RESUMO
Mammalian oocytes are filled with poorly understood structures called cytoplasmic lattices. First discovered in the 1960s and speculated to correspond to mammalian yolk, ribosomal arrays, or intermediate filaments, their function has remained enigmatic to date. Here, we show that cytoplasmic lattices are sites where oocytes store essential proteins for early embryonic development. Using super-resolution light microscopy and cryoelectron tomography, we show that cytoplasmic lattices are composed of filaments with a high surface area, which contain PADI6 and subcortical maternal complex proteins. The lattices associate with many proteins critical for embryonic development, including proteins that control epigenetic reprogramming of the preimplantation embryo. Loss of cytoplasmic lattices by knocking out PADI6 or the subcortical maternal complex prevents the accumulation of these proteins and results in early embryonic arrest. Our work suggests that cytoplasmic lattices enrich maternally provided proteins to prevent their premature degradation and cellular activity, thereby enabling early mammalian development.
Assuntos
Oócitos , Proteínas , Gravidez , Animais , Feminino , Oócitos/metabolismo , Proteínas/metabolismo , Embrião de Mamíferos/metabolismo , Citoesqueleto , Ribossomos , Desenvolvimento Embrionário , MamíferosRESUMO
Protein aggregation and dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system are hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we address the elusive link between these phenomena by employing cryo-electron tomography to dissect the molecular architecture of protein aggregates within intact neurons at high resolution. We focus on the poly-Gly-Ala (poly-GA) aggregates resulting from aberrant translation of an expanded GGGGCC repeat in C9orf72, the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. We find that poly-GA aggregates consist of densely packed twisted ribbons that recruit numerous 26S proteasome complexes, while other macromolecules are largely excluded. Proximity to poly-GA ribbons stabilizes a transient substrate-processing conformation of the 26S proteasome, suggesting stalled degradation. Thus, poly-GA aggregates may compromise neuronal proteostasis by driving the accumulation and functional impairment of a large fraction of cellular proteasomes.
Assuntos
Alanina/análogos & derivados , Proteína C9orf72 , Neurônios , Ácido Poliglutâmico , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma , Agregados Proteicos , Alanina/genética , Alanina/metabolismo , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/genética , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/metabolismo , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/patologia , Animais , Proteína C9orf72/genética , Proteína C9orf72/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/genética , Demência Frontotemporal/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/patologia , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neurônios/patologia , Ácido Poliglutâmico/genética , Ácido Poliglutâmico/metabolismo , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/genética , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Estabilidade Proteica , Estrutura Quaternária de Proteína , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-DawleyRESUMO
Expression of many disease-related aggregation-prone proteins results in cytotoxicity and the formation of large intracellular inclusion bodies. To gain insight into the role of inclusions in pathology and the in situ structure of protein aggregates inside cells, we employ advanced cryo-electron tomography methods to analyze the structure of inclusions formed by polyglutamine (polyQ)-expanded huntingtin exon 1 within their intact cellular context. In primary mouse neurons and immortalized human cells, polyQ inclusions consist of amyloid-like fibrils that interact with cellular endomembranes, particularly of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Interactions with these fibrils lead to membrane deformation, the local impairment of ER organization, and profound alterations in ER membrane dynamics at the inclusion periphery. These results suggest that aberrant interactions between fibrils and endomembranes contribute to the deleterious cellular effects of protein aggregation. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Assuntos
Doença de Huntington/patologia , Corpos de Inclusão/patologia , Neurônios/patologia , Neurônios/ultraestrutura , Peptídeos/metabolismo , Amiloide/química , Animais , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Retículo Endoplasmático/metabolismo , Retículo Endoplasmático/patologia , Feminino , Células HeLa , Humanos , Proteína Huntingtina/genética , Proteína Huntingtina/metabolismo , Corpos de Inclusão/química , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão , Mutação , Agregação Patológica de Proteínas , Tomografia/métodosRESUMO
The proteasome is a major proteolytic machine that regulates cellular proteostasis through selective degradation of ubiquitylated proteins1,2. A number of ubiquitin-related molecules have recently been found to be involved in the regulation of biomolecular condensates or membraneless organelles, which arise by liquid-liquid phase separation of specific biomolecules, including stress granules, nuclear speckles and autophagosomes3-8, but it remains unclear whether the proteasome also participates in such regulation. Here we reveal that proteasome-containing nuclear foci form under acute hyperosmotic stress. These foci are transient structures that contain ubiquitylated proteins, p97 (also known as valosin-containing protein (VCP)) and multiple proteasome-interacting proteins, which collectively constitute a proteolytic centre. The major substrates for degradation by these foci were ribosomal proteins that failed to properly assemble. Notably, the proteasome foci exhibited properties of liquid droplets. RAD23B, a substrate-shuttling factor for the proteasome, and ubiquitylated proteins were necessary for formation of proteasome foci. In mechanistic terms, a liquid-liquid phase separation was triggered by multivalent interactions of two ubiquitin-associated domains of RAD23B and ubiquitin chains consisting of four or more ubiquitin molecules. Collectively, our results suggest that ubiquitin-chain-dependent phase separation induces the formation of a nuclear proteolytic compartment that promotes proteasomal degradation.
Assuntos
Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/química , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Estresse Fisiológico , Ubiquitinação , Linhagem Celular , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Enzimas Reparadoras do DNA/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Humanos , Pressão Osmótica , Poliubiquitina/metabolismo , Proteólise , Proteostase , Proteínas Ribossômicas/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/metabolismo , Proteína com Valosina/metabolismoRESUMO
Aggregation of the multifunctional RNA-binding protein TDP-43 defines large subgroups of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia and correlates with neurodegeneration in both diseases. In disease, characteristic C-terminal fragments of ~25 kDa ("TDP-25") accumulate in cytoplasmic inclusions. Here, we analyze gain-of-function mechanisms of TDP-25 combining cryo-electron tomography, proteomics, and functional assays. In neurons, cytoplasmic TDP-25 inclusions are amorphous, and photobleaching experiments reveal gel-like biophysical properties that are less dynamic than nuclear TDP-43. Compared with full-length TDP-43, the TDP-25 interactome is depleted of low-complexity domain proteins. TDP-25 inclusions are enriched in 26S proteasomes adopting exclusively substrate-processing conformations, suggesting that inclusions sequester proteasomes, which are largely stalled and no longer undergo the cyclic conformational changes required for proteolytic activity. Reporter assays confirm that TDP-25 impairs proteostasis, and this inhibitory function is enhanced by ALS-causing TDP-43 mutations. These findings support a patho-physiological relevance of proteasome dysfunction in ALS/FTD.
Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA , Demência Frontotemporal , Neurônios , Fragmentos de Peptídeos , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/genética , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Demência Frontotemporal/genética , Demência Frontotemporal/metabolismo , Humanos , Corpos de Inclusão/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/genética , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/metabolismo , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismoRESUMO
We study the formation of vesicle condensates induced by the protein synapsin, as a cell-free model system mimicking vesicle pool formation in the synapse. The system can be considered as an example of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biomolecular fluids, where one phase is a complex fluid itself consisting of vesicles and a protein network. We address the pertinent question why the LLPS is self-limiting and stops at a certain size, i.e., why macroscopic phase separation is prevented. Using fluorescence light microscopy, we observe different morphologies of the condensates (aggregates) depending on the protein-to-lipid ratio. Cryogenic electron microscopy then allows us to resolve individual vesicle positions and shapes in a condensate and notably the size and geometry of adhesion zones between vesicles. We hypothesize that the membrane tension induced by already formed adhesion zones then in turn limits the capability of vesicles to bind additional vesicles, resulting in a finite condensate size. In a simple numerical toy model we show that this effect can be accounted for by redistribution of effective binding particles on the vesicle surface, accounting for the synapsin-induced adhesion zone.
RESUMO
Huntingtin (HTT) is a large (348 kDa) protein that is essential for embryonic development and is involved in diverse cellular activities such as vesicular transport, endocytosis, autophagy and the regulation of transcription. Although an integrative understanding of the biological functions of HTT is lacking, the large number of identified HTT interactors suggests that it serves as a protein-protein interaction hub. Furthermore, Huntington's disease is caused by a mutation in the HTT gene, resulting in a pathogenic expansion of a polyglutamine repeat at the amino terminus of HTT. However, only limited structural information regarding HTT is currently available. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of full-length human HTT in a complex with HTT-associated protein 40 (HAP40; encoded by three F8A genes in humans) to an overall resolution of 4 Å. HTT is largely α-helical and consists of three major domains. The amino- and carboxy-terminal domains contain multiple HEAT (huntingtin, elongation factor 3, protein phosphatase 2A and lipid kinase TOR) repeats arranged in a solenoid fashion. These domains are connected by a smaller bridge domain containing different types of tandem repeats. HAP40 is also largely α-helical and has a tetratricopeptide repeat-like organization. HAP40 binds in a cleft and contacts the three HTT domains by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, thereby stabilizing the conformation of HTT. These data rationalize previous biochemical results and pave the way for improved understanding of the diverse cellular functions of HTT.
Assuntos
Proteína Huntingtina/ultraestrutura , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Humanos , Proteína Huntingtina/química , Proteína Huntingtina/metabolismo , Interações Hidrofóbicas e Hidrofílicas , Modelos Moleculares , Proteínas Nucleares/química , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/ultraestrutura , Ligação Proteica , Domínios Proteicos , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Eletricidade EstáticaRESUMO
Curvature is a fundamental morphological descriptor of cellular membranes. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is particularly well-suited to visualize and analyze membrane morphology in a close-to-native state and molecular resolution. However, current curvature estimation methods cannot be applied directly to membrane segmentations in cryo-ET, as these methods cannot cope with some of the artifacts introduced during image acquisition and membrane segmentation, such as quantization noise and open borders. Here, we developed and implemented a Python package for membrane curvature estimation from tomogram segmentations, which we named PyCurv. From a membrane segmentation, a signed surface (triangle mesh) is first extracted. The triangle mesh is then represented by a graph, which facilitates finding neighboring triangles and the calculation of geodesic distances necessary for local curvature estimation. PyCurv estimates curvature based on tensor voting. Beside curvatures, this algorithm also provides robust estimations of surface normals and principal directions. We tested PyCurv and three well-established methods on benchmark surfaces and biological data. This revealed the superior performance of PyCurv not only for cryo-ET, but also for data generated by other techniques such as light microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging. Altogether, PyCurv is a versatile open-source software to reliably estimate curvature of membranes and other surfaces in a wide variety of applications.
Assuntos
Membrana Celular/fisiologia , Microscopia Crioeletrônica/métodos , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodos , Software , Algoritmos , Animais , Células HeLa , Humanos , Camundongos , Saccharomyces cerevisiaeRESUMO
Huntington's disease is caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the N-terminal exon of huntingtin (HttEx1), but the cellular mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration remain poorly understood. Here we present in situ structural studies by cryo-electron tomography of an established yeast model system of polyQ toxicity. We find that expression of polyQ-expanded HttEx1 results in the formation of unstructured inclusion bodies and in some cases fibrillar aggregates. This contrasts with recent findings in mammalian cells, where polyQ inclusions were exclusively fibrillar. In yeast, polyQ toxicity correlates with alterations in mitochondrial and lipid droplet morphology, which do not arise from physical interactions with inclusions or fibrils. Quantitative proteomic analysis shows that polyQ aggregates sequester numerous cellular proteins and cause a major change in proteome composition, most significantly in proteins related to energy metabolism. Thus, our data point to a multifaceted toxic gain-of-function of polyQ aggregates, driven by sequestration of endogenous proteins and mitochondrial and lipid droplet dysfunction.
Assuntos
Peptídeos/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Humanos , Doença de Huntington/genética , Doença de Huntington/metabolismo , Corpos de Inclusão/química , Corpos de Inclusão/genética , Corpos de Inclusão/metabolismo , Gotículas Lipídicas/química , Gotículas Lipídicas/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/química , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Peptídeos/química , Peptídeos/toxicidade , Proteômica , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/química , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/química , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) abundantly interacts with huntingtin (HTT), the protein that is altered in Huntington's disease (HD). Therefore, we analysed the evolution of HAP40 and its interaction with HTT. RESULTS: We found that in amniotes HAP40 is encoded by a single-exon gene, whereas in all other organisms it is expressed from multi-exon genes. HAP40 co-occurs with HTT in unikonts, including filastereans such as Capsaspora owczarzaki and the amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum, but both proteins are absent from fungi. Outside unikonts, a few species, such as the free-living amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi, contain putative HTT and HAP40 orthologs. Biochemically we show that the interaction between HTT and HAP40 extends to fish, and bioinformatic analyses provide evidence for evolutionary conservation of this interaction. The closest homologue of HAP40 in current protein databases is the family of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment proteins (SNAPs). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the transition from a multi-exon to a single-exon gene appears to have taken place by retroposition during the divergence of amphibians and amniotes, followed by the loss of the parental multi-exon gene. Furthermore, it appears that the two proteins probably originated at the root of eukaryotes. Conservation of the interaction between HAP40 and HTT and their likely coevolution strongly indicate functional importance of this interaction.
Assuntos
Dictyostelium , Eucariotos , Proteína Huntingtina , Doença de Huntington , Proteínas Nucleares , Animais , Eucariotos/classificação , Eucariotos/genética , Evolução Molecular , Proteína Huntingtina/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/genéticaRESUMO
Synapses play a central role for the processing of information in the brain and have been analyzed in countless biochemical, electrophysiological, imaging, and computational studies. The functionality and plasticity of synapses are nevertheless still difficult to predict, and conflicting hypotheses have been proposed for many synaptic processes. In this review, we argue that the cause of these problems is a lack of understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of key synaptic components. Fortunately, a number of emerging imaging approaches, going beyond super-resolution, should be able to provide required protein positions in space at different points in time. Mathematical models can then integrate the resulting information to allow the prediction of the spatiotemporal dynamics. We argue that these models, to deal with the complexity of synaptic processes, need to be designed in a sufficiently abstract way. Taken together, we suggest that a well-designed combination of imaging and modelling approaches will result in a far more complete understanding of synaptic function than currently possible.
Assuntos
Encéfalo/fisiologia , Modelos Neurológicos , Modelos Teóricos , Sinapses/fisiologia , Animais , Humanos , Motivação/fisiologia , Plasticidade Neuronal/fisiologia , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Vesículas Sinápticas/fisiologiaRESUMO
At membrane contact sites (MCS) two cellular membranes form tight appositions that play critical roles in fundamental phenomena such as lipid metabolism or Ca2+ homeostasis. The interest for these structures has surged in recent years, bringing about the characterization of a plethora of MCS-resident molecules. How those molecules are structurally organized at MCS remains enigmatic, limiting our understanding of MCS function. Whereas such molecular detail is obscured by conventional electron microscopy sample preparation, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) allows high resolution imaging of cellular landscapes in close-to-native conditions. Here we briefly review the fundamentals of cryo-ET and how recent developments in this technique are beginning to unveil the molecular architecture of MCS. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Contact Sites edited by Christian Ungermann and Benoit Kornmann.
Assuntos
Microscopia Crioeletrônica/métodos , Tomografia com Microscopia Eletrônica/métodos , Membranas Intracelulares/ultraestrutura , Animais , Humanos , Fusão de MembranaRESUMO
The close apposition between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM) plays important roles in Ca(2+) homeostasis, signaling, and lipid metabolism. The extended synaptotagmins (E-Syts; tricalbins in yeast) are ER-anchored proteins that mediate the tethering of the ER to the PM and are thought to mediate lipid transfer between the two membranes. E-Syt cytoplasmic domains comprise a synaptotagmin-like mitochondrial-lipid-binding protein (SMP) domain followed by five C2 domains in E-Syt1 and three C2 domains in E-Syt2/3. Here, we used cryo-electron tomography to study the 3D architecture of E-Syt-mediated ER-PM contacts at molecular resolution. In vitrified frozen-hydrated mammalian cells overexpressing individual E-Syts, in which E-Syt-dependent contacts were by far the predominant contacts, ER-PM distance (19-22 nm) correlated with the amino acid length of the cytosolic region of E-Syts (i.e., the number of C2 domains). Elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) shortened the ER-PM distance at E-Syt1-dependent contacts sites. E-Syt-mediated contacts displayed a characteristic electron-dense layer between the ER and the PM. These features were strikingly different from those observed in cells exposed to conditions that induce contacts mediated by the stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and the Ca(2+) channel Orai1 as well as store operated Ca(2+) entry. In these cells the gap between the ER and the PM was spanned by filamentous structures perpendicular to the membranes. Our results define specific ultrastructural features of E-Syt-dependent ER-PM contacts and reveal their structural plasticity, which may impact on the cross-talk between the ER and the PM and the functions of E-Syts in lipid transport between the two bilayers.
Assuntos
Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Retículo Endoplasmático/metabolismo , Imageamento Tridimensional , Sinaptotagminas/metabolismo , Animais , Células COS , Cálcio/metabolismo , Membrana Celular/ultraestrutura , Chlorocebus aethiops , Retículo Endoplasmático/ultraestrutura , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , TransfecçãoRESUMO
Molecular complexes, arguably the basic units carrying cellular function, can be visualized directly in their native environment by cryo-electron tomography. Here we describe a procedure for the detection of small, pleomorphic membrane-bound molecular complexes in cryo-tomograms by a hierarchical connectivity segmentation. Validation on phantom and real data showed above 90% true positive rates. This segmentation procedure is implemented in the Pyto software package, together with methods for quantitative characterization and classification of complexes detected by our segmentation procedure and for statistical analysis between experimental conditions. Therefore, the methods presented provide a means for the detection and quantitative interpretation of structures captured in cryo-electron tomograms, as well as for the elucidation of their cellular function.
Assuntos
Microscopia Crioeletrônica/métodos , Tomografia com Microscopia Eletrônica/métodos , Substâncias Macromoleculares/química , Software , Algoritmos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Imageamento Tridimensional/métodos , Substâncias Macromoleculares/isolamento & purificaçãoRESUMO
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) forms membrane contact sites (MCS) with most other cellular organelles and the plasma membrane (PM). These ER-PM MCS, where the membranes of the ER and PM are closely apposed, were discovered in the early days of electron microscopy (EM), but only recently are we starting to understand their functional and structural diversity. ER-PM MCS are nowadays known to mediate excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) in striated muscle cells and to play crucial roles in Ca(2+)and lipid homoeostasis in all metazoan cells. A common feature across ER-PM MCS specialized in different functions is the preponderance of cooperative phenomena that result in the formation of large supramolecular assemblies. Therefore, characterizing the supramolecular architecture of ER-PM MCS is critical to understand their mechanisms of function. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a powerful EM technique uniquely positioned to address this issue, as it allows 3D imaging of fully hydrated, unstained cellular structures at molecular resolution. In this review I summarize our current structural knowledge on the molecular organization of ER-PM MCS and its functional implications, with special emphasis on the emerging contributions of cryo-ET.
Assuntos
Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Retículo Endoplasmático/metabolismo , Animais , Sítios de Ligação , Cálcio/metabolismo , Humanos , Músculo Estriado/metabolismoRESUMO
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) allows high resolution 3D imaging of biological samples in near-native environments. Thus, cryo-ET has become the method of choice to analyze the unperturbed organization of cellular membranes. Here, we briefly discuss current cryo-ET workflows and their application to study membrane biology in situ, under basal and pathological conditions.
Assuntos
Membrana Celular , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Tomografia com Microscopia Eletrônica , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Membrana Celular/química , Humanos , AnimaisRESUMO
The lipid droplet (LD) organization proteins Ldo16 and Ldo45 affect multiple aspects of LD biology in yeast. They are linked to the LD biogenesis machinery seipin, and their loss causes defects in LD positioning, protein targeting, and breakdown. However, their molecular roles remained enigmatic. Here, we report that Ldo16/45 form a tether complex with Vac8 to create vacuole lipid droplet (vCLIP) contact sites, which can form in the absence of seipin. The phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITP) Pdr16 is a further vCLIP-resident recruited specifically by Ldo45. While only an LD subpopulation is engaged in vCLIPs at glucose-replete conditions, nutrient deprivation results in vCLIP expansion, and vCLIP defects impair lipophagy upon prolonged starvation. In summary, Ldo16/45 are multifunctional proteins that control the formation of a metabolically regulated contact site. Our studies suggest a link between LD biogenesis and breakdown and contribute to a deeper understanding of how lipid homeostasis is maintained during metabolic challenges.
Assuntos
Gotículas Lipídicas , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Gotículas Lipídicas/metabolismo , Vacúolos/metabolismo , Proteínas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Transferência de Fosfolipídeos/metabolismoRESUMO
Loss-of-function mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) are a frequent cause of early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Stabilization of PINK1 at the translocase of outer membrane (TOM) complex of damaged mitochondria is critical for its activation. The mechanism of how PINK1 is activated in the TOM complex is unclear. Here, we report that co-expression of human PINK1 and all seven TOM subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is sufficient for PINK1 activation. We use this reconstitution system to systematically assess the role of each TOM subunit toward PINK1 activation. We unambiguously demonstrate that the TOM20 and TOM70 receptor subunits are required for optimal PINK1 activation and map their sites of interaction with PINK1 using AlphaFold structural modeling and mutagenesis. We also demonstrate an essential role of the pore-containing subunit TOM40 and its structurally associated subunits TOM7 and TOM22 for PINK1 activation. These findings will aid in the development of small-molecule activators of PINK1 as a therapeutic strategy for PD.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Transporte da Membrana Mitocondrial , Proteínas do Complexo de Importação de Proteína Precursora Mitocondrial , Proteínas Quinases , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases/genética , Humanos , Proteínas do Complexo de Importação de Proteína Precursora Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Proteínas de Transporte da Membrana Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Proteínas de Transporte da Membrana Mitocondrial/genética , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Ativação Enzimática , Modelos Moleculares , Subunidades Proteicas/metabolismo , Subunidades Proteicas/genéticaRESUMO
Systemic light chain (LC) amyloidosis (AL) is a disease where organs are damaged by an overload of a misfolded patient-specific antibody-derived LC, secreted by an abnormal B cell clone. The high LC concentration in the blood leads to amyloid deposition at organ sites. Indeed, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revealed unique amyloid folds for heart-derived fibrils taken from different patients. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of heart-derived AL amyloid (AL59) from another patient with severe cardiac involvement. The double-layered structure displays a u-shaped core that is closed by a ß-arc lid and extended by a straight tail. Noteworthy, the fibril harbours an extended constant domain fragment, thus ruling out the variable domain as sole amyloid building block. Surprisingly, the fibrils were abundantly concatenated with a proteinaceous polymer, here identified as collagen VI (COLVI) by immuno-electron microscopy (IEM) and mass-spectrometry. Cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) showed how COLVI wraps around the amyloid forming a helical superstructure, likely stabilizing and protecting the fibrils from clearance. Thus, here we report structural evidence of interactions between amyloid and collagen, potentially signifying a distinct pathophysiological mechanism of amyloid deposits.