Global structural motions from the strain of a single hydrogen bond.

The origin and biological role of dynamic motions of folded enzymes is not yet fully understood. In this study, we examine the molecular determinants for the dynamic motions within the ß-barrel of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which previously were implicated in allosteric regulation of protein maturation and also pathological misfolding in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Relaxation-dispersion NMR, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, and crystallographic data show that the dynamic motions are induced by the buried H43 side chain, which connects the backbones of the Cu ligand H120 and T39 by a hydrogen-bond linkage through the hydrophobic core. The functional role of this highly conserved H120-H43-T39 linkage is to strain H120 into the correct geometry for Cu binding. Upon elimination of the strain by mutation H43F, the apo protein relaxes through hydrogen-bond swapping into a more stable structure and the dynamic motions freeze out completely. At the same time, the holo protein becomes energetically penalized because the twisting back of H120 into Cu-bound geometry leads to burial of an unmatched backbone carbonyl group. The question then is whether this coupling between metal binding and global structural motions in the SOD1 molecule is an adverse side effect of evolving viable Cu coordination or plays a key role in allosteric regulation of biological function, or both?

Functional features cause misfolding of the ALS-provoking enzyme SOD1.

The structural integrity of the ubiquitous enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD1) relies critically on the correct coordination of Cu and Zn. Loss of these cofactors not only promotes SOD1 aggregation in vitro but also seems to be a key prerequisite for pathogenic misfolding in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We examine here the consequences of Zn(2+) loss by selectively removing the Zn site, which has been implicated as the main modulator of SOD1 stability and disease competence. After Zn-site removal, the remaining Cu ligands can coordinate a nonnative Zn(2+) ion with microM affinity in the denatured state, and then retain this ion throughout the folding reaction. Without the restriction of a metallated Zn site, however, the Cu ligands fail to correctly coordinate the nonnative Zn(2+) ion: Trapping of a water molecule causes H48 to change rotamer and swing outwards. The misligation is sterically incompatible with the native structure. As a consequence, SOD1 unfolds locally and interacts with neighboring molecules in the crystal lattice. The findings point to a critical role for the native Zn site in controlling SOD1 misfolding, and show that even subtle changes of the metal-loading sequence can render the wild-type protein the same structural properties as ALS-provoking mutations. This frustrated character of the SOD1 molecule seems to arise from a compromise between optimization of functional and structural features.

Folding catalysis by transient coordination of Zn2+ to the Cu ligands of the ALS-associated enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1.

How coordination of metal ions modulates protein structures is not only important for elucidating biological function but has also emerged as a key determinant in protein turnover and protein-misfolding diseases. In this study, we show that the coordination of Zn(2+) to the ALS-associated enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is directly controlled by the protein's folding pathway. Zn(2+) first catalyzes the folding reaction by coordinating transiently to the Cu ligands of SOD1, which are all contained within the folding nucleus. Then, after the global folding transition has commenced, the Zn(2+) ion transfers to the higher affinity Zn site, which structures only very late in the folding process. Here it remains dynamically coordinated with an off rate of ∼10(-5) s(-1). This relatively rapid equilibration of metals in and out of the SOD1 structure provides a simple explanation for how the exceptionally long lifetime, >100 years, of holoSOD1 is still compatible with cellular turnover: if a dissociated Zn(2+) ion is prevented from rebinding to the SOD1 structure then the lifetime of the protein is reduced to a just a few hours.

Folding Underlies Bidirectional Role of GPR37/Pael-R in Parkinson Disease.

Since conformational flexibility, which is required for the function of a protein, comes at the expense of structural stability, many proteins, including G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are under constant risk of misfolding and aggregation. In this regard GPR37 (also named PAEL-R and ETBR-LP-1) takes a prominent role, particularly in relation to Parkinson disease (PD). GPR37 is a substrate for parkin and accumulates abnormally in autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism, contributing to endoplasmic reticulum stress and death of dopaminergic neurons. GPR37 also constitutes a core structure of Lewy bodies, demonstrating a more general involvement in PD pathology. However, if folded and matured properly, GPR37 seems to be neuroprotective. Moreover, GPR37 modulates functionality of the dopamine transporter and the dopamine D2 receptor and stimulates dopamine neurotransmission. Here we review the multiple roles of GPR37 with relevance to potential disease modification and symptomatic therapies of PD and highlight unsolved issues in this field.

Overexpression of α-synuclein simultaneously increases glutamate NMDA receptor phosphorylation and reduces glucocerebrosidase activity.

Progressive accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn)-containing protein aggregates throughout the nervous system is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). The mechanisms whereby α-syn exerts neurodegeneration remain to be fully understood. Here we show that overexpression of α-syn in transgenic mice leads to increased phosphorylation of glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunits NR1 and NR2B in substantia nigra and striatum as well as reduced glucocerebrosidase (GCase) levels. Similarly, molecular studies performed in mouse N2A cells stably overexpressing human α-syn ((α-syn)N2A) showed that phosphorylation states of the same NMDAR subunits were increased, whereas GCase levels and lysosomal GCase activity were reduced. (α-syn)N2A cells showed an increased sensitivity to neurotoxicity towards 6-hydroxydopamine and NMDA. However, wildtype N2A, but not (α-syn)N2A cells, showed a further reduction in viability when co-incubated with 6-hydroxydopamine and the lysosomal inhibitors NH4Cl and leupeptin, suggesting that α-syn per se perturbs lysosomal functions. NMDA treatment reduced lysosomal GCase activity to the same extent in (α-syn)N2A cells as in wildtype N2A cells, indicating that the α-syn-dependent difference in NMDA neurotoxicity is unrelated to an altered GCase activity. Nevertheless, these data provide molecular evidence that overexpression of α-syn simultaneously induces two potential neurotoxic hits by increasing glutamate NMDA receptor phosphorylation, consistent with increased NMDA receptors functionality, and reducing GCase activity.

Disulfide scrambling in superoxide dismutase 1 reduces its cytotoxic effect in cultured cells and promotes protein aggregation.

Mutations in the gene coding for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are associated with familiar forms of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These mutations are believed to result in a "gain of toxic function", leading to neuronal degeneration. The exact mechanism is still unknown, but misfolding/aggregation events are generally acknowledged as important pathological events in this process. Recently, we observed that demetallated apoSOD1, with cysteine 6 and 111 substituted for alanine, is toxic to cultured neuroblastoma cells. This toxicity depended on an intact, high affinity Zn(2+) site. It was therefor contradictory to discover that wild-type apoSOD1 was not toxic, despite of its high affinity for Zn(2+). This inconsistency was hypothesized to originate from erroneous disulfide formation involving C6 and C111. Using high resolution non-reducing SDS-PAGE, we have in this study demonstrated that the inability of wild-type apoSOD1 to cause cell death stems from formation of non-native intra-molecular disulfides. Moreover, monomeric apoSOD1 variants capable of such disulfide scrambling aggregated into ThT positive oligomers under physiological conditions without agitation. The oligomers were stabilized by inter-molecular disulfides and morphologically resembled what has in other neurodegenerative diseases been termed protofibrils. Disulfide scrambling thus appears to be an important event for misfolding and aggregation of SOD1, but may also be significant for protein function involving cysteines, e.g. mitochondrial import and copper loading.

Cytotoxicity of superoxide dismutase 1 in cultured cells is linked to Zn2+ chelation.

Neurodegeneration in protein-misfolding disease is generally assigned to toxic function of small, soluble protein aggregates. Largely, these assignments are based on observations of cultured neural cells where the suspect protein material is titrated directly into the growth medium. In the present study, we use this approach to shed light on the cytotoxic action of the metalloenzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), associated with misfolding and aggregation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results show, somewhat unexpectedly, that the toxic species of SOD1 in this type of experimental setting is not an aggregate, as typically observed for proteins implicated in other neuro-degenerative diseases, but the folded and fully soluble apo protein. Moreover, we demonstrate that the toxic action of apoSOD1 relies on the protein's ability to chelate Zn(2+) ions from the growth medium. The decreased cell viability that accompanies this extraction is presumably based on disturbed Zn(2+) homeostasis. Consistently, mutations that cause global unfolding of the apoSOD1 molecule or otherwise reduce its Zn(2+) affinity abolish completely the cytotoxic response. So does the addition of surplus Zn(2+). Taken together, these observations point at a case where the toxic response of cultured cells might not be related to human pathology but stems from the intrinsic limitations of a simplified cell model. There are several ways proteins can kill cultured neural cells but all of these need not to be relevant for neurodegenerative disease.