scholarly journals A mutation-led search for novel functional domains in MeCP2

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Guy ◽  
Beatrice Alexander-Howden ◽  
Laura FitzPatrick ◽  
Dina DeSousa ◽  
Martha V. Koerner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Rett Syndrome ◽  
Functional Domains ◽  
Cultured Neurons ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Methylated Dna ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Repressor Complex

AbstractMost missense mutations causing Rett syndrome affect domains of MeCP2 that have been shown to either bind methylated DNA or interact with a transcriptional co-repressor complex. Several mutations, however, including the C-terminal truncations that account for ~10% of cases, fall outside these characterised domains. We studied the molecular consequences of four of these “non-canonical” mutations in cultured neurons and mice to see if they reveal additional essential domains without affecting known properties of MeCP2. The results show that the mutations partially or strongly deplete the protein and also in some cases interfere with co-repressor recruitment. These mutations therefore impact the activity of known functional domains and do not invoke new molecular causes of Rett syndrome. The finding that a stable C-terminal truncation does not compromise MeCP2 function raises the possibility that small molecules which stabilise these mutant proteins may be of therapeutic value.

scholarly journals Pharmacological Chaperones: A Therapeutic Approach for Diseases Caused by Destabilizing Missense Mutations

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovica Liguori ◽  
Maria Monticelli ◽  
Mariateresa Allocca ◽  
Bruno Hay Mele ◽  
Jan Lukas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Total Activity ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Lysosomal Storage ◽  
Pharmacological Chaperone ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Pharmacological Chaperones ◽  
Protein Mutants ◽  
Competitive Inhibitors

The term “pharmacological chaperone” was introduced 20 years ago. Since then the approach with this type of drug has been proposed for several diseases, lysosomal storage disorders representing the most popular targets. The hallmark of a pharmacological chaperone is its ability to bind a protein specifically and stabilize it. This property can be beneficial for curing diseases that are associated with protein mutants that are intrinsically active but unstable. The total activity of the affected proteins in the cell is lower than normal because they are cleared by the quality control system. Although most pharmacological chaperones are reversible competitive inhibitors or antagonists of their target proteins, the inhibitory activity is neither required nor desirable. This issue is well documented by specific examples among which those concerning Fabry disease. Direct specific binding is not the only mechanism by which small molecules can rescue mutant proteins in the cell. These drugs and the properly defined pharmacological chaperones can work together with different and possibly synergistic modes of action to revert a disease phenotype caused by an unstable protein.

scholarly journals Investigation of the Stability of Yeast rad52 Mutant Proteins Uncovers Post-translational and Transcriptional Regulation of Rad52p

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin N Asleson ◽  
Dennis M Livingston
Keyword(s):  
Half Life ◽  
Translational Regulation ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Gal1 Promoter ◽  
Rad52 Protein ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Mutant Forms

Abstract We investigated the stability of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad52 protein to learn how a cell controls its quantity and longevity. We measured the cellular levels of wild-type and mutant forms of Rad52p when expressed from the RAD52 promoter and the half-lives of the various forms of Rad52p when expressed from the GAL1 promoter. The wild-type protein has a half-life of 15 min. rad52 mutations variably affect the cellular levels of the protein products, and these levels correlate with the measured half-lives. While missense mutations in the N terminus of the protein drastically reduce the cellular levels of the mutant proteins, two mutations—one a deletion of amino acids 210-327 and the other a missense mutation of residue 235—increase the cellular level and half-life more than twofold. These results suggest that Rad52p is subject to post-translational regulation. Proteasomal mutations have no effect on Rad52p half-life but increase the amount of RAD52 message. In contrast to Rad52p, the half-life of Rad51p is >2 hr, and RAD51 expression is unaffected by proteasomal mutations. These differences between Rad52p and Rad51p suggest differential regulation of two proteins that interact in recombinational repair.

scholarly journals Mutation-specific non-canonical pathway of PTEN as a distinct therapeutic target for glioblastoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Won Choi ◽  
Yeri Lee ◽  
Kayoung Shin ◽  
Harim Koo ◽  
Donggeon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Dominant Negative Effect ◽  
Cell Periphery ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Phosphatase Domain ◽  
Mutant Proteins

AbstractPTEN is one of the most frequently altered tumor suppressor genes in malignant tumors. The dominant-negative effect of PTEN alteration suggests that the aberrant function of PTEN mutation might be more disastrous than deletion, the most frequent genomic event in glioblastoma (GBM). This study aimed to understand the functional properties of various PTEN missense mutations and to investigate their clinical relevance. The genomic landscape of PTEN alteration was analyzed using the Samsung Medical Center GBM cohort and validated via The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Several hotspot mutations were identified, and their subcellular distributions and phenotypes were evaluated. We established a library of cancer cell lines that overexpress these mutant proteins using the U87MG and patient-derived cell models lacking functional PTEN. PTEN mutations were categorized into two major subsets: missense mutations in the phosphatase domain and truncal mutations in the C2 domain. We determined the subcellular compartmentalization of four mutant proteins (H93Y, C124S, R130Q, and R173C) from the former group and found that they had distinct localizations; those associated with invasive phenotypes (‘edge mutations’) localized to the cell periphery, while the R173C mutant localized to the nucleus. Invasive phenotypes derived from edge substitutions were unaffected by an anti-PI3K/Akt agent but were disrupted by microtubule inhibitors. PTEN mutations exhibit distinct functional properties regarding their subcellular localization. Further, some missense mutations (‘edge mutations’) in the phosphatase domain caused enhanced invasiveness associated with dysfunctional cytoskeletal assembly, thus suggesting it to be a potent therapeutic target.

scholarly journals Prediction of Functional Consequences of Missense Mutations in ANO4 Gene

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2732
Author(s):  
Nadine Reichhart ◽  
Vladimir M. Milenkovic ◽  
Christian H. Wetzel ◽  
Olaf Strauß
Keyword(s):  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

The anoctamin (TMEM16) family of transmembrane protein consists of ten members in vertebrates, which act as Ca2+-dependent ion channels and/or Ca2+-dependent scramblases. ANO4 which is primarily expressed in the CNS and certain endocrine glands, has been associated with various neuronal disorders. Therefore, we focused our study on prioritizing missense mutations that are assumed to alter the structure and stability of ANO4 protein. We employed a wide array of evolution and structure based in silico prediction methods to identify potentially deleterious missense mutations in the ANO4 gene. Identified pathogenic mutations were then mapped to the modeled human ANO4 structure and the effects of missense mutations were studied on the atomic level using molecular dynamics simulations. Our data show that the G80A and A500T mutations significantly alter the stability of the mutant proteins, thus providing new perspective on the role of missense mutations in ANO4 gene. Results obtained in this study may help to identify disease associated mutations which affect ANO4 protein structure and function and might facilitate future functional characterization of ANO4.

scholarly journals Autism associated SHANK3 missense point mutations impact conformational fluctuations and protein turnover at synapses

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bucher ◽  
Stephan Niebling ◽  
Yuhao Han ◽  
Dmitry Molodenskiy ◽  
Fatemeh Hassani Nia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Turnover ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Tertiary Structure ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Glutamatergic Synapses ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Synaptic Targeting ◽  
Induced Changes

Members of the SH3- and ankyrin-rich repeat (SHANK) protein family are considered as master scaffolds of the post-synaptic density of glutamatergic synapses. Several missense mutations within the canonical SHANK3 isoform have been proposed as causative for the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, there is a surprising paucity of data linking missense mutation-induced changes in protein structure and dynamics to the occurrence of ASD-related synaptic phenotypes. In this proof-of-principle study, we focus on two ASD-associated point mutations, both located within the same domain of SHANK3 and demonstrate that both mutant proteins indeed show distinct changes in secondary and tertiary structure as well as higher conformational fluctuations. Local and distal structural disturbances result in altered synaptic targeting and changes of protein turnover at synaptic sites in rat primary hippocampal neurons.

scholarly journals Mutant tryptophan aporepressors with altered specificities of corepressor recognition.

Genetics ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
D N Arvidson ◽  
M Shapiro ◽  
P Youderian
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Repressor Complex ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Active Repressor

Abstract The Escherichia coli trpR gene encodes tryptophan aporepressor, which binds the corepressor ligand, L-tryptophan, to form an active repressor complex. The side chain of residue valine 58 of Trp aporepressor sits at the bottom of the corepressor (L-tryptophan) binding pocket. Mutant trpR genes encoding changes of Val58 to the other 19 naturally occurring amino acids were made. Each of the mutant proteins requires a higher intracellular concentration of tryptophan for activation of DNA binding than wild-type aporepressor. Whereas wild-type aporepressor is activated better by 5-methyltryptophan (5-MT) than by tryptophan, Ile58 and other mutant aporepressors prefer tryptophan to 5-MT as corepressor, and Ala58 and Gly58 prefer 5-MT much more strongly than wild-type aporepressor in vivo. These mutant aporepressors are the first examples of DNA-binding proteins with altered specificities of cofactor recognition.

scholarly journals The association of microcephaly protein WDR62 with CPAP/IFT88 is required for cilia formation and neocortical development

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belal Shohayeb ◽  
Uda Ho ◽  
Yvonne Y Yeap ◽  
Robert G Parton ◽  
S Sean Millard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radial Glia ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Protein Loss ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Cilia Formation ◽  
Morphological Defects ◽  
Cell Processes ◽  
Radial Glial

Abstract WDR62 mutations that result in protein loss, truncation or single amino-acid substitutions are causative for human microcephaly, indicating critical roles in cell expansion required for brain development. WDR62 missense mutations that retain protein expression represent partial loss-of-function mutants that may therefore provide specific insights into radial glial cell processes critical for brain growth. Here we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 approaches to generate three strains of WDR62 mutant mice; WDR62 V66M/V66M and WDR62R439H/R439H mice recapitulate conserved missense mutations found in humans with microcephaly, with the third strain being a null allele (WDR62stop/stop). Each of these mutations resulted in embryonic lethality to varying degrees and gross morphological defects consistent with ciliopathies (dwarfism, anophthalmia and microcephaly). We find that WDR62 mutant proteins (V66M and R439H) localize to the basal body but fail to recruit CPAP. As a consequence, we observe deficient recruitment of IFT88, a protein that is required for cilia formation. This underpins the maintenance of radial glia as WDR62 mutations caused premature differentiation of radial glia resulting in reduced generation of neurons and cortical thinning. These findings highlight the important role of the primary cilium in neocortical expansion and implicate ciliary dysfunction as underlying the pathology of MCPH2 patients.

scholarly journals Expressed full-length von Willebrand factor containing missense mutations linked to type IIB von Willebrand disease shows enhanced binding to platelets

Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 2048-2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
PA Kroner ◽  
ML Kluessendorf ◽  
JP Scott ◽  
RR Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Von Willebrand Factor ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Von Willebrand Disease ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Platelet Glycoprotein ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Von Willebrand ◽  
Willebrand Factor

Abstract von Willebrand disease (vWD) variant type IIB is an inherited bleeding disorder resulting from the spontaneous binding of defective von Willebrand factor (vWF) to platelets in vivo. To identify the molecular basis for type IIB vWD, we used reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction to examine the nucleotide sequence of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-binding domain encoded by the vWF messenger RNA in an affected family, and in an unrelated affected individual. We identified two different missense mutations linked with expression of type IIB vWD. These mutations, which lead to Pro574---- Leu and Val553----Met substitutions, respectively, were each introduced into the full-length vWF expression vector pvW198, and both wild-type (wt) and mutant vWF were transiently expressed in COS-7 cells. Binding assays showed that both mutant proteins showed significant non- ristocetin-dependent spontaneous binding to platelets, and that complete binding was induced by low concentrations of ristocetin that failed to induce platelet binding by wt vWF. The vWF/platelet interaction was inhibited by the anti-vWF monoclonal antibody (MoAb) AvW3, and the anti-GPIb MoAb AP1, which both block vWF binding to platelets. These results show that the identified missense mutations are the likely basis for the expression of type IIB vWD in these affected individuals.

scholarly journals Small Molecules Acting on Myofilaments as Treatments for Heart and Skeletal Muscle Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (24) ◽  
pp. 9599
Author(s):  
Khulud Alsulami ◽  
Steven Marston
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Pathological Condition ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cardiac Contractility ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Omecamtiv Mecarbil

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are the most prevalent forms of the chronic and progressive pathological condition known as cardiomyopathy. These diseases have different aetiologies; however, they share the feature of haemodynamic abnormalities, which is mainly due to dysfunction in the contractile proteins that make up the contractile unit known as the sarcomere. To date, pharmacological treatment options are not disease-specific and rather focus on managing the symptoms, without addressing the disease mechanism. Earliest attempts at improving cardiac contractility by modulating the sarcomere indirectly (inotropes) resulted in unwanted effects. In contrast, targeting the sarcomere directly, aided by high-throughput screening systems, could identify small molecules with a superior therapeutic value in cardiac muscle disorders. Herein, an extensive literature review of 21 small molecules directed to five different targets was conducted. A simple scoring system was created to assess the suitability of small molecules for therapy by evaluating them in eight different criteria. Most of the compounds failed due to lack of target specificity or poor physicochemical properties. Six compounds stood out, showing a potential therapeutic value in HCM, DCM or heart failure (HF). Omecamtiv Mecarbil and Danicamtiv (myosin activators), Mavacamten, CK-274 and MYK-581 (myosin inhibitors) and AMG 594 (Ca2+-sensitiser) are all small molecules that allosterically modulate troponin or myosin. Omecamtiv Mecarbil showed limited efficacy in phase III GALACTIC-HF trial, while, results from phase III EXPLORER-HCM trial were recently published, indicating that Mavacamten reduced left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction and diastolic dysfunction and improved the health status of patients with HCM. A novel category of small molecules known as “recouplers” was reported to target a phenomenon termed uncoupling commonly found in familial cardiomyopathies but has not progressed beyond preclinical work. In conclusion, the contractile apparatus is a promising target for new drug development.

scholarly journals The Incidence and Evolution of Parkinsonian Rigidity in Rett Syndrome: A Pilot Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Humphreys ◽  
Nick Barrowman
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Rett Syndrome ◽  
Muscle Tone ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Prospective Evaluation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Small Subgroup ◽  
Csf Hva ◽  
Csf Homovanillic Acid

AbstractBackground: Patients with Rett syndrome (RTT) may demonstrate parkinsonian features. Here, we report a preliminary cross-sectional and prospective evaluation of the evolution, regional distribution, and eventual incidence of rigid tone in a cohort of MECP2 mutation-positive patients. Methods: In 51 participants, muscle tone rigidity in extremity regions and neck plus hypomimia were quantified using an RTT rigidity distribution (RTTRD) score with a range of 0 to 15. RTTRD scores were correlated with age, ability to walk and speak, mutation type, and, in a small subgroup (n=9), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid levels. Results: Participant ages ranged from 2 years and 5 months, to 54 years. Rigidity was found in 43/51 (84.3%); it appeared as early as age 3, increased in extent with age, and was present in all participants aged ≥13. Ankle region rigidity appeared first, followed by proximal legs, arms, neck, and face. Ambulatory participants (n=21) had lower RTTRD scores than nonambulatory (n=30; p=0.003). We found a trend to lower scores in participants with retained speech (n=13) versus those with none (n=38; p=0.074), and no difference in scores for those with truncating (n=25) versus missense mutations (n=22; p=0.387). RTTRD scores correlated negatively with CSF HVA levels (R=−0.83; p=0.005), but not with 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid levels (R=−0.45; p=0.22). Conclusions: Although assessment of muscle tone is somewhat subjective and the RTTRD has not been validated, this study nevertheless suggests that parkinsonian rigidity in RTT is common and frequently increases in extent with age; its severity correlates directly with impaired ambulation and inversely with CSF HVA levels.

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