Laura Segatori

Chemical and Biological Approaches Synergize to Ameliorate Protein-Folding Diseases

Loss-of-function diseases are often caused by a mutation in a protein traversing the secretory pathway that compromises the normal balance between protein folding, trafficking, and degradation. We demonstrate that the innate cellular protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, capacity can be enhanced to fold mutated enzymes that would otherwise misfold and be degraded, using small molecule proteostasis regulators. Two proteostasis regulators are reported that alter the composition of the proteostasis network in the endoplasmic reticulum through the unfolded protein response, increasing the mutant folded protein concentration that can engage the trafficking machinery, restoring function to two nonhomologous mutant enzymes associated with distinct lysosomal storage diseases. Coapplication of a pharmacologic chaperone and a proteostasis regulator exhibits synergy because of the formers ability to further increase the concentration of trafficking-competent mutant folded enzymes. It may be possible to ameliorate loss-of-function diseases by using proteostasis regulators alone or in combination with a pharmacologic chaperone.

Antioxidant Properties of Cerium Oxide Nanocrystals as a Function of Nanocrystal Diameter and Surface Coating

This work examines the effect of nanocrystal diameter and surface coating on the reactivity of cerium oxide nanocrystals with H2O2 both in chemical solutions and in cells. Monodisperse nanocrystals were formed in organic solvents from the decomposition of cerium precursors, and subsequently phase transferred into water using amphiphiles as nanoparticle coatings. Quantitative analysis of the antioxidant capacity of CeO2-x using gas chromatography and a luminol test revealed that 2 mol of H2O2 reacted with every mole of cerium(III), suggesting that the reaction proceeds via a Fenton-type mechanism. Smaller diameter nanocrystals containing more cerium(III) were found to be more reactive toward H2O2. Additionally, the presence of a surface coating did not preclude the reaction between the nanocrystal surface cerium(III) and hydrogen peroxide. Taken together, the most reactive nanoparticles were the smallest (e.g., 3.8 nm diameter) with the thinnest surface coating (e.g., oleic acid). Moreover, a benchmark test of their antioxidant capacity revealed these materials were 9 times more reactive than commercial antioxidants such as Trolox. A unique feature of these antioxidant nanocrystals is that they can be applied multiple times: over weeks, cerium(IV) rich particles slowly return to their starting cerium(III) content. In nearly all cases, the particles remain colloidally stable (e.g., nonaggregated) and could be applied multiple times as antioxidants. These chemical properties were also observed in cell culture, where the materials were able to reduce oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts exposed to H2O2 with efficiency comparable to their solution phase reactivity. These data suggest that organic coatings on cerium oxide nanocrystals do not limit the antioxidant behavior of the nanocrystals, and that their redox cycling behavior can be preserved even when stabilized.

TFEB regulates lysosomal proteostasis

Loss-of-function diseases are often caused by destabilizing mutations that lead to protein misfolding and degradation. Modulating the innate protein homeostasis (proteostasis) capacity may lead to rescue of native folding of the mutated variants, thereby ameliorating the disease phenotype. In lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), a number of highly prevalent alleles have missense mutations that do not impair the enzymes catalytic activity but destabilize its native structure, resulting in the degradation of the misfolded protein. Enhancing the cellular folding capacity enables rescuing the native, biologically functional structure of these unstable mutated enzymes. However, proteostasis modulators specific for the lysosomal system are currently unknown. Here, we investigate the role of the transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and function, in modulating lysosomal proteostasis in LSDs. We show that TFEB activation results in enhanced folding, trafficking and lysosomal activity of a severely destabilized glucocerebrosidase (GC) variant associated with the development of Gaucher disease (GD), the most common LSD. TFEB specifically induces the expression of GC and of key genes involved in folding and lysosomal trafficking, thereby enhancing both the pool of mutated enzyme and its processing through the secretory pathway. TFEB activation also rescues the activity of a β-hexosaminidase mutant associated with the development of another LSD, Tay-Sachs disease, thus suggesting general applicability of TFEB-mediated proteostasis modulation to rescue destabilizing mutations in LSDs. In summary, our findings identify TFEB as a specific regulator of lysosomal proteostasis and suggest that TFEB may be used as a therapeutic target to rescue enzyme homeostasis in LSDs.

2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Promotes Transcription Factor EB-mediated Activation of Autophagy IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY

Background: The drug delivery vehicle 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) prevents cholesterol storage. Results: HPβCD treatment induces TFEB mediated activation of autophagy and clearance of the autophagic substrate ceroid lipopigment. Conclusion: HPβCD administration results in enhancement of the innate autophagic clearance capacity. Significance: Dissecting the cellular pathways impacted by HPβCD is crucial to design HPβCD-based therapeutic modalities. 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) is a Food and Drug Administration-approved excipient used to improve the stability and bioavailability of drugs. Despite its wide use as a drug delivery vehicle and the recent approval of a clinical trial to evaluate its potential for the treatment of a cholesterol storage disorder, the cellular pathways involved in the adaptive response that is activated upon exposure to HPβCD are still poorly defined. Here, we show that cell treatment with HPβCD results in the activation of the transcription factor EB, a master regulator of lysosomal function and autophagy, and in enhancement of the cellular autophagic clearance capacity. HPβCD administration promotes transcription factor EB-mediated clearance of proteolipid aggregates that accumulate due to inefficient activity of the lysosome-autophagy system in cells derived from a patient with a lysosomal storage disorder. Interestingly, HPβCD-mediated activation of autophagy was found not to be associated with activation of apoptotic pathways. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the cellular response to HPβCD treatment, which will inform the development of safe HPβCD-based therapeutic modalities and may enable engineering HPβCD as a platform technology to reduce the accumulation of lysosomal storage material.

Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation Rescues Native Folding in Loss of Function Protein Misfolding Diseases

Background: Lysosomal storage disorders are caused by ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of mutated unstable lysosomal enzymes. Results: ERAD inhibition enhances folding and activity of unstable lysosomal protein by prolonging ER retention. Conclusion: ERAD is the rate-limiting step in the folding of mutated lysosomal proteins. Significance: ERAD inhibition ameliorates the progression of multiple lysosomal storage disorders caused by protein misfolding and degradation. Lysosomal storage disorders are often caused by mutations that destabilize native folding and impair trafficking of secretory proteins. We demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) prevents native folding of mutated lysosomal enzymes in patient-derived fibroblasts from two clinically distinct lysosomal storage disorders, namely Gaucher and Tay-Sachs disease. Prolonging ER retention via ERAD inhibition enhanced folding, trafficking, and activity of these unstable enzyme variants. Furthermore, combining ERAD inhibition with enhancement of the cellular folding capacity via proteostasis modulation resulted in synergistic rescue of mutated enzymes. ERAD inhibition was achieved by cell treatment with small molecules that interfere with recognition (kifunensine) or retrotranslocation (eeyarestatin I) of misfolded substrates. These different mechanisms of ERAD inhibition were shown to enhance ER retention of mutated proteins but were associated with dramatically different levels of ER stress, unfolded protein response activation, and unfolded protein response-induced apoptosis.

Chemical induction of Hsp70 reduces α-synuclein aggregation in neuroglioma cells.

Misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) is associated with the development of a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinsons disease (PD). Analyses of post mortem tissues revealed the presence of molecular chaperones within α-syn aggregates, suggesting that chaperones play a role in α-syn misfolding and aggregation. In fact, inhibition of chaperone activity aggravates α-syn toxicity, and the overexpression of chaperones, particularly 70-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70), protects against α-syn-induced toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effect of carbenoxolone (CBX), a glycyrrhizic acid derivative previously reported to upregulate Hsp70, in human neuroglioma cells overexpressing α-syn. We report that CBX treatment lowers α-syn aggregation and prevents α-syn-induced cytotoxicity. We demonstrate further that Hsp70 induction by CBX arises from activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). The Hsp70 inhibitor MAL3-101 and the Hsp70 enhancer 115-7c led to an increase or decrease in α-syn aggregation, respectively, in agreement with these findings. In summary, this study provides a proof-of-principle demonstration that chemical modulation of the Hsp70 machine is a promising strategy to prevent α-syn aggregation.

Ceria nanoparticles stabilized by organic surface coatings activate the lysosome-autophagy system and enhance autophagic clearance.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are widely used in a variety of industrial applications including UV filters and catalysts. The expanding commercial scale production and use of ceria nanoparticles have inevitably increased the risk of release of nanoceria into the environment as well as the risk of human exposure. The use of nanoceria in biomedical applications is also being currently investigated because of its recently characterized antioxidative properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of ceria nanoparticles on the lysosome-autophagy system, the main catabolic pathway that is activated in mammalian cells upon internalization of exogenous material. We tested a battery of ceria nanoparticles functionalized with different types of biocompatible coatings (N-acetylglucosamine, polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone) expected to have minimal effect on lysosomal integrity and function. We found that ceria nanoparticles promote activation of the transcription factor EB, a master regulator of lysosomal function and autophagy, and induce upregulation of genes of the lysosome-autophagy system. We further show that the array of differently functionalized ceria nanoparticles tested in this study enhance autophagic clearance of proteolipid aggregates that accumulate as a result of inefficient function of the lysosome-autophagy system. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the interaction of ceria nanoparticles with the lysosome-autophagy system and demonstrates that ceria nanoparticles are activators of autophagy and promote clearance of autophagic cargo. These results provide insights for the use of nanoceria in biomedical applications, including drug delivery. These findings will also inform the design of engineered nanoparticles with safe and precisely controlled impact on the environment and the design of nanotherapeutics for the treatment of diseases with defective autophagic function and accumulation of lysosomal storage material.

Genetic and Chemical Activation of TFEB Mediates Clearance of Aggregated α-Synuclein

Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) is associated with the development of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). The formation of α-syn aggregates results from aberrant accumulation of misfolded α-syn and insufficient or impaired activity of the two main intracellular protein degradation systems, namely the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, in preventing the accumulation of α-syn aggregates in human neuroglioma cells. We found that TFEB overexpression reduces the accumulation of aggregated α-syn by inducing autophagic clearance of α-syn. Furthermore, we showed that pharmacological activation of TFEB using 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin promotes autophagic clearance of aggregated α-syn. In summary, our findings demonstrate that TFEB modulates autophagic clearance of α-syn and suggest that pharmacological activation of TFEB is a promising strategy to enhance the degradation of α-syn aggregates.

Conserved Role of the Linker α-Helix of the Bacterial Disulfide Isomerase DsbC in the Avoidance of Misoxidation by DsbB

In the bacterial periplasm the co-existence of a catalyst of disulfide bond formation (DsbA) that is maintained in an oxidized state and of a reduced enzyme that catalyzes the rearrangement of mispaired cysteine residues (DsbC) is important for the folding of proteins containing multiple disulfide bonds. The kinetic partitioning of the DsbA/DsbB and DsbC/DsbD pathways partly depends on the ability of DsbB to oxidize DsbA at rates >1000 times greater than DsbC. We show that the resistance of DsbC to oxidation by DsbB is abolished by deletions of one or more amino acids within the α-helix that connects the N-terminal dimerization domain with the C-terminal thioredoxin domain. As a result, mutant DsbC carrying α-helix deletions could catalyze disulfide bond formation and complemented the phenotypes of dsbA cells. Examination of DsbC homologues from Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Erwinia chrysanthemi, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Vibrio cholerae (30-70% sequence identity with the Escherichia coli enzyme) revealed that the mechanism responsible for avoiding oxidation by DsbB is a general property of DsbC family enzymes. In addition we found that deletions in the linker region reduced, but did not abolish, the ability of DsbC to assist the formation of active vtPA and phytase in vivo, in a DsbD-dependent manner, revealing that interactions between DsbD and DsbC are also conserved.

Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria and Screening of Phage-Derived Peptides Using Microcantilevers

We report the use of an array of microcantilevers to measure the specific binding of Salmonella to peptides derived from phage display libraries. Selectivity of these phage-derived peptides for Salmonella spp. and other pathogens ( Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli ) are compared with a commercially available anti- Salmonella antibody and the antimicrobial peptide alamethicin. A Langmuir isotherm model was applied to determine the binding affinity constants of the peptides to the pathogens. One particular peptide, MSal 020417, demonstrated a higher binding affinity to Salmonella spp. than the commercially available antibody and is able to distinguish among eight Salmonella serovars on a microcantilever. A multiplexed screening system to quickly determine the binding affinities of various peptides to a particular pathogen highly improves the efficiency of the peptide screening process. Combined with phage-derived peptides, this microcantilever-based technique provides a novel biosensor to rapidly and accurately detect pathogens and holds potential to be further developed as a screening method to identify pathogen-specific recognition elements.