Intracellular Oligomerization Research Articles

Supramolecular Senolytics via Intracellular Oligomerization of Peptides in Response to Elevated Reactive Oxygen Species Levels in Aging Cells.

Senolytics, which eliminate senescent cells from tissues, represent an emerging therapeutic strategy for various age-related diseases. Most senolytics target antiapoptotic proteins, which are overexpressed in senescent cells, limiting specificity and inducing severe side effects. To overcome these limitations, we constructed self-assembling senolytics targeting senescent cells with an intracellular oligomerization system. Intracellular aryl-dithiol-containing peptide oligomerization occurred only inside the mitochondria of senescent cells due to selective localization of the peptides by RGD-mediated cellular uptake into integrin αvβ3-overexpressed senescent cells and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, which can be used as a chemical fuel for disulfide formation. This oligomerization results in an artificial protein-like nanoassembly with a stable α-helix secondary structure, which can disrupt the mitochondrial membrane via multivalent interactions because the mitochondrial membrane of senescent cells has weaker integrity than that of normal cells. These three specificities (integrin αvβ3, high ROS, and weak mitochondrial membrane integrity) of senescent cells work in combination; therefore, this intramitochondrial oligomerization system can selectively induce apoptosis of senescent cells without side effects on normal cells. Significant reductions in key senescence markers and amelioration of retinal degeneration were observed after elimination of the senescent retinal pigment epithelium by this peptide senolytic in an age-related macular degeneration mouse model and in aged mice, and this effect was accompanied by improved visual function. This system provides a strategy for the treatment of age-related diseases using supramolecular senolytics.

Wnt Signaling Rescues Amyloid Beta-Induced Gut Stem Cell Loss.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from a decrease in brain mass and a prevalence of amyloid-β plaques. These plaques are thought to play a role in disease progression, but their exact role is not entirely established. We developed an optogenetic model to induce amyloid-β intracellular oligomerization to model distinct disease etiologies. Here, we examine the effect of Wnt signaling on amyloid in an optogenetic, Drosophila gut stem cell model. We observe that Wnt activation rescues the detrimental effects of amyloid expression and oligomerization. We analyze the gene expression changes downstream of Wnt that contribute to this rescue and find changes in aging related genes, protein misfolding, metabolism, and inflammation. We propose that Wnt expression reduces inflammation through repression of Toll activating factors. We confirm that chronic Toll activation reduces lifespan, but a decrease in the upstream activator Persephone extends it. We propose that the protective effect observed for lithium treatment functions, at least in part, through Wnt activation and the inhibition of inflammation.

Cancer-causing BRCA2 missense mutations disrupt an intracellular protein assembly mechanism to disable genome maintenance.

Cancer-causing missense mutations in the 3418 amino acid BRCA2 breast and ovarian cancer suppressor protein frequently affect a short (∼340 residue) segment in its carboxyl-terminal domain (DBD). Here, we identify a shared molecular mechanism underlying their pathogenicity. Pathogenic BRCA2 missense mutations cluster in the DBD’s helical domain (HD) and OB1-fold motifs, which engage the partner protein DSS1. Pathogenic - but not benign – DBD mutations weaken or abolish DSS1-BRCA2 assembly, provoking mutant BRCA2 oligomers that are excluded from the cell nucleus, and disable DNA repair by homologous DNA recombination (HDR). DSS1 inhibits the intracellular oligomerization of wildtype, but not mutant, forms of BRCA2. Remarkably, DSS1 expression corrects defective HDR in cells bearing pathogenic BRCA2 missense mutants with weakened, but not absent, DSS1 binding. Our findings identify a DSS1-mediated intracellular protein assembly mechanism that is disrupted by cancer-causing BRCA2 missense mutations, and suggest an approach for its therapeutic correction.

Live Cell FRET Imaging Reveals Amyloid β-Peptide Oligomerization in Hippocampal Neurons.

Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) oligomerization is believed to contribute to the neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer disease (AD). Despite decades of research, many details of Aβ oligomerization in neurons still need to be revealed. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a simple but effective way to study molecular interactions. Here, we used a confocal microscope with a sensitive Airyscan detector for FRET detection. By live cell FRET imaging, we detected Aβ42 oligomerization in primary neurons. The neurons were incubated with fluorescently labeled Aβ42 in the cell culture medium for 24 h. Aβ42 were internalized and oligomerized in the lysosomes/late endosomes in a concentration-dependent manner. Both the cellular uptake and intracellular oligomerization of Aβ42 were significantly higher than for Aβ40. These findings provide a better understanding of Aβ42 oligomerization in neurons.

Cosolute modulation of protein oligomerization reactions in the homeostatic timescale

Protein oligomerization processes are widespread and of crucial importance to understand degenerative diseases and healthy regulatory pathways. One particular case is the homo-oligomerization of folded domains involving domain swapping, often found as a part of the protein homeostasis in the crowded cytosol, composed of a complex mixture of cosolutes. Here, we have investigated the effect of a plethora of cosolutes of very diverse nature on the kinetics of a protein dimerization by domain swapping. In the absence of cosolutes, our system exhibits slow interconversion rates, with the reaction reaching the equilibrium within the average protein homeostasis timescale (24–48 h). In the presence of crowders, though, the oligomerization reaction in the same time frame will, depending on the protein's initial oligomeric state, either reach a pure equilibrium state or get kinetically trapped into an apparent equilibrium. Specifically, when the reaction is initiated from a large excess of dimer, it becomes unsensitive to the effect of cosolutes and reaches the same equilibrium populations as in the absence of cosolute. Conversely, when the reaction starts from a large excess of monomer, the reaction during the homeostatic timescale occurs under kinetic control, and it is exquisitely sensitive to the presence and nature of the cosolute. In this scenario (the most habitual case in intracellular oligomerization processes), the effect of cosolutes on the intermediate conformation and diffusion-mediated encounters will dictate how the cellular milieu affects the domain-swapping reaction.

Heterologous Expression of Immature Forms of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide in Yeast Triggers Intracellular Aggregation and Cytotoxicity.

Diabetes is a major public health issue that has attained alarming levels worldwide. Pancreatic aggregates of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) represent a major histopathological hallmark of type 2 diabetes. IAPP is expressed in β-cells as pre-pro-IAPP (ppIAPP) that is first processed to pro-IAPP (pIAPP) and finally to its mature form (matIAPP), being released upon glucose stimulation together with insulin. Impairment and overload of the IAPP processing machinery seem to be associated with the accumulation of immature IAPP species and the formation of toxic intracellular oligomers, which have been associated with β-cell dyshomeostasis and apoptosis. Nevertheless, the pathological importance of these immature IAPP forms for the assembly and cytotoxicity of these oligomers is not completely understood. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of unprecedented Saccharomyces cerevisiae models recapitulating IAPP intracellular oligomerization. Expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions of human ppIAPP, pIAPP, and matIAPP proved to be toxic in yeast cells at different extents, with ppIAPP exerting the most deleterious effect on yeast growth and cell viability. Although expression of all IAPP constructs induced the formation of intracellular aggregates in yeast cells, our data point out the accumulation of insoluble oligomeric species enriched in immature ppIAPP as the trigger of the high toxicity mediated by this construct in cells expressing ppIAPP-GFP. In addition, MS/MS analysis indicated that oligomeric species found in the ppIAPP-GFP lysates contain the N-terminal sequence of the propeptide fused to GFP. These models represent powerful tools for future research focused on the relevance of immature forms in IAPP-induced toxicity. Furthermore, they are extremely useful in high-throughput screenings for genetic and chemical modulators of IAPP aggregation.

Tracking Oligomerization of Alpha-Synuclein Demonstrates Pivotal Role of Mitochondria in Seeding

Aggregation of α-synuclein, which normally exists as an unfolded monomer, in human brain contributes to the major pathogenesis of the synucleinopathies, Parkinson's disease and Lewybody dementia. However, the initial triggers to form early aggregates are unknown. Of note, visualizing the dynamic process of aggregation in neurons has been limited due to the inability to detect the early soluble toxic intermediates, oligomers, inside cells. Here we report a Foster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based method that enables the kinetics of intracellular oligomerization to be tracked in live cells. We first visualized that neurons uptake externally applied monomers and intracellularly form early and late oligomers, dependent on the initial monomer concentration. Then we utilized mutant α-synuclein carrying A53T point mutation that causes early onset progressive Parkinson's disease to investigate triggers of aggregation. We demonstrated that the A53T mutant monomer progressively oligomerizes due to the fast intracellular uptake than WT and other α-synuclein mutants. In addition, correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) allowed us to identify cellular regions in human neurons in which oligomerization is detected, such as mitochondria and lysosome. Importantly, A53T monomer produces excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and opens mitochondria permeabilization pore (PTP) prior to cell death unlike the WT monomer. Importantly prevention of mitochondrial ROS inhibits the oligomerization of the A53T monomer and maintains the protein in its monomeric state, and this subsequently prevents cell death. In summary, our study provides evidence that mitochondria seed the aggregation of α-synuclein in neurons and mitochondrial stress in the form of enhanced ROS production is a major trigger for oligomerization.

DOPAL is transmissible to and oligomerizes alpha-synuclein in human glial cells.

Glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) containing alpha-synuclein (AS) are a neuropathologic hallmark of multiple system atrophy (MSA). Oligomerized AS is thought to be the pathogenic form of the protein. Glial cells normally express little AS, but they can take up AS from the extracellular fluid. 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), an obligate intermediate in the intra-neuronal metabolism of dopamine (DA), potently oligomerizes AS. In this study we tested whether DOPAL is taken up by human glial cells and augments intracellular oligomerization of AS. DOPAL (exogenous or endogenous from co-incubation with PC12 cells) and AS (native or A53T mutant form) were added to the incubation medium of glial cells (glioblastoma or MO3.13 oligodendrocytes). Glial cellular contents of DOPAL and its intracellular metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were measured at up to 180 min of incubation. Glial cellular AS oligomers were quantified by Western blotting. Neither glioblastoma nor MO3.13 cells contained endogenous catecholamines or AS. Co-incubation of the cells with DA-producing PC12 cells produced time-related increases in DOPAL and DOPAC contents. Similarly, glial cellular DOPAL and DOPAC contents increased rapidly after addition of DOPAL to the medium. After addition of native or A53T-AS, intracellular AS also increased. Incubation of glial cells with both DOPAL and AS enhanced the intracellular oligomerization of native and A53T-AS. DOPAL is transmissible to glial cells and enhances intracellular oligomerization of AS. An interaction of DOPAL with AS might help explain the formation of CGIs in MSA.

Carnosic acid attenuates apoptosis induced by amyloid-β 1–42 or 1–43 in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, Aβ 1–42 (Aβ42) and Aβ43 in particular, cause neurotoxicity and cell death in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at higher concentrations. Carnosic acid (CA), a phenolic diterpene compound in the labiate herbs rosemary and sage, serves as an activator for neuroprotective and neurotrophic functions in brain cells. We investigated the effect of CA on apoptosis induced by Aβ42 or Aβ43 in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Treatment of the cells with Aβ42 or Aβ43 (monomer, 10μM each) induced apoptosis, which was confirmed by the cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). Concurrently, the Aβ treatment induced the activation of caspase (Casp) cascades including an effector Casp (Casp3) and initiator Casps (Casp4, Casp8 and Casp9). Pretreatment of the cells with CA (10μM) partially attenuated the apoptosis induced by Aβ42 or Aβ43. CA pretreatment also reduced the cellular oligomers of Aβ42 and Aβ43. These results suggest that CA suppressed the activation of Casp cascades by reducing the intracellular oligomerization of exogenous Aβ42/43 monomer. The ingestion of an adequate amount of CA may have a potential in the prevention of Aβ-mediated diseases, particularly AD.

ZP2 and ZP3 cytoplasmic tails prevent premature interactions and ensure incorporation into the zona pellucida

The zona pellucida contains three proteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3), the precursors of which possess signal peptides, 'zona' domains and short (9-15 residue) cytoplasmic tails downstream of a transmembrane domain. The ectodomains of ZP2 and ZP3 are sufficient to form the insoluble zona matrix and yet each protein traffics through oocytes without oligomerization. ZP2 and ZP3 were fluorescently tagged and molecular interactions were assayed by fluorescent complementation in CHO cells and growing oocytes. ZP2 and ZP3 traffic independently, but colocalize at the plasma membrane. However, protein-protein interactions were observed only after release and incorporation of ZP2 and ZP3 into the extracellular matrix surrounding mouse oocytes. In the absence of their hydrophilic cytoplasmic tails, ZP2 and ZP3 interacted within the cell and did not participate in the zona pellucida. A heterologous GPI-anchored 'zona' domain protein fused with the cytoplasmic tails was integrated into the zona matrix. We conclude that the cytoplasmic tails are sufficient and necessary to prevent intracellular oligomerization while ensuring incorporation of processed ZP2 and ZP3 into the zona pellucida.

Inhibiting α-Synuclein Oligomerization by Stable Cell-Penetrating β-Synuclein Fragments Recovers Phenotype of Parkinson's Disease Model Flies

The intracellular oligomerization of α-synuclein is associated with Parkinson's disease and appears to be an important target for disease-modifying treatment. Yet, to date, there is no specific inhibitor for this aggregation process. Using unbiased systematic peptide array analysis, we indentified molecular interaction domains within the β-synuclein polypeptide that specifically binds α-synuclein. Adding such peptide fragments to α-synuclein significantly reduced both amyloid fibrils and soluble oligomer formation in vitro. A retro-inverso analogue of the best peptide inhibitor was designed to develop the identified molecular recognition module into a drug candidate. While this peptide shows indistinguishable activity as compared to the native peptide, it is stable in mouse serum and penetrates α-synuclein over-expressing cells. The interaction interface between the D-amino acid peptide and α-synuclein was mapped by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. Finally, administering the retro-inverso peptide to a Drosophila model expressing mutant A53T α-synuclein in the nervous system, resulted in a significant recovery of the behavioral abnormalities of the treated flies and in a significant reduction in α-synuclein accumulation in the brains of the flies. The engineered retro-inverso peptide can serve as a lead for developing a novel class of therapeutic agents to treat Parkinson's disease.

The E693Δ Mutation in Amyloid Precursor Protein Increases Intracellular Accumulation of Amyloid β Oligomers and Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Cultured Cells

The E693Delta mutation within the amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been suggested to cause dementia via the enhanced formation of synaptotoxic amyloid beta (Abeta) oligomers. However, this mutation markedly decreases Abeta secretion, implying the existence of an additional mechanism of neuronal dysfunction that is independent of extracellular Abeta. We therefore examined the effects of this mutation on both APP processing to produce Abeta as well as subcellular localization and accumulation of Abeta in transfected HEK293 and COS-7 cells. Both beta- and gamma-cleavage of mutant APP increased, indicating a lack of inhibition in Abeta production. Instead, this mutation promoted Abeta accumulation within cells, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, early and late endosomes, lysosomes, and autophagosomes, all of which have been proposed as intracellular sites of Abeta generation and/or degradation, suggesting impairment of APP/Abeta trafficking. Notably, the intracellular mutant Abeta was found to predominantly form oligomers. Concomitant with this accumulation, the ER stress markers Grp78 and phosphorylated eIF2alpha were both strongly induced. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-4 and -3 as well as DNA fragmentation were detected in these cells. These results suggest that mutant Abeta induces alteration of Abeta trafficking and subsequent ER stress-induced apoptosis via enhancement of its intracellular oligomerization. Our findings suggest that Abeta oligomers exhibit toxicity in the extracellular space and within the cells themselves.

Artificially controlled aggregation of proteins and targeting in hematopoietic cells.

The targeting mechanisms for granule proteins in hematopoietic cells are largely unknown. Aggregation is believed to be important for protein sorting-for-entry and sorting-by-retention in endocrine and neuroendocrine cells. We asked whether artificially induced multimerization/aggregation of chimeric proteins could affect their sorting in hematopoietic cells. A system was used that permits ligand-controlled intracellular oligomerization of hybrid proteins containing the FK506-binding protein (FKBP). The hybrid proteins ELA-(FKBP)3 with neutrophil elastase (ELA) and (FKBP*)4-FCS-hGH with a furin cleavage site (FCS) and human growth hormone (hGH) were expressed in the myeloblastic 32D and the rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) hematopoietic cell lines. ELA alone is normally targeted to secretory lysosomes. However, the hybrid proteins and ligand-induced aggregates of them were constitutively secreted and not targeted. The hGH that was released at the FCS in (FKBP*)4-FCS-hGH was also constitutively secreted. We conclude that protein multimerization/aggregation per se is not enough to facilitate sorting-for-entry to secretory lysosomes in hematopoietic cells and that improperly folded proteins may be eliminated from sorting by constitutive secretion.

Transcriptional control in keratinocytes and fibroblasts using synthetic ligands.

The skin is an attractive tissue for regulated target gene expression by virtue of its accessibility to topical regulating stimuli. We have used synthetic ligand-driven intracellular oligomerization to accomplish specific target gene regulation in human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. GAL4 DNA binding domains and VP16 transactivation domains, each linked to the FK506 binding protein, were expressed in normal human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. These hybrid proteins underwent heterodimerization via the novel intracellular dimerizing agent FK1012 to generate a heterodimeric activator of target gene expression in vitro. Dimeric FK1012, but not monomeric FK506M induced target gene expression in a dose-dependent fashion. FK1012 exerted no detectable nonspecific effects on expression of cutaneous genes and did not alter cellular proliferation kinetics. Controlled oligomerization of hybrid transcription activators offers a potential approach to target gene regulation in cells of normal human skin.

A splicing variant of the RON transcript induces constitutive tyrosine kinase activity and an invasive phenotype.

The Ron tyrosine kinase receptor shares with the members of its subfamily (Met and Sea) a unique functional feature: the control of cell dissociation, motility, and invasion of extracellular matrices (scattering). The mature Ron protein is a heterodimer of disulfide-linked alpha and beta chains, originated by proteolytic cleavage of a single-chain precursor of 185 kDa. In a human gastric cancer cell line (KATO-III), we found abnormal accumulation of an uncleaved single-chain protein (delta-Ron) of 165 kDa; this molecule is encoded by a transcript differing from the full-length RON mRNA by an in-frame deletion of 49 amino acids in the beta-chain extracellular domain. The deleted transcript originates by an alternatively spliced cassette exon of 147 bp, flanked by two short introns. The delta-Ron tyrosine kinase is constitutively activated by disulfide-linked intracellular oligomerization because it contains an uneven number of cysteine residues. Oligomerization and constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of the full-size Ron was obtained by site-directed mutagenesis of a single cysteine residue in the region encoded by the cassette exon, mimicking that occurring in the delta-Ron isoform. Inhibition of thiol-mediated intermolecular disulfide bonding prevented delta-Ron oligomerization. The intracellular activation of Ron is followed by acquisition of invasive properties in vitro. These data (i) provide a novel molecular mechanism for posttranscriptional activation of a tyrosine kinase receptor protein and (ii) suggest a role for the Ron receptor in progression toward malignancy.

Controlling Signal Transduction with Synthetic Ligands

Dimerization and oligomerization are general biological control mechanisms contributing to the activation of cell membrane receptors, transcription factors, vesicle fusion proteins, and other classes of intra- and extracellular proteins. Cell permeable, synthetic ligands were devised that can be used to control the intracellular oligomerization of specific proteins. To demonstrate their utility, these ligands were used to induce intracellular oligomerization of cell surface receptors that lacked their transmembrane and extracellular regions but contained intracellular signaling domains. Addition of these ligands to cells in culture resulted in signal transmission and specific target gene activation. Monomeric forms of the ligands blocked the pathway. This method of ligand-regulated activation and termination of signaling pathways has the potential to be applied wherever precise control of a signal transduction pathway is desired.