bims-supasi Biomed News
on Sulfation pathways and signalling
Issue of 2022–05–22
fiveteen papers selected by
Jonathan Wolf Mueller, University of Birmingham



  1. Chembiochem. 2022 May 18.
      Dysregulation of amyloidogenic proteins and their abnormal processing and deposition in tissues cause systemic and localized amyloidosis. Formation of amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils that deposit as amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains is an earliest pathological hallmark. The polysulfated heparan sulfate (HS)/heparin (HP) is one of the non-protein components of Aβ deposits that not only modulates Aβ aggregation, but also acts as a receptor for Aβ fibrils to mediate their cytotoxicity. Interfering the interaction between HS/HP and Aβ could be a therapeutic strategy to arrest amyloidosis. Here we have synthesized the 6- O -phosphorylated HS/HP oligosaccharides and reported their competitive effects on the inhibition of HP-mediated Aβ fibril formation in vitro using a thioflavin T fluorescence assay and a tapping mode atomic force microscopy.
    Keywords:  amyloid * glycosaminoglycan * heparan sulfate * atomic force microscopy * chemical synthesis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202200191
  2. Cranio. 2022 May 19. 1-10
       OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (GS), the most relevant drugs of "Symptomatic Slow Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis" (SYSADOA), in the functional and symptomatic improvement of temporomandibular dysfunction. Although, controversy exists regarding their benefit.
    METHODS: An electronic search was conducted to retrieve randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). The risk of bias assessment was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. Data were meta-analyzed with a random effect model whenever possible.
    RESULTS: Three RCTs were included. Qualitative results showed a decrease in pain, joint noise, and inflammatory biomarkers in synovial fluid and an improvement in maximum mouth opening without significant adverse effects. Meta-analysis showed a significant increase in maximum mouth opening with the use of CS-GS (p = 0.19). No statistically significant differences were found in pain reduction compared to tramadol.
    CONCLUSION: CS-GS is effective and safe in the symptomatic and functional improvement of patients with TMD.
    Keywords:  Chondroitin sulfates; glucosamine; temporomandibular joint; temporomandibular joint disc; temporomandibular joint disorders; temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.2022.2076796
  3. Front Mol Biosci. 2022 ;9 863912
      In addition to the endocrine and paracrine systems, peripheral tissues such as gonads, skin, and adipose tissue are involved in the intracrine mechanisms responsible for the formation of sex steroids via the transformation of dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA/DHEAS) into potent androgenic and estrogenic hormones. Numerous studies have examined the relationship between overweight, central obesity, and plasma levels of DHEA and DHEAS. The sodium-dependent organic anion transporter Soat (Slc10a6) is a plasma membrane uptake transporter for sulfated steroids. Significantly increased expression of Slc10a6 mRNA has been previously described in organs and tissues of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice, including white adipose tissue. These findings suggest that Soat plays a role in the supply of steroids in peripheral target tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of Soat in adipocytes and its role in adipogenesis. Soat expression was analyzed in mouse white intra-abdominal (WAT), subcutaneous (SAT), and brown (BAT) adipose tissue samples and in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, adipose tissue mass and size of the adipocytes were analyzed in wild-type and Slc10a6 -/- knockout mice. Soat expression was detected in mouse WAT, SAT, and BAT using immunofluorescence. The expression of Slc10a6 mRNA was significantly higher in 3T3-L1 adipocytes than that of preadipocytes and was significantly upregulated by exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Slc10a6 mRNA levels were also upregulated in the adipose tissue of LPS-treated mice. In Slc10a6 -/- knockout mice, adipocytes increased in size in the WAT and SAT of female mice and in the BAT of male mice, suggesting adipocyte hypertrophy. The serum levels of adiponectin, resistin, and leptin were comparable in wild-type and Slc10a6 -/- knockout mice. The treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with DHEA significantly reduced lipid accumulation, while DHEAS did not have a significant effect. However, following LPS-induced Soat upregulation, DHEAS also significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in adipocytes. In conclusion, Soat-mediated import of DHEAS and other sulfated steroids could contribute to the complex pathways of sex steroid intracrinology in adipose tissues. Although in cell cultures the Soat-mediated uptake of DHEAS appears to reduce lipid accumulation, in Slc10a6 -/- knockout mice, the Soat deletion induced adipocyte hyperplasia through hitherto unknown mechanisms.
    Keywords:  3T3-L1; DHEAS; SOAT; Slc10a6; adipocytes; adipogenesis; knockout mouse; transport
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2022.863912
  4. Acta Biomater. 2022 May 14. pii: S1742-7061(22)00283-5. [Epub ahead of print]
      Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging therapeutic approach that can inhibit tumor growth by destroying local tumors and activating systemic antitumor immune responses. However, PDT can be ineffective because of photosensitizer aggregation, tumor-induced dendritic cells (DCS) dysfunction and PDT-mediated immunosuppression. Therefore, we designed chondroitin sulfate-based prodrug nanoparticles for the co-delivery of the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) and retinoic acid (RA), which can reduce PDT-mediated immunosuppression by disrupting the Golgi apparatus and blocking the production of immunosuppressive cytokines. Moreover, CpG oligodeoxynucleotide was combined as immunoadjuvant to promote the maturation of DCs. As expected, the strategy of Golgi apparatus targeting immunotherapy combined PDT was confirmed to relieve PDT-induced immunosuppression, showed excellent PDT antitumor efficacy in B16F10-subcutaneous bearing mice model. Thus, our finding offers a promising approach for photodynamic immunotherapy of advanced cancers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Golgi apparatus has been shown to be a potential target of immunosuppression for producing several immunosuppressive cytokines. In this work, a Golgi apparatus-targeted prodrug nanoparticle was developed to enhance the immune response in photodynamic immunotherapy. The nanoparticle can target and disrupt the Golgi apparatus in tumor cells, which reduced PDT-mediated immunosuppression by blocking the production of immunosuppressive cytokines. This work provides an effective strategy of PDT in combination with the Golgi apparatus-targeted nanovesicle for enhanced cancer therapy.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Golgi apparatus; Immunosuppression; Photodynamic therapy; Prodrug
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.05.014
  5. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2022 May 17.
      Two glycosaminoglycan (GAG) biopolymers, hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), were chemically modified via carbodiimide chemistry to facilitate the loading and release of nitric oxide (NO) to develop a multi-action wound healing agent. The resulting NO-releasing GAGs released 0.2-0.9 μmol NO mg-1 GAG into simulated wound fluid with NO-release half-lives ranging from 20 to 110 min. GAGs containing alkylamines with terminal primary amines and displaying intermediate NO-release kinetics exhibited potent, broad spectrum bactericidal action against three strains each of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus ranging in antibiotic resistance profile. NO loading of the GAGs was also found to decrease murine TLR4 activation, suggesting that the therapeutic exhibits anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In vitro adhesion and proliferation assays utilizing human dermal fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes displayed differences as a function of the GAG backbone, alkylamine identity, and NO-release properties. In combination with antibacterial properties, the adhesion and proliferation profiles of the GAG derivatives enabled the selection of the most promising wound healing candidates for subsequent in vivo studies. A P. aeruginosa-infected murine wound model revealed the benefits of CS over HA as a pro-wound healing NO donor scaffold, with benefits of accelerated wound closure and decreased bacterial burden attributable to both active NO release and the biopolymer backbone.
    Keywords:  antibacterial; chondroitin sulfate; hyaluronic acid; nitric oxide; wound healing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00392
  6. Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2022 Jan 08. pii: S0928-4931(22)00003-0. [Epub ahead of print] 112643
      Degenerated cartilage tissues remain a burgeoning issue to be tackled, while bioactive engineering products available for optimal cartilage regeneration are scarce. In the present study, two-dimensional (2DS) poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone)/silk fibroin (PLCL/SF)-based scaffolds were fabricated by conjugate electrospinning method, which were then cross-linked with chondroitin sulfate (CS) to further enhance their mechanical and biological performance. Afterwards, three-dimensional (3D) PLCL/SF scaffolds (3DS) and CS-crosslinked 3D scaffolds (3DCSS) with tailored size were successfully fabricated by an in-situ gas foaming in a confined mold followed by freeze-dried. Gas-foamed scaffolds displayed high porosity, rapid water uptake, and stable mechanical properties. While all of the scaffolds exhibited good cytocompatibility in vitro; 3DCSS showed better cell seeding efficiency and chondro-protective effect compared to other scaffolds. Besides, 3DCSS scaffolds supported the formation of more mature cartilage-like tissues along with the best repair outcome in a rabbit articular cartilage defect model in vivo, as well as less expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α than that of the other groups. Taken together, 3DCSS may provide an alternative therapeutic option for cartilage tissue repair.
    Keywords:  Cartilage tissue engineering; Chondroitin sulfate; Electrospinning; Gas foaming; Silk fibroin; Three-dimensional
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2022.112643
  7. ACS Omega. 2022 May 03. 7(17): 15132-15144
      Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), in particular, heparan sulfate and heparin, are found colocalized with Aβ amyloid. They have been shown to enhance fibril formation, suggesting a possible pathological connection. We have investigated heparin's assembly of the KLVFFA peptide fragment using molecular dynamics simulation, to gain a molecular-level mechanistic understanding of how GAGs enhance fibril formation. The simulations reveal an exquisite process wherein heparin accelerates peptide assembly by first "gathering" the peptide molecules and then assembling them. Heparin does not act as a mere template but is tightly coupled to the peptides, yielding a composite protofilament structure. The strong intermolecular interactions suggest composite formation to be a general feature of heparin's interaction with peptides. Heparin's chain flexibility is found to be essential to its fibril promotion activity, and the need for optimal heparin chain length and concentration has been rationalized. These insights yield design rules (flexibility; chain-length) and protocol guidance (heparin:peptide molar ratio) for developing effective heparin mimetics and other functional GAGs.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c01034
  8. J Phys Chem B. 2022 May 20.
      Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are anionic biopolymers present on cell surfaces as a part of proteoglycans. The biological activities of GAGs depend on the sulfation pattern. In our study, we have considered three octadecasaccharide dermatan sulfate (DS) chains with increasing order of sulfation (dp6s, dp7s, and dp12s) to illuminate the role of sulfation on the GAG units and its chain conformation through 10 μs-long Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations. DS is composed of repeating disaccharide units of iduronic acid (IdoA) and N-acetylgalactosamine (N-GalNAc). Here, N-GalNAc is linked to IdoA via β(1-4), while IdoA is linked to N-GalNAc through α(1-3). With the increase in sulfation, the DS structure becomes more rigid and linear, as is evident from the distribution of root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs) and end-to-end distances. The tetrasaccharide linker region of the main chain shows a rigid conformation in terms of the glycosidic linkage. We have observed that upon sulfation (i.e., dp12s), the ring flip between two chair forms vanished for IdoA. The dynamic cross-correlation analysis reveals that the anticorrelation motions in dp12s are reduced significantly compared to dp6s or dp7s. An increase in sulfation generates relatively more stable hydrogen-bond networks, including water bridging with the neighboring monosaccharides. Despite the favorable linear structures of the GAG chains, our study also predicts few significant bendings related to the different puckering states, which may play a notable role in the function of the DS. The relation between the global conformation with the micro-level parameters such as puckering and water-mediated hydrogen bonds shapes the overall conformational space of GAGs. Overall, atomistic details of the DS chain provided in this study will help understand their functional and mechanical roles, besides developing new biomaterials.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01807
  9. Learn Mem. 2022 Jun;29(6): 155-159
      A critical role of protein modifications such as phosphorylation and acetylation in synaptic plasticity and memory is well documented. Tyrosine sulfation plays important roles in several biological processes. However, its role in synaptic plasticity and memory is not well understood. Here, we show that sulfation contributes to long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal slices. In addition, inhibition of sulfation impairs long-term memory in a spatial memory task without affecting acquisition or short-term memory. Furthermore, LTP-inducing stimulus enhances protein tyrosine sulfation. These results suggest an important role for tyrosine sulfation in LTP and memory.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.053538.121
  10. Int J Biol Macromol. 2022 May 13. pii: S0141-8130(22)01047-9. [Epub ahead of print]211 524-534
      Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from seaweeds are potential bioactive natural compounds, but their DNA protective activity is poorly explored. This article aimed to evaluate the genotoxic/antigenotoxic potentials of a sulfated heterofucan from brown seaweed Spatoglossum schröederi (Fucan A - FA) and a sulfated galactan from green seaweed Codium isthomocladum (3G4S) using in vitro Comet assay (alkaline and oxidative versions) with HepG2 cells. The antioxidant activity of these SPs was evaluated by total antioxidant capacity, radical scavenging, metal chelating, and antioxidant enzyme activity assays. Both SPs were not genotoxic. FA and 3G4S displayed strong antigenotoxic activity against oxidizing chemical (H2O2) but not against alkylating chemical (MMS). The DNA damage reduction after a pre-treatment of 72 h with these SPs was 81.42% to FA and 81.38% to 3G4S. In simultaneous exposure to FA or 3G4S with H2O2, HepG2 cells presented 48.04% and 55.41% of DNA damage reduction compared with the control, respectively. The antigenotoxicity of these SPs relates to direct antioxidant activity by blockage of the initiation step of the oxidative chain reaction. Therefore, we conclude that FA and 3G4S could be explored as functional natural compounds with antigenotoxic activity due to their great protection against oxidative DNA damage.
    Keywords:  Comet assay; Heterofucan; Sulfated galactan
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.077
  11. Front Chem. 2022 ;10 871509
      The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is the most widely spread disease in the 21st century. Due to the continuous emergence of variants across the world, it is necessary to expand our understanding of host-virus interactions and explore new agents against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, it was found exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from halophilic archaeon Haloarcula hispanica ATCC33960 can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 with the binding constant KD of 2.23 nM, block the binding of spike protein to Vero E6 and bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells, and inhibit pseudovirus infection. However, EPSs from the gene deletion mutant △HAH_1206 almost completely lost the antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. A significant reduction of glucuronic acid (GlcA) and the sulfation level in EPSs of △HAH_1206 was clearly observed. Our results indicated that sulfated GlcA in EPSs is possible for a main structural unit in their inhibition of binding of SARS-CoV-2 to host cells, which would provide a novel antiviral mechanism and a guide for designing new agents against SARS-CoV-2.
    Keywords:  Haloarcula hispanica; SARS-CoV-2; archaea; exopolysaccharide; sulfated glucuronic acid
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2022.871509
  12. Biomed Pharmacother. 2022 May 17. pii: S0753-3322(22)00525-X. [Epub ahead of print]151 113136
      Resveratrol (RES) is a widely-known natural polyphenol which is also contained by several dietary supplements. Large doses of RES can result in high micromolar levels of its sulfate and glucuronide conjugates in the circulation, due to the high presystemic metabolism of the parent polyphenol. Pharmacokinetic interactions of RES have been extensively studied, while only limited data are available regarding its metabolites. Therefore, in the current study, we examined the interactions of resveratrol-3-sulfate (R3S), resveratrol-3-glucuronide, and dihydroresveratrol (DHR; a metabolite produced by the colon microbiota) with human serum albumin (HSA), cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, and organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATP) employing in vitro models. Our results demonstrated that R3S and R3G may play a major role in the RES-induced pharmacokinetic interactions: (1) R3S can strongly displace the site I marker warfarin from HSA; (2) R3G showed similarly strong inhibitory action on CYP3A4 to RES; (3) R3S proved to be similarly strong (OATP1B1/3) or even stronger (OATP1A2 and OATP2B1) inhibitor of OATPs tested than RES, while R3G and RES showed comparable inhibitory actions on OATP2B1.
    Keywords:  Cytochrome P450; Dihydroresveratrol; Human serum albumin; Organic anion transporting polypeptides; Pharmacokinetic interaction; Resveratrol metabolites; Resveratrol-3-glucuronide; Resveratrol-3-sulfate
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113136
  13. Sci Rep. 2022 May 19. 12(1): 8433
      CAP256V2LS, a broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (bNAb), is being pursued as a promising drug for HIV-1 prevention. The total level of tyrosine-O-sulfation, a post-translational modification, was known to play a key role for antibody biological activity. More importantly, here wedescribe for the first time the significance of the tyrosine-O-sulfation proteoforms. We developed a hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) method to separate and quantify different sulfation proteoforms, which led to the direct functionality assessment of tyrosine-sulfated species. The fully sulfated (4-SO3) proteoform demonstrated the highest in vitro relative antigen binding potency and neutralization efficiency against a panel of HIV-1 viruses. Interestingly, highly variable levels of 4-SO3 were produced by different clonal CHO cell lines, which helped the bNAb process development towards production of a highly potent CAP256V2LS clinical product with high 4-SO3 proteoform. This study presents powerful insight for any biotherapeutic protein development where sulfation may play an important role in product efficacy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12423-x
  14. Int J Biol Macromol. 2022 May 16. pii: S0141-8130(22)01063-7. [Epub ahead of print]
      Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating progressive joint disease with high incidence and socioeconomic burden. However, no disease-modifying treatment is currently available for OA. Here, we report a sulfated carboxymethylcellulose-based scaffold mediated delivery of tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease 3 (Timp3) as a disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for OA. First, we chemically modified carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to sulfated carboxymethylcellulose (sCMC) to impart native-like electrostatic interaction-based binding of cationic proteins. We then fabricated cartilage ECM mimicking sCMC-gelatin scaffolds which showed preferential binding and sustained delivery of Timp3. This scaffold-mediated delivery of Timp3 demonstrated a reduction in matrix degradation, protease expression and inflammatory markers in the goat ex vivo OA model leading to enhanced retention of cartilage ECM markers when compared to OA control. Further, similar results were obtained when sCMC-gelatin scaffolds were evaluated using human OA samples, supporting its clinical potential. Overall, the Timp3 loaded sCMC-gelatin scaffold shows potential as a treatment approach for OA.
    Keywords:  Disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs); Goat ex vivo osteoarthritis (OA) model; Osteoarthritis treatment; Scaffold mediated Timp3 delivery; Sulfated carboxymethylcellulose (sCMC); Sulfated carboxymethylcellulose-gelatin scaffold
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.093
  15. Front Plant Sci. 2022 ;13 837636
      Microbial sulfatases are important biocatalysts in the marine environment where they play a key role in the catabolic biotransformation of abundant sulphated algal polysaccharides. The sulphate esters decorating algal polysaccharides, such as carrageenan, fucoidan and ulvan, can constitute up to 40% of the biopolymer dry weight. The use of this plentiful carbon and energy source by heterotrophic microbes is enabled in part by the sulfatases encoded in their genomes. Sulfatase catalysed hydrolytic removal of sulphate esters is a key reaction at various stages of the enzymatic cascade that depolymerises sulphated polysaccharides into monosaccharides that can enter energy yielding metabolic pathways. As the critical roles of sulfatases in the metabolism of sulphated polysaccharides from marine algae is increasingly revealed, the structural and functional analysis of these enzymes becomes an important component of understanding these metabolic pathways. The S1 family of formylglycine-dependent sulfatases is the largest and most functionally diverse sulfatase family that is frequently active on polysaccharides. Here, we review this important sulfatase family with emphasis on recent developments in studying the structural and functional relationship between sulfatases and their sulphated algal polysaccharide substrates. This analysis utilises the recently proposed active site nomenclature for sulfatases. We will highlight the key role of sulfatases, not only in marine carbon cycling, but also as potential biocatalysts for the production of a variety of novel tailor made sulphated oligomers, which are useful products in, for example, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications.
    Keywords:  bacteria; marine; polysaccharide; structure; sulfatase
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.837636