In Vitro Reconstituted Biotransformation of 4-Fluorothreonine from Fluoride Ion: Application of the Fluorinase

SummaryIn this paper, we report that fluoride ion is converted to the amino acid/antibiotic 4-fluorothreonine 2 in a biotransformation involving five (steps a–e) overexpressed enzymes. The biotransformation validates the biosynthetic pathway to 4-fluorothreonine in the bacterium Streptomyces cattleya (Schaffrath et al., 2002). To achieve an in vitro biotransformation, the fluorinase and the purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) enzymes (steps a and b), which are coded for by the flA and flB genes of the fluorometabolite gene cluster in S. cattleya, were overexpressed. Also, an isomerase gene product that can convert 5-FDRP 6 to 5-FDRibulP 7 (step c) was identified in S. cattleya, and the enzyme was overexpressed for the biotransformation. A fuculose aldolase gene from S. coelicolor was overexpressed in E. coli and was used as a surrogate aldolase (step d) in these experiments. To complete the complement of enzymes, an ORF coding the PLP-dependent transaldolase, the final enzyme of the fluorometabolite pathway, was identified in genomic DNA by a reverse genetics approach, and the S. cattleya gene/enzyme was then overexpressed in S. lividans. This latter enzyme is an unusual PLP-dependent catalyst with some homology to both bacterial serine hydroxymethyl transferases (SHMT) and C5 sugar isomerases/epimerases. The biotransformation demonstrates the power of the fluorinase to initiate C-F bond formation for organo-fluorine synthesis

A characterization of Gaucher iPS-derived astrocytes: Potential implications for Parkinson\u27s disease

While astrocytes, the most abundant cells found in the brain, have many diverse functions, their role in the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease (GD) has not been explored. GD, resulting from the inherited deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase and subsequent accumulation of glucosylceramide and its acylated derivative glucosylsphingosine, has both non-neuronopathic (GD1) and neuronopathic forms (GD2 and 3). Furthermore, mutations in GBA1, the gene mutated in GD, are an important risk factor for Parkinson\u27s disease (PD). To elucidate the role of astrocytes in the disease pathogenesis, we generated iAstrocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells made from fibroblasts taken from controls and patients with GD1, with and without PD. We also made iAstrocytes from an infant with GD2, the most severe and progressive form, manifesting in infancy. Gaucher iAstrocytes appropriately showed deficient glucocerebrosidase activity and levels and substrate accumulation. These cells exhibited varying degrees of astrogliosis, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) up-regulation and cellular proliferation, depending on the level of residual glucocerebrosidase activity. Glutamte uptake assays demonstrated that the cells were functionally active, although the glutamine transporter EEAT2 was upregulated and EEAT1 downregulated in the GD2 samples. GD2 iAstrocytes were morphologically different, with severe cytoskeletal hypertrophy, overlapping of astrocyte processes, pronounced up-regulation of GFAP and S100β, and significant astrocyte proliferation, recapitulating the neuropathology observed in patients with GD2. Although astrocytes do not express α-synuclein, when the iAstrocytes were co-cultured with dopaminergic neurons generated from the same iPSC lines, excessive α-synuclein released from neurons was endocytosed by astrocytes, translocating into lysosomes. Levels of aggregated α-synuclein increased significantly when cells were treated with monomeric or fibrillar α-synuclein. GD1-PD and GD2 iAstrocytes also exhibited impaired Cathepsin D activity, leading to further α-synuclein accumulation. Cytokine and chemokine profiling of the iAstrocytes demonstrated an inflammatory response. Thus, in patients with GBA1-associated parkinsonism, astrocytes appear to play a role in α-synuclein accumulation and processing, contributing to neuroinflammation

Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

To understand neurological complications of COVID-19 better both acutely and for recovery, we measured markers of brain injury, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 hospitalised participants; 111 with acute sera (1–11 days post-admission) and 92 convalescent sera (56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses). Here we show that compared to 60 uninfected controls, tTau, GFAP, NfL, and UCH-L1 are increased with COVID-19 infection at acute timepoints and NfL and GFAP are significantly higher in participants with neurological complications. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) are associated with both altered consciousness and markers of brain injury. Autoantibodies are more common in COVID-19 than controls and some (including against MYL7, UCH-L1, and GRIN3B) are more frequent with altered consciousness. Additionally, convalescent participants with neurological complications show elevated GFAP and NfL, unrelated to attenuated systemic inflammatory mediators and to autoantibody responses. Overall, neurological complications of COVID-19 are associated with evidence of neuroglial injury in both acute and late disease and these correlate with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses acutely

Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

To understand neurological complications of COVID-19 better both acutely and for recovery, we measured markers of brain injury, inflammatory mediators, and autoantibodies in 203 hospitalised participants; 111 with acute sera (1–11 days post-admission) and 92 convalescent sera (56 with COVID-19-associated neurological diagnoses). Here we show that compared to 60 uninfected controls, tTau, GFAP, NfL, and UCH-L1 are increased with COVID-19 infection at acute timepoints and NfL and GFAP are significantly higher in participants with neurological complications. Inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-12p40, HGF, M-CSF, CCL2, and IL-1RA) are associated with both altered consciousness and markers of brain injury. Autoantibodies are more common in COVID-19 than controls and some (including against MYL7, UCH-L1, and GRIN3B) are more frequent with altered consciousness. Additionally, convalescent participants with neurological complications show elevated GFAP and NfL, unrelated to attenuated systemic inflammatory mediators and to autoantibody responses. Overall, neurological complications of COVID-19 are associated with evidence of neuroglial injury in both acute and late disease and these correlate with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses acutely

Taking a Bite Out of Amyloid: Mechanistic Insights into α‑Synuclein Degradation by Cathepsin L

A common hallmark of amyloids is their resistance to an array of proteases, highlighting the difficulty in degrading these disease-related aggregated proteinaceous materials. Here, we report on the potent activity of cathepsin L (CtsL), a lysosomal protease that proteolyzes the Parkinson’s disease-related amyloid formed by α-synuclein (α-syn). Using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy, an elegant mechanism is revealed on the residue and ultrastructural level, respectively. Specifically, CtsL always truncates α-syn fibrils first at the C-terminus before attacking the internal β-sheet-rich region between residues 30 and 100. This suggests that only upon removal of the α-syn C-terminus can CtsL gain access to residues within the amyloid core. Interestingly, three of the four mapped sites contain a glycine residue (G36, G41, and G51) that is likely to be involved in a β-turn in the fibril, whereupon cutting would lead to solvent exposure of internal residues and allow further proteolysis. Via close inspection of the fibril morphology, products resulting from CtsL degradation show imperfections along the fibril axis, with missing protein density as though they have been cannibalized. The ability of CtsL to degrade α-syn amyloid fibrils offers a promising strategy for improving the cellular clearance of aggregated α-syn through the modulation of protease levels and activity