1. |
- Aguei-Gonzalez, P., et al.
(author)
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Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging Reveals Changes in the Lipid Structure of the Plasma Membranes of Hippocampal Neurons following Drugs Affecting Neuronal Activity
- 2021
-
In: Acs Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 12:9, s. 1542-1551
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cellular functions of lipids in the neuronal plasma membranes have been increasingly acknowledged, particularly their association to neuronal processes and synaptic plasticity. However, the knowledge of their regulatory mechanisms in neuronal cells remains sparse. To address this, we investigated the lipid organization of the plasma membranes of hippocampal neurons in relation to neuronal activity using secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The neurons were treated with drugs, particularly tetrodotoxin (TTX) and bicuculline (BIC), to induce chronic activation and silencing. Distinct lipid organization was found in the plasma membrane of the cell body and the neurites. Moreover, significant alterations of the levels of the membrane lipids, especially ceramides, phosphatidylserines, phosphatidic acids, and triacylglycerols, were observed under the TTX and BIC treatments. We suggest that many types of membrane lipids are affected by, and may be involved in, the regulation of neuronal function.
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2. |
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3. |
- Assarsson, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Charge dependent retardation of amyloid β aggregation by hydrophilic proteins
- 2014
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193 .- 1948-7193. ; 5:4, s. 266-74
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aggregation of amyloid β peptides (Aβ) into amyloid fibrils is implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. In light of the increasing number of proteins reported to retard Aβ fibril formation, we investigated the influence of small hydrophilic model proteins of different charge on Aβ aggregation kinetics and their interaction with Aβ. We followed the amyloid fibril formation of Aβ40 and Aβ42 using thioflavin T fluorescence in the presence of six charge variants of calbindin D9k and single-chain monellin. The formation of fibrils was verified with transmission electron microscopy. We observe retardation of the aggregation process from proteins with net charge +8, +2, -2, and -4, whereas no effect is observed for proteins with net charge of -6 and -8. The single-chain monellin mutant with the highest net charge, scMN+8, has the largest retarding effect on the amyloid fibril formation process, which is noticeably delayed at as low as a 0.01:1 scMN+8 to Aβ40 molar ratio. scMN+8 is also the mutant with the fastest association to Aβ40 as detected by surface plasmon resonance, although all retarding variants of calbindin D9k and single-chain monellin bind to Aβ40.
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4. |
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5. |
- Baidya, Anurag T. K., et al.
(author)
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Mechanistic Insight into the Inhibition of Choline Acetyltransferase by Proton Pump Inhibitors
- 2023
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 14:4, s. 749-765
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Various pharmacoepidemiological investigational studies have indicated that Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) may increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-AD related dementias. Previously, we have reported the inhibition of the acetylcholine biosynthesizing enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) by PPIs, for which omeprazole, lansoprazole, and pantoprazole exhibited IC50 values of 0.1, 1.5, and 5.3 mu M, respectively. In this study we utilize a battery of computational tools to perceive a mechanistic insight into the molecular interaction of PPIs with the ChAT binding pocket that may further help in designing novel ChAT ligands. Various in-silico tools make it possible for us to elucidate the binding interaction, conformational stability, and dynamics of the protein-ligand complexes within a 200 ns time frame. Further, the binding free energies for the PPI-ChAT complexes were explored. The results suggest that the PPIs exhibit equal or higher binding affinity toward the ChAT catalytic tunnel and are stable throughout the simulated time and that the pyridine ring of the PPIs interacts primarily with the catalytic residue His324. A free energy landscape analysis showed that the folding process was linear, and the residue interaction network analysis can provide insight into the roles of various amino acid residues in stabilization of the PPIs in the ChAT binding pocket. As a major factor for the onset of Alzheimer's disease is linked to cholinergic dysfunction, our previous and the present findings give clear insight into the PPI interaction with ChAT. The scaffold can be further simplified to develop novel ChAT ligands, which can also be used as ChAT tracer probes for the diagnosis of cholinergic dysfunction and to initiate timely therapeutic interventions to prevent or delay the progression of AD.
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6. |
- Balamurugan, Kanagasabai, et al.
(author)
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Effect of Alzheimer Familial Chromosomal Mutations on the Amyloid Fibril Interaction with Different PET Tracers : Insight from Molecular Modeling Studies
- 2017
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 8:12, s. 2655-2666
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Along with an increasing number of elderly worldwide, it poses a great challenge for the society and health care. Although sporadic AD is the common form of AD, 2-3% of the AD cases are expected to be due to mutations in the fi region of the amyloid precursor protein, which is referred to as autosomal dominant AD (ADAD). These mutations may cause changes in the secondary structure of the amyloid fi fibrils and may alter the fibrillization rate leading to changes in the disease development and could also affect the binding to tracers used in diagnosis. In particular, from some recent clinical studies using PET tracers for detection of fibrillar amyloids, it is evident that in ADAD patients with Arctic mutation no amyloid plaque binding can be detected with the "C Pittsburgh Compound B (C-11-PIB). However, for in vitro conditions, significant binding of H-3-PIB has been reported for the amyloid fibrils carrying the Arctic mutation. The aim of the present study is to investigate if there is any mutation specific binding of commonly used amyloid tracers, namely, florbetaben, florbetapir, FPIB, AZD4694, and AZD2184, by means of molecular modeling techniques. Other than Arctic, ADAD mutations, such as the Dutch, Italian, Iowa, and Flemish mutations, are considered in this study. We report that all tracers except florbetapir show reduced binding affinity toward amyloid beta fibrils with the Arctic mutation when compared to the native type. Moreover, florbetapir is the only tracer that binds to all mutants with increased affinity when compared to the native fibril. The results obtained from these studies could increase the understanding of the structural changes caused by mutation and concomitant changes in the interaction pattern of the PET tracers with the mutated variants, which in turn can be useful in selecting the appropriate tracers for the purpose of diagnosis as well as for designing new tracers with desirable properties.
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7. |
- Balamurugan, Kanagasabai, et al.
(author)
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Multistep Modeling Strategy To Improve the Binding Affinity Prediction of PET Tracers to A beta(42) : Case Study with Styrylbenzoxazole Derivatives
- 2016
-
In: ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:12, s. 1698-1705
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Positron emission tomography (PET) tracers play an important role in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a condition that leads to progressive dementia and memory loss. A high binding affinity and specificity of the PET tracers to amyloid oligomers and fibrils are crucial for their successful application as diagnostic agents. In this sense, it is essential to design PET tracers with enhanced binding affinities, which can lead to more precise and earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease conditions. The application of in silico methodology for the design and development of efficient PET tracers may serve as an important route to improved Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. In this work, the performance of widely used computational methods is explored for predicting experimental binding affinities of styrylbenzoxazole (SB) derivatives against a common amyloid protofibril. By performing docking, molecular dynamics, and quantum chemistry calculations in sequence their combined predictive performance is explored. The present work emphasizes the merits as well as limitations of these simulation strategies in the realm of designing PET tracers for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.
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8. |
- Baumann, Kevin N., et al.
(author)
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A Kinetic Map of the Influence of Biomimetic Lipid Model Membranes on Aβ42 Aggregation
- 2023
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 14:2, s. 323-329
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aggregation of the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide is one of the molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although Aβ deposits have mostly been observed extracellularly, various studies have also reported the presence of intracellular Aβ assemblies. Because these intracellular Aβ aggregates might play a role in the onset and progression of AD, it is important to investigate their possible origins at different locations of the cell along the secretory pathway of the amyloid precursor protein, from which Aβ is derived by proteolytic cleavage. Senile plaques found in AD are largely composed of the 42-residue form of Aβ (Aβ42). Intracellularly, Aβ42 is produced in the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus. Since lipid bilayers have been shown to promote the aggregation of Aβ, in this study, we measure the effects of the lipid membrane composition on the in vitro aggregation kinetics of Aβ42. By using large unilamellar vesicles to model cellular membranes at different locations, including the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane, late endosomes, the ER, and the Golgi apparatus, we show that Aβ42 aggregation is inhibited by the ER and Golgi model membranes. These results provide a preliminary map of the possible effects of the membrane composition in different cellular locations on Aβ aggregation and suggest the presence of an evolutionary optimization of the lipid composition to prevent the intracellular aggregation of Aβ.
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9. |
- Begum, Afshan, et al.
(author)
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Transthyretin Binding Mode Dichotomy of Fluorescent trans-Stilbene Ligands
- 2023
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 14:5, s. 820-828
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The orientations of ligands bound to the transthyretin (TTR) thyroxine (T4) binding site are difficult to predict. Conflicting binding modes of resveratrol have been reported. We previously reported two resveratrol based trans-stilbene fluorescent ligands, (E)-4-(2-(naphthalen-1-yl)vinyl)benzene-1,2-diol (SB-11) and (E)-4-(2-(naphthalen-2-yl)vinyl)-benzene-1,2-diol (SB-14), that bind native and misfolded protofibrillar TTR. The binding orientations of these two analogous ligands to native tetrameric TTR were predicted to be opposite. Herein we report the crystal structures of these TTR:ligand complexes. Opposite binding modes were verified but were different than predicted. The reverse binding mode (SB14) placing the naphthalene moiety toward the opening of the binding pocket renders the fluorescent ligand pH sensitive due to changes in Lys15 amine protonation. Conversely, the forward binding mode (SB-11) placing the naphthalene inward mediates a stabilizing conformational change, allowing intersubunit H-bonding between Ser117 of different monomers across the dimer interface. Our structures of TTR complexes answer important questions in ligand design and interpretation of trans-stilbene binding modes to the TTR T4 binding site.
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10. |
- Berglund, E Carina, et al.
(author)
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Oral administration of methylphenidate blocks the effect of cocaine on uptake at the Drosophila dopamine transporter.
- 2013
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In: ACS chemical neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 4:4, s. 566-74
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although our understanding of the actions of cocaine in the brain has improved, an effective drug treatment for cocaine addiction has yet to be found. Methylphenidate binds the dopamine transporter and increases extracellular dopamine levels in mammalian central nervous systems similar to cocaine, but it is thought to elicit fewer addictive and reinforcing effects owing to slower pharmacokinetics for different routes of administration between the drugs. This study utilizes the fruit fly model system to quantify the effects of oral methylphenidate on dopamine uptake during direct cocaine exposure to the fly CNS. The effect of methylphenidate on the dopamine transporter has been explored by measuring the uptake of exogenously applied dopamine. The data suggest that oral consumption of methylphenidate inhibits the Drosophila dopamine transporter and the inhibition is concentration dependent. The peak height increased to 150% of control when cocaine was used to block the dopamine transporter for untreated flies but only to 110% for methylphenidate-treated flies. Thus, the dopamine transporter is mostly inhibited for the methylphenidate-fed flies before the addition of cocaine. The same is true for the rate of the clearance of dopamine measured by amperometry. For untreated flies the rate of clearance changes 40% when the dopamine transporter is inhibited with cocaine, and for treated flies the rate changes only 10%. The results were correlated to the in vivo concentration of methylphenidate determined by CE-MS. Our data suggest that oral consumption of methylphenidate inhibits the Drosophila dopamine transporter for cocaine uptake, and the inhibition is concentration dependent.
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11. |
- Berntsson, Elina, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of Uranyl (UO22+) Ion Binding to Amyloid Beta (Aβ) Peptides : Effects on Aβ Structure and Aggregation
- 2023
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193. ; 14:15, s. 2618-2633
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Uranium (U) is naturally present in ambient air, water, and soil, and depleted uranium (DU) is released into the environment via industrial and military activities. While the radiological damage from U is rather well understood, less is known about the chemical damage mechanisms, which dominate in DU. Heavy metal exposure is associated with numerous health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent age-related cause of dementia. The pathological hallmark of AD is the deposition of amyloid plaques, consisting mainly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregated into amyloid fibrils in the brain. However, the toxic species in AD are likely oligomeric Aβ aggregates. Exposure to heavy metals such as Cd, Hg, Mn, and Pb is known to increase Aβ production, and these metals bind to Aβ peptides and modulate their aggregation. The possible effects of U in AD pathology have been sparsely studied. Here, we use biophysical techniques to study in vitro interactions between Aβ peptides and uranyl ions, UO22+, of DU. We show for the first time that uranyl ions bind to Aβ peptides with affinities in the micromolar range, induce structural changes in Aβ monomers and oligomers, and inhibit Aβ fibrillization. This suggests a possible link between AD and U exposure, which could be further explored by cell, animal, and epidemiological studies. General toxic mechanisms of uranyl ions could be modulation of protein folding, misfolding, and aggregation.
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12. |
- Bertaccini, Edward J., et al.
(author)
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Normal Mode Gating Motions of a Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Persist in a Fully Hydrated Lipid Bilayer Model
- 2010
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In: ACS chemical neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 1:8, s. 552-558
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have previously used molecular modeling and normal-mode analyses combined with experimental data to visualize a plausible model of a transmembrane ligand-gated ion channel. We also postulated how the gating motion of the channel may be affected by the presence of various ligands, especially anesthetics. As is typical for normal-mode analyses, those studies were performed ut vacuo to reduce the computational complexity of the problem. While such calculations constitute an efficient way to model the large scale structural flexibility of transmembrane proteins, they can be criticized for neglecting the effects of an explicit phospholipid bilayer or hydrated environment. Here, we show the successful calculation of normal-mode motions for our model of a glycine alpha-1 receptor, now suspended in a fully hydrated lipid bilayer. Despite the almost uniform atomic density, the introduction of water and lipid does not grossly distort the overall gating motion. Normal-mode analysis revealed that even a fully immersed glycine alpha-1 receptor continues to demonstrate an iris-like channel gating motion as a low-frequency, high-amplitude natural harmonic vibration consistent with channel gating. Furthermore, the introduction of periodic boundary conditions allows the examination of simultaneous harmonic vibrations of lipid in synchrony with the protein gating motions that are compatible with reasonable lipid bilayer perturbations. While these perturbations tend to influence the overall protein motion, this work provides continued support for the iris-like motion model that characterizes gating within the family of ligand-gated ion channels.
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13. |
- Blockhuys, S., et al.
(author)
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Interaction between Copper Chaperone Atox1 and Parkinson's Disease Protein alpha-Synuclein Includes Metal-Binding Sites and Occurs in Living Cells
- 2019
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 10:11, s. 4659-4668
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alterations in copper ion homeostasis appear coupled to neurodegenerative disorders, but mechanisms are unknown. The cytoplasmic copper chaperone Atox1 was recently found to inhibit amyloid formation in vitro of alpha-synuclein, the amyloidogenic protein in Parkinson's disease. As alpha-synuclein may have copper-dependent functions, and free copper ions promote alpha-synuclein amyloid formation, it is important to characterize the Atox1 interaction with alpha-synuclein on a molecular level. Here we applied solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, with isotopically labeled alpha-synuclein and Atox1, to define interaction regions in both proteins. The alpha-synuclein interaction interface includes the whole N-terminal part up to Gln24; in Atox1, residues around the copper-binding cysteines (positions 11-16) are mostly perturbed, but additional effects are also found for residues elsewhere in both proteins. Because alpha-synuclein is N-terminally acetylated in vivo, we established that Atox1 also inhibits amyloid formation of this variant in vitro, and proximity ligation in human cell lines demonstrated alpha-synuclein-Atox1 interactions in situ. Thus, this interaction may provide the direct link between copper homeostasis and amyloid formation in vivo.
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14. |
- Bondarenko, Vasyl, et al.
(author)
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Structural Elucidation of Ivermectin Binding to α7nAChR and the Induced Channel Desensitization
- 2023
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society. - 1948-7193. ; 14:6, s. 1156-1165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) mediates signaling in the central nervous system and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways. Ivermectin is a positive allosteric modulator of a full-length α7nAChR and an agonist of the α7nAChR construct containing transmembrane (TMD) and intracellular (ICD) domains, but structural insights of the binding have not previously been determined. Here, combining nuclear magnetic resonance as a primary experimental tool with Rosetta comparative modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, we have revealed details of ivermectin binding to the α7nAChR TMD + ICD and corresponding structural changes in an ivermectin-induced desensitized state. Ivermectin binding was stabilized predominantly by hydrophobic interactions from interfacial residues between adjacent subunits near the extracellular end of the TMD, where the inter-subunit gap was substantially expanded in comparison to the apo structure. The ion-permeation pathway showed a profile distinctly different from the resting-state profile but similar to profiles of desensitized α7nAChR. The ICD also exhibited structural changes, including reorientation of the MX and h3 helices relative to the channel axis. The resulting structures of the α7nAChR TMD + ICD in complex with ivermectin provide opportunities for discovering new modulators of therapeutic potential and exploring the structural basis of cytoplasmic signaling under different α7nAChR functional states.
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15. |
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16. |
- Bose, Partha Pratim, et al.
(author)
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Effects of Congo Red on A beta(1-40) Fibril Formation Process and Morphology
- 2010
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In: ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 1:4, s. 315-324
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common form of dementia, and the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Current treatments offer only symptomatic relief; thus, there is a great need for new treatments with disease-modifying potential. One pathological hallmark of AD is so-called senile plaques, mainly made up of beta-sheet-rich assemblies of 40- or 42-residue amyloid beta-peptides (A beta). Hence, inhibition of A beta aggregation is actively explored as an option to prevent or treat AD. Congo red (CR) has been widely used as a model antiamyloid agent to prevent A beta aggregation. Herein, we report detailed morphological studies on the effect of CR as an antiamyloid agent, by circular dichroism spectroscopy, photo-induced cross-linking reactions, and atomic force microscopy. We also demonstrate the effect of CR on a preaggregated sample of A beta(1-40). Our result suggests that A beta(1-40) follows a different path for aggregation in the presence of CR.
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17. |
- Cabaleiro-Lago, Celia, et al.
(author)
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Dual Effect of Amino Modified Polystyrene Nanoparticles on Amyloid beta Protein Fibrillation
- 2010
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 1:4, s. 279-287
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fibrillation kinetics of the amyloid beta peptide is analyzed in presence of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles of different size. The results highlight the importance of the ratio between the peptide and particle concentration. Depending on the specific ratio, the kinetic effects vary from acceleration of the fibrillation process by reducing the lag phase at low particle surface area in solution to inhibition of the fibrillation process at high particle surface area. The kinetic behavior can be explained if we assume a balance between two different pathways: first fibrillation of free monomer in solution and second nucleation and fibrillation promoted at the particle surface. The overall rate of fibrillation will depend on the interplay between these two pathways, and the predominance of one mechanism over the other will be determined by the relative equilibrium and rate constants.
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18. |
- Cabaleiro-Lago, Celia, et al.
(author)
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Dual effect of amino modified polystyrene nanoparticles on amyloid β protein fibrillation
- 2010
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193 .- 1948-7193. ; 1:4, s. 279-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fibrillation kinetics of the amyloid β peptide is analyzed in presence of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles of different size. The results highlight the importance of the ratio between the peptide and particle concentration. Depending on the specific ratio, the kinetic effects vary from acceleration of the fibrillation process by reducing the lag phase at low particle surface area in solution to inhibition of the fibrillation process at high particle surface area. The kinetic behavior can be explained if we assume a balance between two different pathways: first fibrillation of free monomer in solution and second nucleation and fibrillation promoted at the particle surface. The overall rate of fibrillation will depend on the interplay between these two pathways, and the predominance of one mechanism over the other will be determined by the relative equilibrium and rate constants.
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19. |
- Cairns, Andrew G., et al.
(author)
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Increased Brain Exposure of an Alpha-Synuclein Fibrillization Modulator by Utilization of an Activated Ester Prodrug Strategy
- 2018
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 9:11, s. 2542-2547
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous work in our laboratories has identified a series of peptidomimetic 2-pyridone molecules as modulators of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) fibrillization in vitro. As a first step toward developing molecules from this scaffold as positron emission tomography imaging agents, we were interested in evaluating their blood-brain barrier permeability in nonhuman primates (NHP) in vivo. For this purpose, 2-pyridone 12 was prepared and found to accelerate α-syn fibrillization in vitro. Acid 12, and its acetoxymethyl ester analogue 14, were then radiolabeled with 11C (t1/2 = 20.4 min) at high radiochemical purity (>99%) and high specific radioactivity (>37 GBq/μmol). Following intravenous injection of each compound in NHP, a 4-fold higher radioactivity in brain was observed for [11C]14 compared to [11C]12 (0.8 vs 0.2 SUV, respectively). [11C]14 was rapidly eliminated from plasma, with [11C]12 as the major metabolic product observed by radio-HPLC. The presented prodrug approach paves the way for future development of 2-pyridones as imaging biomarkers for in vivo imaging of α-synuclein deposits in brain.
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20. |
- Campos Melo, Raúl Ivan, et al.
(author)
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Novel Trans-Stilbene-based Fluorophores as Probes for Spectral Discrimination of Native and Protofibrillar Transthyretin
- 2016
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:7, s. 924-940
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Accumulation of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) as amyloid fibrils causes various human disorders. Native transthyretin is a neurotrophic protein and is a putative extracellular molecular chaperone. Several fluorophores have been shown in vitro to bind selectively to native TTR. Other compounds, such as thioflavin T, bind TTR amyloid fibrils. The probe 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) binds to both native and fibrillar TTR, becoming highly fluorescent, but with indistinguishable emission spectra for native and fibrillar TTR. Herein we report our efforts to develop a fluorescent small molecule capable of binding both native and misfolded protofibrillar TTR, providing distinguishable emission spectra. We used microwave synthesis for efficient production of a small library of trans-stilbenes and fluorescence spectral screening of their binding properties. We synthesized and tested 22 trans-stilbenes displaying a variety of functional groups. We successfully developed two naphthyl-based trans-stilbenes probes that detect both TTR states at physiological concentrations. The compounds bound with nanomolar to micromolar affinities and displayed distinct emission maxima upon binding native or misfolded protofibrillar TTR (>100 nm difference). The probes were mainly responsive to environment polarity providing evidence for the divergent hydrophobic structure of the binding sites of these protein conformational states. Furthermore, we were able to successfully use one of these probes to quantify the relative amounts of native and protofibrillar TTR in a dynamic equilibrium. In conclusion, we identified two trans-stilbene-based fluorescent probes, (E)-4-(2-(naphthalen-1-yl)vinyl)benzene-1,2-diol (11) and (E)-4-(2-(naphthalen-2-yl)vinyl)benzene-1,2-diol (14), that bind native and protofibrillar TTR, providing a wide difference in emission maxima allowing conformational discrimination by fluorescence spectroscopy. We expect these novel molecules to serve as important chemical biology research tools in studies of TTR folding and misfolding.
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21. |
- Carlsson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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The Ability of DNAJB6b to Suppress Amyloid Formation Depends on the Chaperone Aggregation State
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For many chaperones, a propensity to self-assemble correlates with function. The highly efficient amyloid suppressing chaperone DNAJB6b has been reported to oligomerize. A key question is whether the DNAJB6b self-assemblies or their subunits are active units in the suppression of amyloid formation. Here, we address this question using a nonmodified chaperone. We use the well-established aggregation kinetics of the amyloid β 42 peptide (Aβ42) as a readout of the amyloid suppression efficiency. The experimental setup relies on the slow dissociation of DNAJB6b assemblies upon dilution. We find that the dissociation of the chaperone assemblies correlates with its ability to suppress fibril formation. Thus, the data show that the subunits of DNAJB6b assemblies rather than the large oligomers are the active forms in amyloid suppression. Our results provide insights into how DNAJB6b operates as a chaperone and illustrate the importance of established assembly equilibria and dissociation rates for the design of kinetic experiments.
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22. |
- Chaudhary, Himanshu, et al.
(author)
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Dissecting the structural organization of multiprotein amyloid aggregates using a bottom-up approach
- 2020
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 11:10, s. 1447-1457
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deposition of fibrillar amyloid β (Aβ) in senile plaques is a pathological signature of Alzheimer's disease. However, senile plaques also contain many other components, including a range of different proteins. Although the composition of the plaques can be analyzed in post mortem tissue, knowledge of the molecular details of these multiprotein inclusions and their assembly processes is limited, which impedes the progress in deciphering the biochemical mechanisms associated with Aβ pathology. We here describe a bottom-up approach to monitor how proteins from human cerebrospinal fluid associate with Aβ amyloid fibrils to form plaque particles. The method combines flow cytometry and mass spectrometry proteomics and allowed us to identify and quantify 128 components of the captured multiprotein aggregates. The results provide insights in the functional characteristics of the sequestered proteins and reveal distinct interactome responses for the two investigated Aβ variants, Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42). Furthermore, the quantitative data is used to build models of the structural organization of the multiprotein aggregates, which suggests that Aβ is not the primary binding target for all the proteins; secondary interactions account for the majority of the assembled components. The study elucidates how different proteins are recruited into senile plaques and establishes a new model system for exploring the pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease from a molecular perspective.
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23. |
- Chia, Sean, et al.
(author)
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A Relationship between the Structures and Neurotoxic Effects of Aβ Oligomers Stabilized by Different Metal Ions
- 2024
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193. ; 15:6, s. 1125-1134
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oligomeric assemblies of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) have been investigated for over two decades as possible neurotoxic agents in Alzheimer’s disease. However, due to their heterogeneous and transient nature, it is not yet fully established which of the structural features of these oligomers may generate cellular damage. Here, we study distinct oligomer species formed by Aβ40 (the 40-residue form of Aβ) in the presence of four different metal ions (Al3+, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+) and show that they differ in their structure and toxicity in human neuroblastoma cells. We then describe a correlation between the size of the oligomers and their neurotoxic activity, which provides a type of structure-toxicity relationship for these Aβ40 oligomer species. These results provide insight into the possible role of metal ions in Alzheimer’s disease by the stabilization of Aβ oligomers.
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24. |
- Chiu, Ming-Jang, et al.
(author)
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Synergistic Association between Plasma Aβ1-42 and p-tau in Alzheimer's Disease but Not in Parkinson's Disease or Frontotemporal Dementia.
- 2021
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In: ACS chemical neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 12:8, s. 1376-1383
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Beta-amyloid (Aβ1-42) triggers the phosphorylation of tau protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the relationship between phosphorylated tau (p-tau) and Aβ1-42 in the blood is not elucidated. We investigated the association in individuals with AD (n = 62, including amnesic mild cognitive impairment and dementia), Parkinson's disease (n = 30), frontotemporal dementia (n = 25), and cognitively unimpaired controls (n = 41) using immunomagnetic reduction assays to measure plasma Aβ1-42 and p-tau181 concentrations. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the relation between plasma levels, demographic factors, and clinical severity. Both plasma Aβ1-42 and p-tau concentrations were significantly higher in AD and frontotemporal dementia than in the controls and Parkinson's disease. A significant positive association was found between plasma p-tau and Aβ1-42 in controls (r = 0.579, P < 0.001) and AD (r = 0.699, P < 0.001) but not in frontotemporal dementia or Parkinson's disease. Plasma p-tau was significantly associated with clinical severity in the AD in terms of scores of clinical dementia rating (r = 0.288, P = 0.025) and mini-mental state examination (r = -0.253, P = 0.049). Regression analysis showed that plasma Aβ1-42 levels explain approximately 47.7% of the plasma p-tau levels in the AD after controlling age, gender, and clinical severity. While in non-AD participants, the clinical dementia rating explained about 47.5% of the plasma p-tau levels. The disease-specific association between plasma Aβ1-42 and p-tau levels in AD implies a possible synergic effect in mechanisms involving these two pathological proteins' genesis.
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25. |
- Chrobak, Wojciech, et al.
(author)
-
Component of cannabis, cannabidiol, as a possible drug against the cytotoxicity of Aβ(31-35) and Aβ(25-35) peptides: An investigation by molecular dynamics and well-tempered metadynamics simulations
- 2021
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 12:4, s. 660-674
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this work cannabidiol (CBD) was investigated as a possible drug against the cytotoxicity of Aβ(31-35) and Aβ(25-35) peptides with the help of atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) and well-tempered metadynamics simulations. Four interrelated mechanisms of possible actions of CBD are proposed from our computations. This implies that one mechanism can be a cause or/and a consequence of another. CBD is able to decrease the aggregation of peptides at certain concentrations of compounds in water. This particular action is more prominent for Aβ(25-35), since originally Aβ(31-35) did not exhibit aggregation properties in aqueous solutions. Interactions of CBD with the peptides affect secondary structures of the latter ones. Clusters of CBD are seen as possible adsorbents of Aβ(31-35) and Aβ(25-35) since peptides are tending to aggregate around them. And last but not least, CBD exhibits binding to MET35. All four mechanisms of actions can possibly inhibit the Aβ-cytotoxicity as discussed in this paper. Moreover, the amount of water also played a role in peptide clustering: with a growing concentration of peptides in water without a drug, the aggregation of both Aβ(31-35) and Aβ(25-35) increased. The number of hydrogen bonds between peptides and water was significantly higher for simulations with Aβ(25-35) at the higher concentration of peptides, while for Aβ(31-35) that difference was rather insignificant. The presence of CBD did not substantially affect the number of hydrogen bonds in the simulated systems.
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26. |
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27. |
- Comasco, Erika, 1982-, et al.
(author)
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Constitutive serotonin transporter reduction resembles maternal separation with regard to stress-related gene expression
- 2019
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 10:7, s. 3132-3142
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Interactive effects between allelic variants of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) promoter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and stressors on depression symptoms have been documented, as well as questioned, by meta-analyses. Translational models of constitutive 5-htt reduction and experimentally controlled stressors often led to inconsistent behavioral and molecular findings and often did not include females. The present study sought to investigate the effect of 5-htt genotype, maternal separation, and sex on the expression of stress-related candidate genes in the rat hippocampus and frontal cortex. The mRNA expression levels of Avp, Pomc, Crh, Crhbp, Crhr1, Bdnf, Ntrk2, Maoa, Maob, and Comt were assessed in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of 5-htt± and 5-htt+/+ male and female adult rats exposed, or not, to daily maternal separation for 180 min during the first 2 postnatal weeks. Gene- and brain region-dependent, but sex-independent, interactions between 5-htt genotype and maternal separation were found. Gene expression levels were higher in 5-htt+/+ rats not exposed to maternal separation compared with the other experimental groups. Maternal separation and 5-htt+/− genotype did not yield additive effects on gene expression. Correlative relationships, mainly positive, were observed within, but not across, brain regions in all groups except in non-maternally separated 5-htt+/+ rats. Gene expression patterns in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats exposed to maternal separation resembled the ones observed in rats with reduced 5-htt expression regardless of sex. These results suggest that floor effects of 5-htt reduction and maternal separation might explain inconsistent findings in humans and rodents.
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28. |
- Cukalevski, Risto, et al.
(author)
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Role of Aromatic Side Chains in Amyloid β-Protein Aggregation.
- 2012
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 3:12, s. 1008-1016
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aggregation of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) is believed to be involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Here we have investigated the importance of the aromatic rings at positions 19 and 20 for the aggregation rate and mechanism by substituting phenylalanine with leucine. Aggregation kinetics were monitored as a function of time and peptide concentration by thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, the aggregation equilibrium by sedimentation assay, structural changes using circular dichroism spectroscopy and the presence of fibrillar material was detected with cryo-transmission electron microscopy. All peptides convert from monomer to amyloid fibrils in a concentration-dependent manner. Substituting F19 with leucine results in a peptide that aggregates significantly slower than the wild type, while substitution of F20 produces a peptide that aggregates faster. The effects of the two substitutions are additive, since simultaneous substitution of F19 and F20 produces a peptide with aggregation kinetics intermediate between F19L and F20L. Our results suggest that the aromatic side-chain of F19 favors nucleation of the aggregation process and may be an important target for therapeutic intervention.
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29. |
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30. |
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31. |
- Dear, Alexander J., et al.
(author)
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Aβ Oligomer Dissociation Is Catalyzed by Fibril Surfaces
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oligomeric assemblies consisting of only a few protein subunits are key species in the cytotoxicity of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Their lifetime in solution and abundance, governed by the balance of their sources and sinks, are thus important determinants of disease. While significant advances have been made in elucidating the processes that govern oligomer production, the mechanisms behind their dissociation are still poorly understood. Here, we use chemical kinetic modeling to determine the fate of oligomers formed in vitro and discuss the implications for their abundance in vivo. We discover that oligomeric species formed predominantly on fibril surfaces, a broad class which includes the bulk of oligomers formed by the key Alzheimer's disease-associated Aβ peptides, also dissociate overwhelmingly on fibril surfaces, not in solution as had previously been assumed. We monitor this "secondary nucleation in reverse" by measuring the dissociation of Aβ42 oligomers in the presence and absence of fibrils via two distinct experimental methods. Our findings imply that drugs that bind fibril surfaces to inhibit oligomer formation may also inhibit their dissociation, with important implications for rational design of therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's and other amyloid diseases.
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32. |
- Diwakarla, Shanti, et al.
(author)
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Aryl Sulfonamide Inhibitors of Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase Enhance Spine Density in Primary Hippocampal Neuron Cultures
- 2016
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:10, s. 1383-1392
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The zinc metallopeptidase insulin regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP), which is highly expressed in the hippocampus and other brain regions associated with cognitive function, has been identified as a high-affinity binding site of the hexapeptide angiotensin IV (Ang IV). This hexapeptide is thought to facilitate learning and memory by binding to the catalytic site of IRAP to inhibit its enzymatic activity. In support of this hypothesis, low molecular weight, nonpeptide specific inhibitors of TRAP have been shown to enhance memory in rodent models. Recently, it was demonstrated that linear and macrocyclic Ang IV-derived peptides can alter the shape and increase the number of dendritic spines in hippocampal cultures, properties associated with enhanced cognitive performance. After screening a library of 10 500 drug like substances for their ability to inhibit IRAP, we identified a series of low molecular weight aryl sulfonamides, which exhibit no structural similarity to Ang IV, as moderately potent IRAP inhibitors:A structural and biological characterization of three of these aryl sulfonamides was performed. Their binding modes to human IRAP were explored by docking calculations combined with molecular dynamics simulations and binding affinity estimations using the linear interaction energy method. Two alternative binding modes emerged from this analysis, both of which correctly rank the ligands according to their experimental binding affinities for this series of compounds. Finally, we show that two of these drug-like IRAP inhibitors can alter dendritic spine morphology and increase spine density in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons.
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33. |
- Dmytriyeva, Oksana, et al.
(author)
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Neurotrophic Effects of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B and Novel Mimetic Peptides on Neurons from the Central Nervous System
- 2020
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 11:9, s. 1270-1282
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB) is a pleiotropic trophic factor, which in contrast to the closely related VEGFA is known to have a limited effect on angiogenesis. VEGFB improves survival in various tissues including the nervous system, where the effect was observed mainly for peripheral neurons. The neurotrophic effect of VEGFB on central nervous system neurons has been less investigated. Here we demonstrated that VEGFB promotes neurite outgrowth from primary cerebellar granule, hippocampal, and retinal neurons in vitro. VEGFB protected hippocampal and retinal neurons from both oxidative stress and glutamate-induced neuronal death. The VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1) is required for VEGFB-induced neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. Using a structure-based approach, we designed short peptides, termed Vefin1-7, mimicking the binding interface of VEGFB to VEGFR1. Vefins were analyzed for their secondary structure and binding to VEGF receptors and compared with previously described peptides derived from VEGFA, another ligand of VEGFR1. We show that Vefins have neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects on primary hippocampal, cerebellar granule, and retinal neurons in vitro with potencies comparable to VEGFB. Similar to VEGFB, Vefins were not mitogenic for MCF-7 cancer cells. Furthermore, one of the peptides, Vefin7, even dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in vitro. Unraveling the neurotrophic and neuroprotective potentials of VEGFB, the only nonangiogenic factor of the VEGF family, is promising for the development of neuroprotective peptide-based therapies.
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34. |
- Dunning, Christopher, et al.
(author)
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Direct High Affinity Interaction between Aβ42 and GSK3α Stimulates Hyperphosphorylation of Tau. A New Molecular Link in Alzheimer's Disease?
- 2016
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:2, s. 161-170
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid β peptide (Aβ42) assemblies are considered central to the development of Alzheimer's disease, but the mechanism of this toxicity remains unresolved. We screened protein microarrays with on-pathway oligomeric Aβ42 to identify candidate proteins interacting with toxic Aβ42 species. Samples prepared from Alexa546-Aβ42 and Aβ42 monomers at 1:5 molar ratio were incubated with the array during a time window of the amyloid fibril formation reaction during which the maximum number of transient oligomers exist in the reaction flux. A specific interaction was detected between Aβ42 and glycogen synthase kinase 3α (GSK3α), a kinase previously implicated in the disease pathology. This interaction was validated with anti-GSK3α immunoprecipitation assays in neuronal cell lysates. Confocal microscopy studies further identified colocalization of Aβ42 and GSK3α in neurites of mature primary mouse neurons. A high binding affinity (KD = 1 nM) was measured between Alexa488-Aβ42 and GSK3α in solution using thermophoresis. An even lower apparent KD was estimated between GSK3α and dextran-immobilized Aβ42 in surface plasmon resonance experiments. Parallel experiments with GSK3β also identified colocalization and high affinity binding to this isoform. GSK3α-mediated hyperphosphorylation of the protein tau was found to be stimulated by Aβ42 in in vitro phosphorylation assays and identified a functional relationship between the proteins. We uncover a direct and functional molecular link between Aβ42 and GSK3α, which opens an important avenue toward understanding the mechanism of Aβ42-mediated neuronal toxicity in Alzheimer's disease.
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35. |
- Ek, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Behavioral Analysis of Dopaminergic Activation in Zebrafish and Rats Reveals Similar Phenotypes
- 2016
-
In: Acs Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:5, s. 633-646
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zebrafish is emerging as a complement to mammals in behavioral studies; however, there is a lack of comparative studies with rodents and humans to establish the zebrafish as a predictive translational model. Here we present a detailed phenotype evaluation of zebrafish larvae, measuring 300-3000 variables and analyzing them using multivariate analysis to identify the most important ones for further evaluations. The dopamine agonist apomorphine has previously been shown to have a complex U-shaped dose response relationship in the variable distance traveled. In this study, we focused on breaking down distance traveled into more detailed behavioral phenotypes for both zebrafish and rats and identified in the multivariate analysis low and high dose phenotypes with characteristic behavioral features. Further analysis of single parameters also identified an increased activity at the lowest concentration indicative of a U-shaped dose response. Apomorphine increased the distance of each swim movement (bout) at both high and low doses, but the underlying behavior of this increase is different; at high dose, both bout duration and frequency increased whereas bout max speed was higher at low dose. Larvae also displayed differences in place preference. The low dose phenotype spent more time in the center, indicative of an anxiolytic effect, while the high-dose phenotype had a wall preference. These dose-dependent effects corroborated findings in a parallel rat study and previous observations in humans. The translational value of pharmacological zebrafish studies was further evaluated by comparing the amino acid sequence of the dopamine receptors (D-1-D-4), between zebrafish, rats and humans. Humans and zebrafish share 100% of the amino acids in the binding site for D-1 and D-3 whereas D-2 and D-4 receptors share 85-95%. Molecular modeling of dopamine D2 and D4 receptors indicated that nonconserved amino acids have limited influence on important ligand receptor interactions.
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36. |
- Errico, Silvia, et al.
(author)
-
Quantitative Measurement of the Affinity of Toxic and Nontoxic Misfolded Protein Oligomers for Lipid Bilayers and of its Modulation by Lipid Composition and Trodusquemine
- 2021
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 12:17, s. 3189-3202
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with the self-assembly of peptides and proteins into fibrillar aggregates. Soluble misfolded oligomers formed during the aggregation process, or released by mature fibrils, play a relevant role in neurodegenerative processes through their interactions with neuronal membranes. However, the determinants of the cytotoxicity of these oligomers are still unclear. Here we used liposomes and toxic and nontoxic oligomers formed by the same protein to measure quantitatively the affinity of the two oligomeric species for lipid membranes. To this aim, we quantified the perturbation to the lipid membranes caused by the two oligomers by using the fluorescence quenching of two probes embedded in the polar and apolar regions of the lipid membranes and a well-defined protein-oligomer binding assay using fluorescently labeled oligomers to determine the Stern-Volmer and dissociation constants, respectively. With both approaches, we found that the toxic oligomers have a membrane affinity 20-25 times higher than that of nontoxic oligomers. Circular dichroism, intrinsic fluorescence, and FRET indicated that neither oligomer type changes its structure upon membrane interaction. Using liposomes enriched with trodusquemine, a potential small molecule drug known to penetrate lipid membranes and make them refractory to toxic oligomers, we found that the membrane affinity of the oligomers was remarkably lower. At protective concentrations of the small molecule, the binding of the oligomers to the lipid membranes was fully prevented. Furthermore, the affinity of the toxic oligomers for the lipid membranes was found to increase and slightly decrease with GM1 ganglioside and cholesterol content, respectively, indicating that physicochemical properties of lipid membranes modulate their affinity for misfolded oligomeric species.
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37. |
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38. |
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39. |
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40. |
- George, Sonia, et al.
(author)
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Nonsteroidal Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators and Selective Estrogen Receptor β Agonists Moderate Cognitive Deficits and Amyloid-β Levels in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.
- 2013
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 4:12, s. 1537-1548
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Decreases of the sex steroids, testosterone and estrogen, are associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Testosterone and estrogen supplementation improves cognitive deficits in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Sex hormones play a role in the regulation of amyloid-β via induction of the amyloid-β degrading enzymes neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme. To mimic the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), we administered a selective androgen receptor agonist, ACP-105, alone and in combination with the selective estrogen receptor β (ERβ) agonist AC-186 to male gonadectomized triple transgenic mice. We assessed long-term spatial memory in the Morris water maze, spontaneous locomotion, and anxiety-like behavior in the open field and in the elevated plus maze. We found that ACP-105 given alone decreases anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore, when ACP-105 is administered in combination with AC-186, they increase the amyloid-β degrading enzymes neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme and decrease amyloid-β levels in the brain as well as improve cognition. Interestingly, the androgen receptor level in the brain was increased by chronic treatment with the same combination treatment, ACP-105 and AC-186, not seen with DHT or ACP-105 alone. Based on these results, the beneficial effect of the selective ERβ agonist as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease warrants further investigation.
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41. |
- Gruden, Marina A., et al.
(author)
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S100A9 Protein Aggregates Boost Hippocampal Glutamate Modifying Monoaminergic Neurochemistry : A Glutamate Antibody Sensitive Outcome on Alzheimer-like Memory Decline
- 2018
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 9:3, s. 568-577
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves dementia conceivably arising from integrated inflammatory processes, amyloidogenesis, and neuronal apoptosis. Glutamate can also cause neuronal death via excitotoxicity, and this is similarly implicated in some neurological diseases. The aim was to examine treatment with in vitro generated proinflammatory protein S100A9 aggregate species alone or with glutamate antibodies (Glu-Abs) on Morris water maze (MWM) spatial learning and memory performance in 12 month old mice. Amino acid and monoamine cerebral neurotransmitter metabolic changes were concurrently monitored. Initially, S100A9 fibrils were morphologically verified by atomic force microscopy and Thioflavin T assay. They were then administered intranasally alone or with Glu-Abs for 14 days followed by a 5 day MWM protocol before hippocampal and prefrontal cortical neurochemical analysis. S100A9 aggregates evoked spatial amnesia which correlated with disrupted glutamate and dopaminergic neurochemistry. Hippocampal glutamate release, elevation of DOPAC and HVA, as well as DOPAC/DA and HVA/DA ratios were subsequently reduced by Glu-Abs which simultaneously prevented the spatial memory deficit. The present outcomes emphasized the pathogenic nature of S100A9 fibrillar aggregates in causing spatial memory amnesia associated with enhanced hippocampal glutamate release and DA-ergic disruption in the aging brain. This finding might be exploited during dementia management through a neuroprotective strategy.
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42. |
- Gu, Chaoyi, 1992, et al.
(author)
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Omega-3 and-6 Fatty Acids Alter the Membrane Lipid Composition and Vesicle Size to Regulate Exocytosis and Storage of Catecholamines
- 2024
-
In: ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE. - 1948-7193. ; 15:4, s. 816-826
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The two essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, and the higher unsaturated fatty acids synthesized from them are critical for the development and maintenance of normal brain functions. Deficiencies of these fatty acids have been shown to cause damage to the neuronal development, cognition, and locomotor function. We combined electrochemistry and imaging techniques to examine the effects of the two essential fatty acids on catecholamine release dynamics and the vesicle content as well as on the cell membrane phospholipid composition to understand how they impact exocytosis and by extension neurotransmission at the single-cell level. Incubation of either of the two fatty acids reduces the size of secretory vesicles and enables the incorporation of more double bonds into the cell membrane structure, resulting in higher membrane flexibility. This subsequently affects proteins regulating the dynamics of the exocytotic fusion pore and thereby affects exocytosis. Our data suggest a possible pathway whereby the two essential fatty acids affect the membrane structure to impact exocytosis and provide a potential treatment for diseases and impairments related to catecholamine signaling.
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43. |
- Guanglin, Kuang, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Mechanistic Insight into the Binding Profile of DCVJ and alpha-Synuclein Fibril Revealed by Multiscale Simulations
- 2019
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1948-7193. ; 10:1, s. 610-617
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a serious neuro-degenerative disease and is characterized by abnormal alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) accumulation in Lewy bodies (LB) and 2 Lewy neurites (LN), which makes alpha-syn an important imaging target for PD. An imaging probe that quantifies fibrillar alpha-syn can enhance the clinical diagnosis of PD and can also be used to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutics aimed at reducing the abnormal aggregation of the alpha-syn fibril in the brain. In this paper, we study the binding profile of fibrillar alpha-syn with a fluorescent probe 4-(dicyanovinyl)julolidine (DCVJ), which is being explored for identifying alpha-syn imaging agents. A multiscale simulation workflow including molecular docking, molecular dynamics, metadynamics, and QM/MM calculations was implemented. We find that DCVJ can bind to multiple sites of alpha-syn which are located either at the surface or in the core. Free energy calculations using implicit solvent models reveal that the most favorable binding mode for DCVJ is associated with the core binding site and is further confirmed by metadyamics simulation. Besides, a dynamic binding pathway is discovered, which reveals that DCVJ binds gradually into the core of the fibril passing through several intermediate states. The conformational arrest of the dicyano vinyl group in the fibrillar environment could explain the reason behind the fibril-specific fluorescence of DCVJ. Furthermore, based on hybrid QM/MM calculations, the molecular geometry of the dicyano vinyl group is found to be environment specific which explains why DCVJ serves as a staining agent for such fibrillar-like environments. Our results could be helpful for elucidating the binding mechanism of imaging tracers with the fibrillar form of alpha-syn and explain their fibrillar-specific optical properties, a knowledge that in turn can be used to guide the design and development of compounds with higher affinity and selectivity for alpha-syn using structure-based strategies.
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44. |
- Halipi, Vesa, 1996, et al.
(author)
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Extracellular Vesicles Slow Down Aβ(1−42) Aggregation by Interfering with the Amyloid Fibril Elongation Step
- 2024
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - 1948-7193. ; 15:5, s. 944-954
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils is a central pathogenic feature of Alzheimer's disease. Cell-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been suggested as disease modulators, although their exact roles and relations to Aβ pathology remain unclear. We combined kinetics assays and biophysical analyses to explore how small (<220 nm) EVs from neuronal and non-neuronal human cell lines affected the aggregation of the disease-associated Aβ variant Aβ(1−42) into amyloid fibrils. Using thioflavin-T monitored kinetics and seeding assays, we found that EVs reduced Aβ(1−42) aggregation by inhibiting fibril elongation. Morphological analyses revealed this to result in the formation of short fibril fragments with increased thicknesses and less apparent twists. We suggest that EVs may have protective roles by reducing Aβ(1−42) amyloid loads, but also note that the formation of small amyloid fragments could be problematic from a neurotoxicity perspective. EVs may therefore have double-edged roles in the regulation of Aβ pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
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45. |
- Hanrieder, Jörg, 1980, et al.
(author)
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High Resolution Metabolite Imaging in the Hippocampus Following Neonatal Exposure to the Environmental Toxin BMAA Using ToF-SIMS
- 2014
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 5:7, s. 568-575
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The environmental neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is suggested to be linked with neurodegenerative disease. In a rat model, neonatal exposure to BMAA induced selective uptake in the hippocampus and caused cell loss, mineralization and astrogliosis as well as learning and memory impairments in adulthood. Moreover, neonatal exposure resulted in increased protein ubiquitination in the cornus ammonis 1 (CA1) region of the adult hippocampus indicating that BMAA may induce protein aggregation. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) based imaging is a powerful technology for spatial profiling of small molecular weight compounds in biological tissues with high chemical specificity and high spatial resolution. The aim of this study was to characterize neurochemical changes in the hippocampus of six month-old rats treated neonatally (postnatal days 9-10) with BMAA. Multivariate data analysis of whole section ToF-SIMS scans was performed to delineate anatomical regions of interest based on their chemical distribution pattern. Further analysis of spectral data obtained from the outlined anatomical regions, including CA1 and dentate gyms (DG) revealed BMAA-induced long-term changes. Increased levels of phospholipids and protein fragments in the histopathologically altered CA1 region as well as phosphate depletion in the DG were observed. Moreover, high resolution SIMS imaging revealed a specific localization of phosphatidylcholine lipids, protein signals and potassium in the histopathologically altered CA1 These findings demonstrate that ToF-SIMS based imaging is a powerful approach for probing biochemical changes in situ and might serve as promising technique for investigating neurotoxin-induced brain pathology.
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46. |
- Hanrieder, Jörg, 1980, et al.
(author)
-
Imaging mass spectrometry in neuroscience.
- 2013
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In: ACS chemical neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 4:5, s. 666-79
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Imaging mass spectrometry is an emerging technique of great potential for investigating the chemical architecture in biological matrices. Although the potential for studying neurobiological systems is evident, the relevance of the technique for application in neuroscience is still in its infancy. In the present Review, a principal overview of the different approaches, including matrix assisted laser desorption ionization and secondary ion mass spectrometry, is provided with particular focus on their strengths and limitations for studying different neurochemical species in situ and in vitro. The potential of the various approaches is discussed based on both fundamental and biomedical neuroscience research. This Review aims to serve as a general guide to familiarize the neuroscience community and other biomedical researchers with the technique, highlighting its great potential and suitability for comprehensive and specific chemical imaging.
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47. |
- Hellman, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
An ex Vivo Model for Evaluating Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability, Efflux, and Drug Metabolism.
- 2016
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 7:5, s. 668-680
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The metabolism of drugs in the brain is difficult to study in most species because of enzymatic instability in vitro and interference from peripheral metabolism in vivo. A locust ex vivo model that combines brain barrier penetration, efflux, metabolism, and analysis of the unbound fraction in intact brains was evaluated using known drugs. Clozapine was analyzed, and its major metabolites, clozapine N-oxide (CNO) and N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC), were identified and quantified. The back-transformation of CNO into clozapine observed in humans was also observed in locusts. In addition, risperidone, citalopram, fluoxetine, and haloperidol were studied, and one preselected metabolite for each drug was analyzed, identified, and quantified. Metabolite identification studies of clozapine and midazolam showed that the locust brain was highly metabolically active, and 18 and 14 metabolites, respectively, were identified. The unbound drug fraction of clozapine, NDMC, carbamazepine, and risperidone was analyzed. In addition, coadministration of drugs with verapamil or fluvoxamine was performed to evaluate drug-drug interactions in all setups. All findings correlated well with the data in the literature for mammals except for the stated fact that CNO is a highly blood-brain barrier permeant compound. Overall, the experiments indicated that invertebrates might be useful for screening of blood-brain barrier permeation, efflux, metabolism, and analysis of the unbound fraction of drugs in the brain in early drug discovery.
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48. |
- Hellman, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Discovery of Procognitive Antipsychotics by Combining Muscarinic M-1 Receptor Structure-Activity Relationship with Systems Response Profiles in Zebrafish Larvae
- 2020
-
In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 11:2, s. 173-183
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Current antipsychotic drugs are notably ineffective at addressing the cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. N-Desmethylclozapine (NDMC), the major metabolite of clozapine, displays muscarinic M-1 receptor (M-1) agonism, an activity associated with improvement in cognitive functioning. Preclinical and clinical data support that M-1 agonism may be a desired activity in antipsychotic drugs. However, NDMC failed clinical phase II studies in acute psychotic patients. NDMC analogues were synthesized to establish a structure-activity relationship (SAR) at the M-1 receptor as an indication of potential procognitive properties. In vitro evaluation revealed a narrow SAR in which M-1 agonist activity was established by functionalization in the 4- and 8-positions in the tricyclic core. In vivo behavioral response profiles were used to evaluate antipsychotic efficacy and exposure in zebrafish larvae and peripheral side effect related M-1 activity in adult zebrafish. The NDMC analogue 13f demonstrated antipsychotic activity similar to clozapine including M-1 agonist activity. Cotreatment with trospium chloride, an M1 peripheral acting antagonist, counteracted peripheral side effects. Thus, the NDMC analogue 13f, in combination with a peripherally acting anticholinergic compound, could be suitable for further development as an antipsychotic compound with potential procognitive activity.
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49. |
- Hellstrand, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Adsorption of α-Synuclein to Supported Lipid Bilayers: Positioning and Role of Electrostatics.
- 2013
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 4:10, s. 1339-1351
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An amyloid form of the protein α-synuclein is the major component of the intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies, which are the neuropathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). α-Synuclein is known to associate with anionic lipid membranes, and interactions between aggregating α-synuclein and cellular membranes are thought to be important for PD pathology. We have studied the molecular determinants for adsorption of monomeric α-synuclein to planar model lipid membranes composed of zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine alone or in a mixture with anionic phosphatidylserine (relevant for plasma membranes) or anionic cardiolipin (relevant for mitochondrial membranes). We studied the adsorption of the protein to supported bilayers, the position of the protein within and outside the bilayer, and structural changes in the model membranes using two complementary techniques-quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and neutron reflectometry. We found that the interaction and adsorbed conformation depend on membrane charge, protein charge, and electrostatic screening. The results imply that α-synuclein adsorbs in the headgroup region of anionic lipid bilayers with extensions into the bulk but does not penetrate deeply into or across the hydrophobic acyl chain region. The adsorption to anionic bilayers leads to a small perturbation of the acyl chain packing that is independent of anionic headgroup identity. We also explored the effect of changing the area per headgroup in the lipid bilayer by comparing model systems with different degrees of acyl chain saturation. An increase in area per lipid headgroup leads to an increase in the level of α-synuclein adsorption with a reduced water content in the acyl chain layer. In conclusion, the association of α-synuclein to membranes and its adsorbed conformation are of electrostatic origin, combined with van der Waals interactions, but with a very weak correlation to the molecular structure of the anionic lipid headgroup. The perturbation of the acyl chain packing upon monomeric protein adsorption favors association with unsaturated phospholipids preferentially found in the neuronal membrane.
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50. |
- Hellstrand, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Amyloid beta-Protein Aggregation Produces Highly Reproducible Kinetic Data and Occurs by a Two-Phase Process
- 2010
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In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 1:1, s. 13-18
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Protein aggregation can lead to major disturbances of cellular processes and is associated with several diseases. We report kinetic and equilibrium data by ThT fluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of sufficient quality and reproducibility to form a basis for mechanistic understanding of amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) fibril formation. Starting from monomeric peptide in a pure buffer system without cosolvents, we find that the kinetics of A beta aggregation vary strongly with peptide concentration in a highly predictable manner. The free A beta concentration in equilibrium with fibrils was found to vary with total peptide concentration in a manner expected for a two-phase system. The free versus total A beta concentration was linear up to ca. 0.2,mu M, after which free A beta decreased with total A beta toward an asymptotic value. Our results imply that A beta fibril formation arises from a sequence of events in a highly predictable manner.
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