| 1. |
- Luheshi, Leila M., et al.
(författare)
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Sequestration of the A beta Peptide Prevents Toxicity and Promotes Degradation In Vivo
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLoS biology. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1544-9173 .- 1545-7885. ; 8:3, s. e1000334-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Protein aggregation, arising from the failure of the cell to regulate the synthesis or degradation of aggregation-prone proteins, underlies many neurodegenerative disorders. However, the balance between the synthesis, clearance, and assembly of misfolded proteins into neurotoxic aggregates remains poorly understood. Here we study the effects of modulating this balance for the amyloid-beta (A beta) peptide by using a small engineered binding protein (Z(A beta 3)) that binds with nanomolar affinity to A beta, completely sequestering the aggregation-prone regions of the peptide and preventing its aggregation. Co-expression of Z(A beta 3) in the brains of Drosophila melanogaster expressing either A beta(42) or the aggressive familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated E22G variant of A beta(42) abolishes their neurotoxic effects. Biochemical analysis indicates that monomer A beta binding results in degradation of the peptide in vivo. Complementary biophysical studies emphasize the dynamic nature of A beta aggregation and reveal that Z(A beta 3) not only inhibits the initial association of A beta monomers into oligomers or fibrils, but also dissociates pre-formed oligomeric aggregates and, although very slowly, amyloid fibrils. Toxic effects of peptide aggregation in vivo can therefore be eliminated by sequestration of hydrophobic regions in monomeric peptides, even when these are extremely aggregation prone. Our studies also underline how a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments provide mechanistic insight with regard to the relationship between protein aggregation and clearance and show that engineered binding proteins may provide powerful tools with which to address the physiological and pathological consequences of protein aggregation.
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| 2. |
- Dubnovitsky, Anatoly, et al.
(författare)
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Amyloid-beta Protofibrils: Size, Morphology and Synaptotoxicity of an Engineered Mimic
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Structural and biochemical studies of the aggregation of the amyloid-beta peptide (A beta) are important to understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, but research is complicated by aggregate inhomogeneity and instability. We previously engineered a hairpin form of A beta called A beta cc, which forms stable protofibrils that do not convert into amyloid fibrils. Here we provide a detailed characterization of A beta(42)cc protofibrils. Like wild type A beta they appear as smooth rod-like particles with a diameter of 3.1 (+/- 0.2) nm and typical lengths in the range 60 to 220 nm when observed by atomic force microscopy. Non-perturbing analytical ultracentrifugation and nanoparticle tracking analyses are consistent with such rod-like protofibrils. A beta(42)cc protofibrils bind the ANS dye indicating that they, like other toxic protein aggregates, expose hydrophobic surface. Assays with the OC/A11 pair of oligomer specific antibodies put A beta(42)cc protofibrils into the same class of species as fibrillar oligomers of wild type A beta. A beta(42)cc protofibrils may be used to extract binding proteins in biological fluids and apolipoprotein E is readily detected as a binder in human serum. Finally, A beta(42)cc protofibrils act to attenuate spontaneous synaptic activity in mouse hippocampal neurons. The experiments indicate considerable structural and chemical similarities between protofibrils formed by A beta(42)cc and aggregates of wild type A beta(42). We suggest that A beta(42)cc protofibrils may be used in research and applications that require stable preparations of protofibrillar A beta.
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| 3. |
- Dubnovitsky, Anatoly, et al.
(författare)
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Conserved Hydrophobic Clusters on the Surface of the Caf1A Usher C-Terminal Domain Are Important for F1 Antigen Assembly
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 403, s. 243-259
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The outer membrane usher protein Caf1A of the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis is responsible for the assembly of a major surface antigen, the F1 capsule. The F1 capsule is mainly formed by thin linear polymers of CaF1 (capsular antigen fraction 1) protein subunits. The Caf1A usher promotes polymerization of subunits and secretion of growing polymers to the cell surface. The usher monomer (811 aa, 90.5 kDa) consists of a large transmembrane beta-barrel that forms a secretion channel and three soluble domains. The periplasmic N-terminal domain binds chaperone subunit complexes supplying new subunits for the growing fiber. The middle domain, which is structurally similar to Caf1 and other fimbrial subunits, serves as a plug that regulates the permeability of the usher. Here we describe the identification, characterization, and crystal structure of the Caf1A usher C-terminal domain (Caf1Ac). Caf1Ac is shown to be a periplasmic domain with a seven-stranded beta-barrel fold. Analysis of C-terminal truncation mutants of Caf1A demonstrated that the presence of CaF1 Ac is crucial for the function of the usher in vivo, but that it is not required for the initial binding of chaperone subunit complexes to the usher. Two clusters of conserved hydrophobic residues on the surface of Caf1Ac were found to be essential for the efficient assembly of surface polymers. These clusters are conserved between the FGL family and the FGS family of chaperone usher systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Dubnovitsky, Anatoly, et al.
(författare)
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Structural basis for high-affinity HER2 receptor binding by an engineered protein
- 2010
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 1091-6490 .- 0027-8424. ; 107, s. 15039-15044
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is specifically overexpressed in tumors of several cancers, including an aggressive form of breast cancer. It is therefore a target for both cancer diagnostics and therapy. The 58 amino acid residue ZHER2 affibody molecule was previously engineered as a high-affinity binder of HER2. Here we determined the structure of ZHER2 in solution and the crystal structure of ZHER2 in complex with the HER2 extracellular domain. ZHER2 binds to a conformational epitope on HER2 that is distant from those recognized by the therapeutic antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab. Its small size and lack of interference may provide ZHER2 with advantages for diagnostic use or even for delivery of therapeutic agents to HER2-expressing tumors when trastuzumab or pertuzumab are already employed. Biophysical characterization shows that ZHER2 is thermodynamically stable in the folded state yet undergoing conformational interconversion on a submillisecond time scale. The data suggest that it is the HER2-binding conformation that is formed transiently prior to binding. Still, binding is very strong with a dissociation constant K(D) = 22 pM, and perfect conformational homogeneity is therefore not necessarily required in engineered binding proteins. A comparison of the original Z domain scaffold to free and bound ZHER2 structures reveals how high-affinity binding has evolved during selection and affinity maturation and suggests how a compromise between binding surface optimization and stability and dynamics of the unbound state has been reached.
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| 5. |
- Haugaard-Kedström, Linda M.
(författare)
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Structure and function of relaxins
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The relaxin/insulin superfamily is a group of peptide hormones that consists of ten members in human, namely relaxins 1-3, insulin-like peptides (INSL) 3-6, insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGF) I-II. These peptides have various functions in the body, such as regulating growth, blood glucose levels, collagen metabolism, germ cell maturation and appetite. Misregulation of these mechanisms is associated with disease and accordingly they are of interest as potential pharmaceutical targets. Structurally the hormones are characterised by two peptide chains, A and B, which are held together by one intra A-chain and two inter chain disulfide bonds. Four different G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) called relaxin family peptide receptor (RXFP) 1-4 have been found to respond to stimuli by different relaxin peptides. RXFP3 and RXFP4 are classic peptide ligand GPCRs, whereas RXFP1 and RXFP2 are characterised by a large extracellular leucine rich-repeat domain. Relaxin-3, which is the relaxin family ancestor, is the only relaxin peptide known to be able to bind and activate both subtypes of GPCRs, namely RXFP1, RXFP3 and RXFP4.The aim of this thesis was to analyse the structure-function relationship of the relaxin ligands and receptors, and to use this information to develop selective ligands for the relaxin receptors, which can be used as drug leads or pharmacological tools for investigating the physiological roles of the RXFPs.The 3D structures of native INSL5 and relaxin-2 were determined by solution NMR spectroscopy. The peptides showed an insulin/relaxin-like overall fold. A relaxin chimera peptide, consisting of the A-chain from INSL5 and the B-chain from relaxin-3, R3/I5, which has been shown to be selective for RXFP3 and RXFP4 over RXFP1, was also subjected to NMR studies. The R3/I5 peptide maintained an insulin/relaxin-like overall fold, and the relaxin-3 B-chain adopted a conformation identical to that in native relaxin-3, confirming that the activity of R3/I5 can be directly related to its primary sequence. Furthermore, a truncation study was undertaken to ascertain the importance of the termini for structure and function. By using the knowledge generated from the structure-function relationship, a single-chain high affinity RXFP3 selective antagonist was developed.In conclusion, this thesis has contributed to broaden the knowledge of the structure-function relationship of the relaxin ligands and the development of a selective RXFP3 antagonist, which is currently a drug lead for treatment of neurological disorders including stress and obesity.
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| 6. |
- Härd, Torleif
(författare)
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Amyloid Fibrils: Formation, Polymorphism, and Inhibition
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 5, s. 607-614
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyloid fibrils with cross-beta spine basic architectures are prevalent and stable forms of peptides and proteins. Recent research has provided significant contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms of fibril formation and to the surprising diversity and persistence of structural polymorphism in amyloid fibrils. There have also been successful demonstrations of how molecules can be engineered to inhibit unwanted amyloid formation by different mechanisms. Future research in these areas will include investigations of mechanisms for primary nucleation and the structure of oligomeric intermediates, the general role of secondary nucleation events (autocatalysis), elucidation of the mechanisms and implications of preservation of structural morphology in amyloid propagation, and research into the largely unexplored phenomenon of cross-seeding, by which amyloid fibrils of one species induce the formation of amyloid by another species.
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| 7. |
- Härd, Torleif, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of Amyloid Formation
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 421, s. 441-465
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyloid is aggregated protein in the form of insoluble fibrils. Amyloid deposition in human tissue-amyloidosis-is associated with a number of diseases including all common dementias and type II diabetes. Considerable progress has been made to understand the mechanisms leading to amyloid formation. It is, however, not yet clear by which mechanisms amyloid and protein aggregates formed on the path to amyloid are cytotoxic. Strategies to prevent protein aggregation and amyloid formation are nevertheless, in many cases, promising and even successful. This review covers research on intervention of amyloidosis and highlights several examples of how inhibition of protein aggregation and amyloid formation has been achieved in practice. For instance, rational design can provide drugs that stabilize a native folded state of a protein, protein engineering can provide new binding proteins that sequester monomeric peptides from aggregation, small molecules and peptides can be designed to block aggregation or direct it into non-cytotoxic paths, and monoclonal antibodies have been developed for therapies towards neurodegenerative diseases based on inhibition of amyloid formation and clearance. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Härd, Torleif
(författare)
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Protein engineering to stabilize soluble amyloid beta-protein aggregates for structural and functional studies
- 2011
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Ingår i: FEBS Journal. - : Wiley. - 1742-464X. ; 278, s. 3884-3892
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The molecular biology underlying protein aggregation and neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease is not yet completely understood, but small soluble nonamyloid aggregates of the amyloid beta-protein (A beta) have been shown to play a fundamental neurotoxic role. The composition and biological action of such aggregates, known as oligomers and protofibrils, are therefore areas of intense study. However, research is complicated by the multitude of different interconverting aggregates that A beta can form in vitro and in vivo, and by the inhomogeneity and instability of in vitro preparations. Here we review recent studies in which protein engineering, and in particular disulfide engineering, has been applied to stabilize different A beta aggregates. For example, several techniques now exist to obtain stable and neurotoxic protofibrillar forms of A beta, and engineered A beta dimers, or larger aggregates formed by these, have been shown to specifically induce neuronal damage in a way that mimics Alzheimer's disease pathology. Disulfide engineering has also revealed structural properties of neurotoxic aggregates, for instance that A beta in protofibrils and globular oligomers adopts a beta-hairpin conformation that is similar to, but topologically distinct from, the conformation of A beta in mature amyloid fibrils. Protein engineering is therefore a workable strategy to address many of the outstanding questions relating to the structure, interconversion and biological effects of oligomers and protofibrils of A beta.
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| 9. |
- Härd, Torleif
(författare)
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Self-Cleaving Mucins
- 2013
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Ingår i: Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes. - 9780123822192 ; :1, s. 3632-3635
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 10. |
- Lendel, Christofer, et al.
(författare)
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A Hexameric Peptide Barrel as Building Block of Amyloid-β Protofibrils
- 2014
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Ingår i: Angewandte Chemie. - : Wiley. - 0044-8249 .- 1521-3757. ; 126:47, s. 12970-12974
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oligomeric and protofibrillar aggregates formed by the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) are believed to be involved in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Central to Alzheimer pathology is also the fact that the longer Aβ42 peptide is more prone to aggregation than the more prevalent Aβ40. Detailed structural studies of Aβ oligomers and protofibrils have been impeded by aggregate heterogeneity and instability. We previously engineered a variant of Aβ that forms stable protofibrils and here we use solid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling to derive a structural model of these. NMR data are consistent with packing of residues 16 to 42 of Aβ protomers into hexameric barrel-like oligomers within the protofibril. The core of the oligomers consists of all residues of the central and C-terminal hydrophobic regions of Aβ, and hairpin loops extend from the core. The model accounts for why Aβ42 forms oligomers and protofibrils more easily than Aβ40.
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