A helical fulcrum in eIF2B coordinates allosteric regulation of stress signaling.

The integrated stress response (ISR) enables cells to survive a variety of acute stresses, but chronic activation of the ISR underlies age-related diseases. ISR signaling downregulates translation and activates expression of stress-responsive factors that promote return to homeostasis and is initiated by inhibition of the decameric guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B. Conformational and assembly transitions regulate eIF2B activity, but the allosteric mechanisms controlling these dynamic transitions and mediating the therapeutic effects of the small-molecule ISR inhibitor ISRIB are unknown. Using hydrogen-deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy, we identified a central α-helix whose orientation allosterically coordinates eIF2B conformation and assembly. Biochemical and cellular signaling assays show that this 'switch-helix' controls eIF2B activity and signaling. In sum, the switch-helix acts as a fulcrum of eIF2B conformational regulation and is a highly conserved actuator of ISR signal transduction. This work uncovers a conserved allosteric mechanism and unlocks new therapeutic possibilities for ISR-linked diseases.

Structure of the toxic core of α-synuclein from invisible crystals.

The protein α-synuclein is the main component of Lewy bodies, the neuron-associated aggregates seen in Parkinson disease and other neurodegenerative pathologies. An 11-residue segment, which we term NACore, appears to be responsible for amyloid formation and cytotoxicity of human α-synuclein. Here we describe crystals of NACore that have dimensions smaller than the wavelength of visible light and thus are invisible by optical microscopy. As the crystals are thousands of times too small for structure determination by synchrotron X-ray diffraction, we use micro-electron diffraction to determine the structure at atomic resolution. The 1.4 Å resolution structure demonstrates that this method can determine previously unknown protein structures and here yields, to our knowledge, the highest resolution achieved by any cryo-electron microscopy method to date. The structure exhibits protofibrils built of pairs of face-to-face ß-sheets. X-ray fibre diffraction patterns show the similarity of NACore to toxic fibrils of full-length α-synuclein. The NACore structure, together with that of a second segment, inspires a model for most of the ordered portion of the toxic, full-length α-synuclein fibril, presenting opportunities for the design of inhibitors of α-synuclein fibrils.

Atomic structure of a toxic, oligomeric segment of SOD1 linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Fibrils and oligomers are the aggregated protein agents of neuronal dysfunction in ALS diseases. Whereas we now know much about fibril architecture, atomic structures of disease-related oligomers have eluded determination. Here, we determine the corkscrew-like structure of a cytotoxic segment of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in its oligomeric state. Mutations that prevent formation of this structure eliminate cytotoxicity of the segment in isolation as well as cytotoxicity of the ALS-linked mutants of SOD1 in primary motor neurons and in a Danio rerio (zebrafish) model of ALS. Cytotoxicity assays suggest that toxicity is a property of soluble oligomers, and not large insoluble aggregates. Our work adds to evidence that the toxic oligomeric entities in protein aggregation diseases contain antiparallel, out-of-register ß-sheet structures and identifies a target for structure-based therapeutics in ALS.

Perspective on SOD1 mediated toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of spinal motor neurons. Although mutations in dozens of proteins have been associated with ALS, the enzyme, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) was the first protein identified with the development of ALS and accounts for ~20% of familial cases. In experimental animals and patient samples, mutant SOD1 is found in cytoplasmic deposits implicating SOD1 aggregates as the toxic entities. Here we discuss the various biochemical and structure-based hypotheses proposed for mutant SOD1-associated ALS. Although much remains to be discovered about the molecular mechanism of SOD1 mediated toxicity, these hypotheses offer new avenues for therapeutic development.

A Legionella toxin exhibits tRNA mimicry and glycosyl transferase activity to target the translation machinery and trigger a ribotoxic stress response.

A widespread strategy employed by pathogens to establish infection is to inhibit host-cell protein synthesis. Legionella pneumophila, an intracellular bacterial pathogen and the causative organism of Legionnaires' disease, secretes a subset of protein effectors into host cells that inhibit translation elongation. Mechanistic insights into how the bacterium targets translation elongation remain poorly defined. We report here that the Legionella effector SidI functions in an unprecedented way as a transfer-RNA mimic that directly binds to and glycosylates the ribosome. The 3.1 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of SidI reveals an N-terminal domain with an 'inverted L' shape and surface-charge distribution characteristic of tRNA mimicry, and a C-terminal domain that adopts a glycosyl transferase fold that licenses SidI to utilize GDP-mannose as a sugar precursor. This coupling of tRNA mimicry and enzymatic action endows SidI with the ability to block protein synthesis with a potency comparable to ricin, one of the most powerful toxins known. In Legionella-infected cells, the translational pausing activated by SidI elicits a stress response signature mimicking the ribotoxic stress response, which is activated by elongation inhibitors that induce ribosome collisions. SidI-mediated effects on the ribosome activate the stress kinases ZAKα and p38, which in turn drive an accumulation of the protein activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3). Intriguingly, ATF3 escapes the translation block imposed by SidI, translocates to the nucleus and orchestrates the transcription of stress-inducible genes that promote cell death, revealing a major role for ATF3 in the response to collided ribosome stress. Together, our findings elucidate a novel mechanism by which a pathogenic bacterium employs tRNA mimicry to hijack a ribosome-to-nuclear signalling pathway that regulates cell fate.

Inhibition of synucleinopathic seeding by rationally designed inhibitors.

Seeding, in the context of amyloid disease, is the sequential transfer of pathogenic protein aggregates from cell-to-cell within affected tissues. The structure of pathogenic seeds provides the molecular basis and enables rapid conversion of soluble protein into fibrils. To date, there are no inhibitors that specifically target seeding of Parkinson's disease (PD)-associated α-synuclein (α-syn) fibrils, in part, due to lack of information of the structural properties of pathological seeds. Here we design small peptidic inhibitors based on the atomic structure of the core of α-syn fibrils. The inhibitors prevent α-syn aggregation in vitro and in cell culture models with binding affinities of 0.5 µM to α-syn fibril seeds. The inhibitors also show efficacy in preventing seeding by human patient-derived α-syn fibrils. Our results suggest that pathogenic seeds of α-syn contain steric zippers and suggest a therapeutic approach targeted at the spread and progression that may be applicable for PD and related synucleinopathies.

An ultra-potent synthetic nanobody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by locking Spike into an inactive conformation.

Without an effective prophylactic solution, infections from SARS-CoV-2 continue to rise worldwide with devastating health and economic costs. SARS-CoV-2 gains entry into host cells via an interaction between its Spike protein and the host cell receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Disruption of this interaction confers potent neutralization of viral entry, providing an avenue for vaccine design and for therapeutic antibodies. Here, we develop single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) that potently disrupt the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 Spike and ACE2. By screening a yeast surface-displayed library of synthetic nanobody sequences, we identified a panel of nanobodies that bind to multiple epitopes on Spike and block ACE2 interaction via two distinct mechanisms. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) revealed that one exceptionally stable nanobody, Nb6, binds Spike in a fully inactive conformation with its receptor binding domains (RBDs) locked into their inaccessible down-state, incapable of binding ACE2. Affinity maturation and structure-guided design of multivalency yielded a trivalent nanobody, mNb6-tri, with femtomolar affinity for SARS-CoV-2 Spike and picomolar neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 infection. mNb6-tri retains stability and function after aerosolization, lyophilization, and heat treatment. These properties may enable aerosol-mediated delivery of this potent neutralizer directly to the airway epithelia, promising to yield a widely deployable, patient-friendly prophylactic and/or early infection therapeutic agent to stem the worst pandemic in a century.

An ultrapotent synthetic nanobody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by stabilizing inactive Spike.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus enters host cells via an interaction between its Spike protein and the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). By screening a yeast surface-displayed library of synthetic nanobody sequences, we developed nanobodies that disrupt the interaction between Spike and ACE2. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) revealed that one nanobody, Nb6, binds Spike in a fully inactive conformation with its receptor binding domains locked into their inaccessible down state, incapable of binding ACE2. Affinity maturation and structure-guided design of multivalency yielded a trivalent nanobody, mNb6-tri, with femtomolar affinity for Spike and picomolar neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 infection. mNb6-tri retains function after aerosolization, lyophilization, and heat treatment, which enables aerosol-mediated delivery of this potent neutralizer directly to the airway epithelia.

Atomic structures of corkscrew-forming segments of SOD1 reveal varied oligomer conformations.

The aggregation cascade of disease-related amyloidogenic proteins, terminating in insoluble amyloid fibrils, involves intermediate oligomeric states. The structural and biochemical details of these oligomers have been largely unknown. Here we report crystal structures of variants of the cytotoxic oligomer-forming segment residues 28-38 of the ALS-linked protein, SOD1. The crystal structures reveal three different architectures: corkscrew oligomeric structure, nontwisting curved sheet structure and a steric zipper proto-filament structure. Our work highlights the polymorphism of the segment 28-38 of SOD1 and identifies the molecular features of amyloidogenic entities.

Distal amyloid ß-protein fragments template amyloid assembly.

Amyloid formation is associated with devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type-2 diabetes. The large amyloid deposits found in patients suffering from these diseases have remained difficult to probe by structural means. Recent NMR models also predict heterotypic interactions from distinct peptide fragments but limited evidence of heterotypic packed sheets is observed in solution. Here we characterize two segments of the protein amyloid ß (Aß) known to form fibrils in Alzheimer's disease patients. We designed two variants of Aß(19-24) and Aß(27-32), IFAEDV (I6V) and NKGAIF (N6F) to lower the aggregation propensity of individual peptides while maintaining the similar interactions between the two segments in their native forms. We found that the variants do not form significant amyloid fibrils individually but a 1:1 mixture forms abundant fibrils. Using ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), hetero-oligomers up to decamers were found in the mixture while the individual peptides formed primarily dimers and some tetramers consistent with a strong heterotypic interaction between the two segments. We showed by X-ray crystallography that I6V formed a Class 7 zipper with a weakly packed pair of ß-sheets and no segregated dry interface, while N6F formed a more stable Class 1 zipper. In a mixture of equimolar N6F:I6V, I6V forms a more stable zipper than in I6V alone while no N6F or hetero-typic zippers are observed. These data are consistent with a mechanism where N6F catalyzes assembly of I6V into a stable zipper and perhaps into stable, pure I6V fibrils that are observed in AFM measurements.

Crystal Structures of IAPP Amyloidogenic Segments Reveal a Novel Packing Motif of Out-of-Register Beta Sheets.

Structural studies of amyloidogenic segments by X-ray crystallography have revealed a novel packing motif, consisting of out-of-register ß sheets, which may constitute one of the toxic species in aggregation related diseases. Here we sought to determine the presence of such a motif in islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), whose amyloidogenic properties are associated with type 2 diabetes. We determined four new crystal structures of segments within IAPP, all forming steric zippers. Most interestingly, one of the segments in the fibril core of IAPP forms an out-of-register steric zipper. Analysis of this structure reveals several commonalities with previously solved out-of-register fibrils. Our results provide additional evidence of out-of-register ß sheets as a common structural motif in amyloid aggregates.

Factors that drive peptide assembly from native to amyloid structures: experimental and theoretical analysis of [leu-5]-enkephalin mutants.

Five different mutants of [Leu-5] Enkephalin YGGFL peptide have been investigated for fibril formation propensities. The early oligomer structures have been probed with a combination of ion-mobility mass spectrometry and computational modeling. The two peptides YVIFL and YVVFL form oligomers and amyloid-like fibrils. YVVFV shows an early stage oligomer distribution similar to those of the previous two, but amyloid-like aggregates are less abundant. Atomic resolution X-ray structures of YVVFV show two different modes of interactions at the dry interface between steric zippers and pairs of antiparallel ß-sheets, but both are less favorable than the packing motif found in YVVFL. Both YVVFV and YVVFL can form a Class 6 steric zipper. However, in YVVFV, the strands between mating sheets are parallel to each other and in YVVFL they are antiparallel. The overall data highlight the importance of structurally characterizing high order oligomers within oligomerization pathways in studies of nanostructure assembly.