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Neuroserpin and transthyretin are extracellular chaperones that preferentially inhibit amyloid formation.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Abstract

Neuroserpin is a secreted protease inhibitor known to inhibit amyloid formation by the Alzheimer’s beta peptide (Aβ). To test whether this effect was constrained to Aβ, we used a range of in vitro assays to demonstrate that neuroserpin inhibits amyloid formation by several different proteins and protects against the associated cytotoxicity but, unlike other known chaperones, has a poor ability to inhibit amorphous protein aggregation. Collectively, these results suggest that neuroserpin has an unusual chaperone selectivity for intermediates on the amyloid-forming pathway. Bioinformatics analyses identified a highly conserved 14-residue region containing an α helix shared between neuroserpin and the thyroxine-transport protein transthyretin, and we subsequently demonstrated that transthyretin also preferentially inhibits amyloid formation. Last, we used rationally designed neuroserpin mutants to demonstrate a direct involvement of the conserved 14-mer region in its chaperone activity. Identification of this conserved region may prove useful in the future design of anti-amyloid reagents.

Description

Keywords

3101 Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 31 Biological Sciences, Brain Disorders, Alzheimer's Disease including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD), Alzheimer's Disease, Neurosciences, Dementia, Acquired Cognitive Impairment, Neurodegenerative, Aging

Journal Title

Sci Adv

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2375-2548
2375-2548

Volume Title

7

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)