Role of Hsp104 in the propagation and inheritance of the [Het-s] prion.

The chaperones of the ClpB/HSP100 family play a central role in thermotolerance in bacteria, plants, and fungi by ensuring solubilization of heat-induced protein aggregates. In addition in yeast, Hsp104 was found to be required for prion propagation. Herein, we analyze the role of Podospora anserina Hsp104 (PaHsp104) in the formation and propagation of the [Het-s] prion. We show that DeltaPaHsp104 strains propagate [Het-s], making [Het-s] the first native fungal prion to be propagated in the absence of Hsp104. Nevertheless, we found that [Het-s]-propagon numbers, propagation rate, and spontaneous emergence are reduced in a DeltaPaHsp104 background. In addition, inactivation of PaHsp104 leads to severe meiotic instability of [Het-s] and abolishes its meiotic drive activity. Finally, we show that DeltaPaHSP104 strains are less susceptible than wild type to infection by exogenous recombinant HET-s(218-289) prion amyloids. Like [URE3] and [PIN(+)] in yeast but unlike [PSI(+)], [Het-s] is not cured by constitutive PaHsp104 overexpression. The observed effects of PaHsp104 inactivation are consistent with the described role of Hsp104 in prion aggregate shearing in yeast. However, Hsp104-dependency appears less stringent in P. anserina than in yeast; presumably because in Podospora prion propagation occurs in a syncitium.

Structural insights into chaperone addiction of toxin-antitoxin systems.

SecB chaperones assist protein export by binding both unfolded proteins and the SecA motor. Certain SecB homologs can also control toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems known to modulate bacterial growth in response to stress. In such TA-chaperone (TAC) systems, SecB assists the folding and prevents degradation of the antitoxin, thus facilitating toxin inhibition. Chaperone dependency is conferred by a C-terminal extension in the antitoxin known as chaperone addiction (ChAD) sequence, which makes the antitoxin aggregation-prone and prevents toxin inhibition. Using TAC of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we present the structure of a SecB-like chaperone bound to its ChAD peptide. We find differences in the binding interfaces when compared to SecB-SecA or SecB-preprotein complexes, and show that the antitoxin can reach a functional form while bound to the chaperone. This work reveals how chaperones can use discrete surface binding regions to accommodate different clients or partners and thereby expand their substrate repertoire and functions.

Publisher Correction: Structural insights into chaperone addiction of toxin-antitoxin systems.

The original version of this Article contained errors in Figures 1 and 4. In Fig. 1b, the Mtb-SecBTA sequence was displayed incorrectly. In the inset panel within Fig. 4c, the y-axis of the graph incorrectly read (Q.Rg)2 × I(Q)//(0), and should have read (Q.Rg)2 × I(Q)/I(0). These errors have been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Discovery of novel inhibitors of amyloid ß-peptide 1-42 aggregation.

Alzheimer's disease, characterized by deposits of amyloid ß-peptide (Aß), is the most common neurodegenerative disease, but it still lacks a specific treatment. We have discovered five chemically unrelated inhibitors of the in vitro aggregation of the Aß17-40 peptide by screening two commercial chemical libraries. Four of them (1-4) exhibit relatively low MCCs toward HeLa cells (17-184 µM). The usefulness of compounds 1-4 to inhibit the in vivo aggregation of Aß1-42 has been demonstrated using two fungi models, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Podospora anserina, previously transformed to express Aß1-42. Estimated IC(50)s are around 1-2 µM. Interestingly, addition of any of the four compounds to sonicated preformed P. anserina aggregates completely inhibited the appearance of SDS-resistant oligomers. This combination of HTP in vitro screening with validation in fungi models provides an efficient way to identify novel inhibitory compounds of Aß1-42 aggregation for subsequent testing in animal models.

Protein folding activity of ribosomal RNA is a selective target of two unrelated antiprion drugs.

BACKGROUND: 6-Aminophenanthridine (6AP) and Guanabenz (GA, a drug currently in use for the treatment of hypertension) were isolated as antiprion drugs using a yeast-based assay. These structurally unrelated molecules are also active against mammalian prion in several cell-based assays and in vivo in a mouse model for prion-based diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report the identification of cellular targets of these drugs. Using affinity chromatography matrices for both drugs, we demonstrate an RNA-dependent interaction of 6AP and GA with the ribosome. These specific interactions have no effect on the peptidyl transferase activity of the ribosome or on global translation. In contrast, 6AP and GA specifically inhibit the ribosomal RNA-mediated protein folding activity of the ribosome. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: 6AP and GA are therefore the first compounds to selectively inhibit the protein folding activity of the ribosome. They thus constitute precious tools to study the yet largely unexplored biological role of this protein folding activity.

Methods for the in vivo and in vitro analysis of [Het-s] prion infectivity.

Prions have been described in mammals and fungi. The [Het-s] infectious genetic element of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina is the prion form of the HET-s protein. This protein is involved in the control of a cell death reaction termed heterokaryon incompatibility. The infectious form of HET-s corresponds to a self-perpetuating amyloid. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the techniques that can be used to analyse [Het-s] prion propagation in vivo and HET-s amyloid aggregation in vitro. In addition, we report several methods that can be used to infect Podospora with recombinant HET-s amyloid.

Conformational transition occurring upon amyloid aggregation of the HET-s prion protein of Podospora anserina analyzed by hydrogen/deuterium exchange and mass spectrometry.

The [Het-s] infectious element of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina corresponds to the prion form of the HET-s protein. HET-s (289 amino acids in length) aggregates into amyloid fibers in vitro. Such fibers obtained in vitro are infectious, indicating that the [Het-s] prion can propagate as a self-perpetuating amyloid aggregate of the HET-s protein. Previous analyses have suggested that only a limited region of the HET-s protein is involved in amyloid formation and prion propagation. To document the conformational transition occurring upon amyloid aggregation of HET-s, we have developed a method involving hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by MALDI-MS. In a first step, a peptide mass fingerprint of the protein was obtained, leading to 87% coverage of the HET-s primary structure. Amyloid aggregates of HET-s were obtained, and H/D exchange was monitored on the soluble and on the amyloid form of HET-s. This study revealed that in the soluble form of HET-s, the C-terminal region (spanning from residues 240-289) displays a high solvent accessibility. In sharp contrast, solvent accessibility is drastically reduced in that region in the amyloid form. H/D exchange rates and levels in the N-terminal part of the protein (residues 1-220) are comparable in the soluble and the aggregated state. These results indicate that amyloid aggregation of HET-s involves a conformational transition of the C-terminal part of the protein from a mainly disordered to an aggregated state in which this region is highly protected from hydrogen exchange.

The HET-s prion protein of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina aggregates in vitro into amyloid-like fibrils.

The HET-s protein of Podospora anserina is a fungal prion. This protein behaves as an infectious cytoplasmic element that is transmitted horizontally from one strain to another. Under the prion form, the HET-s protein forms aggregates in vivo. The specificity of this prion model compared with the yeast prions resides in the fact that under the prion form HET-s causes a growth inhibition and cell death reaction when co-expressed with the HET-S protein from which it differs by 13 residues. Herein we describe the purification and initial characterization of recombinant HET-s protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The HET-s protein self-associates over time into high molecular weight aggregates. These aggregates greatly accelerate precipitation of the soluble form. HET-s aggregates appear as amyloid-like fibrils using electron microscopy. They bind Congo Red and show birefringence under polarized light. In the aggregated form, a HET-s fragment of approximately 7 kDa is resistant to proteinase K digestion. CD and FTIR analyses indicate that upon transition to the aggregated state, the HET-s protein undergoes a structural rearrangement characterized by an increase in antiparallel beta-sheet structure content. These results suggest that the [Het-s] prion element propagates in vivo as an infectious amyloid.

Amyloid aggregates of the HET-s prion protein are infectious.

The [Het-s] infectious element of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina is a prion. We have recently reported that recombinant HET-s protein aggregates in vitro into amyloid fibers. In vivo, the protein aggregates specifically in the [Het-s] prion strains. Here, we show that biolistic introduction of aggregated recombinant HET-s protein into fungal cells induces emergence of the [Het-s] prion with a high frequency. Thus, we demonstrate that prion infectivity can be created de novo, in vitro from recombinant protein in this system. Although the amyloid filaments formed from HET-s could transmit [Het-s] efficiently, neither the soluble form of the protein nor amorphous aggregates would do so. In addition, we have found that (i) [Het-s] infectivity correlates with the ability to convert HET-s to amyloids in vitro, (ii) [Het-s] infectivity is resistant to proteinase K digestion, and (iii) HET-s aggregates formed in vivo in [Het-s] strains have the ability to convert the recombinant protein to aggregates. Together, our data designate the HET-s amyloids as the molecular basis of [Het-s] prion propagation.

The sequences appended to the amyloid core region of the HET-s prion protein determine higher-order aggregate organization in vivo.

The [Het-s] prion of the fungus Podospora anserina propagates as a self-perpetuating amyloid form of the HET-s protein. This protein triggers a cell death reaction termed heterokaryon incompatibility when interacting with the HET-S protein, an allelic variant of HET-s. HET-s displays two distinct domains, a N-terminal globular domain and a C-terminal unstructured prion-forming domain (residues 218-289). Here, we describe the characterization of HET-s(157-289), a truncated form of HET-s bearing an extensive deletion in the globular domain but retaining full activity in incompatibility and prion propagation. In vitro, HET-s(157-289) polymerizes into amyloid fibers displaying the same core region as full-length HET-s fibers. We have shown previously that fusions of green fluorescent protein (GFP) with HET-s or HET-s(218-289) form dot-like aggregates in vivo upon transition to the prion state. By contrast, a HET-s(157-289)/GFP fusion protein forms elongated fibrillar aggregates in vivo. Such elongated aggregates can reach up to 150 microm in length. The in vivo dynamics of these organized structures is analysed by time lapse microscopy. We find that the large elongate structures grow by lateral association of shorter fibrillar aggregates. When co-expressed with HET-s(157-289), full-length HET-s and HET-s(218-289) can be incorporated into such elongated aggregates. Together, our data indicate that HET-s(157-289) aggregates can adopt an organized higher-order structure in vivo and that the ability to adopt this supramolecular organization is conferred by the sequences appended to the amyloid core region.

Domain organization and structure-function relationship of the HET-s prion protein of Podospora anserina.

The [Het-s] infectious element of the fungus Podospora anserina is a prion protein involved in a genetically controlled cell death reaction termed heterokaryon incompatibility. Previous analyses indicate that [Het-s] propagates as a self-perpetuating amyloid aggregate. The HET-s protein is 289 amino acids in length. Herein, we identify the region of the HET-s protein that is responsible for amyloid formation and prion propagation. The region of HET-s spanning residues 218-289 forms amyloid fibers in vitro and allows prion propagation in vivo. Conversely, a C-terminal deletion in HET-s prevents amyloid aggregation in vitro and prion propagation in vivo, and abolishes the incompatibility function. In the soluble form of HET-s, the region from residue 1 to 227 forms a well-folded domain while the C-terminal region is highly flexible. Together, our data establish a domain structure-function relationship for HET-s amyloid formation, prion propagation and incompatibility activity.