In Vivo Protein Complementation Demonstrates Presynaptic α-Synuclein Oligomerization and Age-Dependent Accumulation of 8-16-mer Oligomer Species.

Intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) and formation of Lewy bodies are neuropathological characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related α-synucleinopathies. Oligomerization and spreading of α-syn from neuron to neuron have been suggested as key events contributing to the progression of PD. To directly visualize and characterize α-syn oligomerization and spreading in vivo, we generated two independent conditional transgenic mouse models based on α-syn protein complementation assays using neuron-specifically expressed split Gaussia luciferase or split Venus yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). These transgenic mice allow direct assessment of the quantity and subcellular distribution of α-syn oligomers in vivo. Using these mouse models, we demonstrate an age-dependent accumulation of a specific subtype of α-syn oligomers. We provide in vivo evidence that, although α-syn is found throughout neurons, α-syn oligomerization takes place at the presynapse. Furthermore, our mouse models provide strong evidence for a transsynaptic cell-to-cell transfer of de novo generated α-syn oligomers in vivo.

Arginine 313 of the putative 8th helix mediates Gαq/14 coupling of human CC chemokine receptors CCR2a and CCR2b.

In man, two CC chemokine receptor isoforms, CCR2a and CCR2b, are present that belong to the rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptor family, and couple to Gi and Gq family members. The CCR2 receptors are known to regulate canonical functions of chemokines such as directed migration of leukocytes, and to potentially control non-canonical functions such as differentiation, proliferation, and gene transcription of immune and non-immune cells. We recently reported on the activation of phospholipase C isoenzymes and RhoA GTPases by coupling of the two CCR2 receptors to members of the Gq family, in particular Gαq and Gα14. So far little is known about the structural requirements for the CCR2/Gq/14 interaction. Interestingly, the CCR2 receptor isoforms are identical up to arginine 313 (R313) that is part of the putative 8th helix in CCR2 receptors, and the 8th helix has been implicated in the interaction of rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors with Gαq. In the present work we describe that the 8th helix of both CCR2a and CCR2b is critically involved in selectively activating Gαq/14-regulated signaling. Refined analysis using various CCR2a and CCR2b mutants and analyzing their cellular signaling, e.g. ligand-dependent (i) activation of phospholipase C isoenzymes, (ii) stimulation of serum response factor-mediated gene transcription, (iii) activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, (iv) internalization, and (v) changes in intracellular calcium concentrations, identified arginine 313 within the amino terminal portion of helix 8 to play a role for the agonist-mediated conformational changes and the formation of a Gαq/14 binding surface. We show that R313 determines Gαq/14 protein-dependent but not Gi protein-dependent cellular signaling, and plays no role in Gq/Gi-independent receptor internalization, indicating a role of R313 in biased signaling of CCR2 receptors.

Cell model for the identification and characterization of prion-like components from Alzheimer brain tissue.

Intracerebral injection of brain extracts from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients into appropriate mouse models was previously found to drastically accelerate the deposition of Aß amyloid in the recipient animals indicating a prion-like activity. In this study we show that this prion-like activity can be also identified by using a cell culture model of Aß plaque formation. Analysis of biochemical fractions of AD brain extract indicate that the seeding-activity correlated with the presence of Aß peptide and Aß-derived aggregates. In vitro-formed fibrils were also active but their activity was low and depending on the fibril structure and conditions of fibril formation. Our data indicate a conformational basis of the observed seeding effect and suggest the utility of our cell model for further studies on the prion-like activity of AD extracts.

Generation and Characterization of Virus-Enhancing Peptide Nanofibrils Functionalized with Fluorescent Labels.

Retroviral gene transfer is the method of choice for the stable introduction of genetic material into the cellular genome. However, efficient gene transfer is often limited by low transduction rates of the viral vectors. We have recently described a 12-mer peptide, termed EF-C, that forms amyloid-like peptide nanofibrils (PNF), strongly increasing viral transduction efficiencies. These nanofibrils are polycationic and bind negatively charged membranes of virions and cells, thereby overcoming charge repulsions and resulting in increased rates of virion attachment and gene transfer. EF-C PNF enhance vector transduction more efficiently than other soluble additives and offer prospects for clinical applications. However, while the transduction-enhancing activity of PNF has been well-characterized, the exact mechanism and the kinetics underlying infection enhancement as well as the cellular fate of the fibrils are hardly explored. This is partially due to the fact that current labeling techniques for PNF rely on amyloid probes that cause high background staining or lose signal intensities after cellular uptake. Here, we sought to generate EF-C PNF covalently coupled with fluorescent labels. To achieve such covalent bioconjugates, the free amino groups of the EF-C peptide were coupled to the ATTO 495 or 647N NHS ester dyes. When small amounts of the labeled peptides were mixed with a 100- to 10 000-fold excess of the native peptide, PNF formed that were morphologically indistinguishable from those derived from the unlabeled peptide. The fluorescence of the fibrils could be readily detected using fluorescence spectroscopy, microscopy, and flow cytometry. In addition, labeled and nonlabeled fibrils captured viral particles and increased retroviral transduction with similar efficacy. These covalently fluorescence-labeled PNF are valuable tools with which to elucidate the mechanism(s) underlying transduction attachment and the fate of the fibrils in cells, tissues, and animal models.

Amyloid plaque structure and cell surface interactions of ß-amyloid fibrils revealed by electron tomography.

The deposition of amyloid fibrils as plaques is a key feature of several neurodegenerative diseases including in particular Alzheimer's. This disease is characterized, if not provoked, by amyloid aggregates formed from Aß peptide that deposit inside the brain or are toxic to neuronal cells. We here used scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to determine the fibril network structure and interactions of Aß fibrils within a cell culture model of Alzheimer's disease. STEM images taken from the formed Aß amyloid deposits revealed three main types of fibril network structures, termed amorphous meshwork, fibril bundle and amyloid star. All three were infiltrated by different types of lipid inclusions from small-sized exosome-like structures (50-100 nm diameter) to large-sized extracellular vesicles (up to 300 nm). The fibrils also presented strong interactions with the surrounding cells such that fibril bundles extended into tubular invaginations of the plasma membrane. Amyloid formation in the cell model was previously found to have an intracellular origin and we show here that it functionally destroys the integrity of the intracellular membranes as it leads to lysosomal leakage. These data provide a mechanistic link to explain why intracellular fibril formation is toxic to the cell.

Molecular architecture of Aß fibrils grown in cerebrospinal fluid solution and in a cell culture model of Aß plaque formation.

OBJECTIVES: The detailed structure of brain-derived Aß amyloid fibrils is unknown. To approach this issue, we investigate the molecular architecture of Aß(1-40) fibrils grown in either human cerebrospinal fluid solution, in chemically simple phosphate buffer in vitro or extracted from a cell culture model of Aß amyloid plaque formation. METHODS: We have used hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HX) combined with nuclear magnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, seeding experiments both in vitro and in cell culture as well as several other spectroscopic measurements to compare the morphology and residue-specific conformation of these different Aß fibrils. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our data reveal that, despite considerable variations in morphology, the spectroscopic properties and the pattern of slowly exchanging backbone amides are closely similar in the fibrils investigated. This finding implies that a fundamentally conserved molecular architecture of Aß peptide fold is common to Aß fibrils.