations of α-synuclein inclusions in different synucleinopathies, and the existence of disease-specific amyloid polymorphs. In this review, we discuss our current understanding on the nature and structure of the various types of α-synuclein aggregated species and their possible roles in pathology. Precisely defining these distinct α-synuclein species will contribute to understanding the molecular origins of these disorders, developing accurate diagnoses, and designing effective therapeutic interventions for these highly debilitating neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Gracia
- Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC), Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (P.G.); (J.D.C.)
| | - José D. Camino
- Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC), Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (P.G.); (J.D.C.)
| | - Laura Volpicelli-Daley
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC), Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; (P.G.); (J.D.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Froula JM, Castellana-Cruz M, Anabtawi NM, Camino JD, Chen SW, Thrasher DR, Freire J, Yazdi AA, Fleming S, Dobson CM, Kumita JR, Cremades N, Volpicelli-Daley LA. Correction: Defining α-synuclein species responsible for Parkinson's disease phenotypes in mice. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1142. [PMID: 31980482 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.aac119.012485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
6
|
Froula JM, Castellana-Cruz M, Anabtawi NM, Camino JD, Chen SW, Thrasher DR, Freire J, Yazdi AA, Fleming S, Dobson CM, Kumita JR, Cremades N, Volpicelli-Daley LA. Correction: Defining α-synuclein species responsible for Parkinson's disease phenotypes in mice. J Biol Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)49921-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
7
|
Froula JM, Castellana-Cruz M, Anabtawi NM, Camino JD, Chen SW, Thrasher DR, Freire J, Yazdi AA, Fleming S, Dobson CM, Kumita JR, Cremades N, Volpicelli-Daley LA. Defining α-synuclein species responsible for Parkinson's disease phenotypes in mice. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:10392-10406. [PMID: 31142553 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [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: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by fibrillar neuronal inclusions composed of aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn). These inclusions are associated with behavioral and pathological PD phenotypes. One strategy for therapeutic interventions is to prevent the formation of these inclusions to halt disease progression. α-Synuclein exists in multiple structural forms, including disordered, nonamyloid oligomers, ordered amyloid oligomers, and fibrils. It is critical to understand which conformers contribute to specific PD phenotypes. Here, we utilized a mouse model to explore the pathological effects of stable β-amyloid-sheet oligomers compared with those of fibrillar α-synuclein. We biophysically characterized these species with transmission EM, atomic-force microscopy, CD spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation, and thioflavin T assays. We then injected these different α-synuclein forms into the mouse striatum to determine their ability to induce PD-related phenotypes. We found that β-sheet oligomers produce a small but significant loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Injection of small β-sheet fibril fragments, however, produced the most robust phenotypes, including reduction of striatal dopamine terminals, SNc loss of dopamine neurons, and motor-behavior defects. We conclude that although the β-sheet oligomers cause some toxicity, the potent effects of the short fibrillar fragments can be attributed to their ability to recruit monomeric α-synuclein and spread in vivo and hence contribute to the development of PD-like phenotypes. These results suggest that strategies to reduce the formation and propagation of β-sheet fibrillar species could be an important route for therapeutic intervention in PD and related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Froula
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Marta Castellana-Cruz
- the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom, and
| | - Nadia M Anabtawi
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - José D Camino
- the Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
| | - Serene W Chen
- the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom, and
| | - Drake R Thrasher
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Jennifer Freire
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Allen A Yazdi
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Sheila Fleming
- the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio 44272
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom, and
| | - Janet R Kumita
- the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom, and
| | - Nunilo Cremades
- the Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI)-Joint Unit BIFI-IQFR (CSIC), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain,
| | - Laura A Volpicelli-Daley
- From the Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294,
| |
Collapse
|