The Unusually Stable Quaternary Structure of Human Cu,Zn-Superoxide Dismutase 1 Is Controlled by Both Metal Occupancy and Disulfide Status

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder selectively affecting motor neurons; 90% of the total cases are sporadic, but 2% are associated with mutations in the gene coding for the antioxidant enzyme copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1). The causes of motor neuron death in ALS are poorly understood in general, but for SOD1-linked familial ALS, aberrant oligomerization of SOD1 mutant proteins has been strongly implicated. In this work, we show that wild-type human SOD1, when lacking both its metal ions, forms large, stable, soluble protein oligomers with an average molecular mass of Ϸ650 kDa under physiological conditions, i.e., 37°C, pH 7.0, and 100 M protein concentration. It further is shown here that intermolecular disulfide bonds are formed during oligomerization and that Cys-6 and Cys-111 are implicated in this bonding. The formation of the soluble oligomers was monitored by their ability to enhance the fluorescence of thioflavin T, a benzothiazole dye that increases in fluorescence intensity upon binding to amyloid fibers, and by disruption of this binding upon addition of the chaotropic agent guanidine hydrochloride. Our results suggest a general, unifying picture of SOD1 aggregation that could operate when wild-type or mutant SOD1 proteins lack their metal ions. Although we cannot exclude other mechanisms in SOD1-linked familial ALS, the one proposed here has the strength of explaining how a large and diverse set of SOD1 mutant proteins all could lead to disease through the same mechanism.amyloid ͉ neurodegeneration ͉ protein aggregation ͉ amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ͉ protein misfolding P rotein oligomerization, aggregation, and formation of insoluble amyloid deposits commonly are observed in neurodegenerative diseases, but the factors initiating and modulating the abnormal protein-protein interactions that lead to oligomerization remain elusive (1, 2). Metal ions frequently have been implicated in these phenomena, but how exactly they are involved remains unclear (3). Over 114 different variants of human copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu 2 Zn 2 SOD1) have been linked to the neurodegenerative disease familial ALS (FALS) by a gain-of-function mechanism (4-6). Although the exact cellular sites and mechanisms of toxicity are unknown, aberrant SOD1 protein oligomerization has been strongly implicated in disease causation (7,8). Several recent publications have presented compelling evidence that abnormal disulfide cross-linking of ALS-mutant SOD1 plays a role in this oligomerization, and disulfide-linked SOD1 multimers have been detected in neural tissues of SOD1-ALS transgenic mice that are presumed to be components of higher-molecular-weight species or intermediates in their formation (7, 9-11).Wild-type (WT) human SOD1 is an exceptionally stable protein in its holo form and, although some of the ALS-mutant SOD1 proteins are severely destabilized by their mutations, others largely retain the stability of WT SOD1 (4). In the fully demetallated (apo) states, some ...

“…7A) and only the monomeric state was observed through gel-filtration chromatography (SI Fig. 7B), as is expected for disulfide-reduced apo SOD1 (20).…”

Section: Sod1supporting

confidence: 65%

Metal-free superoxide dismutase forms soluble oligomers under physiological conditions: A possible general mechanism for familial ALS

Banci

Bertini

Durazo³

et al. 2007

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“…All experiments on reduced apo SOD1s were conducted under physiologically relevant conditions of pH (20 mM Hepes, pH 7.4) and protein concentration (∼30-60 μM monomer, 0.5-1.0 mg mL −1 ) (11,26), under reducing conditions [1 mM Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP)], with no agitation and sample incubation under anaerobic conditions. The reduced status of the protein throughout all experiments was confirmed by iodoacetamide modification of the reduced cysteines followed by SDS-PAGE (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreased stability and increased formation of soluble aggregates by immature superoxide dismutase do not account for disease severity in ALS

Vassall¹,

Stubbs²,

Primmer³

et al. 2011

100

145

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where aggregation of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is implicated in causing neurodegeneration. Recent studies have suggested that destabilization and aggregation of the most immature form of SOD1, the disulfide-reduced, unmetallated (apo) protein is particularly important in causing ALS. We report herein in depth analyses of the effects of chemically and structurally diverse ALS-associated mutations on the stability and aggregation of reduced apo SOD1. In contrast with previous studies, we find that various reduced apo SOD1 mutants undergo highly reversible thermal denaturation with little aggregation, enabling quantitative thermodynamic stability analyses. In the absence of ALS-associated mutations, reduced apo SOD1 is marginally stable but predominantly folded. Mutations generally result in slight decreases to substantial increases in the fraction of unfolded protein. Calorimetry, ultracentrifugation, and light scattering show that all mutations enhance aggregation propensity, with the effects varying widely, from subtle increases in most cases, to pronounced formation of 40–100 nm soluble aggregates by A4V, a mutation that is associated with particularly short disease duration. Interestingly, although there is a correlation between observed aggregation and stability, there is minimal to no correlation between observed aggregation, predicted aggregation propensity, and disease characteristics. These findings suggest that reduced apo SOD1 does not play a dominant role in modulating disease. Rather, additional and/or multiple forms of SOD1 and additional biophysical and biological factors are needed to account for the toxicity of mutant SOD1 in ALS.

“…Although the SOD1 molecules in all of these structures have the essential disulfide intact, they reveal the ability of mutant proteins to form nonnative protein-protein interactions despite the otherwise WT-like fold. NMR and solution hydrodynamic studies show that reduction of the conserved intramolecular disulfide leads to a significant destabilization of the dimer, altering the conformation of a primary proteinprotein interaction site, namely loop IV in the dimer interface and loop VII at the C terminus (12).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, demetallation of SOD1 mutant proteins leads to structural destabilization, the degree of which exhibits the reverse correlation with the mean survival time after ALS diagnosis (11). Several groups, including our own, have proposed that conformational changes of the SOD1 dimer and͞or the dissociation into monomers facilitate protein aggregation (9,(12)(13)(14); in fact, stabilization of SOD1 dimer by small molecules is effective in reducing the protein aggregates in vitro (15). ALS-associated mutations, thus, would inhibit sufficient control of the posttranslational modifications of SOD1, which further leads to the protein destabilization, misfolding, and aggregation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Disulfide cross-linked protein represents a significant fraction of ALS-associated Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase aggregates in spinal cords of model mice

Furukawa¹,

Deng

et al. 2006

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186

Point mutations in Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) cause a familial form of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aggregates of mutant SOD1 proteins are observed in histopathology and are invoked in several proposed mechanisms for motor neuronal death; however, the significant stability and activity of the mature mutant proteins are not readily explained in such models. Recent biochemical studies suggest that it is the immature disulfide-reduced forms of the familial ALS mutant SOD1 proteins that play a critical role; these forms tend to misfold, oligomerize, and readily undergo incorrect disulfide formation upon mild oxidative stress in vitro. Here we provide physiological support for this mechanism of aggregate formation and show that a significant fraction of the insoluble SOD1 aggregates in spinal cord of the ALS-model transgenic mice contain multimers cross-linked via intermolecular disulfide bonds. These insoluble disulfide-linked SOD1 multimers are found only in the spinal cord of symptomatic transgenic animals, are not observed in unafflicted tissue such as brain cortex and liver, and can incorporate WT SOD1 protein. The findings provide a biochemical basis for a pathological hallmark of this disease; namely, incorrect disulfide cross-linking of the immature, misfolded mutant proteins leads to insoluble aggregates. disulfide bond ͉ protein aggregation ͉ oxidative stress ͉ neurodegnerative disease A myotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most common adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases, and, in 1993, several mutations in the Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene were identified as a cause of a subset of familial ALS (fALS) (1, 2). Since that time, Ͼ100 types of SOD1 mutations have been linked with fALS; however, its molecular mechanism remains unresolved. SOD1, which is a homodimer with a copper and zinc ion in each subunit, functions as an antioxidant enzyme by converting superoxide radical to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide (3). Some of the SOD1 mutant proteins have comparable levels of dismutase activity, and the SOD1-knockout mouse does not develop ALS-like motor neuron symptoms (4), leading to the idea that SOD1-mediated toxicity in fALS is due to a new activity acquired by mutations in the SOD1 gene. One of the proposed toxic functions in the SOD1 mutant proteins is an aberrant copper chemistry. A subset of ALS mutations in SOD1 can lead to catalytic nitration of tyrosine residues and peroxide or superoxide production at the copper site (5); however, the copper-toxicity model is difficult to reconcile with the fact that ALS symptoms still are observed in the transgenic mouse expressing SOD1 proteins in which all four copper ligands are mutated (6). Although some copper chelators can reduce the toxicity of mutant proteins in transgenic ALS model mice (7), a role for aberrant copper chemistry in the disease has not been widely addressed.Another hypothesis for a gain of toxic function is that the mutations in SOD1 facilitate protein aggregation (8). An enzyma...