BIBLIOS

Document type
Journal articles

Document subtype
Full paper

Title
Calcium binding to gatekeeper residues flanking aggregation-prone segments underlies non-fibrillar amyloid traits in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)

Participants in the publication
Sílvia G Estácio (Author)
Sónia S Leal (Author)
BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute
Joana S Cristovão (Author)
BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute
Patrícia Faísca (Author)
Dep. Física
BioISI
Cláudio M Gomes (Author)
Dep. Química e Bioquímica
BioISI

Summary
Calcium deregulation is a central feature among neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Calcium accumulates in the spinal and brain stem motor neurons of ALS patients triggering multiple pathophysiological processes which have been recently shown to include direct effects on the aggregation cascade of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). SOD1 is a Cu/Zn enzyme whose demetallated form is implicated in ALS protein deposits, contributing to toxic gain of function phenotypes. Here we undertake a combined experimental and computational study aimed at establishing the molecular details underlying the regulatory effects of Ca(2+) over SOD1 aggregation potential. Isothermal titration calorimetry indicates entropy driven low affinity association of Ca(2+) ions to apo SOD1, at pH7.5 and 37°C. Molecular dynamics simulations denote a noticeable loss of native structure upon Ca(2+) association that is especially prominent at the zinc-binding and electrostatic loops, whose decoupling is known to expose the central SOD1 β-barrel triggering aggregation. Structural mapping of the preferential apo SOD1 Ca(2+) binding locations reveals that among the most frequent ligands for Ca(2+) are negatively-charged gatekeeper residues located in boundary positions with respect to segments highly prone to edge-to-edge aggregation. Calcium interactions thus diminish gatekeeping roles of these residues, by shielding repulsive interactions via stacking between aggregating β-sheets, partly blocking fibril formation and promoting amyloidogenic oligomers such as those found in ALS inclusions. Interestingly, many fALS mutations occur at these positions, disclosing how Ca(2+) interactions recreate effects similar to those of genetic defects, a finding with relevance to understand sporadic ALS pathomechanisms.


Institution
BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute

Where published
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS

Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 1570-9639

Publisher
Elsevier BV



Document Identifiers
URL - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25463043
DOI - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.11.005

Rankings
SCIMAGO Q1 (2018) - 1.093 - Biophysics