1
|
Di Natale C, Coppola S, Vespini V, Tkachenko V, Russo S, Luciani G, Vitiello G, Ferranti F, Mari S, Ferraro P, Maffettone PL, Grilli S. Highly sensitive detection of the neurodegenerative biomarker Tau by using the concentration effect of the pyro-electrohydrodynamic jetting. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 254:116234. [PMID: 38522234 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116234] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
It is largely documented that neurodegenerative diseases can be effectively treated only if early diagnosed. In this context, the structural changes of some biomolecules such as Tau, seem to play a key role in neurodegeneration mechanism becoming eligible targets for an early diagnosis. Post-translational modifications are responsible to drive the Tau protein towards a transition phase from a native disorder conformation into a preaggregation state, which then straight recruits the final fibrillization process. Here, we show for the first time the detection of pre-aggregated Tau in artificial urine at femto-molar level, through the concentration effect of the pyro-electrohydrodynamic jet (p-jet) technique. An excellent linear calibration curve is demonstrated at the femto-molar level with a limit of detection (LOD) of 130 fM. Moreover, for the first time we show here the structure stability of the protein after p-jet application through a deep spectroscopic investigation. Thanks to the small volumes required and the relatively compact and cost-effective characteristics, this technique represents an innovative breakthrough in monitoring the early stage associated to neurodegeneration syndromes in different scenarios of point of care (POC) and such as for example in long-term human space exploration missions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Concetta Di Natale
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy.
| | - Sara Coppola
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy
| | - Veronica Vespini
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy
| | - Volodymyr Tkachenko
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy
| | - Simone Russo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Center for Colloid and Surface Science (CSGI), Via Della Lastruccia, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, 80078, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Mari
- Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Via Del Politecnico snc, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Ferraro
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy
| | - Pier Luca Maffettone
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy
| | - Simonetta Grilli
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Dei Materiali e Della Produzione Industriale (DICMaPI), Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pozzuoli, NA, 80078, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Böken D, Cox D, Burke M, Lam JYL, Katsinelos T, Danial JSH, Fertan E, McEwan WA, Rowe JB, Klenerman D. Single-Molecule Characterization and Super-Resolution Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease-Relevant Tau Aggregates in Human Samples. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202317756. [PMID: 38523073 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202317756] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of the protein tau play key roles in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the molecular structure of the filamentous tau aggregates has been determined to atomic resolution, there is far less information available about the smaller, soluble aggregates, which are believed to be more toxic. Traditional techniques are limited to bulk measures and struggle to identify individual aggregates in complex biological samples. To address this, we developed a novel single-molecule pull-down-based assay (MAPTau) to detect and characterize individual tau aggregates in AD and control post-mortem brain and biofluids. Using MAPTau, we report the quantity, as well as the size and circularity of tau aggregates measured using super-resolution microscopy, revealing AD-specific differences in tau aggregate morphology. By adapting MAPTau to detect multiple phosphorylation markers in individual aggregates using two-color coincidence detection, we derived compositional profiles of the individual aggregates. We find an AD-specific phosphorylation profile of tau aggregates with more than 80 % containing multiple phosphorylations, compared to 5 % in age-matched non-AD controls. Our results show that MAPTau is able to identify disease-specific subpopulations of tau aggregates phosphorylated at different sites, that are invisible to other methods and enable the study of disease mechanisms and diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dezerae Cox
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Melanie Burke
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hou K, Pan H, Shahpasand-Kroner H, Hu C, Abskharon R, Seidler P, Mekkittikul M, Balbirnie M, Lantz C, Sawaya MR, Dolinsky JL, Jones M, Zuo X, Loo JA, Frautschy S, Cole G, Eisenberg DS. D-peptide-magnetic nanoparticles fragment tau fibrils and rescue behavioral deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadl2991. [PMID: 38691615 PMCID: PMC11062580 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2991] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils of tau are increasingly accepted as a cause of neuronal death and brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Diminishing tau aggregation is a promising strategy in the search for efficacious AD therapeutics. Previously, our laboratory designed a six-residue, nonnatural amino acid inhibitor D-TLKIVW peptide (6-DP), which can prevent tau aggregation in vitro. However, it cannot block cell-to-cell transmission of tau aggregation. Here, we find D-TLKIVWC (7-DP), a d-cysteine extension of 6-DP, not only prevents tau aggregation but also fragments tau fibrils extracted from AD brains to neutralize their seeding ability and protect neuronal cells from tau-induced toxicity. To facilitate the transport of 7-DP across the blood-brain barrier, we conjugated it to magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The MNPs-DP complex retains the inhibition and fragmentation properties of 7-DP alone. Ten weeks of MNPs-DP treatment appear to reverse neurological deficits in the PS19 mouse model of AD. This work offers a direction for development of therapies to target tau fibrils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Hou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hope Pan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedieh Shahpasand-Kroner
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Romany Abskharon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul Seidler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marisa Mekkittikul
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melinda Balbirnie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carter Lantz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R. Sawaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua L. Dolinsky
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mychica Jones
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Zuo
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph A. Loo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sally Frautschy
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Greg Cole
- Department of Neurology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research and Clinical Core, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zheng H, Sun H, Cai Q, Tai HC. The Enigma of Tau Protein Aggregation: Mechanistic Insights and Future Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4969. [PMID: 38732197 PMCID: PMC11084794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094969] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau protein misfolding and aggregation are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and over twenty neurodegenerative disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of tau aggregation in vivo remain incompletely understood. There are two types of tau aggregates in the brain: soluble aggregates (oligomers and protofibrils) and insoluble filaments (fibrils). Compared to filamentous aggregates, soluble aggregates are more toxic and exhibit prion-like transmission, providing seeds for templated misfolding. Curiously, in its native state, tau is a highly soluble, heat-stable protein that does not form fibrils by itself, not even when hyperphosphorylated. In vitro studies have found that negatively charged molecules such as heparin, RNA, or arachidonic acid are generally required to induce tau aggregation. Two recent breakthroughs have provided new insights into tau aggregation mechanisms. First, as an intrinsically disordered protein, tau is found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) both in vitro and inside cells. Second, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed diverse fibrillar tau conformations associated with different neurodegenerative disorders. Nonetheless, only the fibrillar core is structurally resolved, and the remainder of the protein appears as a "fuzzy coat". From this review, it appears that further studies are required (1) to clarify the role of LLPS in tau aggregation; (2) to unveil the structural features of soluble tau aggregates; (3) to understand the involvement of fuzzy coat regions in oligomer and fibril formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hwan-Ching Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Crha R, Kozeleková A, Hofrová A, Iľkovičová L, Gašparik N, Kadeřávek P, Hritz J. Hiding in plain sight: Complex interaction patterns between Tau and 14-3-3ζ protein variants. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 266:130802. [PMID: 38492709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130802] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein is an intrinsically disordered protein that plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In brains of AD patients, Tau occurs abnormally phosphorylated and aggregated in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Together with Tau, 14-3-3 proteins - abundant cytosolic dimeric proteins - were found colocalized in the NFTs. However, so far, the molecular mechanism of the process leading to pathological changes in Tau structure as well as the direct involvement of 14-3-3 proteins are not well understood. Here, we aimed to reveal the effects of phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA) on Tau structural preferences and provide better insight into the interaction between Tau and 14-3-3 proteins. We also addressed the impact of monomerization-inducing phosphorylation of 14-3-3 at S58 on the binding to Tau protein. Using multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), chemical cross-linking analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS) and PAGE, we unveiled differences in their binding affinity, stoichiometry, and interfaces with single-residue resolution. We revealed that the interaction between 14-3-3 and Tau proteins is mediated not only via the 14-3-3 amphipathic binding grooves, but also via less specific interactions with 14-3-3 protein surface and, in the case of monomeric 14-3-3, also partially via the exposed dimeric interface. In addition, the hyperphosphorylation of Tau changes its affinity to 14-3-3 proteins. In conclusion, we propose quite complex interaction mode between the Tau and 14-3-3 proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radek Crha
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Aneta Kozeleková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hofrová
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Iľkovičová
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Norbert Gašparik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Kadeřávek
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Hritz
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zou Y, Guan L, Tan J, Qi B, Sun Y, Huang F, Zhang Q. Molecular Insights into the Differential Effects of Acetylation on the Aggregation of Tau Microtubule-Binding Repeats. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3386-3399. [PMID: 38489841 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01929] [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: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Aggregation of tau protein into intracellular fibrillary inclusions is characterized as the hallmark of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The microtubule-binding (MTB) domain of tau, containing either three or four repeats with sequence similarities, plays an important role in determining tau's aggregation. Previous studies have reported that abnormal acetylation of lysine residues displays a distinct effect on the formation of pathological tau aggregates. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains mostly elusive. In this study, we performed extensive replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulations of 144 μs in total to systematically investigate the dimerization of four tau MTB repeats and explore the impacts of Lys280 (K280) or Lys321 (K321) acetylation on the conformational ensembles of the R2 or R3 dimer. Our results show that R3 is the most prone to aggregation among the four repeats, followed by R2 and R4, while R1 displays the weakest aggregation propensity with a disordered structure. Acetylation of K280 could promote the aggregation of R2 peptides by increasing the formation of β-sheet structures and strengthening the interchain interaction. However, K321 acetylation decreases the β-sheet content of the R3 dimer, reduces the ability of R3 peptides to form long β-strands, and promotes the stable helix structure formation. The salt bridge and Y310-Y310 π-π stacking interactions of the R3 dimer are greatly weakened by K321 acetylation, resulting in the inhibition of dimerization. This study uncovers the structural ensembles of tau MTB repeats and provides mechanistic insights into the influences of acetylation on tau aggregation, which may deepen the understanding of the pathogenesis of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Lulu Guan
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Jingwang Tan
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Bote Qi
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Yunxiang Sun
- Department of Physics, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Fengjuan Huang
- Ningbo Institute of Innovation for Combined Medicine and Engineering (NIIME), Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Stroganova I, Willenberg H, Tente T, Depraz Depland A, Bakels S, Rijs AM. Exploring the Aggregation Propensity of PHF6 Peptide Segments of the Tau Protein Using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Techniques. Anal Chem 2024; 96:5115-5124. [PMID: 38517679 PMCID: PMC10993201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04974] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Peptide and protein aggregation involves the formation of oligomeric species, but the complex interplay between oligomers of different conformations and sizes complicates their structural elucidation. Using ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS), we aim to reveal these early steps of aggregation for the Ac-PHF6-NH2 peptide segment from tau protein, thereby distinguishing between different oligomeric species and gaining an understanding of the aggregation pathway. An important factor that is often neglected, but which can alter the aggregation propensity of peptides, is the terminal capping groups. Here, we demonstrate the use of IM-MS to probe the early stages of aggregate formation of Ac-PHF6-NH2, Ac-PHF6, PHF6-NH2, and uncapped PHF6 peptide segments. The aggregation propensity of the four PHF6 segments is confirmed using thioflavin T fluorescence assays and transmission electron microscopy. A novel approach based on post-IM fragmentation and quadrupole selection on the TIMS-Qq-ToF (trapped ion mobility) spectrometer was developed to enhance oligomer assignment, especially for the higher-order aggregates. This approach pushes the limits of IM identification of isobaric species, whose signatures appear closer to each other with increasing oligomer size, and provides new insights into the interpretation of IM-MS data. In addition, TIMS collision cross section values are compared with traveling wave ion mobility (TWIMS) data to evaluate potential instrumental bias in the trapped ion mobility results. The two IM-MS instrumental platforms are based on different ion mobility principles and have different configurations, thereby providing us with valuable insight into the preservation of weakly bound biomolecular complexes such as peptide aggregates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Stroganova
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah Willenberg
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Thaleia Tente
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Agathe Depraz Depland
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Sjors Bakels
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk M. Rijs
- Division
of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Salmani F, Mohammadi M, Seif R, Khatami SH, Noori S, Tehrani HS, Riazi G, Balalaie S, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Fard AM, Mahnam K, Keramatinia A, Tafakhori A, Aghamollaii V, Toutounchi AH, Shahmohammadi MR, Karima S. Lysine ε-aminolysis and incorporation of sulfhydryl groups into human brain tau 4R/1N and 306VQIVYK 311 enhances the formation of beta structures and toxicity. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130223. [PMID: 38365146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130223] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated the effects of N-homocysteine thiolactone (tHcy) modification on expressed and purified tau protein and the synthesized VQIVYK target peptide. The modified constructs were subjected to comprehensive validation using various methodologies, including mass spectrometry. Subsequently, in vivo, in vitro, and in silico characterizations were performed under both reducing and non-reducing conditions, as well as in the presence and absence of heparin as a cofactor. Our results unequivocally confirmed that under reducing conditions and in the presence of heparin, the modified constructs exhibited a greater propensity for aggregation. This enhanced aggregative behavior can be attributed to the disruption of lysine positive charges and the subsequent influence of hydrophobic and p-stacking intermolecular forces. Notably, the modified oligomeric species induced apoptosis in the SH-SY5Y cell line, and this effect was further exacerbated with longer incubation times and higher concentrations of the modifier. These observations suggest a potential mechanism involving reactive oxygen species (ROS). To gain a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the neurotoxic effects, further investigations are warranted. Elucidating these mechanisms will contribute to the development of more effective strategies to counteract aggregation and mitigate neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Salmani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjan Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roozbeh Seif
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyyed Hossein Khatami
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Shokoofeh Noori
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Gholamhossein Riazi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Balalaie
- Peptide Chemistry Research Center, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Karim Mahnam
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Nanotechnology Research Center, Sharekord University, Sharekord, Iran
| | - Aliasghar Keramatinia
- Department of Community Medicine,Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Tafakhori
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Vajiheh Aghamollaii
- Neurology Department, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Haghbin Toutounchi
- Department of general surgery, Imam Hosein medical and educational center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Shahmohammadi
- Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Karima
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mortelecque J, Zejneli O, Bégard S, Simões MC, ElHajjar L, Nguyen M, Cantrelle FX, Hanoulle X, Rain JC, Colin M, Gomes CM, Buée L, Landrieu I, Danis C, Dupré E. A selection and optimization strategy for single-domain antibodies targeting the PHF6 linear peptide within the tau intrinsically disordered protein. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107163. [PMID: 38484799 PMCID: PMC11007443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107163] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of variable domain of the heavy-chain of the heavy-chain-only antibodies (VHHs) as disease-modifying biomolecules in neurodegenerative disorders holds promises, including targeting of aggregation-sensitive proteins. Exploitation of their clinical values depends however on the capacity to deliver VHHs with optimal physico-chemical properties for their specific context of use. We described previously a VHH with high therapeutic potential in a family of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. The activity of this promising parent VHH named Z70 relies on its binding within the central region of the tau protein. Accordingly, we carried out random mutagenesis followed by yeast two-hybrid screening to obtain optimized variants. The VHHs selected from this initial screen targeted the same epitope as VHH Z70 as shown using NMR spectroscopy and had indeed improved binding affinities according to dissociation constant values obtained by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. The improved affinities can be partially rationalized based on three-dimensional structures and NMR data of three complexes consisting of an optimized VHH and a peptide containing the tau epitope. Interestingly, the ability of the VHH variants to inhibit tau aggregation and seeding could not be predicted from their affinity alone. We indeed showed that the in vitro and in cellulo VHH stabilities are other limiting key factors to their efficacy. Our results demonstrate that only a complete pipeline of experiments, here described, permits a rational selection of optimized VHH variants, resulting in the selection of VHH variants with higher affinities and/or acting against tau seeding in cell models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine Mortelecque
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Orgeta Zejneli
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Séverine Bégard
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Margarida C Simões
- BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lea ElHajjar
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Marine Nguyen
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | - Xavier Hanoulle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
| | | | - Morvane Colin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Cláudio M Gomes
- BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France.
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
| | - Clément Danis
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wenger K, Viode A, Kumar M, Steen H, Steen JA. Quantitative profiling of posttranslational modifications of pathological tau via sarkosyl fractionation and mass spectrometry. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1235-1251. [PMID: 38291250 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00939-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein aggregation is associated with posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in 75% of all dementia cases. The distribution of tau pathology and the presence of specific tau phosphorylation sites of interest are typically visualized and measured using antibodies. However, previous knowledge of the target epitopes is required. Additionally, antibodies can be used in a semi-quantitative manner but cannot be used to determine the absolute amount of tau or the extent of the modifications at specific sites or domains. Here we present a discovery assay that characterizes the global qualitative and quantitative tau modification landscape of a sample without a priori knowledge. Our workflow uses sarkosyl fractionation to extract the pathological tau species from sample-limited brain specimens, followed by mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize and quantify tau PTMs. The two-step MS-based proteomics approach includes an exploratory tau PTM analysis and a targeted full-length expressed stable isotope-labeled tau assay, which monitors specific unmodified tau peptides using a heavy isotope-labeled internal standard as a reference. This enables the absolute quantification of the respective tau peptides and the total tau amount in the sample, thus providing the modification extent of tau PTMs. This approach provides precise, comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative tau PTM profiling of the sample. It also enables the detailed molecular comparison of tau across multiple experiments, including a comparison between neurodegenerative diseases, stages of the disease, human patient heterogeneity and characterization of animal models. The approach is useful for studying the molecular features of pathological tau in neurodegeneration. The procedure requires 7-8 d and is suitable for users with expertise in targeted and untargeted MS-based protein analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Wenger
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arthur Viode
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hanno Steen
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neurobiology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judith A Steen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abasi LS, Elathram N, Movva M, Deep A, Corbett KD, Debelouchina GT. Phosphorylation regulates tau's phase separation behavior and interactions with chromatin. Commun Biol 2024; 7:251. [PMID: 38429335 PMCID: PMC10907630 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05920-4] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein often found in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Beyond this context, mounting evidence suggests that tau localizes into the nucleus, where it may play a role in DNA protection and heterochromatin regulation. The molecular mechanisms behind these observations are currently unclear. Using in vitro biophysical experiments, here we demonstrate that tau can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with DNA, mononucleosomes, and reconstituted nucleosome arrays under low salt conditions. Low concentrations of tau promote chromatin compaction and protect DNA from digestion. While the material state of samples at physiological salt is dominated by chromatin oligomerization, tau can still associate strongly and reversibly with nucleosome arrays. These properties are driven by tau's strong interactions with linker and nucleosomal DNA. In addition, tau co-localizes into droplets formed by nucleosome arrays and phosphorylated HP1α, a key heterochromatin constituent thought to function through an LLPS mechanism. Importantly, LLPS and chromatin interactions are disrupted by aberrant tau hyperphosphorylation. These biophysical properties suggest that tau may directly impact DNA and chromatin accessibility and that loss of these interactions could contribute to the aberrant nuclear effects seen in tau pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lannah S Abasi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nesreen Elathram
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Manasi Movva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Amar Deep
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kevin D Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Galia T Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ashrafi-Kooshk MR, Norouzi F, Zare Karizak A, Ahmadian S, Moosavi-Movahedi AA, Riazi G. Crosstalk between tau protein autoproteolysis and amyloid fibril formation. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129953. [PMID: 38325678 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129953] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Tau cleavage has been shown to have a significant effect on protein aggregation. Tau truncation results in the formation of aggregation-prone fragments leading to toxic aggregates and also causes the formation of harmful fragments that do not aggregate. Thus, targeting proteolysis of tau would be beneficial for the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. In this study, amino-terminal quantification and ThT fluorimetry were respectively used to analyze the kinetics of tau fragmentation and fibril formation. SDS-PAGE analysis of tau protein incubated with a disulfide-reducing agent demonstrated that the cysteines of tau have a crucial role in the fibrillation and autoproteolysis. However, the structures converted to amyloid fibrils were different with conformations that led to autoproteolysis. The quantification of the amino terminal indicated that the double-disulfide parallel structures formed in the presence of heparin did not have protease activity. The survey of possible tau disulfide-mediated dimer configurations suggested that the non-register single disulfide bound conformations were involved in the tau autoproteolysis process. Moreover, the inhibition of autoproteolysis resulted in the increment of aggregation rate; hence it seems that the tau auto-cleavage is the cellular defense mechanism against protein fibrillation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatemeh Norouzi
- Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ashkan Zare Karizak
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Ahmadian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Gholamhossein Riazi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
De Leiris N, Perret P, Lombardi C, Gözel B, Chierici S, Millet P, Debiossat M, Bacot S, Tournier BB, Chames P, Lenormand JL, Ghezzi C, Fagret D, Moulin M. A single-domain antibody for the detection of pathological Tau protein in the early stages of oligomerization. J Transl Med 2024; 22:163. [PMID: 38365700 PMCID: PMC10870657 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04987-1] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soluble oligomeric forms of Tau protein have emerged as crucial players in the propagation of Tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our objective is to introduce a single-domain antibody (sdAb) named 2C5 as a novel radiotracer for the efficient detection and longitudinal monitoring of oligomeric Tau species in the human brain. METHODS The development and production of 2C5 involved llama immunization with the largest human Tau isoform oligomers of different maturation states. Subsequently, 2C5 underwent comprehensive in vitro characterization for affinity and specificity via Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and immunohistochemistry on human brain slices. Technetium-99m was employed to radiolabel 2C5, followed by its administration to healthy mice for biodistribution analysis. RESULTS 2C5 exhibited robust binding affinity towards Tau oligomers (Kd = 6.280 nM ± 0.557) and to Tau fibers (Kd = 5.024 nM ± 0.453), with relatively weaker binding observed for native Tau protein (Kd = 1791 nM ± 8.714) and amyloid peptide (Kd > 10,000 nM). Remarkably, this SdAb facilitated immuno-histological labeling of pathological forms of Tau in neurons and neuritic plaques, yielding a high-contrast outcome in AD patients, closely mirroring the performance of reference antibodies AT8 and T22. Furthermore, 2C5 SdAb was successfully radiolabeled with 99mTc, preserving stability for up to 6 h post-radiolabeling (radiochemical purity > 93%). However, following intravenous injection into healthy mice, the predominant uptake occurred in kidneys, amounting to 115.32 ± 3.67, 97.70 ± 43.14 and 168.20 ± 34.52% of injected dose per gram (% ID/g) at 5, 10 and 45 min respectively. Conversely, brain uptake remained minimal at all measured time points, registering at 0.17 ± 0.03, 0.12 ± 0.07 and 0.02 ± 0.01% ID/g at 5, 10 and 45 min post-injection respectively. CONCLUSION 2C5 demonstrates excellent affinity and specificity for pathological Tau oligomers, particularly in their early stages of oligomerization. However, the current limitation of insufficient blood-brain barrier penetration necessitates further modifications before considering its application in nuclear medicine imaging for humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas De Leiris
- University Grenoble Alpes, Clinique Universitaire de Médecine Nucléaire, INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble Alpes, LRB, CS 10217, 38043, Grenoble CEDEX 9, France.
| | - Pascale Perret
- University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Bülent Gözel
- University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Sabine Chierici
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Millet
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Sandrine Bacot
- University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Benjamin B Tournier
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Chames
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Daniel Fagret
- University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Marcelle Moulin
- University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Jos S, Poulose R, Kambaru A, Gogoi H, Dalavaikodihalli Nanjaiah N, Padmanabhan B, Mehta B, Padavattan S. Tau-S214 Phosphorylation Inhibits Fyn Kinase Interaction and Increases the Decay Time of NMDAR-mediated Current. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168445. [PMID: 38218365 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168445] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Fyn kinase SH3 domain interaction with PXXP motif in the Tau protein is implicated in AD pathology and is central to NMDAR function. Among seven PXXP motifs localized in proline-rich domain of Tau protein, tandem 5th and 6th PXXP motifs are critical to Fyn-SH3 domain interaction. Here, we report the crystal structure of Fyn-SH3 -Tau (207-221) peptide consisting of 5th and 6th PXXP motif complex to 1.01 Å resolution. Among five AD-specific phosphorylation sites encompassing the 5th and 6th PXXP motifs, only S214 residue showed interaction with SH3 domain. Biophysical studies showed that Tau (207-221) with S214-phosphorylation (pS214) inhibits its interaction with Fyn-SH3 domain. The individual administration of Tau (207-221) with/without pS214 peptides to a single neuron increased the decay time of evoked NMDA current response. Recordings of spontaneous NMDA EPSCs at +40 mV indicate an increase in frequency and amplitude of events for the Tau (207-221) peptide. Conversely, the Tau (207-221) with pS214 peptide exhibited a noteworthy amplitude increase alongside a prolonged decay time. These outcomes underscore the distinctive modalities of action associated with each peptide in the study. Overall, this study provides insights into how Tau (207-221) with/without pS214 affects the molecular framework of NMDAR signaling, indicating its involvement in Tau-related pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Jos
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Roshni Poulose
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Archanalakshmi Kambaru
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Hemanga Gogoi
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | | | - Balasundaram Padmanabhan
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Bhupesh Mehta
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India.
| | - Sivaraman Padavattan
- Department of Biophysics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Louros N, Wilkinson M, Tsaka G, Ramakers M, Morelli C, Garcia T, Gallardo R, D'Haeyer S, Goossens V, Audenaert D, Thal DR, Mackenzie IR, Rademakers R, Ranson NA, Radford SE, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J. Local structural preferences in shaping tau amyloid polymorphism. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1028. [PMID: 38310108 PMCID: PMC10838331 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45429-2] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies encompass a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by diverse tau amyloid fibril structures. The persistence of polymorphism across tauopathies suggests that distinct pathological conditions dictate the adopted polymorph for each disease. However, the extent to which intrinsic structural tendencies of tau amyloid cores contribute to fibril polymorphism remains uncertain. Using a combination of experimental approaches, we here identify a new amyloidogenic motif, PAM4 (Polymorphic Amyloid Motif of Repeat 4), as a significant contributor to tau polymorphism. Calculation of per-residue contributions to the stability of the fibril cores of different pathologic tau structures suggests that PAM4 plays a central role in preserving structural integrity across amyloid polymorphs. Consistent with this, cryo-EM structural analysis of fibrils formed from a synthetic PAM4 peptide shows that the sequence adopts alternative structures that closely correspond to distinct disease-associated tau strains. Furthermore, in-cell experiments revealed that PAM4 deletion hampers the cellular seeding efficiency of tau aggregates extracted from Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy patients, underscoring PAM4's pivotal role in these tauopathies. Together, our results highlight the importance of the intrinsic structural propensity of amyloid core segments to determine the structure of tau in cells, and in propagating amyloid structures in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Louros
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Martin Wilkinson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Grigoria Tsaka
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Meine Ramakers
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chiara Morelli
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Teresa Garcia
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo Gallardo
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sam D'Haeyer
- VIB Screening Core, Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Vera Goossens
- VIB Screening Core, Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Audenaert
- VIB Screening Core, Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for Bioassay Development and Screening (C-BIOS), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, KU Leuven, and Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ian R Mackenzie
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- Applied and Translational Neurogenomics, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Neil A Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lasorsa A, Merzougui H, Cantrelle FX, Sicoli G, Dupré E, Hanoulle X, Belle V, Smet-Nocca C, Landrieu I. Magnetic resonance investigation of conformational responses of tau protein to specific phosphorylation. Biophys Chem 2024; 305:107155. [PMID: 38100856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107155] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are known to adopt many rapidly interconverting structures, making it difficult to pinpoint the specific conformational states that are relevant for their function. Tau is an important IDP, and its conformation is known to be affected by post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation. To investigate the effect of specific phosphorylation on full-length Tau's dynamic global conformation, we employed a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance-based paramagnetic relaxation interference methods and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. By reproducing the AT8 epitope, comprising exclusive phosphorylation at residues S202 and T205, we were able to identify conformations specific to phosphorylated Tau, which exhibited a tendency towards less compact states. These mechanistic details are of significance to understand the path leading from soluble Tau to the ordered structure of Tau fibers. This approach proved to be successful for studying the conformational changes of (phosphorylated) full-length Tau and can potentially be extended to the study of other IDPs that undergo various PTMs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Lasorsa
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.; CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Hamida Merzougui
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Giuseppe Sicoli
- Univ. Lille, CNRS UMR 8516 - LASIRE - Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Xavier Hanoulle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Valérie Belle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP - Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Malhis M, Funke SA. Mirror-Image Phage Display for the Selection of D-Amino Acid Peptide Ligands as Potential Therapeutics. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e957. [PMID: 38372457 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.957] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), endogenous proteins or peptides aggregate with themselves. These proteins may lose their function or aggregates and/or oligomers can obtain toxicity, causing injury or death to cells. Aggregation of two major proteins characterizes AD. Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is deposited in amyloid plaques within the extracellular space of the brain and Tau in so-called neurofibrillary tangles in neurons. Finding peptide ligands to halt protein aggregation is a promising therapeutical approach. Using mirror-image phage display with a commercially available, randomized 12-mer peptide library, we have selected D-amino acid peptides, which bind to the Tau protein and modulate its aggregation in vitro. Peptides can bind specifically and selectively to a target molecule, but natural L-amino acid peptides may have crucial disadvantages for in vivo applications, as they are sensitive to protease degradation and may elicit immune responses. One strategy to circumvent these disadvantages is the use of non-naturally occurring D-amino acid peptides as they exhibit increased protease resistance and generally do not activate the immune system. To perform mirror-image phage display, the target protein needs to be synthesized as D-amino acid version. If the target protein sequence is too long to be synthesized properly, smaller peptides derived from the full length protein can be used for the selection process. This also offers the possibility to influence the binding region of the selected D-peptides in the full-length target protein. Here we provide the protocols for mirror-image phage display selection on the PHF6* peptide of Tau, based on the commercially available Ph.D.™-12 Phage Display Peptide Library Kit, leading to D-peptides that also bind the full length Tau protein (Tau441), next to PHF6*. In addition, we provide protocols and data for the first characterization of those D-peptides that inhibit Tau aggregation in vitro. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Mirror image phage display selection against D-PHF6* fibrils Support Protocol 1: Single phage ELISA Basic Protocol 2: Sequencing and D-peptide generation Basic Protocol 3: Thioflavin-T (ThT) test to control inhibition of Tau aggregation Support Protocol 2: Purification of full-length Tau protein Basic Protocol 4: ELISA to demonstrate the binding of the generated D-peptides to PHF6* and full-length Tau fibrils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Malhis
- Institut für Bioanalytik, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Coburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Aileen Funke
- Institut für Bioanalytik, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Coburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tang J, Sun R, Wan J, Xu Z, Zou Y, Zhang Q. Atomic insights into the inhibition of R3 domain of tau protein by epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin and gallic acid. Biophys Chem 2024; 305:107142. [PMID: 38088006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107142] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Inhibiting tau protein aggregation has become a prospective avenue for the therapeutic development of tauopathies. The third microtubule-binding repeat (R3) domain of tau is confirmed as the most aggregation-favorable fragment of the whole protein. As dimerization is the first step of the aggregation of tau into amyloid fibrils, impeding the dimerization of the R3 domain is critical to prevent the full-length tau aggregation. Natural polyphenol small molecules epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), quercetin (QE) and gallic acid (GA) are proven to inhibit the aggregation of the full-length recombinant tau (For EGCG and QE) or the R3 domain (For GA) of tau in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the inhibitive effects on the R3 domain of tau remain largely unknown. In this study, we conducted numerous all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on R3 dimers with and without EGCG, QE or GA, respectively. The results reveal that all three molecules can effectively decrease the β structure composition of the R3 dimer, induce the dimer to adopt loosely-packed conformations, and weaken interchain interactions, thus impeding the dimerization of the R3 peptide chains. The specific preferentially binding sites for the three molecules exhibit similarities and differences. Hydrophobic, π-π stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions collectively drive EGCG, QE and GA respectively binding on the R3 dimer, while QE also binds with the dimer through cation-π interaction. Given the incurable nature of tauopathies hitherto, our research provides helpful knowledge for the development of drugs to treat tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiqing Sun
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengdong Xu
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Tang J, Sun R, Wan J, Zou Y, Zhang Q. Molecular mechanisms involved in the destabilization of two types of R3-R4 tau fibrils associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy by Fisetin. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:3322-3334. [PMID: 38197437 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05427f] [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: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative tauopathy pathologically characterized by fibrillary tau aggregates in the depth of sulci. Clearing fibrous tau aggregates is considered a promising strategy in the treatment of CTE. Fisetin (FS), a natural polyphenolic small molecule, was confirmed to disassociate the tau filaments in vitro. However, the molecular mechanisms of FS in destabilizing the CTE-related R3-R4 tau fibrils remain largely unknown. In this study, we compared the atomic-level structural differences of the two types of CTE-related R3-R4 tau fibrils and explored the influence and molecular mechanisms of FS on the two types of fibrils by conducting multiple molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results reveal that the type 1 fibril displays higher structural stability than the type 2 fibril, with a lower root-mean-square-fluctuation value and higher β-sheet structure probability. FS can destabilize both types of fibrils by decreasing the β-sheet structure content, interrupting the mainchain H-bond network, and increasing the solvent accessible surface area and β7-β8 angle of the fibrils. H-bonding, π-π stacking and cation-π are the common interactions driving FS molecules binding on the two types of fibrils, while the hydrophobic interaction occurs only in the type 2 fibril. Due to the relatively short simulation time, our study captures the early molecular mechanisms. However, it does provide beneficial information for the design of drugs to prevent or treat CTE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ruiqing Sun
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Glynn C, Chun JE, Donahue CC, Nadler MJS, Fan Z, Hyman BT. Reconstitution of the Alzheimer's Disease Tau Core Structure from Recombinant Tau 297-391 Yields Variable Quaternary Structures as Seen by Negative Stain and Cryo-EM. Biochemistry 2024; 63:194-201. [PMID: 38154792 PMCID: PMC10795186 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00425] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The protein tau misfolds into disease-specific fibrillar structures in more than 20 neurodegenerative diseases collectively referred to as tauopathies. To understand and prevent disease-specific mechanisms of filament formation, in vitro models for aggregation that robustly yield these different end point structures will be necessary. Here, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to reconstruct fibril polymorphs taken on by residues 297-391 of tau under conditions previously shown to give rise to the core structure found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While we were able to reconstitute the AD tau core fold, the proportion of these paired helical filaments (PHFs) was highly variable, and a majority of filaments were composed of PHFs with an additional identical C-shaped protofilament attached near the PHF interface, termed triple helical filaments (THFs). Since the impact of filament layer quaternary structure on the biological properties of tau and other amyloid filaments is not known, the applications for samples of this morphology are presently uncertain. We further demonstrate the variation in the proportion of PHFs and PHF-like fibrils compared to other morphologies as a function of shaking time and AD polymorph-favoring cofactor concentration. This variation in polymorph abundance, even under identical experimental conditions, highlights the variation that can arise both within a lab and in different laboratory settings when reconstituting specific fibril polymorphs in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calina Glynn
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joshua E. Chun
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cameron C. Donahue
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Monica J. S. Nadler
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Li X, Chen Y, Yang Z, Zhang S, Wei G, Zhang L. Structural insights into the co-aggregation of Aβ and tau amyloid core peptides: Revealing potential pathological heterooligomers by simulations. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127841. [PMID: 37924907 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127841] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
The self-aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau proteins are closely implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence indicates that Aβ and tau proteins can cross-interact to form co-aggregates, which aggravates the development of AD. However, their transient heterooligomer conformations and co-aggregation molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Herein, we utilize replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the conformational ensembles formed by the central hydrophobic core of Aβ (Aβ16-22) and each of two fibril-nucleating core segments of tau (PHF6* and PHF6). Both PHF6 and PHF6* are found to co-aggregate with Aβ16-22 into β-sheet-rich heterooligomers. Intriguingly, PHF6 and Aβ16-22 peptides formed closed β-barrels, while PHF6* and Aβ16-22 formed open β-barrels, implying their distinct co-aggregation property. Compared to Aβ16-22-PHF6*, Aβ16-22-PHF6 heterooligomers have higher β-sheet content, and contain longer β-strands and larger β-sheets, indicative of stronger co-aggregation ability of PHF6 with Aβ16-22. Further analyses reveal that hydrophobic and π-π stacking interactions between Y310 of PHF6 and Aβ16-22 are crucial for the closed β-barrel/larger β-sheet formation in Aβ16-22-PHF6 heterooligomers. These results highlight the paramount importance of PHF6 fragment, particularly Y310 residue, as a potential target for inhibiting Aβ-tau co-aggregation, which could help for effective therapeutic design in mitigating Aβ-tau co-aggregation related amyloidogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuhua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Road, Xi'an 710049, China; State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yujie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhiwei Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Road, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Road, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China..
| | - Lei Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 West Xianning Road, Xi'an 710049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lövestam S, Li D, Wagstaff JL, Kotecha A, Kimanius D, McLaughlin SH, Murzin AG, Freund SMV, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Disease-specific tau filaments assemble via polymorphic intermediates. Nature 2024; 625:119-125. [PMID: 38030728 PMCID: PMC10764278 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06788-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Intermediate species in the assembly of amyloid filaments are believed to play a central role in neurodegenerative diseases and may constitute important targets for therapeutic intervention1,2. However, structural information about intermediate species has been scarce and the molecular mechanisms by which amyloids assemble remain largely unknown. Here we use time-resolved cryogenic electron microscopy to study the in vitro assembly of recombinant truncated tau (amino acid residues 297-391) into paired helical filaments of Alzheimer's disease or into filaments of chronic traumatic encephalopathy3. We report the formation of a shared first intermediate amyloid filament, with an ordered core comprising residues 302-316. Nuclear magnetic resonance indicates that the same residues adopt rigid, β-strand-like conformations in monomeric tau. At later time points, the first intermediate amyloid disappears and we observe many different intermediate amyloid filaments, with structures that depend on the reaction conditions. At the end of both assembly reactions, most intermediate amyloids disappear and filaments with the same ordered cores as those from human brains remain. Our results provide structural insights into the processes of primary and secondary nucleation of amyloid assembly, with implications for the design of new therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Li
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Abhay Kotecha
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Alonso ADC, El Idrissi A, Candia R, Morozova V, Kleiman FE. Tau: More than a microtubule-binding protein in neurons. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:71-77. [PMID: 37819542 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21795] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Tau protein was discovered as a microtubule-associated protein nearly 50 years ago, and our understanding of tau has revolved around that role. Even with tau's rise to stardom as a central player in neurodegenerative disease, therapeutic efforts have largely been targeted toward cytoskeletal changes. While some studies hinted toward non-cytoskeletal roles for tau, it is only fairly recently that these ideas have begun to receive considerable attention. Many new binding partners for tau have been identified, including DNA, RNA, RNA-binding proteins, some receptors, and other tau molecules. The diversity of tau binding partners coupled with the discovery of tau other than axonal compartments such as nucleus, dendrites, and synapses have led to the proposal of novel functions for tau in roles such as nuclear stability, cell signaling, transcriptional processing, and protein synthesis. Tau self-assembly in particular has made an impact, leading to the hypothesis that a prion-like function of hyperphosphorylated tau is central to tauopathies. With tau emerging as a multifaceted protein that operates in many parts of the cell and with many molecular partners, the field of tau biology is primed for discoveries that can provide new perspectives on both the unique biochemistry of tau and the nature of devastating neurological diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Del Carmen Alonso
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Abdeslem El Idrissi
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Candia
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Viktoriya Morozova
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Helene Fuld College of Nursing, New York, New York, USA
| | - Frida Esther Kleiman
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Chemistry Department, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sengupta U, Kayed R. Tau Oligomers as Pathogenic Seeds: Preparation, Characterization, and Propagation In Vitro and In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:147-183. [PMID: 38512666 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau oligomers have been shown to be the main toxic tau species in several neurodegenerative disorders. To study tau oligomers, we have developed reagents and established methods for the reliable preparation, isolation, and detection of tau oligomers as well as their seeding and propagation both in vitro and in vivo. Detailed below are methods for isolation of tau oligomers from brain tissues and detection of tau oligomers using tau oligomer-specific antibodies by biochemical, immunohistochemical, and biophysical methods. Further, methods for evaluating the biological activity of the tau oligomers including their effects on synaptic function, seeding, and propagation in cell models and in vivo are also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Urmi Sengupta
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Nogales E, Kellogg E. Structure challenges in the multivalency of Tau-microtubule interactions. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:53-56. [PMID: 37702417 PMCID: PMC10873104 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21788] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Structural studies aiming to visualize the interaction of Tau with microtubules (MTs) face several challenges, the main concerning the fact that Tau has multiple MT-interacting regions. In particular, the four (or three) pseudo-repeats of Tau bind to identical elements along the MT lattice but do it through non-identical residues. In addition, any given Tau molecule can use all its repeats or just one for its engagement with MTs. Finally, the binding of one Tau is not necessarily in register with respect to the next one. The mismatch in the MT and Tau repeats, therefore, challenges conventional modes of image analysis when visualizing these samples using cryo-electron microscopy. This commentary is dedicated to those challenges and ways to circumvent them while aiming for an atomic description of the Tau-tubulin interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Nogales
- Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrative Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kellogg
- Structural Biology Department, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Diamond MI. Travels with tau prions. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:83-88. [PMID: 37950616 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21806] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Tau was originally identified as a microtubule associated protein, and subsequently recognized to constitute the fibrillar assemblies found in Alzheimer disease and related neurodegenerative tauopathies. Point mutations in the microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) gene cause dominantly inherited tauopathies, and most predispose it to aggregate. This indicates tau aggregation underlies pathogenesis of tauopathies. Our work has suggested that tau functions as a prion, forming unique intracellular pathological assemblies that subsequently move to other cells, inducing further aggregation that underlies disease progression. Remarkably, in simple cells tau forms stably propagating aggregates of distinct conformation, termed strains. Each strain induces a unique and, in some cases, transmissible, neuropathological phenotype upon inoculation into a mouse model. After binding heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the plasma membrane, tau assemblies enter cells via macropinocytosis. From within a vesicle, if not trafficked to the endolysosomal system, tau subsequently enters the cytoplasm, where it becomes a template for its own replication, apparently after processing by valosin containing protein. The smallest seed unit is a stable monomer, which suggests that initial folding events in tau presage subsequent pathological aggregation. The study of tau prions has raised important questions about basic cell biological processes that underlie their replication and propagation, with implications for therapy of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Over the last 50 years the different isoforms of tau proteins (45-60 kDa) have been a focus of research because of their roles in modulating the dynamic properties of microtubules shaping the structure and function of neurons but also becoming a center of attention in the pathology of neurodegeneration associated with tauopathies. Much less attention has been given to Big tau, a unique isoform containing exon 4a encoding about 250 amino acids to form a much longer projection domain of a protein of 110 kDa. Big tau is expressed in peripheral neurons and selective regions of the central nervous system in a defined transition during postnatal developmental stages. Although Big tau was discovered 30 years ago, there has been a persistent gap of knowledge regarding its physiological properties and pathological implications. This Perspective summarizes the progress so far in defining the structure and expression of Big tau within and outside the nervous system, proposes a role for Big tau in improving axonal transport in projecting axons, considers its potential in averting tau aggregation in tauopathies and highlights the need for further progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Itzhak Fischer
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Min S, Mohallem R, Aryal UK, Kinzer-Ursem TL, Rochet JC. Effects of Neighboring Phosphorylation Events on the Affinities of pT181-Tau Antibodies. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18241-18248. [PMID: 38014879 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04081] [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: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
A tau variant phosphorylated on threonine 181 (pT181-tau) has been widely investigated as a potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. pT181-tau is present in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of AD brains, and CSF levels of pT181-tau correlate with the overall NFT burden. Various immunobased analytical methods, including Western blotting and ELISA, have been used to quantify pT181-tau in human biofluids. The reliability of these methods is dependent on the affinity and binding specificity of the antibodies used to measure pT181-tau levels. Although both of these properties could, in principle, be affected by phosphorylation within or near the antibody's cognate antigen, such effects have not been extensively studied. Here, we developed a biolayer interferometry assay to determine the degree to which the affinity of pT181-tau antibodies is altered by the phosphorylation of serine or threonine residues near the target epitope. Our results revealed that phosphorylation near T181 negatively affected the binding of pT181-tau antibodies to their cognate antigen to varying degrees. In particular, two of three antibodies tested showed a complete loss of affinity for the pT181 target when S184 or S185 was phosphorylated. These findings highlight the importance of selecting antibodies that have been thoroughly characterized in terms of affinity and binding specificity, addressing the potential disruptive effects of post-translational modifications in the epitope region to ensure accurate biomarker quantitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sehong Min
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Rodrigo Mohallem
- Purdue Proteomics Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Uma K Aryal
- Purdue Proteomics Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tamara L Kinzer-Ursem
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jean-Christophe Rochet
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Foressi NN, Rodríguez LC, Celej MS. Heterotypic liquid-liquid phase separation of tau and α-synuclein: Implications for overlapping neuropathologies. Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom 2023; 1871:140950. [PMID: 37574035 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies and synucleinopathies are characterized by the aggregation of Tau and α-synuclein (AS) into amyloid structures, respectively. Individuals with these neuropathies have an elevated risk of developing subsequent neurodegenerative or comorbid disorders. Intriguingly, post-mortem brain examinations have revealed co-localization of Tau and AS aggregates, suggesting a synergistic pathological relationship with an adverse prognosis. The role of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in the development of neurodegenerative diseases is currently receiving significant attention, as it can contribute to the aggregation and co-deposition of amyloidogenic proteins. In this study, we investigated the phase separation behavior of Tau and AS under various insults, some of which are implicated in disease progression. Our findings demonstrate the formation of heterotypic droplets composed of Tau and AS at physiologically relevant mole ratios that mimic neurons' soma and terminal buttons. Importantly, these heterotypic droplets exhibit increased resistance to electrostatic screening compared to homotypic condensates. Moreover, we observed that biologically relevant biomolecules, known to be dysregulated in disease, exert different effects on these droplets. Additionally, we provide evidence that phase separation itself influences the amyloid aggregation of Tau and AS, underscoring the significance of this process in the development of aggregopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nahuel N Foressi
- Departamento de Química Biológica Ranwel Caputto, Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Leandro Cruz Rodríguez
- Departamento de Química Biológica Ranwel Caputto, Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Soledad Celej
- Departamento de Química Biológica Ranwel Caputto, Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Duan P, Dregni AJ, Mammeri NE, Hong M. Structure of the nonhelical filament of the Alzheimer's disease tau core. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310067120. [PMID: 37878719 PMCID: PMC10622913 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310067120] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates into neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The main type of aggregates, the paired helical filaments (PHF), incorporate about 20% of the full-length protein into the rigid core. Recently, cryo-electron microscopy data showed that a protease-resistant fragment of tau (residues 297-391) self-assembles in vitro in the presence of divalent cations to form twisted filaments whose molecular structure resembles that of AD PHF tau [S. Lövestam et al., Elife 11, e76494 (2022)]. To investigate whether this tau construct is uniquely predisposed to this morphology and structure, we fibrillized tau (297-391) under the reported conditions and determined its structure using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Unexpectedly, the protein assembled predominantly into nontwisting ribbons whose rigid core spans residues 305-357. This rigid core forms a β-arch that turns at residues 322CGS324. Two protofilaments stack together via a long interface that stretches from G323 to I354. Together, these two protofilaments form a four-layered β-sheet core whose sidechains are stabilized by numerous polar and hydrophobic interactions. This structure gives insight into the fibril morphologies and molecular conformations that can be adopted by this protease-resistant core of AD tau under different pH and ionic conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Aurelio J. Dregni
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rajewski BH, Makwana KM, Angera IJ, Geremia DK, Zepeda AR, Hallinan GI, Vidal R, Ghetti B, Serrano AL, Del Valle JR. β-Bracelets: Macrocyclic Cross-β Epitope Mimics Based on a Tau Conformational Strain. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:23131-23142. [PMID: 37844142 PMCID: PMC10823581 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of misfolded tau into neurotoxic fibrils is linked to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Disease-associated conformations of filamentous tau are characterized by hydrophobic interactions between side chains on unique and distant β-strand modules within each protomer. Here, we report the design and diversity-oriented synthesis of β-arch peptide macrocycles composed of the aggregation-prone PHF6 hexapeptide of tau and the cross-β module specific to the AD tau fold. Termed "β-bracelets", these proteomimetics assemble in a sequence- and macrocycle-dependent fashion, resulting in amyloid-like fibrils that feature in-register parallel β-sheet structure. Backbone N-amination of a selected β-bracelet affords soluble inhibitors of tau aggregation. We further demonstrate that the N-aminated macrocycles block the prion-like cellular seeding activity of recombinant tau as well as mature fibrils from AD patient extracts. These studies establish β-bracelets as a new class of cross-β epitope mimics and demonstrate their utility in the rational design of molecules targeting amyloid propagation and seeding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H. Rajewski
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Kamlesh M. Makwana
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Isaac J. Angera
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Danielle K. Geremia
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Anna R. Zepeda
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Grace I. Hallinan
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Arnaldo L. Serrano
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Juan R. Del Valle
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wu X, Zhu L, Wang G, Zhang Q, Qian Z. Dose-dependent binding behavior of anthraquinone derivative purpurin interacting with tau-derived peptide protofibril. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:26787-26796. [PMID: 37781899 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03883a] [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: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is hallmarked by microtubule-associated protein tau tangles and amyloid-β plaques. The β-structure propensity of tau inclusions is closely related to the hexapeptide motif VQIVYK (termed PHF6), and disruption of this motif prevents tau aggregation. Small-molecule inhibitors are considered a promising therapeutic strategy, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the correlation between dose and inhibitory effects are still unclear. In this work, we investigated the dose-induced influence of purpurin, an anthraquinone derivative, on the structural stability of the PHF6 fibrillar nucleus by performing microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water. The stability of PHF6 protofibrils of different sizes was first examined, and it was found that the structural stability of fibrillar oligomers increases with oligomer size, and that the octamer is the minimal stable nucleus for fibril formation. When purpurin molecules were added to the protofibril octamer at a low purpurin/peptide ratio, they bound to the octamer with different coupling states, and the different states may transition to each of the other states through an uncoupling state or directly through a short-time transition. With increasing purpurin/peptide ratio, purpurins tend to self-aggregate rather than bind to the protein surface. Interestingly, the contacts between individual purpurins and the octamer as a function of the purpurin number show a power-law behavior, which may serve as a useful indicator to reflect the binding efficiency of ligands to proteins in drug screening. The interaction analysis reveals that purpurin prefers to bind to the hydrophilic and aromatic Tyr and has the lowest probability with the hydrophobic Val located in the middle of PHF6. Aromatic stacking plays a key role in the octamer-purpurin interaction, in which the three aromatic rings of purpurin have different contributions. In addition, purpurin shows a remarkable disruptive effect on the protofibril octamer when the molar ratio of purpurin to peptide is 1 : 2; above this ratio, the binding mode and disruption effect of purpurin do not change significantly. Our work provides a detailed picture of the dynamics and interactions of purpurin binding to the PHF6 protofibril and expands the understanding of the dose-induced inhibitory mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, and School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Lili Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, and School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
- Shang Xing School, 6 Shangli Road, Shenzhen 518100, Guangdong, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, and School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyu Qian
- Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, and School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
Deposits of the microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) serve as a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. Numerous studies have demonstrated that in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Tau undergoes extensive remodeling. The attachment of post-translational modifications distributed throughout the entire sequence of the protein correlates with clinical presentation. A systematic examination of these protein alterations can shed light on their roles in both healthy and diseased states. However, the ability to access these modifications in the entire protein chain is limited as Tau can only be produced recombinantly or through semisynthesis. In this article, we describe the first chemical synthesis of the longest 2N4R isoform of Tau, consisting of 441 amino acids. The 2N4R Tau was divided into 3 major segments and a total of 11 fragments, all of which were prepared via solid-phase peptide synthesis. The successful chemical strategy has relied on the strategic use of two cysteine sites (C291 and C322) for the native chemical ligations (NCLs). This was combined with modern preparative protein chemistries, such as mercaptothreonine ligation (T205), diselenide-selenoester ligation (D358), and mutations of mercaptoamino acids into native residues via homogeneous radical desulfurization (A40, A77, A119, A157, A246, and A390). The successful completion of the synthesis has established a robust and scalable route to the native protein in multimilligram quantities and high purity. In broader terms, the presented strategy can be applied to the preparation of other shorter isoforms of Tau as well as to introduce all post-translational modifications that are characteristic of tauopathies such as AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wyatt C Powell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ruiheng Jing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Maciej A Walczak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ojeda A, Cofré V, Melo F, Caballero L, Fuentealba D, Cornejo A. α-Synuclein Drives Tau's Cytotoxic Aggregates Formation through Hydrophobic Interactions. Chempluschem 2023; 88:e202300257. [PMID: 37708459 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300257] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Tau and α-synuclein are proteins involved in pathologies known as tauopathies and synucleinopathies, respectively. Moreover, evidence shows that there is a crosstalk between them as is seen in the brains of individuals with sporadic neurodegenerative disorders. Based on that, we present data showing that the hydrophobic α-peptide 71 VTGVTAVAQKTV82 induces the aggregation of the full-length tau fragment in the absence of heparin assessed by ThT. Moreover, AFM images reveal the presence of straight filaments and amorphous aggregates of full-length tau in the presence of the α-peptide. Additionally, ITC experiments showed the interaction of the α-peptide with tau full-length (441 amino acids),4R (amino acids from 244 to 369), and both hexapeptides 275 VQIINK280 and 306 VQIVYK311 through hydrophobic interactions. The Raman spectroscopy spectra showed conformational changes in the Amide region in the aggregates formed with full-length tau and α-syn peptide. Furthermore, the incubation of extracellular aggregates with N2a cells showed morphological differences in the cellular body and the nucleus suggesting cell death. Moreover,, the incubation of different types of aggregates in cell culture provokes the release of Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Altogether, we found that α-synuclein peptide can drive the aggregation of full-length tau-provoking morphological and structural changes evoking cytotoxic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ojeda
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, 8370071 Laboratorio Catem V., Santiago, Chile
| | - Valentina Cofré
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, 8370071 Laboratorio Catem V., Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Melo
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago, Avenida Ecuador 3493, 9170124, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Soft Matter Research, SMAT-C Usach, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins, 3363 Estación Central, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonardo Caballero
- Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago, Avenida Ecuador 3493, 9170124, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Soft Matter Research, SMAT-C Usach, Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins, 3363 Estación Central, Santiago, Chile
| | - Denis Fuentealba
- Laboratorio de Química Supramolecular y Fotobiología, Departamento de Química Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Macul, 7820436, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alberto Cornejo
- Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Universidad Andrés Bello, Echaurren 183, 8370071 Laboratorio Catem V., Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Li L, Nguyen BA, Mullapudi V, Li Y, Saelices L, Joachimiak LA. Disease-associated patterns of acetylation stabilize tau fibril formation. Structure 2023; 31:1025-1037.e4. [PMID: 37348495 PMCID: PMC10527703 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Assembly of tau into beta-sheet-rich amyloids dictates the pathology of a diversity of diseases. Lysine acetylation has been proposed to drive tau amyloid assembly, but no direct mechanism has emerged. Using tau fragments, we identify patterns of acetylation that flank amyloidogenic motifs on the tau fragments that promote rapid fibril assembly. We determined a 3.9 Å cryo-EM amyloid fibril structure assembled from an acetylated tau fragment uncovering how lysine acetylation can mediate gain-of-function interactions. Comparison of the structure to an ex vivo tauopathy fibril reveals regions of structural similarity. Finally, we show that fibrils encoding disease-associated patterns of acetylation are active in cell-based tau aggregation assays. Our data uncover the dual role of lysine residues in limiting tau aggregation while their acetylation leads to stabilizing pro-aggregation interactions. Design of tau sequence with specific acetylation patterns may lead to controllable tau aggregation to direct folding of tau into distinct amyloid folds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Binh A Nguyen
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Vishruth Mullapudi
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Lorena Saelices
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Lukasz A Joachimiak
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Schweighauser M, Garringer HJ, Klingstedt T, Nilsson KPR, Masuda-Suzukake M, Murrell JR, Risacher SL, Vidal R, Scheres SHW, Goedert M, Ghetti B, Newell KL. Mutation ∆K281 in MAPT causes Pick's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:211-226. [PMID: 37351604 PMCID: PMC10329087 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02598-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Two siblings with deletion mutation ∆K281 in MAPT developed frontotemporal dementia. At autopsy, numerous inclusions of hyperphosphorylated 3R Tau were present in neurons and glial cells of neocortex and some subcortical regions, including hippocampus, caudate/putamen and globus pallidus. The inclusions were argyrophilic with Bodian silver, but not with Gallyas-Braak silver. They were not labelled by an antibody specific for tau phosphorylated at S262 and/or S356. The inclusions were stained by luminescent conjugated oligothiophene HS-84, but not by bTVBT4. Electron cryo-microscopy revealed that the core of tau filaments was made of residues K254-F378 of 3R Tau and was indistinguishable from that of Pick's disease. We conclude that MAPT mutation ∆K281 causes Pick's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Holly J Garringer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Therése Klingstedt
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Lingköping University, Lingköping, Sweden
| | - K Peter R Nilsson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Lingköping University, Lingköping, Sweden
| | - Masami Masuda-Suzukake
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jill R Murrell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shannon L Risacher
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Kathy L Newell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Limorenko G, Tatli M, Kolla R, Nazarov S, Weil MT, Schöndorf DC, Geist D, Reinhardt P, Ehrnhoefer DE, Stahlberg H, Gasparini L, Lashuel HA. Fully co-factor-free ClearTau platform produces seeding-competent Tau fibrils for reconstructing pathological Tau aggregates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3939. [PMID: 37402718 PMCID: PMC10319797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39314-7] [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: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein fibrillization is implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as Tauopathies. For decades, investigating Tau fibrillization in vitro has required the addition of polyanions or other co-factors to induce its misfolding and aggregation, with heparin being the most commonly used. However, heparin-induced Tau fibrils exhibit high morphological heterogeneity and a striking structural divergence from Tau fibrils isolated from Tauopathies patients' brains at ultra- and macro-structural levels. To address these limitations, we developed a quick, cheap, and effective method for producing completely co-factor-free fibrils from all full-length Tau isoforms and mixtures thereof. We show that Tau fibrils generated using this ClearTau method - ClearTau fibrils - exhibit amyloid-like features, possess seeding activity in biosensor cells and hiPSC-derived neurons, retain RNA-binding capacity, and have morphological properties and structures more reminiscent of the properties of the brain-derived Tau fibrils. We present the proof-of-concept implementation of the ClearTau platform for screening Tau aggregation-modifying compounds. We demonstrate that these advances open opportunities to investigate the pathophysiology of disease-relevant Tau aggregates and will facilitate the development of Tau pathology-targeting and modifying therapies and PET tracers that can distinguish between different Tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Meltem Tatli
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rajasekhar Kolla
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sergey Nazarov
- Biological Electron Microscopy Facility, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Theres Weil
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - David C Schöndorf
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Daniela Geist
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Peter Reinhardt
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fund. Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura Gasparini
- Neuroscience Discovery, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Boyko S, Surewicz WK. Domain-specific modulatory effects of phosphomimetic substitutions on liquid-liquid phase separation of tau protein. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104722. [PMID: 37075845 PMCID: PMC10199205 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104722] [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: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of tau is one of the major pathogenic events in Alzheimer's disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders. Recent reports demonstrated that tau can condense into liquid droplets that undergo time-dependent transition to a solid-like state, suggesting that liquid condensates may be on the pathway to pathological aggregation of tau. While hyperphosphorylation is a key feature of tau isolated from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, the mechanistic role of phosphorylation in tau liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) remains largely unexplored. In an attempt to bridge this gap, here we performed systematic studies by introducing phosphomimetic substitutions of Ser/Thr residues with negatively charged Asp/Glu residues in different regions of the protein. Our data indicate that the phosphorylation patterns that increase the polarization of charge distribution in full-length tau (tau441) promote protein LLPS, whereas those that decrease charge polarization have an opposite effect. Overall, this study further supports the notion that tau LLPS is driven by attractive intermolecular electrostatic interactions between the oppositely charged domains. We also show that the phosphomimetic tau variants with low intrinsic propensity for LLPS can be efficiently recruited to droplets formed by the variants with high LLPS propensity. Furthermore, the present data demonstrate that phosphomimetic substitutions have a major effect on time-dependent material properties of tau droplets, generally slowing down their aging. The latter effect is most dramatic for the tau variant with substitutions within the repeat domain, which correlates with the decreased fibrillation rate of this variant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Solomiia Boyko
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Witold K Surewicz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Nadel CM, Thwin AC, Callahan M, Lee K, Connelly E, Craik CS, Southworth DR, Gestwicki JE. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, CHIP/STUB1, Inhibits Aggregation of Phosphorylated Proteoforms of Microtubule-associated Protein Tau (MAPT). J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168026. [PMID: 37330289 PMCID: PMC10491737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168026] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Hyper-phosphorylated tau accumulates as insoluble fibrils in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. The strong correlation between phosphorylated tau and disease has led to an interest in understanding how cellular factors discriminate it from normal tau. Here, we screen a panel of chaperones containing tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains to identify those that might selectively interact with phosphorylated tau. We find that the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHIP/STUB1, binds 10-fold more strongly to phosphorylated tau than unmodified tau. The presence of even sub-stoichiometric concentrations of CHIP strongly suppresses aggregation and seeding of phosphorylated tau. We also find that CHIP promotes rapid ubiquitination of phosphorylated tau, but not unmodified tau, in vitro. Binding to phosphorylated tau requires CHIP's TPR domain, but the binding mode is partially distinct from the canonical one. In cells, CHIP restricts seeding by phosphorylated tau, suggesting that it could be an important barrier in cell-to-cell spreading. Together, these findings show that CHIP recognizes a phosphorylation-dependent degron on tau, establishing a pathway for regulating the solubility and turnover of this pathological proteoform.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cory M Nadel
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Aye C Thwin
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Matthew Callahan
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Kanghyun Lee
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Emily Connelly
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Daniel R Southworth
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA.
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Shi Y, Ghetti B, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Cryo-EM Structures of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Tau Filaments with PET Ligand Flortaucipir. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168025. [PMID: 37330290 PMCID: PMC7615338 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows monitoring the progression of amyloid aggregation in the living brain. [18F]-Flortaucipir is the only approved PET tracer compound for the visualisation of tau aggregation. Here, we describe cryo-EM experiments on tau filaments in the presence and absence of flortaucipir. We used tau filaments isolated from the brain of an individual with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and from the brain of an individual with primary age-related tauopathy (PART) with a co-pathology of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Unexpectedly, we were unable to visualise additional cryo-EM density for flortaucipir for AD paired helical or straight filaments (PHFs or SFs), but we did observe density for flortaucipir binding to CTE Type I filaments from the case with PART. In the latter, flortaucipir binds in a 1:1 molecular stoichiometry with tau, adjacent to lysine 353 and aspartate 358. By adopting a tilted geometry with respect to the helical axis, the 4.7 Å distance between neighbouring tau monomers is reconciled with the 3.5 Å distance consistent with π-π-stacking between neighbouring molecules of flortaucipir.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shi
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. https://twitter.com/GhettiBernardi1
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Luciani M, Montalbano M, Troncone L, Bacchin C, Uchida K, Daniele G, Jacobs Wolf B, Butler HM, Kiel J, Berto S, Gensemer C, Moore K, Morningstar J, Diteepeng T, Albayram O, Abisambra JF, Norris RA, Di Salvo TG, Prosser B, Kayed R, del Monte F. Big tau aggregation disrupts microtubule tyrosination and causes myocardial diastolic dysfunction: from discovery to therapy. Eur Heart J 2023; 44:1560-1570. [PMID: 37122097 PMCID: PMC10324644 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the molecular lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia, are emerging as determinants of proteinopathies 'beyond the brain'. This study aims to establish tau's putative pathophysiological mechanistic roles and potential future therapeutic targeting of tau in heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS A mouse model of tauopathy and human myocardial and brain tissue from patients with HF, AD, and controls was employed in this study. Tau protein expression was examined together with its distribution, and in vitro tau-related pathophysiological mechanisms were identified using a variety of biochemical, imaging, and functional approaches. A novel tau-targeting immunotherapy was tested to explore tau-targeted therapeutic potential in HF. Tau is expressed in normal and diseased human hearts, in contradistinction to the current oft-cited observation that tau is expressed specifically in the brain. Notably, the main cardiac isoform is high-molecular-weight (HMW) tau (also known as big tau), and hyperphosphorylated tau segregates in aggregates in HF and AD hearts. As previously described for amyloid-beta, the tauopathy phenotype in human myocardium is of diastolic dysfunction. Perturbation in the tubulin code, specifically a loss of tyrosinated microtubules, emerged as a potential mechanism of myocardial tauopathy. Monoclonal anti-tau antibody therapy improved myocardial function and clearance of toxic aggregates in mice, supporting tau as a potential target for novel HF immunotherapy. CONCLUSION The study presents new mechanistic evidence and potential treatment for the brain-heart tauopathy axis in myocardial and brain degenerative diseases and ageing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Luciani
- Center for Translational and Experimental Cardiology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Montalbano
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1045 USA
| | - Luca Troncone
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Mass General Research Institute, Mass General Brigham, 149 13th St., Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Camilla Bacchin
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Keita Uchida
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gianlorenzo Daniele
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Bethany Jacobs Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Helen M Butler
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Justin Kiel
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience Medical, University of South Carolina, 68 President St., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Cortney Gensemer
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Kelsey Moore
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jordan Morningstar
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Thamonwan Diteepeng
- Center for Translational and Experimental Cardiology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Onder Albayram
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - José F Abisambra
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida Health, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Russell A Norris
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Thomas G Di Salvo
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Benjamin Prosser
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1045 USA
| | - Federica del Monte
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40054, Italy
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Brigham, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hill E, Moffat KG, Wall MJ, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Karikari TK. A Validated Method to Prepare Stable Tau Oligomers. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2551:203-224. [PMID: 36310205 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2597-2_14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that tau oligomers are a major pathological species in a number of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. However, it is still unclear what exact mechanisms underlie tau oligomer-mediated dysfunction. Studies of tau oligomers in vitro are limited by the high propensity for aggregation and consequent changes in the aggregation state of the produced tau samples over time. In this protocol, we provide a step-by-step description of a validated method for producing stable and structurally characterized oligomers of tau that can be used in biochemical, cellular, and animal model studies to evaluate mechanisms of action of tau in tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Hill
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Kevin G Moffat
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Mark J Wall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Thomas K Karikari
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Davies ES, Morphew RM, Cutress D, Morton AJ, McBride S. Characterization of microtubule-associated protein tau isoforms and Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in normal sheep (Ovis aries): relevance to their potential as a model of Alzheimer's disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:560. [PMID: 36269420 PMCID: PMC9587068 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04572-z] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for up to 80% of all dementias. Characterised by deteriorations of memory and cognitive function, the key neuropathological features are accumulations of β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau, as 'plaques' and 'tangles', respectively. Despite extensive study, however, the exact mechanism underlying aggregate formation in Alzheimer's disease remains elusive, as does the contribution of these aggregates to disease progression. Importantly, a recent evaluation of current Alzheimer's disease animal models suggested that rodent models are not able to fully recapitulate the pathological intricacies of the disease as it occurs in humans. Therefore, increasing attention is being paid to species that might make good alternatives to rodents for studying the molecular pathology of Alzheimer's disease. The sheep (Ovis aries) is one such species, although to date, there have been few molecular studies relating to Alzheimer's disease in sheep. Here, we investigated the Alzheimer's disease relevant histopathological characteristics of 22 sheep, using anti-β-amyloid (Abcam 12267 and mOC64) and phosphorylation specific anti-tau (AT8 and S396) antibodies. We identified numerous intraneuronal aggregates of both β-amyloid and tau that are consistent with early Alzheimer's disease-like pathology. We confirmed the expression of two 3-repeat (1N3R, 2N3R) and two 4-repeat (1N4R, 2N4R) tau isoforms in the ovine brain, which result from the alternative splicing of two tau exons. Finally, we investigated the phosphorylation status of the serine396 residue in 30 sheep, and report that the phosphorylation of this residue begins in sheep aged as young as 2 years. Together, these data show that sheep exhibit naturally occurring β-amyloid and tau pathologies, that reflect those that occur in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. This is an important step towards the validation of the sheep as a feasible large animal species in which to model Alzheimer's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma S. Davies
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | | | - David Cutress
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - A. Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sebastian McBride
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Seidler PM, Murray KA, Boyer DR, Ge P, Sawaya MR, Hu CJ, Cheng X, Abskharon R, Pan H, DeTure MA, Williams CK, Dickson DW, Vinters HV, Eisenberg DS. Structure-based discovery of small molecules that disaggregate Alzheimer's disease tissue derived tau fibrils in vitro. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5451. [PMID: 36114178 PMCID: PMC9481533 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32951-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [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: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the consequence of neuronal death and brain atrophy associated with the aggregation of protein tau into fibrils. Thus disaggregation of tau fibrils could be a therapeutic approach to AD. The small molecule EGCG, abundant in green tea, has long been known to disaggregate tau and other amyloid fibrils, but EGCG has poor drug-like properties, failing to fully penetrate the brain. Here we have cryogenically trapped an intermediate of brain-extracted tau fibrils on the kinetic pathway to EGCG-induced disaggregation and have determined its cryoEM structure. The structure reveals that EGCG molecules stack in polar clefts between the paired helical protofilaments that pathologically define AD. Treating the EGCG binding position as a pharmacophore, we computationally screened thousands of drug-like compounds for compatibility for the pharmacophore, discovering several that experimentally disaggregate brain-derived tau fibrils in vitro. This work suggests the potential of structure-based, small-molecule drug discovery for amyloid diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Seidler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kevin A Murray
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David R Boyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peng Ge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Sawaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn J Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xinyi Cheng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Romany Abskharon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hope Pan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Christopher K Williams
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Harry V Vinters
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David S Eisenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Akbari V, Mohammadi S, Mehrabi M, Ghobadi S, Farrokhi A, Khodarahmi R. Investigation of the role of prolines 232/233 in RTPPK motif in tau protein aggregation: An in vitro study. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 219:1100-1111. [PMID: 36049563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.160] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Disease-related tau protein in Alzheimer's disease is hyperphosphorylated and aggregates into neurofibrillary tangles. The cis-proline isomer of the pSer/Thr-Pro sequence has been proposed to act as a precursor of aggregation ('Cistauosis' hypothesis), but this aggregation scheme is not yet entirely accepted. Hence to investigate isomer-specific-aggregation of tau, proline residues at the RTPPK motif were replaced by alanine residues (with permanent trans configuration) employing genetic engineering methods. RTPAK, RTAPK, and RTAAK mutant variants of tau were generated, and their in vitro aggregation propensity was investigated using multi-spectroscopic techniques. Besides, the cell toxicity of oligomers/fibrils was analyzed and compared to those of the wild-type (WT) tau. Analyses of mutant variants have shown to be in agreement (to some degree) to the theory of the 'cistauosis' hypothesis. The results showed that the trans isomer in the 232-rd residue (P232A mutant rather than P233A) had reduced aggregation propensity. However, this study did not illustrate any statistically significant difference between the wild and the mutant protein aggregations concerning cell toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vali Akbari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran; Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Soheila Mohammadi
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Masomeh Mehrabi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Sirous Ghobadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Alireza Farrokhi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Khodarahmi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran; Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
De Luigi A, Colombo L, Russo L, Ricci C, Bastone A, Cimini S, Tagliavini F, Rossi G, Cantù L, Del Favero E, Salmona M. Biochemical and biophysical features of disease-associated tau mutants V363A and V363I. Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom 2022; 1870:140755. [PMID: 34999006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2022.140755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The comprehension of pathogenetic mechanisms in tauopathy-associated neurodegenerative diseases can be improved by the knowledge of the biochemical and biophysical features of mutated tau proteins. Here, we used the full-length, wild-type tau, the V363A and V363I mutated species, associated with pathology, and the P301L mutated tau as a benchmark. Using several techniques, including small-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, thioflavin T binding, and electrophoretic separation, we compared their course from intrinsically disordered monomers in solution to early-stage recruitment in complexes and then aggregates of increasing size over long periods up to the asymptotic aggregative behavior of full-length tau proteins. We showed that diversity in the kinetics of recruitment and aggregate structure occurs from the beginning and spreads all over their pathway to very large objects. The different extents of conformational changes and types of molecular assemblies among the proteins were also reflected in their in vitro toxicity; this variation could correlate with physiopathology in humans, considering that the P301L mutation is more aggressive than V363A, especially V363I. This study identified the presence of aggregation intermediates and corroborated the oligomeric hypothesis of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ada De Luigi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Russo
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Caterina Ricci
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Antonio Bastone
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Cimini
- Unit of Neurology V and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Unit of Neurology V and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Giacomina Rossi
- Unit of Neurology V and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Cantù
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Del Favero
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.
| | - Mario Salmona
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research IRCCS, Milano, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Tsuchida T, Susa K, Kibiki T, Tsuchiya T, Miyamoto K, In Y, Minoura K, Taniguchi T, Ishida T, Tomoo K. Structural study of the recognition mechanism of tau antibody Tau2r3 with the key sequence (VQIINK) in tau aggregation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 585:36-41. [PMID: 34784549 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.11.025] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
One of the histopathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is higher order neurofibrillary tangles formed by abnormally aggregated tau protein. The sequence 275VQIINK280 in the microtubule-binding domain of tau plays a key role in tau aggregation. Therefore, an aggregation inhibitor targeting the VQIINK region in tau may be an effective therapeutic agent for AD. We have previously shown that the Fab domain (Fab2r3) of a tau antibody that recognizes the VQIINK sequence can inhibit tau aggregation, and we have determined the tertiary structure of the Fab2r3-VQIINK complex. In this report, we determined the tertiary structure of apo Fab2r3 and analyzed differences in the structures of apo Fab2r3 and Fab2r3-VQIINK to examine the ligand recognition mechanism of Fab2r3. In comparison with the Fab2r3-VQIINK structure, there were large differences in the arrangement of the constant and variable domains in apo Fab2r3. Remarkable structural changes were especially observed in the H3 and L3 loop regions of the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) in apo Fab2r3 and the Fab2r3-VQIINK complex. These structural differences in CDRs suggest that formation of hydrophobic pockets suitable for the antigen is important for antigen recognition by tau antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Tsuchida
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Kouki Susa
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Kibiki
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsuchiya
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Katsushiro Miyamoto
- Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Yasuko In
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Minoura
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Taizo Taniguchi
- Pharma Crea Kobe Co. Ltd., Showajutaku・Fukumoto Bldg. 8F, 4-2-18, Hachimandori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 651-0085, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Ishida
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan
| | - Koji Tomoo
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1, Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-1094, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Abstract
Aggregation of the tau protein plays a central role in several neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as tauopathies, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Tau misfolds into fibrillar β sheet structures that constitute the paired helical filaments found in neurofibrillary tangles. It is known that there can be significant structural heterogeneities in tau aggregates associated with different diseases. However, while structures of mature fibrils have been studied, the structural distributions in early-stage tau aggregates is not well-understood. In the present study, we use atomic force microscopy-IR to investigate nanoscale spectra of individual tau fibrils at different stages of aggregation and demonstrate the presence of multiple fibrillar polymorphs that exhibit different secondary structures. We further show that mature fibrils contain significant amounts of antiparallel β sheets. Our results are the very first application of nanoscale infrared spectroscopy to tau aggregates and underscore the promise of spatially resolved infrared spectroscopy for investigating protein aggregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayanjeet Ghosh
- Corresponding Author Ayanjeet Ghosh - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, 1007E Shelby Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
The pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) are the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of Lewy bodies (LBs) in remaining neurons. LBs primarily consist of aggregated α-Synuclein (α-Syn). However, accumulating evidence suggests that Tau, which is associated with tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and argyrophilic grain disease, is also involved in the pathophysiology of PD. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified MAPT, the gene encoding the Tau protein, as a risk gene for PD. Autopsy of PD patients also revealed the colocalization of Tau and α-Syn in LBs. Experimental evidence has shown that Tau interacts with α-Syn and influences the pathology of α-Syn in PD. In this review, we discuss the structure and function of Tau and provide a summary of the current evidence supporting Tau's involvement as either an active or passive element in the pathophysiology of PD, which may provide novel targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Pan
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Lanxia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Mingyang He
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Barredo PA, Fernandez MJF, Ambe CE, Balanay MP. Tau fibril with membrane lipids: Insight from computational modeling and simulations. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258692. [PMID: 34653235 PMCID: PMC8519458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258692] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-binding protein tau has been the center of researches concerning Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to several clinical trials of β-amyloid therapies failing recently. The availability of the tau fibril structure from AD brain enables computational modeling studies to calculate binding affinities with different ligands. In this study, the tau paired helical filaments (PHF-Tau) (PDB ID: 5O3L) was used as receptor and interactions with the lipids: 3-alpha-cholesterol; 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; and C18:1 sphingomyelin, were explored with molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and natural bond orbital analysis. Docking sites upon solvation of the protein with transferable interatomic potential-3 points reveal the amphipathic nature of PHF-Tau and molecular dynamics simulations show that the embedded phosphocholine at the tail side gives high potential energy values with some amino acids forming H-bond interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prechiel A. Barredo
- Department of Chemistry, Iligan Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University, Iligan, Republic of the Philippines
| | - Marvin Jose F. Fernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Iligan Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University, Iligan, Republic of the Philippines
| | - Christopher E. Ambe
- Department of Chemistry, Iligan Institute of Technology, Mindanao State University, Iligan, Republic of the Philippines
| | - Mannix P. Balanay
- Department of Chemistry, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
| |
Collapse
|