Among posttranslational modifications, directed proteolytic processes have the strongest impact on protein integrity. They are executed by a variety of cellular machineries and lead to a wide range of molecular consequences. Compared to other forms of proteolytic enzymes, the class of calcium-activated calpains is considered as modulator proteases due to their limited proteolytic activity, which changes the structure and function of their target substrates. In the context of neurodegeneration and - in particular - polyglutamine disorders, proteolytic events have been linked to modulatory effects on the molecular pathogenesis by generating harmful breakdown products of disease proteins. These findings led to the formulation of the , and calpains appeared to be one of the key players and auspicious therapeutic targets in Huntington disease and Machado Joseph disease. This review provides a current survey of the role of calpains in proteolytic processes found in polyglutamine disorders. Together with insights into general concepts behind and findings in polyglutamine disorders, this work aims to inspire researchers to broaden and deepen the knowledge in this field, which will help to evaluate calpain-mediated proteolysis as a unifying and therapeutically targetable posttranslational mechanism in neurodegeneration.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.1020104 | DOI Listing |
Nat Cell Biol
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, the Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
The protein homeostasis (proteostasis) network encompasses a myriad of mechanisms that maintain the integrity of the proteome by controlling various biological functions, including protein folding and degradation. Alas, ageing-associated decline in the efficiency of this network enables protein aggregation and consequently the development of late-onset neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, the maintenance of proteostasis through late stages of life bears the promise to delay the emergence of these devastating diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
December 2024
Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
Neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD) is accompanied by the aggregation of fragments of the mutant huntingtin protein, a biomarker of disease progression. A particular pathogenic role has been attributed to the aggregation-prone huntingtin exon 1 (HTTex1), generated by aberrant splicing or proteolysis, and containing the expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) segment. Unlike amyloid fibrils from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, the atomic-level structure of HTTex1 fibrils has remained unknown, limiting diagnostic and treatment efforts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
December 2024
Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St Petersburg State Polytechnical University, St Petersburg, 195251, Russian Federation. Electronic address:
The expansion of glutamine residue track (polyQ) within soluble proteins (Q proteins) is responsible for nine autosomal-dominant genetic neurodegenerative disorders. These disorders develop when polyQ expansion exceeds a specific pathogenic threshold (Q) which is unique for each disease. However, the pathogenic mechanisms associated with the variability of Q within the family of Q proteins are poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (IISC), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a cureless neurodegenerative disease recognized as the most prevalent form of dominantly inherited ataxia worldwide. The main hallmark of SCA3 is the expansion of a polyglutamine tract located in the C-terminal of Ataxin-3 (or ATXN3) protein, that triggers the mis-localization and toxic aggregation of ATXN3 in neuronal cells. The propensity of wild type and polyglutamine-expanded ATXN3 proteins to aggregate has been extensively studied over the last decades.
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