The C-terminal domain of the antiamyloid chaperone DNAJB6 binds to amyloid-ß peptide fibrils and inhibits secondary nucleation.

The DNAJB6 chaperone inhibits fibril formation of aggregation-prone client peptides through interaction with aggregated and oligomeric forms of the amyloid peptides. Here, we studied the role of its C-terminal domain (CTD) using constructs comprising either the entire CTD or the first two or all four of the CTD ß-strands grafted onto a scaffold protein. Each construct was expressed as WT and as a variant with alanines replacing five highly conserved and functionally important serine and threonine residues in the first ß-strand. We investigated the stability, oligomerization, antiamyloid activity, and affinity for amyloid-ß (Aß42) species using optical spectroscopy, native mass spectrometry, chemical crosslinking, and surface plasmon resonance technology. While DNAJB6 forms large and polydisperse oligomers, CTD was found to form only monomers, dimers, and tetramers of low affinity. Kinetic analyses showed a shift in inhibition mechanism. Whereas full-length DNAJB6 activity is dependent on the serine and threonine residues and efficiently inhibits primary and secondary nucleation, all CTD constructs inhibit secondary nucleation only, independently of the serine and threonine residues, although their dimerization and thermal stabilities are reduced by alanine substitution. While the full-length DNAJB6 inhibition of primary nucleation is related to its propensity to form coaggregates with Aß, the CTD constructs instead bind to Aß42 fibrils, which affects the nucleation events at the fibril surface. The retardation of secondary nucleation by DNAJB6 can thus be ascribed to the first two ß-strands of its CTD, whereas the inhibition of primary nucleation is dependent on the entire protein or regions outside the CTD.

The S/T-Rich Motif in the DNAJB6 Chaperone Delays Polyglutamine Aggregation and the Onset of Disease in a Mouse Model.

Expanded CAG repeats lead to debilitating neurodegenerative disorders characterized by aggregation of proteins with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts. The mechanism of aggregation involves primary and secondary nucleation steps. We show how a noncanonical member of the DNAJ-chaperone family, DNAJB6, inhibits the conversion of soluble polyQ peptides into amyloid fibrils, in particular by suppressing primary nucleation. This inhibition is mediated by a serine/threonine-rich region that provides an array of surface-exposed hydroxyl groups that bind to polyQ peptides and may disrupt the formation of the H bonds essential for the stability of amyloid fibrils. Early prevention of polyQ aggregation by DNAJB6 occurs also in cells and leads to delayed neurite retraction even before aggregates are visible. In a mouse model, brain-specific coexpression of DNAJB6 delays polyQ aggregation, relieves symptoms, and prolongs lifespan, pointing to DNAJB6 as a potential target for disease therapy and tool for unraveling early events in the onset of polyQ diseases.

Amyloid-ß oligomers are captured by the DNAJB6 chaperone: Direct detection of interactions that can prevent primary nucleation.

A human molecular chaperone protein, DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member B6 (DNAJB6), efficiently inhibits amyloid aggregation. This inhibition depends on a unique motif with conserved serine and threonine (S/T) residues that have a high capacity for hydrogen bonding. Global analysis of kinetics data has previously shown that DNAJB6 especially inhibits the primary nucleation pathways. These observations indicated that DNAJB6 achieves this remarkably effective and sub-stoichiometric inhibition by interacting not with the monomeric unfolded conformations of the amyloid-ß symbol (Aß) peptide but with aggregated species. However, these pre-nucleation oligomeric aggregates are transient and difficult to study experimentally. Here, we employed a native MS-based approach to directly detect oligomeric forms of Aß formed in solution. We found that WT DNAJB6 considerably reduces the signals from the various forms of Aß (1-40) oligomers, whereas a mutational DNAJB6 variant in which the S/T residues have been substituted with alanines does not. We also detected signals that appeared to represent DNAJB6 dimers and trimers to which varying amounts of Aß are bound. These data provide direct experimental evidence that it is the oligomeric forms of Aß that are captured by DNAJB6 in a manner which depends on the S/T residues. We conclude that, in agreement with the previously observed decrease in primary nucleation rate, strong binding of Aß oligomers to DNAJB6 inhibits the formation of amyloid nuclei.

First Community-Wide, Comparative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry Study.

The number of publications in the field of chemical cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry (XL-MS) to derive constraints for protein three-dimensional structure modeling and to probe protein-protein interactions has increased during the last years. As the technique is now becoming routine for in vitro and in vivo applications in proteomics and structural biology there is a pressing need to define protocols as well as data analysis and reporting formats. Such consensus formats should become accepted in the field and be shown to lead to reproducible results. This first, community-based harmonization study on XL-MS is based on the results of 32 groups participating worldwide. The aim of this paper is to summarize the status quo of XL-MS and to compare and evaluate existing cross-linking strategies. Our study therefore builds the framework for establishing best practice guidelines to conduct cross-linking experiments, perform data analysis, and define reporting formats with the ultimate goal of assisting scientists to generate accurate and reproducible XL-MS results.

Conserved S/T Residues of the Human Chaperone DNAJB6 Are Required for Effective Inhibition of Aß42 Amyloid Fibril Formation.

The human molecular chaperone DNAJB6, an oligomeric protein with a conserved S/T-rich region, is an efficient suppressor of amyloid fibril formation by highly aggregation-prone peptides such as the Aß and polyQ peptides associated with Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, respectively. We previously showed that DNAJB6 can inhibit the processes through which amyloid fibrils are formed via strong interactions with aggregated forms of Aß42 that become sequestered. Here we report that the concentration-dependent capability of DNAJB6 to suppress fibril formation in thioflavin T fluorescence assays decreases progressively with an increasing number of S/T substitutions, with an almost complete loss of suppression when 18 S/T residues are substituted. The kinetics of primary nucleation in particular are affected. No detectable changes in the structure are caused by the substitutions. Also, the level of binding of DNAJB6 to Aß42 decreases with the S/T substitutions, as determined by surface plasmon resonance and microscale thermophoresis. The aggregation process monitored using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that DNAJB6, in contrast to a mutational variant with 18 S/T residues substituted, can keep monomeric Aß42 soluble for an extended time. The inhibition of the primary nucleation is likely to depend on hydroxyl groups in side chains of the S/T residues, and hydrogen bonding with Aß42 is one plausible molecular mechanism, although other possibilities cannot be excluded. The loss of the ability to suppress fibril formation upon S/T to A substitution was previously observed also for polyQ peptides, suggesting that the S/T residues in the DNAJB6-like chaperones have a general ability to inhibit amyloid fibril formation by different aggregation-prone peptides.

Structural model of dodecameric heat-shock protein Hsp21: Flexible N-terminal arms interact with client proteins while C-terminal tails maintain the dodecamer and chaperone activity.

Small heat-shock proteins (sHsps) prevent aggregation of thermosensitive client proteins in a first line of defense against cellular stress. The mechanisms by which they perform this function have been hard to define due to limited structural information; currently, there is only one high-resolution structure of a plant sHsp published, that of the cytosolic Hsp16.9. We took interest in Hsp21, a chloroplast-localized sHsp crucial for plant stress resistance, which has even longer N-terminal arms than Hsp16.9, with a functionally important and conserved methionine-rich motif. To provide a framework for investigating structure-function relationships of Hsp21 and understanding these sequence variations, we developed a structural model of Hsp21 based on homology modeling, cryo-EM, cross-linking mass spectrometry, NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Our data suggest a dodecameric arrangement of two trimer-of-dimer discs stabilized by the C-terminal tails, possibly through tail-to-tail interactions between the discs, mediated through extended IXVXI motifs. Our model further suggests that six N-terminal arms are located on the outside of the dodecamer, accessible for interaction with client proteins, and distinct from previous undefined or inwardly facing arms. To test the importance of the IXVXI motif, we created the point mutant V181A, which, as expected, disrupts the Hsp21 dodecamer and decreases chaperone activity. Finally, our data emphasize that sHsp chaperone efficiency depends on oligomerization and that client interactions can occur both with and without oligomer dissociation. These results provide a generalizable workflow to explore sHsps, expand our understanding of sHsp structural motifs, and provide a testable Hsp21 structure model to inform future investigations.

Chaperone-client interactions between Hsp21 and client proteins monitored in solution by small angle X-ray scattering and captured by crosslinking mass spectrometry.

The small heat shock protein (sHsp) chaperones are important for stress survival, yet the molecular details of how they interact with client proteins are not understood. All sHsps share a folded middle domain to which is appended flexible N- and C-terminal regions varying in length and sequence between different sHsps which, in different ways for different sHsps, mediate recognition of client proteins. In plants there is a chloroplast-localized sHsp, Hsp21, and a structural model suggests that Hsp21 has a dodecameric arrangement with six N-terminal arms located on the outside of the dodecamer and six inwardly-facing. Here, we investigated the interactions between Hsp21 and thermosensitive model substrate client proteins in solution, by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and crosslinking mass spectrometry. The chaperone-client complexes were monitored and the Rg -values were found to increase continuously during 20 min at 45°, which could reflect binding of partially unfolded clients to the flexible N-terminal arms of the Hsp21 dodecamer. No such increase in Rg -values was observed with a mutational variant of Hsp21, which is mainly dimeric and has reduced chaperone activity. Crosslinking data suggest that the chaperone-client interactions involve the N-terminal region in Hsp21 and only certain parts in the client proteins. These parts are peripheral structural elements presumably the first to unfold under destabilizing conditions. We propose that the flexible and hydrophobic N-terminal arms of Hsp21 can trap and refold early-unfolding intermediates with or without dodecamer dissociation.

Exploring structure and interactions of the bacterial adaptor protein YjbH by crosslinking mass spectrometry.

Adaptor proteins assist proteases in degrading specific proteins under appropriate conditions. The adaptor protein YjbH promotes the degradation of an important global transcriptional regulator Spx, which controls the expression of hundreds of genes and operons in response to thiol-specific oxidative stress in Bacillus subtilis. Under normal growth conditions, the transcription factor is bound to the adaptor protein and therefore degraded by the AAA+ protease ClpXP. If this binding is alleviated during stress, the transcription factor accumulates and turns on genes encoding stress-alleviating proteins. The adaptor protein YjbH is thus a key player involved in these interactions but its structure is unknown. To gain insight into its structure and interactions we have used chemical crosslinking mass spectrometry. Distance constraints obtained from the crosslinked monomer were used to select and validate a structure model of YjbH and then to probe its interactions with other proteins. The core structure of YjbH is reminiscent of DsbA family proteins. One lysine residue in YjbH (K177), located in one of the α-helices outside the thioredoxin fold, crosslinked to both Spx K99 and Spx K117, thereby suggesting one side of the YjbH for the interaction with Spx. Another lysine residue that crosslinked to Spx was YjbH K5, located in the long and presumably very flexible N-terminal arm of YjbH. Our crosslinking data lend support to a model proposed based on site-directed mutagenesis where the YjbH interaction with Spx can stabilize and present the C-terminal region of Spx for protease recognition and proteolysis. Proteins 2016; 84:1234-1245. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Antimicrobial Protein Candidates from the Thermophilic Geobacillus sp. Strain ZGt-1: Production, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics Analysis.

A thermophilic bacterial strain, Geobacillus sp. ZGt-1, isolated from Zara hot spring in Jordan, was capable of inhibiting the growth of the thermophilic G. stearothermophilus and the mesophilic Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhimurium on a solid cultivation medium. Antibacterial activity was not observed when ZGt-1 was cultivated in a liquid medium; however, immobilization of the cells in agar beads that were subjected to sequential batch cultivation in the liquid medium at 60 °C showed increasing antibacterial activity up to 14 cycles. The antibacterial activity was lost on protease treatment of the culture supernatant. Concentration of the protein fraction by ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis separation and analysis of the gel for antibacterial activity against G. stearothermophilus showed a distinct inhibition zone in 15-20 kDa range, suggesting that the active molecule(s) are resistant to denaturation by SDS. Mass spectrometric analysis of the protein bands around the active region resulted in identification of 22 proteins with molecular weight in the range of interest, three of which were new and are here proposed as potential antimicrobial protein candidates by in silico analysis of their amino acid sequences. Mass spectrometric analysis also indicated the presence of partial sequences of antimicrobial enzymes, amidase, and dd-carboxypeptidase.

Interaction of the molecular chaperone DNAJB6 with growing amyloid-beta 42 (Aß42) aggregates leads to sub-stoichiometric inhibition of amyloid formation.

The human molecular chaperone protein DNAJB6 was recently found to inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils from polyglutamine peptides associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington disease. We show in the present study that DNAJB6 also inhibits amyloid formation by an even more aggregation-prone peptide (the amyloid-beta peptide, Aß42, implicated in Alzheimer disease) in a highly efficient manner. By monitoring fibril formation using Thioflavin T fluorescence and far-UV CD spectroscopy, we have found that the aggregation of Aß42 is retarded by DNAJB6 in a concentration-dependent manner, extending to very low sub-stoichiometric molar ratios of chaperone to peptide. Quantitative kinetic analysis and immunochemistry studies suggest that the high inhibitory efficiency is due to the interactions of the chaperone with aggregated forms of Aß42 rather than the monomeric form of the peptide. This interaction prevents the growth of such species to longer fibrils and inhibits the formation of new amyloid fibrils through both primary and secondary nucleation. A low dissociation rate of DNAJB6 from Aß42 aggregates leads to its incorporation into growing fibrils and hence to its gradual depletion from solution with time. When DNAJB6 is eventually depleted, fibril proliferation takes place, but the inhibitory activity can be prolonged by introducing DNAJB6 at regular intervals during the aggregation reaction. These results reveal the highly efficacious mode of action of this molecular chaperone against protein aggregation, and demonstrate that the role of molecular chaperones can involve interactions with multiple aggregated species leading to the inhibition of both principal nucleation pathways through which aggregates are able to form.

Biological effects and clinical efficacy of a topical Toll-like receptor 7 agonist in seasonal allergic rhinitis: a parallel group controlled phase IIa study.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: The purpose of the study was to examine effects of pre-treatment with a Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist (AZD8848) in allergic rhinitis and to evaluate clinical effects of two dosing regimens. SUBJECTS: The study involved 83 patients with allergic rhinitis. Data on effects of AZD8848 on symptoms were analysed with data from a previous study (n = 68) of identical double blind, parallel group design (NCT00770003). TREATMENT: The treatment involved intranasal AZD8848 20 µg three times weekly, 60 µg once weekly, or placebo for 5 weeks. METHODS: Nasal lavage and plasma were analysed for proof-of-mechanism markers. Daily nasal allergen challenges were given for 7 days, starting 24 h after the final AZD8848 dose. Symptoms were monitored after each challenge and every morning and evening. RESULTS: Markers of TLR-activation increased following AZD8848 administration (CXCL10, TNFα, IL-6, IFNγ). Symptoms recorded soon after allergen challenge were reduced up to eight days after the final dose of AZD8848. Morning and evening symptoms were also reduced, and these changes reached statistical significance for morning observations. Adverse effects were more frequent in the 20 µg three times weekly group. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated administration of AZD8848 activated TLR7 and produced IFN-induced effects. This was associated with a sustained reduction in allergen responsiveness.

The Ability of DNAJB6b to Suppress Amyloid Formation Depends on the Chaperone Aggregation State.

For many chaperones, a propensity to self-assemble correlates with function. The highly efficient amyloid suppressing chaperone DNAJB6b has been reported to oligomerize. A key question is whether the DNAJB6b self-assemblies or their subunits are active units in the suppression of amyloid formation. Here, we address this question using a nonmodified chaperone. We use the well-established aggregation kinetics of the amyloid ß 42 peptide (Aß42) as a readout of the amyloid suppression efficiency. The experimental setup relies on the slow dissociation of DNAJB6b assemblies upon dilution. We find that the dissociation of the chaperone assemblies correlates with its ability to suppress fibril formation. Thus, the data show that the subunits of DNAJB6b assemblies rather than the large oligomers are the active forms in amyloid suppression. Our results provide insights into how DNAJB6b operates as a chaperone and illustrate the importance of established assembly equilibria and dissociation rates for the design of kinetic experiments.

Kinetic models reveal the interplay of protein production and aggregation.

Protein aggregation is a key process in the development of many neurodegenerative disorders, including dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of aggregate formation in pure buffer systems, much of which was enabled by the development of integrated rate laws that allowed for mechanistic analysis of aggregation kinetics. However, in order to translate these findings into disease-relevant conclusions and to make predictions about the effect of potential alterations to the aggregation reactions by the addition of putative inhibitors, the current models need to be extended to account for the altered situation encountered in living systems. In particular, in vivo, the total protein concentrations typically do not remain constant and aggregation-prone monomers are constantly being produced but also degraded by cells. Here, we build a theoretical model that explicitly takes into account monomer production, derive integrated rate laws and discuss the resulting scaling laws and limiting behaviours. We demonstrate that our models are suited for the aggregation-prone Huntington's disease-associated peptide HttQ45 utilizing a system for continuous in situ monomer production and the aggregation of the tumour suppressor protein P53. The aggregation-prone HttQ45 monomer was produced through enzymatic cleavage of a larger construct in which a fused protein domain served as an internal inhibitor. For P53, only the unfolded monomers form aggregates, making the unfolding a rate-limiting step which constitutes a source of aggregation-prone monomers. The new model opens up possibilities for a quantitative description of aggregation in living systems, allowing for example the modelling of inhibitors of aggregation in a dynamic environment of continuous protein synthesis.

A comparison of men and women undergoing septoplasty-the Swedish national septoplasty register.

Objective: Men represent more than two-thirds of septoplasty patients in many studies, but differences between men and women in terms of patient selection or outcome are seldom reported. This study aims to investigate whether women undergoing septoplasty differ from men in critical variables before and after surgery, in a large national sample of septoplasties. Design: Cross-sectional register study. Participants: The study includes 2,532 patients from the National Swedish Septoplasty Register undergoing septoplasty with or without additional turbinoplasty on the indication of nasal obstruction in 2014-2019. Patients in the register have not been preselected. Main outcome measures: Preoperative variables and postoperative outcome were compared between men and women. Results: Men accounted for 1,829 (72%) of the patients. There was no significant difference between men and women in severity of self-reported nasal obstruction or type of surgery performed (septoplasty with or without turbinoplasty). Mean postoperative nasal obstruction 12 months after surgery and overall satisfaction with the result were similar. Women, however, reported more complications 12 months postoperatively, while men reported more problems with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea preoperatively. Conclusion: In this large national patient cohort undergoing septoplasty, we found no differences in preoperative nasal obstruction or postoperative patient-rated outcome in men and women undergoing septoplasty, despite the fact that 72% of the patients were men. It thus remains unclear why women are under-represented in septoplasty surgery in this and many other cohorts.

Repeated intranasal TLR7 stimulation reduces allergen responsiveness in allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Interactions between Th1 and Th2 immune responses are of importance to the onset and development of allergic disorders. A Toll-like receptor 7 agonist such as AZD8848 may have potential as a treatment for allergic airway disease by skewing the immune system away from a Th2 profile. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal AZD8848. METHODS: In a placebo-controlled single ascending dose study, AZD8848 (0.3-600 µg) was given intranasally to 48 healthy subjects and 12 patients with allergic rhinitis (NCT00688779). In a placebo-controlled repeat challenge/treatment study, AZD8848 (30 and 60 µg) was given once weekly for five weeks to 74 patients with allergic rhinitis out of season: starting 24 hours after the final dose, daily allergen challenges were given for seven days (NCT00770003). Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers were monitored. During the allergen challenge series, nasal symptoms and lavage fluid levels of tryptase and α2-macroglobulin, reflecting mast cell activity and plasma exudation, were monitored. RESULTS: AZD8848 produced reversible blood lymphocyte reductions and dose-dependent flu-like symptoms: 30-100 µg produced consistent yet tolerable effects. Plasma interleukin-1 receptor antagonist was elevated after administration of AZD8848, reflecting interferon production secondary to TLR7 stimulation. At repeat challenge/treatment, AZD8848 reduced nasal symptoms recorded ten minutes after allergen challenge up to eight days after the final dose. Tryptase and α2-macroglobulin were also reduced by AZD8848. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated intranasal stimulation of Toll-like receptor 7 by AZD8848 was safe and produced a sustained reduction in the responsiveness to allergen in allergic rhinitis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00688779 and NCT00770003 as indicated above.

The free radical scavenger S-PBN significantly prolongs DSG-mediated graft survival in experimental xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: Nitrones such as 2-sulfo-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone (S-PBN) are known to trap and stabilize free radicals and to reduce inflammation. Recently, S-PBN was shown to reduce infiltration of T lymphocytes and the expression of adhesion molecules on the endothelium in experimental traumatic brain injury. We hypothesized that S-PBN could reduce infiltration of T lymphocytes during cell-mediated xenograft rejection and thereby increase graft survival. The concordant mouse-to-rat heart transplantation model was used to test the hypothesis. In this model, grafts undergo acute humoral xenograft rejection (AHXR) almost invariably on day 3 and succumb to cell-mediated rejection on approximately day 8 if AHXR is inhibited by treatment with 15-deoxyspergualin (DSG). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hearts from Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice were transplanted to the neck vessels of Lewis rats. Recipients were treated with S-PBN (n=9), DSG (n=9), S-PBN and DSG in combination (n=10) or left untreated (n=9) for survival studies. S-PBN was given daily intraperitoneally at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (BW) on day -1 to 30, and DSG was given daily intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg BW on day -1 to 4 and 5 mg/kg BW on day 5 to 21. Nine additional recipients were given S-PBN only on days -1 and 0 in combination with continuous DSG treatment. Grafts were monitored until they stopped beating. Additional recipients were treated with S-PBN (n=5), DSG (n=5), S-PBN and DSG in combination (n=6) or left untreated (n=5) for morphological, immunohistochemical and flow cytometry analyses on days 2 and 6 after transplantation. RESULTS: S-PBN treatment in combination with DSG resulted in increased median graft survival compared to DSG treatment alone (14 vs. 7 days; P=0.019). Lower number of T lymphocytes on day 6 (P=0.019) was observed by ex vivo propagation and flow cytometry when combining S-PBN with DSG, whereas immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of infiltrated CD4+, but not TCR+, cells. S-PBN treatment alone had no impact on graft survival compared to untreated rats (3 vs. 3 days). No differences were seen in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression or in morphology between the groups. CONCLUSION: The combination of S-PBN and DSG treatment increases xenograft survival. The main effect of S-PBN appears to be in direct connection with the transplantation. Because of its low toxicity, S-PBN could become useful in combination with other immunosuppressants to reduce cell-mediated xenograft rejection.

Triphasic and quadriphasic waveforms are superior to biphasic waveforms for synchronized beating of cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Within pacemaker research few attempts have been made to find an optimal waveform phase sequence that synchronizes beating of cardiomyocytes at an electrode. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) offer electrophysiological screening of cardiomyocytes serving as a system for preliminary screening of pacing waveform design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HL-1 cell line was cultured in MEAs until confluence and stimulated with biphasic, triphasic, and quadriphasic waveforms. The amplitudes required for synchronized beating of the cells were determined. RESULTS: Triphasic and quadriphasic waveforms were more efficient in eliciting synchronized beating of the HL-1 cells compared with the biphasic waveform because it allows significant reductions in synchronizing voltage amplitudes and reductions in supplied stimulus. CONCLUSION: The MEA system allows for a straightforward manner to investigate effects of waveform design on synchronized beating in cardiomyocytes in vitro. Increased number of phase changes in a pacing waveform seems to be the major reason for the reduction in synchronizing amplitudes.

Unaided efficient transglutaminase cross-linking of whey proteins strongly impacts the formation and structure of protein alginate particles.

There is a dogma within whey protein modification, which dictates the necessity of pretreatment to enzymatic cross-linking of ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg). Here microbial transglutaminase (MTG) cross-linked whey proteins and ß-Lg effectively in 50 mM NaHCO3, pH 8.5, without pretreatment. Cross-linked ß-Lg spanned 18 to >240 kDa, where 6 of 9 glutamines reacted with 8 of 15 lysines. The initial isopeptide bond formation caused loss of ß-Lg native structure with t1/2 = 3 h, while the polymerization occurred with t1/2 = 10 h. Further, cross-linking effects on protein carbohydrate interaction have been overlooked, leaving a gap in understanding of these complex food matrices. Complexation with alginate showed that ß-Lg cross-linking decreased onset of particle formation, hydrodynamic diameter, stoichiometry (ß-Lg/alginate) and dissociation constant. The complexation was favored at higher temperatures (40 °C), suggesting that hydrophobic interactions were important. Thus, ß-Lg was cross-linked without pretreatment and the resulting polymers gave rise to altered complexation with alginate.

Analyses of the complex formation of staphylococcal enterotoxin A and the human gp130 cytokine receptor.

Superantigens (SAgs) are bacterial enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA), a staphylococcal superantigen, has been shown to bind to the cytokine signalling receptor glycoprotein 130 (gp130). The structural details, as well as the exact physiological role of this interaction, remain unclear. Here, we describe the structural details of the SEA-gp130 complex by combining crosslinking mass spectrometry and computational modelling. Interestingly, SEA is not able to bind gp130-homologues from rat and mouse. Our data suggest that SEA may interact with human gp130 in a different manner than other known gp130-ligands. Moreover, the fact that SEA does not bind mouse or rat gp130 suggests that SAgs have additional mechanisms of action in humans.

Chaperones mainly suppress primary nucleation during formation of functional amyloid required for bacterial biofilm formation.

Unlike misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases, aggregation of functional amyloids involved in bacterial biofilm, e.g. CsgA (E. coli) and FapC (Pseudomonas), is carefully regulated. However, it is unclear whether functional aggregation is inhibited by chaperones targeting pathological misfolding and if so by what mechanism. Here we analyze how four entirely different human chaperones or protein modulators (transthyretin, S100A9, Bri2 BRICHOS and DNAJB6) and bacterial CsgC affect CsgA and FapC fibrillation. CsgA is more susceptible to inhibition than FapC and the chaperones vary considerably in the efficiency of their inhibition. However, mechanistic analysis reveals that all predominantly target primary nucleation rather than elongation or secondary nucleation, while stoichiometric considerations suggest that DNAJB6 and CsgC target nuclei rather than monomers. Inhibition efficiency broadly scales with the chaperones' affinity for monomeric CsgA and FapC. The chaperones tend to target the most aggregation-prone regions of CsgA, but do not display such tendencies towards the more complex FapC sequence. Importantly, the most efficient inhibitors (Bri2 BRICHOS and DNAJB6) significantly reduce bacterial biofilm formation. This commonality of chaperone action may reflect the simplicity of functional amyloid formation, driven largely by primary nucleation, as well as the ability of non-bacterial chaperones to deploy their proteostatic capacities across biological kingdoms.