| 1. |
- Löfgren Söderberg, Kajsa
(författare)
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Interactions of Prion Proteins and PrP-derived Peptides in Scrapie infection
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Prion diseases are fatal and incurable spongiform encephalopathies that occur amongst mammals. The central pathological event is the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into an amyloid, neurotoxic isoform called scrapie (PrPSc). PrPSc is the main, or sole, constituent of infectious prions. PrPSc resists cellular degradation and also induces misfolding of PrPC via a process called conversion. Conversion seems to be an endocytotic event implicating auxiliary cellular cofactors interacting with PrPC and/or PrPSc. The aim of this thesis is to decipher and modulate key events involved in prion conversion and cytopathology, by studying persistently scrapie infected murine neuronal cell cultures. This work shows that cell penetrating peptides derived from the prion protein (PrP-CPPs) can suppress cellular PrPSc levels. The PrP-CPPs assert these actions on two prion strains regardless of peptide configuration and do not inhibit any PrP-interaction with heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans (PG). A polybasic motif in the PrP-CPPs may interact with PrPSc, but the anti-prion effect is controlled by a signal peptide sequence. The PrP-CPPs represents a novel form of prion antagonizing compound. Prion-induced alterations in protein expression, cellular localization, activity and metabolism, designate putative mediators of disease or neuroprotective defence mechanisms. We report on interplay between the HSPG glypican-1 (Gpc-1) and scrapie-infection. Gpc-1 is aberrantly distributed in scrapie-infected cells and HS degradation by autocatalytic deaminative cleavage is elevated, suggestively in order to restrain PrPSc levels. Additionally, we demonstrate that scrapie-infection elevates the activity of Src family kinase members Src and Fyn, in part by affecting Src expression and Fyn membrane distribution. This causes an uncontrolled tyrosine phosphorylation which could contribute to neuronal loss in vivo.
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| 2. |
- Löfgren Söderberg, Kajsa, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanisms of prion antagonization by PrP-derived cell-penetrating peptides
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cell penetrating peptides derived from the prion protein N-terminus (PrP-CPPs) reduce PrPSc levels in prion-infected neuronal cell cultures (1). The PrP-CPPs consist of the hydrophobic PrP signal sequence followed by a basic segment (KKRPKP) and enter cells through raft-dependent macropinocytosis. To decipher the PrP-CPP anti-prion mechanism, different peptide constructs were analyzed for effects on PrPSc levels in GT1-1 neuronal cell cultures infected with either prion strain RML or 22L. For both strains, the PrP-CPPs antagonized the infection, but RML and 22L-infections differed in sensitivity to the PrP-CPP anti-prion effect. We also show that the effect on PrPSc levels does not depend on peptide interaction with any chiral receptor. The signal sequence segment of the PrP-CPPs promotes a specific positioning within the cell where conversion may occur, as signal sequence segment shortening or targeting of the KKRPKP-motif into alternative sub-cellular compartments disrupts the peptide anti-prion effect. Defining the anti-prion mechanism of PrP-CPPs is a matter of establishing how the peptides connect to the prion replicative interface. As the conversion process is poorly understood, the PrP-CPPs represent useful tools to outline the sub-cellular context of prion propagation.
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| 3. |
- Berntsson, Elina, et al.
(författare)
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Lithium ions display weak interaction with amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides and have minor effects on their aggregation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Acta Biochimica Polonica. - : Polskie Towarzystwo Biochemiczne (Polish Biochemical Society). - 0001-527X .- 1734-154X. ; 68:2, s. 169-179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable disease and the main cause of age-related dementia worldwide, despite decades of research. Treatment of AD with lithium (Li) has shown promising results, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The pathological hallmark of AD brains is deposition of amyloid plaques, consisting mainly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregated into amyloid fibrils. The plaques contain also metal ions of e.g. Cu, Fe, and Zn, and such ions are known to interact with Aβ peptides and modulate their aggregation and toxicity. The interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ions have however not been well investigated. Here, we use a range of biophysical techniques to characterize in vitro interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ions. We show that Li+ions display weak and non-specific interactions with Aβ peptides, and have minor effects on Aβ aggregation. These results indicate that possible beneficial effects of Li on AD pathology are not likely caused by direct interactions between Aβ peptides and Li+ions.
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| 4. |
- Österlund, Nicklas, et al.
(författare)
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Mass Spectrometry and Machine Learning Reveal Determinants of Client Recognition by Antiamyloid Chaperones
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1535-9476 .- 1535-9484. ; 21:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The assembly of proteins and peptides into amyloid fibrils is causally linked to serious disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Multiple proteins have been shown to prevent amyloid formation in vitro and in vivo, ranging from highly specific chaperone–client pairs to completely nonspecific binding of aggregation-prone peptides. The underlying interactions remain elusive. Here, we turn to the machine learning–based structure prediction algorithm AlphaFold2 to obtain models for the nonspecific interactions of β-lactoglobulin, transthyretin, or thioredoxin 80 with the model amyloid peptide amyloid β and the highly specific complex between the BRICHOS chaperone domain of C-terminal region of lung surfactant protein C and its polyvaline target. Using a combination of native mass spectrometry (MS) and ion mobility MS, we show that nonspecific chaperoning is driven predominantly by hydrophobic interactions of amyloid β with hydrophobic surfaces in β-lactoglobulin, transthyretin, and thioredoxin 80, and in part regulated by oligomer stability. For C-terminal region of lung surfactant protein C, native MS and hydrogen–deuterium exchange MS reveal that a disordered region recognizes the polyvaline target by forming a complementary β-strand. Hence, we show that AlphaFold2 and MS can yield atomistic models of hard-to-capture protein interactions that reveal different chaperoning mechanisms based on separate ligand properties and may provide possible clues for specific therapeutic intervention.
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| 5. |
- Abelein, Axel, et al.
(författare)
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Hydrophobicity and conformational change as mechanistic determinants for nonspecific modulators of amyloid β self-assembly
- 2012
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Ingår i: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 51:1, s. 126-137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The link between many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and the aberrant folding and aggregation of proteins has prompted a comprehensive search for small organic molecules that have the potential to inhibit such processes. Although many compounds have been reported to affect the formation of amyloid fibrils and/or other types of protein aggregates, the mechanisms by which they act are not well understood. A large number of compounds appear to act in a nonspecific way affecting several different amyloidogenic proteins. We describe here a detailed study of the mechanism of action of one representative compound, lacmoid, in the context of the inhibition of the aggregation of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) associated with Alzheimer's disease. We show that lacmoid binds Aβ(1-40) in a surfactant-like manner and counteracts the formation of all types of Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42) aggregates. On the basis of these and previous findings, we are able to rationalize the molecular mechanisms of action of nonspecific modulators of protein self-assembly in terms of hydrophobic attraction and the conformational preferences of the polypeptide.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Guterstam, Peter, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Elucidating cell-penetrating peptide mechanisms of action for membrane interaction, cellular uptake, and translocation utilizing the hydrophobic counter-anion pyrenebutyrate
- 2009
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-2736 .- 1879-2642. ; 1788:12, s. 2509-2517
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are membrane permeable vectors recognized for their intrinsic ability to gain access to the cell interior. The hydrophobic counter-anion, pyrenebutyrate, enhances cellular uptake of oligoarginine CPPs. To elucidate CPP uptake mechanisms, the effect of pyrenebutyrate on well-recognized CPPs with various hydrophobicity and arginine content is investigated. The cellular CPP-uptake and CPP-mediated oligonucleotide delivery is analyzed by fluorescence activated cell sorting, confocal microscopy, and a cell based splice-switching assay. The splice-switching oligonucleotide is a mixmer of 2’-O-methyl RNA and locked nucleic acids delivered as a non-covalent complex with 10-fold molar CPP excess. CPP-induced membrane perturbation on large unilamellar vesicles is investigated in calcein release experiments. We observed that pyrenebutyrate facilitates cellular uptake and translocation of oligonucleotide mediated by oligoarginine nonamer while limited effect of pyrenebutyrate on more hydrophobic CPPs was observed. By combining the different experimental results we conclude that the pathway for cellular uptake of oligoarginine is dominated by direct membrane translocation, whereas the pathway for oligoarginine-mediated oligonucleotide translocation is dominated by endocytosis. Both mechanisms are promoted by pyrenebutyrate and we suggest that pyrenebutyrate has different sites of action for the two uptake and translocation mechanisms.
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| 8. |
- Lendel, Christofer, et al.
(författare)
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Detergent-like interaction of Congo red with the amyloid beta peptide
- 2010
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Ingår i: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 49:7, s. 1358-1360
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Accumulating evidence links prefibrillar oligomeric species of the amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) to cellular toxicity in Alzheimer's disease, potentially via disruption of biological membranes. Congo red (CR) affects protein aggregation. It is known to self-associate into micelle-like assemblies but still reduces the toxicity of Abeta aggregates in cell cultures and model organisms. We show here that CR interacts with Abeta(1-40) in a manner similar to that of anionic detergents. Although CR promotes beta sheet formation and peptide aggregation, it may also solubilize toxic protein species, making them less harmful to critical cellular components and thereby reducing amyloid toxicity.
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| 9. |
- Lindgren, Joel, et al.
(författare)
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N-terminal engineering of amyloid-β-binding Affibody molecules yields improved chemical synthesis and higher binding affinity
- 2010
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Ingår i: Protein Science. - : Wiley. - 0961-8368 .- 1469-896X. ; 19:12, s. 2319-2329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aggregation of amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides is believed to be a major factor in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease Molecules binding with high affinity and selectivity to A beta-peptides are important tools for investigating the aggregation process An A beta-binding Affibody molecule, Z(A beta 3), has earlier been selected by phage display and shown to bind A beta(1-40) with nanomolar affinity and to inhibit A beta-peptide aggregation In this study, we create truncated functional versions of the Z(A beta 3) Affibody molecule better suited for chemical synthesis production Engineered Affibody molecules of different length were produced by solid phase peptide synthesis and allowed to form covalently linked homodimers by S-S-bridges The N-terminally truncated Affibody molecules Z(A beta 3)(12-58), Z(A beta 3)(15-58), and Z(A beta 3)(18-58) were produced in considerably higher synthetic yield than the corresponding full-length molecule Z(A beta 3)(1-58) Circular dichroism spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance-based biosensor analysis showed that the shortest Affibody molecule, Z(A beta 3)(18-58), exhibited complete loss of binding to the A beta(1-40)-peptide, while the Z(A beta 3)(12-58) and Z(A beta 3)(15-58) Affibody molecules both displayed approximately one order of magnitude higher binding affinity to the A beta(1-40)-peptide compared to the full-length Affibody molecule Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the structure of A beta(1-40) in complex with the truncated Affibody dimers is very similar to the previously published solution structure of the A beta(1-40)-peptide in complex with the full-length Z(A beta 3) Affibody molecule This indicates that the N-terminally truncated Affibody molecules Z(A beta 3)(12-58) and Z(A beta 3)(15-58) are highly promising for further engineering and future use as binding agents to monomeric A beta(1-40)
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| 10. |
- Löfgren, Kajsa, et al.
(författare)
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Antiprion properties of prion protein-derived cell-penetrating peptides
- 2008
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Ingår i: The FASEB Journal. - : Wiley. - 0892-6638 .- 1530-6860. ; 22:7, s. 2177-2184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In prion diseases, the cellular prion protein (PrPC) becomes misfolded into the pathogenic scrapie isoform (PrPSc) responsible for prion infectivity. We show here that peptides derived from the prion protein N terminus have potent antiprion effects. These peptides are composed of a hydrophobic sequence followed by a basic segment. They are known to have cell-penetrating ability like regular cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), short peptides that can penetrate cellular membranes. Healthy (GT1–1) and scrapie-infected (ScGT1–1) mouse neuronal hypothalamic cells were treated with various CPPs, including the prion protein-derived CPPs. Lysates were analyzed for altered protein levels of PrPC or PrPSc. Treatment with the prion protein-derived CPPs mouse mPrP1–28 or bovine bPrP1–30 significantly reduced PrPSc levels in prion-infected cells but had no effect on PrPC levels in noninfected cells. Further, presence of prion protein-derived CPPs significantly prolonged the time before infection was manifested when infecting GT1–1 cells with scrapie. Treatment with other CPPs (penetratin, transportan-10, or poly-L-arginine) or prion protein-derived peptides lacking CPP function (mPrP23–28, mPrP19–30, or mPrP23–50) had no effect on PrPSc levels. The results suggest a mechanism by which the signal sequence guides the prion protein-derived CPP into a cellular compartment, where the basic segment binds specifically to PrPSc and disables formation of prions.—Löfgren, K., Wahlström, A., Lundberg, P., Langel, U., Gräslund, A., and Bedecs, K. Antiprion properties of prion protein-derived cell-penetrating peptides.
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