Abstract
α-Synuclein is a presynaptic neuronal protein that is abundant in the human brain and is linked genetically and neuropathologically to Parkinson’s disease (PD). The E46K mutation of the α-synuclein gene has been linked to autosomal dominant early-onset of PD. Crocin is a carotenoid chemical compound of saffron that has been shown antioxidant and neural protective activity. This study examined the effect of Crocin in preventing the amyloid fibril in the E46K α-synuclein, through in vitro studies and computational simulations. The result demonstrated that Crocin acts as a molecular chaperone to prevent amyloid fibril formation of E46K α-synuclein in a concentration-dependent manner. In fact, Crocin redirects E46K α-synuclein from a fibril-formation pathway towards an amorphous aggregation pathway or at least reduce its aggregation tendency. Combined results from molecular dynamics and docking studies indicate that the inhibitory effect of the Crocin may be due to binding of the Crocin with the hydrophobic region (contact interface) of the α-synuclein which has the propensity to form amyloid aggregate. The results indicated Crocin can potentially bind to the C-terminal and mainly NAC (central hydrophobic region) domain of the E46K α-synuclein, and stabilizes the protein by masking the polymerization hotspot and consequently converting the protein into amyloid fibrils. These results support that Crocin is a effective inhibitor of E46K α-synuclein fibrillization and it could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of Parkinson disease.
Graphical abstract
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Stefanis L (2012) Alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2(2):a009399. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a009399
Emamzadeh FN (2016) Alpha-synuclein structure, functions, and interactions. J Res Med Sci 21:29. https://doi.org/10.4103/1735-1995.181989
Wersinger C, Sidhu A (2003) Attenuation of dopamine transporter activity by alpha-synuclein. Neurosci Lett 340(3):189–192
Dehay B, Bourdenx M, Gorry P, Przedborski S, Vila M, Hunot S, Singleton A, Olanow CW, Merchant KM, Bezard E, Petsko GA, Meissner WG (2015) Targeting alpha-synuclein for treatment of Parkinson’s disease: mechanistic and therapeutic considerations. Lancet Neurol 14(8):855–866. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00006-x
Rekas A, Adda CG, Andrew Aquilina J, Barnham KJ, Sunde M, Galatis D, Williamson NA, Masters CL, Anders RF, Robinson CV, Cappai R, Carver JA (2004) Interaction of the molecular chaperone alphaB-crystallin with alpha-synuclein: effects on amyloid fibril formation and chaperone activity. J Mol Biol 340(5):1167–1183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2004.05.054
Cox D, Carver JA, Ecroyd H (2014) Preventing alpha-synuclein aggregation: the role of the small heat-shock molecular chaperone proteins. Biochem Biophys Acta 1842(9):1830–1843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.06.024
Uversky VN, Eliezer D (2009) Biophysics of Parkinson’s disease: structure and aggregation of alpha-synuclein. Curr Protein Pept Sci 10(5):483–499
Rodriguez JA, Ivanova MI, Sawaya MR, Cascio D, Reyes FE, Shi D, Sangwan S, Guenther EL, Johnson LM, Zhang M, Jiang L, Arbing MA, Nannenga BL, Hattne J, Whitelegge J, Brewster AS, Messerschmidt M, Boutet S, Sauter NK, Gonen T, Eisenberg DS (2015) Structure of the toxic core of alpha-synuclein from invisible crystals. Nature 525(7570):486–490. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15368
Ahn BH, Rhim H, Kim SY, Sung YM, Lee MY, Choi JY, Wolozin B, Chang JS, Lee YH, Kwon TK, Chung KC, Yoon SH, Hahn SJ, Kim MS, Jo YH, Min DS (2002) Alpha-synuclein interacts with phospholipase D isozymes and inhibits pervanadate-induced phospholipase D activation in human embryonic kidney-293 cells. J Biol Chem 277(14):12334–12342. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M110414200
Norris EH, Giasson BI, Lee VM (2004) Alpha-synuclein: normal function and role in neurodegenerative diseases. Curr Top Dev Biol 60:17–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0070-2153(04)60002-0
Sode K, Ochiai S, Kobayashi N, Usuzaka E (2007) Effect of reparation of repeat sequences in the human α-synuclein on fibrillation ability. Int J Biol Sci 3(1):1–7
Polymeropoulos MH, Lavedan C, Leroy E, Ide SE, Dehejia A, Dutra A, Pike B, Root H, Rubenstein J, Boyer R, Stenroos ES, Chandrasekharappa S, Athanassiadou A, Papapetropoulos T, Johnson WG, Lazzarini AM, Duvoisin RC, Di Iorio G, Golbe LI, Nussbaum RL (1997) Mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene identified in families with Parkinson’s disease. Science (New York, NY) 276(5321):2045–2047
Zarranz JJ, Alegre J, Gomez-Esteban JC, Lezcano E, Ros R, Ampuero I, Vidal L, Hoenicka J, Rodriguez O, Atares B, Llorens V, Gomez Tortosa E, del Ser T, Munoz DG, de Yebenes JG (2004) The new mutation, E46K, of alpha-synuclein causes Parkinson and Lewy body dementia. Ann Neurol 55(2):164–173. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.10795
Fredenburg RA, Rospigliosi C, Meray RK, Kessler JC, Lashuel HA, Eliezer D, Lansbury PT Jr (2007) The impact of the E46K mutation on the properties of alpha-synuclein in its monomeric and oligomeric states. Biochemistry 46(24):7107–7118. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi7000246
Lee EN, Cho HJ, Lee CH, Lee D, Chung KC, Paik SR (2004) Phthalocyanine tetrasulfonates affect the amyloid formation and cytotoxicity of alpha-synuclein. Biochemistry 43(12):3704–3715. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi0356707
Yamaguchi Y, Masuda M, Sasakawa H, Nonaka T, Hanashima S, Hisanaga S, Kato K, Hasegawa M (2010) Characterization of inhibitor-bound alpha-synuclein dimer: role of alpha-synuclein N-terminal region in dimerization and inhibitor binding. J Mol Biol 395(3):445–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2009.10.068
Braga CA, Follmer C, Palhano FL, Khattar E, Freitas MS, Romao L, Di Giovanni S, Lashuel HA, Silva JL, Foguel D (2011) The anti-Parkinsonian drug selegiline delays the nucleation phase of alpha-synuclein aggregation leading to the formation of nontoxic species. J Mol Biol 405(1):254–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2010.10.027
Chamani J (2006) Comparison of the conformational stability of the non-native alpha-helical intermediate of thiol-modified beta-lactoglobulin upon interaction with sodium n-alkyl sulfates at two different pH. J Colloid Interface Sci 299(2):636–646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2006.02.049
Sharif-Barfeh Z, Beigoli S, Marouzi S, Rad AS, Asoodeh A, Chamani J (2017) Multi-spectroscopic and HPLC studies of the interaction between estradiol and cyclophosphamide with human serum albumin: binary and ternary systems. J Solut Chem 46(2):488–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10953-017-0590-2
Nair SC, Pannikar B, Panikkar KR (1991) Antitumour activity of saffron (Crocus sativus). Cancer Lett 57(2):109–114
Salomi MJ, Nair SC, Panikkar KR (1991) Inhibitory effects of Nigella sativa and saffron (Crocus sativus) on chemical carcinogenesis in mice. Nutr Cancer 16(1):67–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635589109514142
Boskabady MH, Shafei MN, Shakiba A, Sefidi HS (2008) Effect of aqueous-ethanol extract from Crocus sativus (saffron) on guinea-pig isolated heart. Phytother Res: PTR 22(3):330–334. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2317
Bathaie SZ, Mousavi SZ (2010) New applications and mechanisms of action of saffron and its important ingredients. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 50(8):761–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390902773003
Hosseinzadeh H, Talebzadeh F (2005) Anticonvulsant evaluation of safranal and crocin from Crocus sativus in mice. Fitoterapia 76(7–8):722–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2005.07.008
Noorbala AA, Akhondzadeh S, Tahmacebi-Pour N, Jamshidi AH (2005) Hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot trial. J Ethnopharmacol 97(2):281–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.004
Razavi BM, Seydali Seyfabad M, Hosseinzadeh H, Imenshahidi M (2017) Crocin-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in isolated rat aorta. Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod 12(2):e32801. https://doi.org/10.5812/jjnpp.32801
Ochiai T, Ohno S, Soeda S, Tanaka H, Shoyama Y, Shimeno H (2004) Crocin prevents the death of rat pheochromyctoma (PC-12) cells by its antioxidant effects stronger than those of alpha-tocopherol. Neurosci Lett 362(1):61–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2004.02.067
Assimopoulou AN, Sinakos Z, Papageorgiou VP (2005) Radical scavenging activity of Crocus sativus L. extract and its bioactive constituents. Phytother Res: PTR 19(11):997–1000. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1749
Soeda S, Ochiai T, Shimeno H, Saito H, Abe K, Tanaka H, Shoyama Y (2007) Pharmacological activities of crocin in saffron. J Nat Med 61(2):102–111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-006-0120-9
Sugiura M, Shoyama Y, Saito H, Abe K (1994) Crocin (crocetin di-gentiobiose ester) prevents the inhibitory effect of ethanol on long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus in vivo. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 271(2):703–707
Abe K, Saito H (2000) Effects of saffron extract and its constituent crocin on learning behaviour and long-term potentiation. Phytother Res: PTR 14(3):149–152
Zhang X, Fan Z, Jin T (2017) Crocin protects against cerebral- ischemia-induced damage in aged rats through maintaining the integrity of blood-brain barrier. Restor Neurol Neurosci 35(1):65–75. https://doi.org/10.3233/rnn-160696
Sarshoori JR, Asadi MH, Mohammadi MT (2014) Neuroprotective effects of crocin on the histopathological alterations following brain ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat. Iran J Basic Med Sci 17(11):895–902
Ghahghaei A, Bathaie SZ, Kheirkhah H, Bahraminejad E (2013) The protective effect of crocin on the amyloid fibril formation of Abeta42 peptide in vitro. Cell Mol Biol Lett 18(3):328–339. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-013-0092-1
Mendonca A, Rocha AC, Duarte AC, Santos EB (2013) The inner filter effects and their correction in fluorescence spectra of salt marsh humic matter. Anal Chim Acta 788:99–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2013.05.051
Phillips JC, Braun R, Wang W, Gumbart J, Tajkhorshid E, Villa E, Chipot C, Skeel RD, Kale L, Schulten K (2005) Scalable molecular dynamics with NAMD. J Comput Chem 26(16):1781–1802. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.20289
Schymkowitz J, Borg J, Stricher F, Nys R, Rousseau F, Serrano L (2005) The FoldX web server: an online force field. Nucleic Acids Res 33(Web Server issue):W382–W388. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gki387
Biancalana M, Koide S (2010) Molecular mechanism of thioflavin-T binding to amyloid fibrils. Biochem Biophys Acta 1804(7):1405–1412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbapap.2010.04.001
Breydo L, Wu JW, Uversky VN (2012) Alpha-synuclein misfolding and Parkinson’s disease. Biochem Biophys Acta 1822(2):261–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.10.002
Greenbaum EA, Graves CL, Mishizen-Eberz AJ, Lupoli MA, Lynch DR, Englander SW, Axelsen PH, Giasson BI (2005) The E46K mutation in alpha-synuclein increases amyloid fibril formation. J Biol Chem 280(9):7800–7807. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M411638200
Nath S, Meuvis J, Hendrix J, Carl SA, Engelborghs Y (2010) Early aggregation steps in alpha-synuclein as measured by FCS and FRET: evidence for a contagious conformational change. Biophys J 98(7):1302–1311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2009.12.4290
Goedert M (2001) Alpha-synuclein and neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Rev Neurosci 2(7):492–501. https://doi.org/10.1038/35081564
Kruger R, Kuhn W, Muller T, Woitalla D, Graeber M, Kosel S, Przuntek H, Epplen JT, Schols L, Riess O (1998) Ala30Pro mutation in the gene encoding alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Nat Genet 18(2):106–108. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0298-106
Serpell LC, Berriman J, Jakes R, Goedert M, Crowther RA (2000) Fiber diffraction of synthetic alpha-synuclein filaments shows amyloid-like cross-beta conformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97(9):4897–4902
Jiang M, Porat-Shliom Y, Pei Z, Cheng Y, Xiang L, Sommers K, Li Q, Gillardon F, Hengerer B, Berlinicke C, Smith W, Zack D, Poirier MA, Ross CA, Duan W (2010) Baicalein reduces E46K α-synuclein aggregation in vitro and protects cells against E46K α-synuclein toxicity in cell models of familiar Parkinsonism. J Neurochem 114(2):419–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06752.x
Moshiri E, Basti AA, Noorbala AA, Jamshidi AH, Hesameddin Abbasi S, Akhondzadeh S (2006) Crocus sativus L. (petal) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine 13(9–10):607–611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2006.08.006
Waudby CA, Knowles TP, Devlin GL, Skepper JN, Ecroyd H, Carver JA, Welland ME, Christodoulou J, Dobson CM, Meehan S (2010) The interaction of alphaB-crystallin with mature alpha-synuclein amyloid fibrils inhibits their elongation. Biophys J 98(5):843–851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2009.10.056
Conway KA, Harper JD, Lansbury PT (1998) Accelerated in vitro fibril formation by a mutant alpha-synuclein linked to early-onset Parkinson disease. Nat Med 4(11):1318–1320. https://doi.org/10.1038/3311
Conway KA, Harper JD, Lansbury PT Jr (2000) Fibrils formed in vitro from alpha-synuclein and two mutant forms linked to Parkinson’s disease are typical amyloid. Biochemistry 39(10):2552–2563
Narhi L, Wood SJ, Steavenson S, Jiang Y, Wu GM, Anafi D, Kaufman SA, Martin F, Sitney K, Denis P, Louis JC, Wypych J, Biere AL, Citron M (1999) Both familial Parkinson’s disease mutations accelerate alpha-synuclein aggregation. J Biol Chem 274(14):9843–9846
Weinreb PH, Zhen W, Poon AW, Conway KA, Lansbury PT Jr (1996) NACP, a protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and learning, is natively unfolded. Biochemistry 35(43):13709–13715. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi961799n
Uversky VN, Li J, Fink AL (2001) Evidence for a partially folded intermediate in alpha-synuclein fibril formation. J Biol Chem 276(14):10737–10744. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M010907200
Rajagopalan S, Andersen JK (2001) Alpha synuclein aggregation: is it the toxic gain of function responsible for neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease? Mech Ageing Dev 122(14):1499–1510
Fink AL (2006) The aggregation and fibrillation of alpha-synuclein. Acc Chem Res 39(9):628–634. https://doi.org/10.1021/ar050073t
Uversky VN (2007) Neuropathology, biochemistry, and biophysics of alpha-synuclein aggregation. J Neurochem 103(1):17–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2007.04764.x
Goedert M (1999) Filamentous nerve cell inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases: tauopathies and alpha-synucleinopathies. Philos Trans R Soc B 354(1386):1101–1118
Lashuel HA, Overk CR, Oueslati A, Masliah E (2013) The many faces of α-synuclein: from structure and toxicity to therapeutic target. Nat Rev Neurosci 14(1):38–48. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3406
Zibaee S, Fraser G, Jakes R, Owen D, Serpell LC, Crowther RA, Goedert M (2010) Human beta-synuclein rendered fibrillogenic by designed mutations. J Biol Chem 285(49):38555–38567. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M110.160721
Choi W, Zibaee S, Jakes R, Serpell LC, Davletov B, Crowther RA, Goedert M (2004) Mutation E46K increases phospholipid binding and assembly into filaments of human alpha-synuclein. FEBS Lett 576(3):363–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2004.09.038
Zibaee S, Jakes R, Fraser G, Serpell LC, Crowther RA, Goedert M (2007) Sequence determinants for amyloid fibrillogenesis of human α-synuclein. J Mol Biol 374(2):454–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2007.09.039
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the university of Sistan and Baluchestan for providing necessary facilities.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ghasemi Tigan, M., Ghahghaei, A. & Lagzian, M. In-vitro and in-silico investigation of protective mechanisms of crocin against E46K α-synuclein amyloid formation. Mol Biol Rep 46, 4279–4292 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04882-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04882-9