Non-invasive molecular tracking method that measures ocular drug distribution in non-human primates.

Intravitreal (IVT) injection has become the standard route for drug administration in retinal diseases. However, the ability to measure biodistribution of ocular therapeutics in large species remains limited, due to the invasive nature of some techniques or their lack of spatial information. The aim of this study was to develop in cynomolgus monkeys a non-invasive fluorescence imaging technology that enables tracking of IVT-dosed drugs and could be easily translated into humans. Here, we show a proof-of-concept for labeled ranibizumab with observed half-lives of 3.34 and 4.52 days at the retina and in the vitreous, respectively. We further investigate a long acting anti-VEGF antibody, which remains as an agglomerate with some material leaking out until the end of the study at Day 35. Overall, we were able to visualize and measure differences in the in vivo behavior between short and long-acting antibodies, demonstrating the power of the technology for ocular pharmacokinetics.

Interactive sequences in the molecular chaperone, human alphaB crystallin modulate the fibrillation of amyloidogenic proteins.

Multiple interactive domains are involved in the activity of the stress protein, alphaB crystallin that protects against the unfolding, aggregation, and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins. Six peptides corresponding to the interactive sequences 41STSLSPFYLRPPSFLRAP58, 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85, 101HGKHEERQDE110, 113FISREFHR120, 131LTITSSLSSDGV142, and 156ERTIPITRE164 in human alphaB crystallin were synthesized and evaluated in Thioflavin T fluorescence assays for their effects on the modulation of fibrillation of four disease-related amyloidogenic proteins: amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, transthyretin, and beta2-microglobulin. The 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 and 101HGKHEERQDE110 peptides in the conserved alpha crystallin core domain of alphaB crystallin were the most effective fibril inhibitors. 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 completely inhibited alpha-synuclein fibrillation and reduced the fibrillation of amyloid-beta, transthyretin, and beta2-microglobulin by >50%. 101HGKHEERQDE110 completely inhibited amyloid-beta fibrillation and reduced the fibrillation of alpha-synuclein, transthyretin, and beta2-microglobulin by >50%. The peptides FSVN, NLDV, HGKH, and HEER, which are synthetic fragments of 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 and 101HGKHEERQDE110, inhibited fibrillation of all four amyloidogenic proteins by >75%. In contrast, the peptides FISREFHR, ERTIPITRE, DRFS, KHFS, and EERQ were the strongest promoters of fibrillation. Molecular modeling of the interactions between transthyretin and beta2-microglobulin and the synthetic bioactive peptides determined that residues Phe-75, Ser-76, Val-77, Asn-78, Leu-79, and Asp-80 in 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 and residues His-101, Lys-103, His-104, Glu-105, and Arg-107 in 101HGKHEERQDE110 interact with exposed residues in the beta strands, F and D of transthyretin and beta2-microglobulin, respectively, to modulate fibrillation. This is the first characterization of specific bioactive peptides synthesized on the basis of interactive domains in the small heat shock protein, alphaB crystallin that protect against the fibrillation of amyloidogenic proteins.

Interactive sequences in the stress protein and molecular chaperone human alphaB crystallin recognize and modulate the assembly of filaments.

Molecular chaperones including the small heat shock proteins, alphaB crystallin and sHSP27 participate in the assembly, disassembly, and reorganization of the cytoskeleton during cell development and differentiation. While alphaB crystallin and sHSP27 stabilize and modulate filament assembly and re-organization, the sequences and structural domains mediating interactions between these proteins and filaments are unknown. It is important to define these interactive domains in order to understand differential interactions between chaperones and stable or unfolding filaments and their function in the cellular stress response. Protein pin arrays identified sequences in human alphaB crystallin that selectively interacted with native or partially unfolded filament proteins desmin, glial-fibrillary acidic protein, and actin. Circular dichroism spectroscopy determined differences in the structure of these filaments at 23 and 45 degrees C. Seven alphaB crystallin sequences had stronger interactions with desmin and six sequences had stronger interactions with glial-fibrillary acidic protein at 23 degrees C than at 45 degrees C. The alphaB crystallin sequences (33)LESDLFPTSTSLSPFYLRPPSFLR(56) and (129)DPLTITSSLSSDGV(145) had the strongest interactions with actin at 23 degrees C, while (57)APSWFDTG(64), (111)HGFISREF(118), (145)VNGPRKQVSG(154), and (155)PERTIPITREEK(165) had the strongest interactions with actin at 45 degrees C. The actin interactive sequences of alphaB crystallin overlapped with previously identified alphaB crystallin chaperone sequences and were synthesized to evaluate their effect on the assembly and aggregation of actin. Full-length alphaB crystallin and the core domain chaperone sequence (131)LTITSSLSSDGV(143) promoted actin polymerization at 37 degrees C and inhibited depolymerization and aggregation at 50 degrees C. The results support the hypothesis that interactive domains in alphaB crystallin have multiple functions in stabilizing the cytoskeleton and protecting cytosolic proteins from unfolding.

The beta4-beta8 groove is an ATP-interactive site in the alpha crystallin core domain of the small heat shock protein, human alphaB crystallin.

The site for ATP interactions in human alphaB crystallin, the archetype of small heat-shock proteins, was identified and characterized to resolve the controversial role of ATP in the function of small heat-shock proteins. Comparative sequence alignments identified the alphaB crystallin sequence, (82)KHFSPEELKVKVLGD(96) as a Walker-B ATP-binding motif that is found in several ATP-binding proteins, including five molecular chaperones. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer and mass spectrometry using a novel fluorescent ATP analog, 8-azido-ATP-[gamma]-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid-5(2-aminoethylamide) (azido-ATP-EDANS) and a cysteine mutant of human alphaB crystallin (S135C) conjugated with a fluorescent acceptor, eosin-5-maleimide (EMA) identified the beta4-beta8 groove as the ATP interactive site in alphaB crystallin. A 44% decrease in the emitted fluorescence of azido-ATP-EDANS at the absorption maximum of S135C-EMA and a corresponding 50% increase in the fluorescence emission of S135C-EMA indicated a close spatial relationship between azido-ATP-EDANS and the center of the beta8 strand ((131)LTITSSLS(138)). Liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry identified two peptide fragments of the alphaB crystallin Walker-B motif photo-affinity-labeled with azido-ATP-EDANS confirming the beta4-beta8 groove as an ATP interactive site. The results presented here clearly establish the beta4-beta8 groove as the ATP interactive region in alphaB crystallin, and are in contrast to the existing paradigm that classifies small heat-shock proteins as ATP-independent chaperones.

Long-acting protein drugs for the treatment of ocular diseases.

Protein drugs that neutralize vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), such as aflibercept or ranibizumab, rescue vision in patients with retinal vascular diseases. Nonetheless, optimal visual outcomes require intraocular injections as frequently as every month. Here we report a method to extend the intravitreal half-life of protein drugs as an alternative to either encapsulation or chemical modifications with polymers. We combine a 97-amino-acid peptide of human origin that binds hyaluronan, a major macromolecular component of the eye's vitreous, with therapeutic antibodies and proteins. When administered to rabbit and monkey eyes, the half-life of the modified proteins is increased ∼3-4-fold relative to unmodified proteins. We further show that prototype long-acting anti-VEGF drugs (LAVAs) that include this peptide attenuate VEGF-induced retinal changes in animal models of neovascular retinal disease ∼3-4-fold longer than unmodified drugs. This approach has the potential to reduce the dosing frequency associated with retinal disease treatments.

The function of the beta3 interactive domain in the small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone, human alphaB crystallin.

Knowledge of the interactive domains on the surface of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) is necessary for understanding the assembly of complexes and the activity as molecular chaperones. The primary sequences of 26 sHSP molecular chaperones were aligned and compared. In the interactive beta3 sequence, 73DRFSVNLDVKHFS85 of human alphaB crystallin, Ser-76, Asn-78, Lys-82, and His-83 were identified as nonconserved residues on the exposed surface of the alpha crystallin core domain. Site-directed mutagenesis produced the mutant alphaB crystallins: S76E, N78G, K82Q, and H83F. Domain swapping with homologous beta3 sequences, 32EKFEVGLDVQFFT44 from Caenorhabditis elegans sHSP12.2 or 69DKFVIFLDVKHFS81 from alphaA crystallin, resulted in the mutant alphaB crystallins, CE1 and alphaA1, respectively. Decreased chaperone activity was observed with the point mutants N78G, K82Q, and H83F and with the mutant, CE1, in aggregation assays using betaL crystallin, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), or citrate synthase (CS). The S76E mutant had minimal effect on chaperone activity, and domain swapping with alphaA crystallin had no effect on chaperone activity. The mutations that resulted in altered chaperone activity, produced minimal modification to the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of human alphaB crystallin as determined by ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy, chymotrypsin proteolysis, and size exclusion chromatography. Chaperone activity was influenced by the amount of unfolding of the target proteins and independent of complex size. The results characterized the importance of the exposed side chains of Glu-78, Lys-82, and His-83 in the interactive beta3 sequence of the alpha crystallin core domain in alphaB crystallin for chaperone function.

Insights into the domains required for dimerization and assembly of human alphaB crystallin.

Protein pin array technology was used to identify subunit-subunit interaction sites in the small heat shock protein (sHSP) alphaB crystallin. Subunit-subunit interaction sites were defined as consensus sequences that interacted with both human alphaA crystallin and alphaB crystallin. The human alphaB crystallin protein pin array consisted of contiguous and overlapping peptides, eight amino acids in length, immobilized on pins that were in a 96-well ELISA plate format. The interaction of alphaB crystallin peptides with physiological partner proteins, alphaA crystallin and alphaB crystallin, was detected using antibodies and recorded using spectrophotometric absorbance. Five peptide sequences including 37LFPTSTSLSPFYLRPPSF54 in the N terminus, 75FSVNLDVK82)(beta3), 131LTITSSLS138 (beta8) and 141GVLTVNGP148 (beta9) that form beta strands in the conserved alpha crystallin core domain, and 155PERTIPITREEK166 in the C-terminal extension were identified as subunit-subunit interaction sites in human alphaB crystallin using the novel protein pin array assay. The subunit-subunit interaction sites were mapped to a three-dimensional (3D) homology model of wild-type human alphaB crystallin that was based on the crystal structure of wheat sHSP16.9 and Methanococcus jannaschi sHSP16.5 (Mj sHSP16.5). The subunit-subunit interaction sites identified and mapped onto the homology model were solvent-exposed and had variable secondary structures ranging from beta strands to random coils and short alpha helices. The subunit-subunit interaction sites formed a pattern of hydrophobic patches on the 3D surface of human alphaB crystallin.

Alzheimer's disease amyloid-beta links lens and brain pathology in Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) is the most common chromosomal disorder and the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability in humans. In DS, triplication of chromosome 21 invariably includes the APP gene (21q21) encoding the Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid precursor protein (APP). Triplication of the APP gene accelerates APP expression leading to cerebral accumulation of APP-derived amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta), early-onset AD neuropathology, and age-dependent cognitive sequelae. The DS phenotype complex also includes distinctive early-onset cerulean cataracts of unknown etiology. Previously, we reported increased Abeta accumulation, co-localizing amyloid pathology, and disease-linked supranuclear cataracts in the ocular lenses of subjects with AD. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that related AD-linked Abeta pathology underlies the distinctive lens phenotype associated with DS. Ophthalmological examinations of DS subjects were correlated with phenotypic, histochemical, and biochemical analyses of lenses obtained from DS, AD, and normal control subjects. Evaluation of DS lenses revealed a characteristic pattern of supranuclear opacification accompanied by accelerated supranuclear Abeta accumulation, co-localizing amyloid pathology, and fiber cell cytoplasmic Abeta aggregates (approximately 5 to 50 nm) identical to the lens pathology identified in AD. Peptide sequencing, immunoblot analysis, and ELISA confirmed the identity and increased accumulation of Abeta in DS lenses. Incubation of synthetic Abeta with human lens protein promoted protein aggregation, amyloid formation, and light scattering that recapitulated the molecular pathology and clinical features observed in DS lenses. These results establish the genetic etiology of the distinctive lens phenotype in DS and identify the molecular origin and pathogenic mechanism by which lens pathology is expressed in this common chromosomal disorder. Moreover, these findings confirm increased Abeta accumulation as a key pathogenic determinant linking lens and brain pathology in both DS and AD.

Interactive domains in the molecular chaperone human alphaB crystallin modulate microtubule assembly and disassembly.

BACKGROUND: Small heat shock proteins regulate microtubule assembly during cell proliferation and in response to stress through interactions that are poorly understood. METHODOLOGY: Novel functions for five interactive sequences in the small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone, human alphaB crystallin, were investigated in the assembly/disassembly of microtubules and aggregation of tubulin using synthetic peptides and mutants of human alphaB crystallin. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The interactive sequence (113)FISREFHR(120) exposed on the surface of alphaB crystallin decreased microtubule assembly by approximately 45%. In contrast, the interactive sequences, (131)LTITSSLSSDGV(142) and (156)ERTIPITRE(164), corresponding to the beta8 strand and the C-terminal extension respectively, which are involved in complex formation, increased microtubule assembly by approximately 34-45%. The alphaB crystallin peptides, (113)FISREFHR(120) and (156)ERTIPITRE(164), inhibited microtubule disassembly by approximately 26-36%, and the peptides (113)FISREFHR(120) and (131)LTITSSLSSDGV(142) decreased the thermal aggregation of tubulin by approximately 42-44%. The (131)LTITSSLSSDGV(142) and (156)ERTIPITRE(164) peptides were more effective than the widely used anti-cancer drug, Paclitaxel, in modulating tubulin<-->microtubule dynamics. Mutagenesis of these interactive sequences in wt human alphaB crystallin confirmed the effects of the alphaB crystallin peptides on microtubule assembly/disassembly and tubulin aggregation. The regulation of microtubule assembly by alphaB crystallin varied over a narrow range of concentrations. The assembly of microtubules was maximal at alphaB crystallin to tubulin molar ratios between 1:4 and 2:1, while molar ratios >2:1 inhibited microtubule assembly. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Interactive sequences on the surface of human alphaB crystallin collectively modulate microtubule assembly through a dynamic subunit exchange mechanism that depends on the concentration and ratio of alphaB crystallin to tubulin. These are the first experimental results in support of the functional importance of the dynamic subunit model of small heat shock proteins.

Interactions between important regulatory proteins and human alphaB crystallin.

Protein pin arrays assessed interactions between alphaB crystallin and 12 regulatory proteins, including EGF, FGF-2, IGF-1, NGF-beta, TGF-beta, VEGF, insulin, beta-catenin, caspase-3, caspase-8, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL, which are important in cellular differentiation, proliferation, signaling, cytoskeletal assembly, and apoptosis. FGF-2, NGF-beta, VEGF, insulin, and beta-catenin had strong interactions with human alphaB crystallin peptides, and the alphaB crystallin interactive sequences for these proteins were identified. The seven remaining proteins (EGF, IGF-1, TGF-beta, caspase-3, caspase-8, BCl-2, and Bcl-xL) did not interact with alphaB crystallin. The alphaB crystallin sequences that interacted with FGF-2, NGF-beta, VEGF, insulin, and beta-catenin overlapped with sequences that selectively interact with partially unfolded proteins, suggesting a common function for alphaB crystallin in chaperone activity and the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Chaperone assays conducted with full-length alphaB crystallin and synthetic alphaB crystallin peptides confirmed the ability of alphaB crystallin to protect against the aggregation of FGF-2 and VEGF, suggesting that alphaB crystallin protects these proteins against unfolding and aggregation under conditions of stress. This is the first report in which sequences involved in interactions with regulatory proteins, including FGF-2, NGF-beta, VEGF, insulin, and beta-catenin, were identified in a small heat shock protein.

Studies of alphaB crystallin subunit dynamics by surface plasmon resonance.

The molecular chaperone activity of alphaB crystallin, an important stress protein in humans, is regulated by physiological factors, including temperature, pH, Ca2+, and ATP. In this study, the role of these factors in regulating the subunit dynamics of human alphaB crystallin was investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). SPR experiments indicate that at temperatures above 37 degrees C, where alphaB crystallin has been reported to have higher chaperone activity, the subunit dynamics of alphaB crystallin were increased with faster association and dissociation rates. SPR experiments also indicate that interactions between alphaB crystallin subunits were enhanced with much faster association and slower dissociation rates at pH values below 7.0, where alphaB crystallin has been reported to have lower chaperone activity. The results suggest that the dynamic and rapid subunit exchange rate may regulate the chaperone activity of alphaB crystallin. The effect of Ca2+ and ATP on the subunit dynamics of alphaB crystallin was minimal, suggesting that Ca2+ and ATP modulate the chaperone activity of alphaB crystallin without altering the subunit dynamics. Based on the SPR results and previously reported biochemical data for the chaperone activity of alphaB crystallin under different conditions of temperature and pH, a model for the relationship between the subunit dynamics and chaperone activity of alphaB crystallin is established. The model is consistent with previous biochemical data for the chaperone activity and subunit dynamics of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) and establishes a working hypothesis for the relationship between complex assembly and chaperone activity for sHSPs.

Structure-based analysis of the beta8 interactive sequence of human alphaB crystallin.

The functional importance of the beta8 sequence ((131)LTITSSLS(138)), which is on the surface of the alpha crystallin core domain of human alphaB crystallin, was evaluated using site-directed mutagenesis. Ultraviolet circular dichroism determined that mutating the surface-exposed, nonconserved residues, Leu-131, Thr-132, Thr-134, Ser-135, Ser-136, and Ser-138 individually or in combination (alphaAbeta8 and CEbeta8), had no measurable effect on secondary and tertiary structure. Size exclusion chromatography determined the size of the complexes formed by the beta8 mutants to be 6-8 subunits larger than wt alphaB crystallin. In chaperone assays, the protective effect of the L131S, T132A, and S135C mutants of the beta8 sequence was similar to wt alphaB crystallin when beta(L) crystallin and alcohol dehydrogenase were the chaperone substrates and decreased to 66% when citrate synthase was the chaperone substrate. In contrast, the chaperone activity for all three substrates was dramatically reduced for the T134K, S138A, S136H, and CEbeta8 mutants. The prominent location of Thr-134, Ser-136, and Ser-138 on the exposed surface of the alpha crystallin core domain could account for the effect on complex assembly and chaperone activity. Modulation of chaperone activity by the exposed residues of the beta8 sequence in the alpha crystallin core domain was independent of complex size. The results established the beta3-beta8-beta9 surface of the alpha crystallin core domain as an interface for complex assembly and chaperone activity.

N- and C-Terminal motifs in human alphaB crystallin play an important role in the recognition, selection, and solubilization of substrates.

The functions of the interactive sequences in human alphaB crystallin that are involved in chaperone activity and complex assembly of small heat shock proteins need to be characterized to understand the mechanisms of action on unfolding and misfolding proteins. Protein pin arrays identified the hydrophobic N-terminal sequence (41STSLSPFYLRPPSFLRAP58) and the polar C-terminal sequence (155PERTIPITREE165) as interactive domains in human alphaB crystallin, which were then deleted to evaluate their importance in complex assembly and chaperone activity. Size exclusion chromatography determined that the complexes formed by the deletion mutants, Delta41-58 and Delta155-165, were larger and more polydisperse than the wild-type (wt) alphaB crystallin complex. In chaperone assays, the Delta41-58 mutant was as effective as wt alphaB crystallin in protecting partially unfolded betaL crystallin and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and significantly less effective than wt alphaB crystallin in protecting unfolded citrate synthase (CS) from aggregation. Chaperone activity did not correlate with complex size but corresponded with the amount of substrate protein unfolding. The results confirmed the importance of N-terminal residues 41-58 in selective interactions with completely unfolded substrates. Poor solubility and limited or no chaperone activity for the three substrates characterized the Delta155-165 deletion mutant, which demonstrated the importance of C-terminal residues 155-165 in maintaining the solubility of unfolded substrates in a manner independent of the amount of substrate protein unfolding. The results presented in this report established that interactive domains in the N- and C-termini of human alphaB crystallin are important for the recognition, selection, and solubility of unfolding substrate proteins.

Chaperone-like activity revealed in the matricellular protein SPARC.

SPARC (Secreted Protein, Acidic and Rich in Cysteine) is a matricellular glycoprotein that modulates cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. In this report chaperone-like activity of SPARC was identified in a thermal aggregation assay in vitro. Ultraviolet circular dichroism (UVCD) spectroscopy determined that SPARC was stable at temperatures up to 50 degrees C. Unfolding and aggregation of the chaperone target protein, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), were initiated at 50 degrees C. SPARC inhibited the thermal aggregation of ADH in a concentration-dependent manner, with maximal inhibition at a 1:4 molar ratio of SPARC:ADH. Synergy between the chaperone-like activities of SPARC and alphaB-crystallin, a small heat shock protein and molecular chaperone in the lens, was observed in SPARC-alphaB-crystallin double -/- mice.

Interactive domains for chaperone activity in the small heat shock protein, human alphaB crystallin.

Protein pin arrays identified seven interactive sequences for chaperone activity in human alphaB crystallin using natural lens proteins, beta(H) crystallin and gammaD crystallin, and in vitro chaperone target proteins, alcohol dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. The N-terminal domain contained two interactive sequences, (9)WIRRPFFPFHSP(20) and (43)SLSPFYLRPPSFLRAP(58). The alpha crystallin core domain contained four interactive sequences, (75)FSVNLDVK(82) (beta3), (113)FISREFHR(120), (131)LTITSSLS(138) (beta8), and (141)GVLTVNGP(148) (beta9). The C-terminal domain contained one interactive sequence, (157)RTIPITRE(164), that included the highly conserved I-X-I/V motif. Two interactive sequences, (73)DRFSVNLDVKHFS(85) and (131)LTITSSLSDGV(141), belonging to the alpha crystallin core domain were synthesized as peptides and assayed for chaperone activity in vitro. Both synthesized peptides inhibited the thermal aggregation of beta(H) crystallin, alcohol dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase in vitro. Five of the seven chaperone sequences identified by the pin arrays overlapped with sequences identified previously as sequences for subunit-subunit interactions in human alphaB crystallin. The results suggested that interactive sequences in human alphaB crystallin have dual roles in subunit-subunit assembly and chaperone activity.