Dataset Information

The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds

ABSTRACT: The intrinsically disordered protein, α-synuclein, implicated in synaptic vesicle homeostasis and neurotransmitter release, is also associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. The different roles of α-synuclein are characterized by distinct structural states (membrane-bound, dimer, tetramer, oligomer, and fibril), which are originated from its various monomeric conformations. The pathological states, determined by the ensemble of α-synuclein monomer conformations and dynamic pathways of interconversion between dominant states, remain elusive due to their transient nature. Here, we use inter-dye distance distributions from bulk time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer as restraints in discrete molecular dynamics simulations to map the conformational space of the α-synuclein monomer. We further confirm the generated conformational ensemble in orthogonal experiments utilizing far-UV circular dichroism and cross-linking mass spectrometry. Single-molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement measurements show that within this conformational ensemble, some of the conformations of αsynuclein are surprisingly stable, exhibiting conformational transitions slower than milliseconds. Our comprehensive analysis of the conformational ensemble reveals essential structural properties and potential conformations that promote its various functions in membrane interaction or oligomer and fibril formation.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive HF

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (human)

TISSUE(S): Cell Culture

SUBMITTER: Moriya Slavin

LAB HEAD: Eitan Lerner

PROVIDER: PXD024671 | Pride | 2022-10-14

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds.

Chen Jiaxing J Zaer Sofia S Drori Paz P Zamel Joanna J Joron Khalil K Kalisman Nir N Lerner Eitan E Dokholyan Nikolay V NV

Structure (London, England : 1993) 20210519 9

α-Synuclein plays an important role in synaptic functions by interacting with synaptic vesicle membrane, while its oligomers and fibrils are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. The specific monomer structures that promote its membrane binding and self-association remain elusive due to its transient nature as an intrinsically disordered protein. Here, we use inter-dye distance distributions from bulk time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer as restraints in discrete molecul ...[more]

PMID: 34015255

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Project description:INTRODUCTION: The pathogenicity at differing points along the aggregation pathway of many fibril-forming proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases is unclear. Understanding the effect of different aggregation states of these proteins on cellular processes is essential to enhance understanding of diseases and provide future options for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.</br>OBJECTIVES:To establish a robust method to probe the metabolic changes of neuronal cells and use it to monitor cellular response to challenge with three amyloidogenic proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases in different aggregation states.</br>METHOD: Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were employed to design a robust routine system to perform a statistically rigorous NMR metabolomics study into cellular effects of sub-toxic levels of alpha-synuclein, amyloid-beta 40 and amyloid-beta 42 in monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar conformations.</br>RESULTS: This investigation developed a rigorous model to monitor intracellular metabolic profiles of neuronal cells through combination of existing methods. This model revealed eight key metabolites that are altered when neuroblastoma cells are challenged with proteins in different aggregation states. Metabolic pathways associated with lipid metabolism, neurotransmission and adaptation to oxidative stress and inflammation are the predominant contributors to the cellular variance and intracellular metabolite levels. The observed metabolite changes for monomer and oligomer challenge may represent cellular effort to counteract the pathogenicity of the challenge, whereas fibrillar challenge is indicative of system shutdown. This implies that although markers of stress are more prevalent under oligomeric challenge the fibrillar response suggests a more toxic environment.</br>CONCLUSION: This approach is applicable to any cell type that can be cultured in a laboratory (primary or cell line) as a method of investigating how protein challenge affects signalling pathways, providing additional understanding as to the role of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease initiation and progression.

Project description:Abnormal accumulation of aggregated proteins and sustained microglial activation are important contributors of neurodegenerative process in neurological diseases. Recent studies have shown that aggregation-prone proteins, such as a-synuclein, the protein implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD), are released from neuronal cells and thus present in the extracellular fluid, pointing to the possible paracrine effects of these proteins on microglial immune responses. However, the mechanism underlying the disease-associated microglial activation and the role of neuronal proteins in this process remain unknown. Here, we show that extracellular a-synuclein released from neuronal cells is an endogenous ligand of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and activates microglia, which in turn induces neurodegeneration. Interaction between neuron-released a-synuclein and TLR2 and subsequent activation of the TLR2 signaling were demonstrated comprehensively by using computational modeling of signaling network and by the experimental validation in TLR2-deficient microglia both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast to the neuron-released a-synuclein, recombinant a-synuclein proteins, including monomer, oligomer, fibril, or nitrated forms, were not able to interact or activate TLR2, suggesting that neuronal cells have a mechanism of enriching specific forms of a-synuclein capable of activating TLR2 during the process of releasing this protein. Taken together, the results suggest that both neuron-released extracellular a-synuclein and TLR2 might be novel therapeutic targets for modifying neuroinflammation in PD and related neurodegenerative diseases. We collected culture media from differentiated SH-SY5Y cells overexpressing either human a-synuclein (alpha-SCM) or beta-galactosidase (LZCM) and treat these media to primary rat microglia at the concentration of a-synuclein of 1.1M. Transcriptome analyses with microglial cells treated with either aSCM or LZCM at two different time points, 6 h and 24 h.

Project description:Although-synuclein is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, it remains unclear whether specific conformations or levels of-synuclein assemblies are toxic and how they cause progressive loss of human dopaminergic neurons. To address this issue, we used iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons with -synuclein triplication or controls where endogenous -synuclein was imprinted into synthetic or disease-relevant conformations. We used -synuclein fibrils generated de novo or amplified from homogenates of brains affected with Parkinson’s disease (n=3) or multiple system atrophy (n=5). We found that a 2.5-fold increase in -synuclein levels in -synuclein gene triplication neurons promoted seeded aggregation in a dose and time-dependent fashion, which was associated with a further increase in -synuclein gene expression. Progressive neuronal loss was observed only in -synuclein triplication neurons seeded with brain-amplified fibrils. Transcriptomic analysis and isogenic correction of -synuclein triplication revealed that intraneuronal-synuclein levels solely and sufficiently explained vulnerability to neuronal death. Proximity-dependent biotinylation in living cells identified 56 differentially interacting proteins with endogenously assembled -synuclein including evasion of Parkinson’s disease-associated deglycase DJ-1 by aggregates triggered with brain amplified fibrils. Knockout of DJ-1 and related glyoxalase-1 in cell lines increased -synuclein aggregation. Similarly, methylglyoxal treatment or CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of DJ-1 in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons enhanced fibril-induced aggregation and cell death. Thus, toxicity of -synuclein strains depends on aggregate burden, which is determined by monomer levels and conformation which dictates differential interactomes. Our results define parameters for iPSC-based modellingof -synuclein pathology using brain amplified fibrils and demonstrate how Parkinson’s disease-associated genes influence the phenotypic manifestation of strains in human neurons.

Project description:Kamihira2000 - calcitonin fibrillation kinetics This model studies the kinetics of human calcitonin fibrillation described as a two-step process. Empirical data is used to determine the parameter values. Results show that the first step in fibrillation is a slow homogenous reaction and the second step is a fast autocatalytic heterogenous reaction. This model is described in the article: Conformational transitions and fibrillation mechanism of human calcitonin as studied by high-resolution solid-state 13C NMR. Kamihira M, Naito A, Tuzi S, Nosaka AY, Saitô H. Protein Sci. 2000 May; 9(5): 867-877 Abstract: Conformational transitions of human calcitonin (hCT) during fibril formation in the acidic and neutral conditions were investigated by high-resolution solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy. In aqueous acetic acid solution (pH 3.3), a local alpha-helical form is present around Gly10 whereas a random coil form is dominant as viewed from Phe22, Ala26, and Ala31 in the monomer form on the basis of the 13C chemical shifts. On the other hand, a local beta-sheet form as viewed from Gly10 and Phe22, and both beta-sheet and random coil as viewed from Ala26 and Ala31 were detected in the fibril at pH 3.3. The results indicate that conformational transitions from alpha-helix to beta-sheet, and from random coil to beta-sheet forms occurred in the central and C-terminus regions, respectively, during the fibril formation. The increased 13C resonance intensities of fibrils after a certain delay time suggests that the fibrillation can be explained by a two-step reaction mechanism in which the first step is a homogeneous association to form a nucleus, and the second step is an autocatalytic heterogeneous fibrillation. In contrast to the fibril at pH 3.3, the fibril at pH 7.5 formed a local beta-sheet conformation at the central region and exhibited a random coil at the C-terminus region. Not only a hydrophobic interaction among the amphiphilic alpha-helices, but also an electrostatic interaction between charged side chains can play an important role for the fibril formation at pH 7.5 and 3.3 acting as electrostatically favorable and unfavorable interactions, respectively. These results suggest that hCT fibrils are formed by stacking antiparallel beta-sheets at pH 7.5 and a mixture of antiparallel and parallel beta-sheets at pH 3.3. This model is hosted on BioModels Database and identified by: BIOMD0000000614. To cite BioModels Database, please use: BioModels Database: An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published quantitative kinetic models. To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to the public domain worldwide. Please refer to CC0 Public Domain Dedication for more information.

Dataset Information

The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds

Publications

The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds.

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