AQAMAN, a bisamidine-based inhibitor of toxic protein inclusions in neurons, ameliorates cytotoxicity in polyglutamine disease models
| Autor: | Jacky Chi Ki Ngo, Alex Chun Koon, Ho Yu Au-Yeung, Huiling Hong, Ho Yin Edwin Chan, Zhefan Stephen Chen, Chun-Ho Wong, Wen Li, Matthew Ho Yan Lau, Yuming Wei, Ying An, Steven C. Zimmerman, Kwok-Fai Lau |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
Programmed cell death Protein aggregation Biochemistry 03 medical and health sciences Autophagy medicine Animals Humans Cytotoxic T cell Furans Cytotoxicity Molecular Biology Gene Inclusion Bodies Neurons 030102 biochemistry & molecular biology Chemistry Neurodegeneration Neurotoxicity Neurodegenerative Diseases Molecular Bases of Disease Cell Biology medicine.disease Rats Cell biology Disease Models Animal Drosophila melanogaster 030104 developmental biology Cytoprotection Peptides |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Biological Chemistry. 294:2757-5526 |
| ISSN: | 0021-9258 |
| DOI: | 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006307 |
| Popis: | Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by the expansion of an unstable CAG repeat in the coding region of the affected genes. Hallmarks of polyQ diseases include the accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates, leading to neuronal degeneration and cell death. PolyQ diseases are currently incurable, highlighting the urgent need for approaches that inhibit the formation of disaggregate cytotoxic polyQ protein inclusions. Here, we screened for bisamidine-based inhibitors that can inhibit neuronal polyQ protein inclusions. We demonstrated that one inhibitor, AQAMAN, prevents polyQ protein aggregation and promotes de-aggregation of self-assembled polyQ proteins in several models of polyQ diseases. Using immunocytochemistry, we found that AQAMAN significantly reduces polyQ protein aggregation and specifically suppresses polyQ protein–induced cell death. Using a recombinant and purified polyQ protein (thioredoxin–Huntingtin–Q46), we further demonstrated that AQAMAN interferes with polyQ self-assembly, preventing polyQ aggregation, and dissociates preformed polyQ aggregates in a cell-free system. Remarkably, AQAMAN feeding of Drosophila expressing expanded polyQ disease protein suppresses polyQ-induced neurodegeneration in vivo. In addition, using inhibitors and activators of the autophagy pathway, we demonstrated that AQAMAN's cytoprotective effect against polyQ toxicity is autophagy-dependent. In summary, we have identified AQAMAN as a potential therapeutic for combating polyQ protein toxicity in polyQ diseases. Our findings further highlight the importance of the autophagy pathway in clearing harmful polyQ proteins. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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