scholarly journals Therapeutic Uses of Bacterial Subunit Toxins

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 378
Author(s):  
Clifford Lingwood

The B subunit pentamer verotoxin (VT aka Shiga toxin-Stx) binding to its cellular glycosphingolipid (GSL) receptor, globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3) mediates internalization and the subsequent receptor mediated retrograde intracellular traffic of the AB5 subunit holotoxin to the endoplasmic reticulum. Subunit separation and cytosolic A subunit transit via the ER retrotranslocon as a misfolded protein mimic, then inhibits protein synthesis to kill cells, which can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome clinically. This represents one of the most studied systems of prokaryotic hijacking of eukaryotic biology. Similarly, the interaction of cholera AB5 toxin with its GSL receptor, GM1 ganglioside, is the key component of the gastrointestinal pathogenesis of cholera and follows the same retrograde transport pathway for A subunit cytosol access. Although both VT and CT are the cause of major pathology worldwide, the toxin–receptor interaction is itself being manipulated to generate new approaches to control, rather than cause, disease. This arena comprises two areas: anti neoplasia, and protein misfolding diseases. CT/CTB subunit immunomodulatory function and anti-cancer toxin immunoconjugates will not be considered here. In the verotoxin case, it is clear that Gb3 (and VT targeting) is upregulated in many human cancers and that there is a relationship between GSL expression and cancer drug resistance. While both verotoxin and cholera toxin similarly hijack the intracellular ERAD quality control system of nascent protein folding, the more widespread cell expression of GM1 makes cholera the toxin of choice as the means to more widely utilise ERAD targeting to ameliorate genetic diseases of protein misfolding. Gb3 is primarily expressed in human renal tissue. Glomerular endothelial cells are the primary VT target but Gb3 is expressed in other endothelial beds, notably brain endothelial cells which can mediate the encephalopathy primarily associated with VT2-producing E. coli infection. The Gb3 levels can be regulated by cytokines released during EHEC infection, which complicate pathogenesis. Significantly Gb3 is upregulated in the neovasculature of many tumours, irrespective of tumour Gb3 status. Gb3 is markedly increased in pancreatic, ovarian, breast, testicular, renal, astrocytic, gastric, colorectal, cervical, sarcoma and meningeal cancer relative to the normal tissue. VT has been shown to be effective in mouse xenograft models of renal, astrocytoma, ovarian, colorectal, meningioma, and breast cancer. These studies are herein reviewed. Both CT and VT (and several other bacterial toxins) access the cell cytosol via cell surface ->ER transport. Once in the ER they interface with the protein folding homeostatic quality control pathway of the cell -ERAD, (ER associated degradation), which ensures that only correctly folded nascent proteins are allowed to progress to their cellular destinations. Misfolded proteins are translocated through the ER membrane and degraded by cytosolic proteosome. VT and CT A subunits have a C terminal misfolded protein mimic sequence to hijack this transporter to enter the cytosol. This interface between exogenous toxin and genetically encoded endogenous mutant misfolded proteins, provides a new therapeutic basis for the treatment of such genetic diseases, e.g., Cystic fibrosis, Gaucher disease, Krabbe disease, Fabry disease, Tay-Sachs disease and many more. Studies showing the efficacy of this approach in animal models of such diseases are presented.

2016 ◽  
Vol 213 (6) ◽  
pp. 693-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Sikorska ◽  
Leticia Lemus ◽  
Auxiliadora Aguilera-Romero ◽  
Javier Manzano-Lopez ◽  
Howard Riezman ◽  
...  

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control mechanisms target terminally misfolded proteins for ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Misfolded glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are, however, generally poor ERAD substrates and are targeted mainly to the vacuole/lysosome for degradation, leading to predictions that a GPI anchor sterically obstructs ERAD. Here we analyzed the degradation of the misfolded GPI-AP Gas1* in yeast. We could efficiently route Gas1* to Hrd1-dependent ERAD and provide evidence that it contains a GPI anchor, ruling out that a GPI anchor obstructs ERAD. Instead, we show that the normally decreased susceptibility of Gas1* to ERAD is caused by canonical remodeling of its GPI anchor, which occurs in all GPI-APs and provides a protein-independent ER export signal. Thus, GPI anchor remodeling is independent of protein folding and leads to efficient ER export of even misfolded species. Our data imply that ER quality control is limited for the entire class of GPI-APs, many of them being clinically relevant.


2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 725-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charisma Enam ◽  
Yifat Geffen ◽  
Tommer Ravid ◽  
Richard G. Gardner

Nuclear proteins participate in diverse cellular processes, many of which are essential for cell survival and viability. To maintain optimal nuclear physiology, the cell employs the ubiquitin-proteasome system to eliminate damaged and misfolded proteins in the nucleus that could otherwise harm the cell. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge about the major ubiquitin-protein ligases involved in protein quality control degradation (PQCD) in the nucleus and how they orchestrate their functions to eliminate misfolded proteins in different nuclear subcompartments. Many human disorders are causally linked to protein misfolding in the nucleus, hence we discuss major concepts that still need to be clarified to better understand the basis of the nuclear misfolded proteins’ toxic effects. Additionally, we touch upon potential strategies for manipulating nuclear PQCD pathways to ameliorate diseases associated with protein misfolding and aggregation in the nucleus.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (13) ◽  
pp. 2076-2087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayala Shiber ◽  
William Breuer ◽  
Michael Brandeis ◽  
Tommer Ravid

Ubiquitin accumulation in amyloid plaques is a pathological marker observed in the vast majority of neurodegenerative diseases, yet ubiquitin function in these inclusions is controversial. It has been suggested that ubiquitylated proteins are directed to inclusion bodies under stress conditions, when both chaperone-mediated refolding and proteasomal degradation are compromised or overwhelmed. Alternatively, ubiquitin and chaperones may be recruited to preformed inclusions to promote their elimination. We address this issue using a yeast model system, based on expression of several mildly misfolded degradation substrates in cells with altered chaperone content. We find that the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) chaperone pair Ssa1/Ssa2 and the Hsp40 cochaperone Sis1 are essential for degradation. Substrate ubiquitylation is strictly dependent on Sis1, whereas Ssa1 and Ssa2 are dispensable. Remarkably, in Ssa1/Ssa2-depleted cells, ubiquitylated substrates are sequestered into detergent-insoluble, Hsp42-positive inclusion bodies. Unexpectedly, sequestration is abolished by preventing substrate ubiquitylation. We conclude that Hsp40 is required for the targeting of misfolded proteins to the ubiquitylation machinery, whereas the decision to degrade or sequester ubiquitylated proteins is mediated by the Hsp70s. Accordingly, diminished Hsp70 levels, as observed in aging or certain pathological conditions, might be sufficient to trigger ubiquitin-dependent sequestration of partially misfolded proteins into inclusion bodies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 3277-3288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingqian Zhang ◽  
Shu-Bing Qian

Protein misfolding is a common event in living cells. Molecular chaperones not only assist protein folding; they also facilitate the degradation of misfolded polypeptides. When the intracellular degradative capacity is exceeded, juxtanuclear aggresomes are formed to sequester misfolded proteins. Despite the well-established role of chaperones in both protein folding and degradation, how chaperones regulate the aggregation process remains controversial. Here we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying aggresome formation in mammalian cells. Analysis of the chaperone requirements for the fate of misfolded proteins reveals an unexpected role of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in promoting aggresome formation. This proaggregation function of Hsp70 relies on the interaction with the cochaperone ubiquitin ligase carboxyl terminal of Hsp70/Hsp90 interacting protein (CHIP). Disrupting Hsp70–CHIP interaction prevents the aggresome formation, whereas a dominant-negative CHIP mutant sensitizes the aggregation of misfolded protein. This accelerated aggresome formation also relies on the stress-induced cochaperone Bcl2-associated athanogene 3. Our results indicate that a hierarchy of cochaperone interaction controls different aspects of the intracellular protein triage decision, extending the function of Hsp70 from folding and degradation to aggregation.


Author(s):  
Tomohiro Nakamura ◽  
Stuart A. Lipton

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) often represent disorders of protein folding. Rather than large aggregates, recent evidence suggests that soluble oligomers of misfolded proteins are the most neurotoxic species. Emerging evidence points to small, soluble oligomers of misfolded proteins as the cause of synaptic dysfunction and loss, the major pathological correlate to disease progression in many NDDs including Alzheimer’s disease. The protein quality control machinery of the cell, which includes molecular chaperones as found in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), and various forms of autophagy, can counterbalance the accumulation of misfolded proteins to some extent. Their ability to eliminate the neurotoxic effects of misfolded proteins, however, declines with age. A plausible explanation for the age-dependent deterioration of the quality control machinery involves compromise of these systems by excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion (O2-), and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as nitric oxide (NO). The resulting redox stress contributes to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Here, we focus on aberrantly increased generation of NO-related species since this process appears to accelerate the manifestation of key neuropathological features, including protein misfolding. We review the chemical mechanisms of posttranslational modification by RNS such as protein S-nitrosylation of critical cysteine thiol groups and nitration of tyrosine residues, showing how they contribute to the pathogenesis of NDDs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 218 (10) ◽  
pp. 3171-3187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihao Sun ◽  
Jeffrey L. Brodsky

Protein folding is inherently error prone, especially in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Even with an elaborate network of molecular chaperones and protein folding facilitators, misfolding can occur quite frequently. To maintain protein homeostasis, eukaryotes have evolved a series of protein quality-control checkpoints. When secretory pathway quality-control pathways fail, stress response pathways, such as the unfolded protein response (UPR), are induced. In addition, the ER, which is the initial hub of protein biogenesis in the secretory pathway, triages misfolded proteins by delivering substrates to the proteasome or to the lysosome/vacuole through ER-associated degradation (ERAD) or ER-phagy. Some misfolded proteins escape the ER and are instead selected for Golgi quality control. These substrates are targeted for degradation after retrieval to the ER or delivery to the lysosome/vacuole. Here, we discuss how these guardian pathways function, how their activities intersect upon induction of the UPR, and how decisions are made to dispose of misfolded proteins in the secretory pathway.


Author(s):  
V.K. Vaibhav ◽  
S.L. Sachin

Folding and unfolding are crucial ways of regulating biological activity and targeting proteins to different cellular locations. Aggregation of misfolded proteins that escape the cellular quality-control mechanisms is a common feature of a wide range of highly debilitating and increasingly prevalent diseases. Protein misfolding is a common event in living cells. Molecular chaperones not only assist protein folding; they also facilitate the degradation of misfolded polypeptides. Protein folding is governed solely by the protein itself, scientists discovered that some proteins have helped in the process called chaperones. When the intracellular degradative capacity is exceeded, juxtanuclear aggresomes are formed to sequester misfolded proteins. Misfolding of newly formed proteins not only results in a loss of physiological function of the protein but also may lead to the intra- or extra- cellular accumulation of that protein. A number of diseases have been shown to be characterised by the accumulation of misfolded proteins, notable example being Alzheimer's disease.


Author(s):  
Heather A. Baker ◽  
Jonathan P. Bernardini

The accumulation of misfolded proteins is associated with numerous degenerative conditions, cancers and genetic diseases. These pathological imbalances in protein homeostasis (termed proteostasis), result from the improper triage and disposal of damaged and defective proteins from the cell. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a key pathway for the molecular control of misfolded cytosolic proteins, co-opting a cascade of ubiquitin ligases to direct terminally damaged proteins to the proteasome via modification with chains of the small protein, ubiquitin. Despite the evidence for ubiquitination in this critical pathway, the precise complement of ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases that modulate this process remains under investigation. Whilst chaperones act as the first line of defence against protein misfolding, the ubiquitination machinery has a pivotal role in targeting terminally defunct cytosolic proteins for destruction. Recent work points to a complex assemblage of chaperones, ubiquitination machinery and subcellular quarantine as components of the cellular arsenal against proteinopathies. In this review, we examine the contribution of these pathways and cellular compartments to the maintenance of the cytosolic proteome. Here we will particularly focus on the ubiquitin code and the critical enzymes which regulate misfolded proteins in the cytosol, the molecular point of origin for many neurodegenerative and genetic diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janaranjani Murugesan ◽  
Ajithkumar Balakrishnan ◽  
Premkumar Kumpati ◽  
Hemamalini Vedagiri

Proteinuria is one of the hallmarks of preeclampsia (PE) that differentiates other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Protein misfolding and aggregation is an emerging pathological condition underlying many chronic metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies indicate protein aggregation as an emerging biomarker of preeclampsia, wherein several proteins are aggregated and dysregulated in the body fluids of preeclamptic women, provoking the multi-systemic clinical manifestations of the disease. At the cellular level, these misfolded and aggregated proteins are potentially toxic interfering with the normal physiological process, eliciting the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway activators in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that subsequently augments the ER quality control systems to remove these aberrant proteins. ER resident chaperones, folding enzymes and other proteins serve as part of the ER quality control machinery in restoring nascent protein folding. These ER chaperones are crucial for ER function aiding in native protein folding, maintaining calcium homeostasis, as sensors of ER stress and also as immune modulators. Consequently, ER chaperones seems to be involved in many cellular processes, yet the association is expanding to be explored. Understanding the role and mechanism of ER chaperones in regulating protein misfolding and aggregation would provide new avenues for therapeutic intervention as well as for the development of new diagnostic approaches.


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