首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 31 毫秒
1.
Biomolecular condensates are emerging as an efficient strategy developed by cells to control biochemical reactions in space and time by locally modifying composition and environment. Yet, local increase in protein concentration within these compartments could promote aberrant aggregation events, including the nucleation and growth of amyloid fibrils. Understanding protein stability within the crowded and heterogeneous environment of biological condensates is therefore crucial, not only when the aggregation-prone protein is the scaffold element of the condensates but also when proteins are recruited as client molecules within the compartments. Here, we investigate the partitioning and aggregation kinetics of the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta42 (Aβ-42), the peptide strongly associated with Alzheimer''s disease, recruited into condensates based on low complexity domains (LCDs) derived from the DEAD-box proteins Laf1, Dbp1 and Ddx4, which are associated with biological membraneless organelles. We show that interactions between Aβ-42 and the scaffold proteins promote sequestration and local increase of the peptide concentration within the condensates. Yet, heterotypic interactions within the condensates inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils. These results demonstrate that biomolecular condensates could sequester aggregation-prone proteins and prevent aberrant aggregation events, despite the local increase in their concentration. Biomolecular condensates could therefore work not only as hot-spots of protein aggregation but also as protective reservoirs, since the heterogenous composition of the condensates could prevent the formation of ordered fibrillar aggregates.

Biomolecular condensates sequester an aggregation-prone peptide and prevent its aggregation, showing that heterotypic interactions within the condensates can prevent the formation of amyloid fibrils, despite the local increase in concentration.  相似文献   

2.
The tumor suppressor p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, and thus reactivation of mutated p53 is a promising avenue for cancer therapy. Analysis of wildtype p53 and the Y220C cancer mutant long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations with Markov state models and validation by NMR relaxation studies has uncovered the involvement of loop L6 in the slowest motions of the protein. Due to its distant location from the DNA-binding surface, the conformational dynamics of this loop has so far remained largely unexplored. We observe mutation-induced stabilization of alternate L6 conformations, distinct from all experimentally-determined structures, in which the loop is both extended and located further away from the DNA-interacting surface. Additionally, the effect of the L6-adjacent Y220C mutation on the conformational landscape of the functionally-important loop L1 suggests an allosteric role to this dynamic loop and the inactivation mechanism of the mutation. Finally, the simulations reveal a novel Y220C cryptic pocket that can be targeted for p53 rescue efforts. Our approach exemplifies the power of the MSM methodology for uncovering intrinsic dynamic and kinetic differences among distinct protein ensembles, such as for the investigation of mutation effects on protein function.

Wildtype and Y220C L1 and L6 loops conformational landscape, with MSM-identified L6 states highlighted on the right.  相似文献   

3.
A novel class of thermally responsive supramolecular assemblies is formed from the lipophilic cobalt(II) complexes of 4-alkylated 1,2,4-triazoles. When an ether linkage is introduced in the alkylchain moiety, a blue gel-like phase is formed in chloroform, even at very low concentration (ca. 0.01 wt %, at room temperature). The blue color is accompanied by a structured absorption around 580-730 nm, which is characteristic of cobalt (II) in the tetrahedral (T(d)) coordination. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the gel-like phase confirms the formation of networks of fibrous nanoassemblies with widths of 5-30 nm. The observed widths are larger than a molecular length of the triazole ligand (ca. 2.2 nm) and they are consisted of aggregates of T(d) coordination polymers. Very interestingly, the blue gel-like phase turned into a solution by cooling below 25 degrees C. A pale pink solution is obtained at 0 degrees C, indicating the formation of octahedral (O(h)) complexes. The observed thermochromic transition is totally reversible. The formation of gel-like networks by heating is contrary to the conventional organogels, which dissolve upon heating. Temperature dependence of the storage and loss moduli (G' and G") shows minima around at 27 degrees C, at which temperature they gave comparable values. On the other hand, G' exceeds G" both in the gel-like phase (temperature above 27 degrees C) and in the solution phase (temperature below 25 degrees C). These observations indicate that T(d) complexes are present as low-molecular weight species around at 25-27 degrees C. They are self-assembled to polymeric T(d) complexes by heating and form gel-like networks. Upon cooling the solution below 25 degrees C, T(d) complexes are converted to O(h) complexes and they also self-assemble into oligomeric or polymeric species at lower temperatures. The observed unique thermochromic transition (pink solution --> blue gel-like phase) is accompanied by an exothermic peak in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and is shown to be an enthalpy-driven process. The lipophilic modification of one-dimensional coordination systems provides unique solution properties and it would be widely applicable to the design of thermoresponsive, self-assembling molecular wires.  相似文献   

4.
A key process in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s diseases is the aggregation of proteins to produce fibrillary aggregates with a cross β-sheet structure, amyloid. The development of reagents that can bind these aggregates with high affinity and selectivity has potential for early disease diagnosis. By linking two benzothiazole aniline (BTA) head groups with different length polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacers, fluorescent probes that bind amyloid fibrils with low nanomolar affinity have been obtained. Dissociation constants measured for interaction with Aβ, α-synuclein and tau fibrils show that the length of the linker determines binding affinity and selectivity. These compounds were successfully used to image α-synuclein aggregates in vitro and in the post-mortem brain tissue of patients with Parkinson''s disease. The results demonstrate that multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity, selective reagents to bind the fibrillary aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease.

Multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity reagents to bind the aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease. Selectivity for different proteins was achieved by using different linkers to connect the head groups.  相似文献   

5.
While Alzheimer''s Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, there is still a dearth of efficient therapeutic and diagnostic agents for this disorder. Reported herein are a series of new multifunctional compounds (MFCs) with appreciable affinity for amyloid aggregates that can be potentially used for both the modulation of Aβ aggregation and its toxicity, as well as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of Aβ aggregates. Firstly, among the six compounds tested HYR-16 is shown to be capable to reroute the toxic Cu-mediated Aβ oligomerization into the formation of less toxic amyloid fibrils. In addition, HYR-16 can also alleviate the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by Cu2+ ions through Fenton-like reactions. Secondly, these MFCs can be easily converted to PET imaging agents by pre-chelation with the 64Cu radioisotope, and the Cu complexes of HYR-4 and HYR-17 exhibit good fluorescent staining and radiolabeling of amyloid plaques both in vitro and ex vivo. Importantly, the 64Cu-labeled HYR-17 is shown to have a significant brain uptake of up to 0.99 ± 0.04 %ID per g. Overall, by evaluating the various properties of these MFCs valuable structure–activity relationships were obtained that should aid the design of improved therapeutic and diagnostic agents for AD.

A series of multifunctional compounds and their 64Cu complexes exhibit good affinity for Aβ aggregates and can also control Aβ toxicity.  相似文献   

6.
Abstract— The fluorescence decay kinetics of photosynthetic mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardii which lack photosystem II (PS II), photosystem I (PS I), and both PS II and PS I have been measured. The PS II mutant strain8–36C exhibits fluorescence decay lifetime components of 53, 424 and 2197 ps. The fluorescence decay of a PS I mutant strain12–7 contains two major fluorescence decay components with lifetimes of 152 and 424 ps. The fluorescence decay of mutant strain C2, which lacks both PS II and PS I, is nearly single exponential with a lifetime of 2561 ± 222 ps. In simulations in which it is assumed that wild-type decays are a simple sum of the major decay components of the isolated parts of the photosynthetic unit as measured in the mutants, curves are obtained that fit the wild-type C. reinhardii fluorescence decay data when the absorption cross-sections of PS II and PS I are weighted approximately equally. The 89 ps lifetime component in the wild-type is an average of 53 and 152 ps components arising from excitation transfer to and trapping in PS I and PS II. The single step transfer time in PS I is estimated to be between 100 and 700 fs depending on assumptions about array size. We find that between two and four visits to the PS I reaction center are required before final trapping.  相似文献   

7.
Cells that express mutant p53 derived from cancers are selectively killed by a new class of small organic molecules. The protein p53 is recognized as one of the most important guardians in the body that prevents tumor development. Mutant forms of p53 are present in approximately 50% of all human cancers. Molecules that selectively kill cells expressing mutant p53 could become important chemotherapeutic agents. Our research focuses on developing a synthetically accessible class of molecules that can be easily modified to examine structural activity relationships and mechanism of biological activity or to optimize for anticancer activity. In this communication, a new class of molecules that selectively arrests growth of cells expressing two forms of mutant p53 is described. Synthetic routes to these compounds are also presented.  相似文献   

8.
Complex coacervates are liquid–liquid phase separated systems, typically containing oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. They are widely studied for their functional properties as well as their potential involvement in cellular compartmentalization as biomolecular condensates. Diffusion and partitioning of solutes into a coacervate phase are important to address because their highly dynamic nature is one of their most important functional characteristics in real-world systems, but are difficult to study experimentally or even theoretically without an explicit representation of every molecule in the system. Here, we present an explicit-solvent, molecular dynamics coarse-grain model of complex coacervates, based on the Martini 3.0 force field. We demonstrate the accuracy of the model by reproducing the salt dependent coacervation of poly-lysine and poly-glutamate systems, and show the potential of the model by simulating the partitioning of ions and small nucleotides between the condensate and surrounding solvent phase. Our model paves the way for simulating coacervates and biomolecular condensates in a wide range of conditions, with near-atomic resolution.

Martini 3 force field can capture the experimental trends of complex coacervates and can be extended to gain physical insight on the mechanisms that drive the formation of LLPS.  相似文献   

9.
Insoluble aggregates staining positive to amyloid dyes are known histological hallmarks of different neurodegenerative disorders and of type II diabetes. Soluble oligomers are smaller assemblies whose formation prior to or concomitant with amyloid deposition has been associated to the processes of disease propagation and cell death. While the pathogenic mechanisms are complex and differ from disease to disease, both types of aggregates are important biological targets subject to intense investigation in academia and industry. Here we review recent advances in the fundamental understanding of protein aggregation that can be used on the development of anti‐amyloid and anti‐oligomerization drugs. Specifically, we pinpoint the chemical kinetic aspects that should be attended during the development of high‐throughput screening assays and in the hit validation phase. The strategies here devised are expected to establish a connection between basic research and pharmaceutical innovation.  相似文献   

10.
Amyloid fibrils are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. In situ and in vivo visualization of amyloid fibrils is important for medical diagnostics and requires fluorescent probes with both excitation and emission wavelengths in the far-red and NIR region, and simultaneously with high binding-affinity to amyloid fibrils and the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, which, however, remain a challenge. Here, we rationally design and synthesize an excellent polarity-sensitive two-photon excited NIR fluorophore (TZPI) based on a donor (D)–acceptor (A)-ion compound. The electron-rich carbazole group and the ionic pyridinium bromide group, linked by an electron-poor π-conjugated benzothiadiazole group, ensure strong near infrared (NIR) emission. Furthermore, the lipophilic carbazole together with the benzothiadiazole group facilitates docking of the probe in the hydrophobic domains of amyloid aggregates with the dissociation constant Kd = 20 nM and 13.5-fold higher binding affinity to insulin fibrils than the commercial probe ThT. On association with the amyloid fibrils, the tiny decrease in polarity leads to a large increase in its NIR emission intensity with an on–off ratio > 10; meanwhile, the TZPI probe exhibits a quantum yield of up to 30% and two-photon absorption cross-section values of up to 467.6 GM at 890 nm. Moreover, the application of TZPI in two-photon imaging is investigated. The ultrahigh binding affinity, the strong NIR emission, the good two-photon absorption properties, the high photo-stability, the appropriate molecular mass of 569 Da and the lipophilicity with log P = 1.66 ± 0.1 to cross the BBB make TZPI promising as an ideal candidate for detecting amyloid plaques in vivo.

A polarity-active NIR probe based on the transformation from the CT state to the LE state for two-photon imaging of amyloid fibrils.  相似文献   

11.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s are associated with protein misfolding and aggregation. Recent studies suggest that the small, rare and heterogeneous oligomeric species, formed early on in the aggregation process, may be a source of cytotoxicity. Thioflavin T (ThT) is currently the gold-standard fluorescent probe for the study of amyloid proteins and aggregation processes. However, the poor photophysical and binding properties of ThT impairs the study of oligomers. To overcome this challenge, we have designed Thioflavin X, (ThX), a next-generation fluorescent probe which displays superior properties; including a 5-fold increase in brightness and 7-fold increase in binding affinity to amyloidogenic proteins. As an extrinsic dye, this can be used to study unique structural amyloid features both in bulk and on a single-aggregate level. Furthermore, ThX can be used as a super-resolution imaging probe in single-molecule localisation microscopy. Finally, the improved optical properties (extinction coefficient, quantum yield and brightness) of ThX can be used to monitor structural differences in oligomeric species, not observed via traditional ThT imaging.

Introducing ThX, a next-generation ThT derivative that allows for the early detection of amyloid aggregates at the bulk and single-aggregate levels.  相似文献   

12.
Amyloid fibrils and soluble oligomers are two types of protein aggregates associated with neurodegeneration. Classic therapeutic strategies try to prevent the nucleation and spread of amyloid fibrils, whilst diffusible oligomers have emerged as promising drug targets affecting downstream pathogenic processes. We developed a generic protein aggregation model and validate it against measured compositions of fibrillar and non‐fibrillar assemblies of ataxin‐3, a protein implicated in Machado–Joseph disease. The derived analytic rate‐law equations can be used to 1) identify the presence of parallel aggregation pathways and 2) estimate the critical sizes of amyloid fibrils. The discretized population balance supporting our model is the first to quantitatively fit time‐resolved measurements of size and composition of both amyloid‐like and oligomeric species. The new theoretical framework can be used to screen a new class of drugs specifically targeting toxic oligomers.  相似文献   

13.
Amyloidosis is a term referring to a group of various protein-misfolding diseases wherein normally soluble proteins form aggregates as insoluble amyloid fibrils. How, or whether, amyloid fibrils contribute to tissue damage in amyloidosis has been the topic of debate. In vitro studies have demonstrated the appearance of small globular oligomeric species during the incubation of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ). Nerve biopsy specimens from patients with systemic amyloidosis have suggested that globular structures similar to Aβ oligomers were generated from amorphous electron-dense materials and later developed into mature amyloid fibrils. Schwann cells adjacent to amyloid fibrils become atrophic and degenerative, suggesting that the direct tissue damage induced by amyloid fibrils plays an important role in systemic amyloidosis. In contrast, there is increasing evidence that oligomers, rather than amyloid fibrils, are responsible for cell death in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Disease-modifying therapies based on the pathophysiology of amyloidosis have now become available. Aducanumab, a human monoclonal antibody against the aggregated form of Aβ, was recently approved for Alzheimer’s disease, and other monoclonal antibodies, including gantenerumab, solanezumab, and lecanemab, could also be up for approval. As many other agents for amyloidosis will be developed in the future, studies to develop sensitive clinical scales for identifying improvement and markers that can act as surrogates for clinical scales should be conducted.  相似文献   

14.
Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers, particularly low molecular weight (LMW) oligomers, rather than fibrils, contribute very significantly to the onset and progression of Alzheimer''s Disease (AD). However, due to the inherent heterogeneity and metastability of oligomers, most of the conventional anti-oligomer therapies have indirectly modulated oligomers'' toxicity through manipulating Aβ self-assembly to reduce oligomer levels, which are prone to suffering from the risk of regenerating toxic oligomers from the products of modulation. To circumvent this disadvantage, we demonstrate, for the first time, rational design of rigid pincer-like scaffold-based small molecules with blood–brain barrier permeability that specifically co-assemble with LMW Aβ oligomers through directly binding to the exposed hydrophobic regions of oligomers to form non-fibrillar, degradable, non-toxic co-aggregates. As a proof of concept, treatment with a europium complex (EC) in such a structural mode can rescue Aβ-mediated dysfunction in C. elegans models of AD in vivo. This small molecule-mediated oligomer co-assembly strategy offers an efficient approach for AD treatment.

A rational design of pincer-like scaffold-based small molecule with blood-brain barrier permeability that can specifically co-assemble with low molecular weight Aβ oligomers to form non-fibrillar, degradable, non-toxic co-aggregates.  相似文献   

15.
Neuronal activity loss may be due to toxicity caused by amyloid‐beta peptides forming soluble oligomers. Here amyloid‐beta peptides (1–42, 1–40, 1–39, 1–38, and 1–37) are characterized through the modeling of their experimental effective electrophoretic mobilities determined by a capillary zone electrophoresis method as reported in the literature. The resulting electrokinetic and hydrodynamic global properties are used to evaluate amyloid‐beta peptide propensities to aggregation through pair particles interaction potentials and Brownian aggregation kinetic theories. Two background electrolytes are considered at 25°C, one for pH 9 and ionic strength I = 40 mM (aggregation is inhibited through NH4OH) the other for pH 10 and I = 100 mM (without NH4OH). Physical explanations of peptide oligomerization mechanisms are provided. The effect of hydration, electrostatic, and dispersion forces in the amyloidogenic process of amyloid‐beta peptides (1–40 and 1–42) are quantitatively presented. The interplay among effective charge number, hydration, and conformation of chains is described. It is shown that amyloid‐beta peptides (1–40 and 1–42) at pH 10, I = 100 mM and 25°C, may form soluble oligomers, mainly of order 2 and 4, after an incubation of 48 h, which at higher times evolve and end up in complex structures (protofibrils and fibrils) found in plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.  相似文献   

16.
Nucleic acids with G4 elements play a role in the formation of aggregates involved in intracellular phase transitions. Our previous studies suggest that different forms of DNA could act as an accelerating template in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) aggregation. Here, we examined the regulation of formation and cytotoxicity of the SOD1 aggregates by single-stranded 12-mer deoxynucleotide oligomers (dN)12 (N = A, T, G, C; ssDNAs) under acidic conditions. The ssDNAs can be divided into two groups based on their roles in SOD1 binding, exposure of hydrophobic clusters in SOD1, accelerated formation, morphology and cytotoxicity of SOD1 aggregates. G-quadruplexes convert SOD1 into fibrillar aggregates as a template, a fact which was observed for the first time in the nucleic acid regulation of protein aggregation. Moreover, the fibrillar or fibril-like SOD1 species with a G-quadruplex provided by (dG)12 were less toxic than the amorphous species with (dN)12 (N = A, T). This study not only indicates that both morphology and cytotoxicity of protein aggregates can be regulated by the protein-bound DNAs, but also help us understand roles of nucleic aid G-quadruplexes in the formation of aggregates and membraneless organelles involved in intracellular phase transitions.  相似文献   

17.
陈涓  彭朴 《高分子学报》1999,(2):178-182
以2,4 二苯基 4 甲基 1 戊烯(αMSD)为链转移剂,采用与环境友好的本体自由基聚合法及悬浮自由基聚合法合成了重均分子量Mw=1,000~50,000,分子量分布Mw/Mn≈2的苯乙烯低聚物.随着αMSD浓度的增加分子量降低效果明显,分子量分布明显变窄.热引发本体聚合物具有单端活性双键结构.  相似文献   

18.
Amyloid peptides, Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, represent major molecular targets to develop potential drugs and diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In fact, oligomeric and fibrillar aggregates generated by these peptides are amongst the principal components of amyloid plaques found post mortem in patients suffering from AD. Rosmarinic acid has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing the aggregation of amyloid peptides in vitro and to delay the progression of the disease in animal models. Nevertheless, no information is available about its molecular mechanism of action. Herein, we report the NMR characterization of the interaction of Salvia sclareoides extract and that of its major component, rosmarinic acid, with Aβ1–42 peptide, whose oligomers have been described as the most toxic Aβ species in vivo. Our data shed light on the structural determinants of rosmarinic acid–Aβ1–42 oligomers interaction, thus allowing the elucidation of its mechanism of action. They also provide important information for the rational design of new compounds with higher affinity for Aβ peptides to generate new anti‐amyloidogenic molecules and/or molecular tools for the specific targeting of amyloid aggregates in vivo. In addition, we identified methyl caffeate, another natural compound present in different plants and human diet, as a good ligand of Aβ1–42 oligomers, which also shows anti‐amyloidogenic activity. Finally, we demonstrated the possibility to exploit STD‐NMR and trNOESY experiments to screen extracts from natural sources for the presence of Aβ peptide ligands.  相似文献   

19.
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.  相似文献   

20.
p53是迄今发现突变频率最高的一种肿瘤抑制蛋白质,突变会导致p53抑癌功能丧失并诱导癌症的发生。绝大多数的突变发生在p53的核心DNA结合区域(p53C),其中Y220C是研究较多的一种突变体。虽然已有研究表明该突变能够降低p53C的结构稳定性,但其影响p53C构象转换的分子机制尚不清晰。本文利用分子动力学(MD)模拟方法研究了p53C突变体Y220C(p53C-Y220C)的结构变化,发现Y220C突变主要影响Y220C cluster区域(包括残基138-164和215-238),且Y220C突变减少了Y220C cluster的β-折叠含量。进一步分析发现,Y220C突变不仅直接破坏突变氨基酸与周围氨基酸Leu145和Thr155之间的氢键,而且降低了Y220C cluster区域的折叠片S3和S8之间的氢键数量,使Y220C突变所形成的亲水性空腔变大,加速了水分子进入该蛋白质内部,并最终导致了p53C-Y220C变性。MD模拟结果揭示了Y220C突变影响p53C结构转换的分子机制,该研究对p53C-Y220C突变体高效稳定剂的筛选和设计具有重要意义。  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号