Cell-penetrating artificial mitochondria-targeting peptide-conjugated metallothionein 1A alleviates mitochondrial damage in Parkinson's disease models

Exp Mol Med. 2018 Aug 17;50(8):1-13. doi: 10.1038/s12276-018-0124-z.

Abstract

An excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) relative to the antioxidant capacity causes oxidative stress, which plays a role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Because mitochondria are both sites of ROS generation and targets of ROS damage, the delivery of antioxidants to mitochondria might prevent or alleviate PD. To transduce the antioxidant protein human metallothionein 1A (hMT1A) into mitochondria, we computationally designed a cell-penetrating artificial mitochondria-targeting peptide (CAMP). The recombinant CAMP-conjugated hMT1A fusion protein (CAMP-hMT1A) successfully localized to the mitochondria. Treating a cell culture model of PD with CAMP-hMT1A restored tyrosine hydroxylase expression and mitochondrial activity and reduced ROS production. Furthermore, injection of CAMP-hMT1A into the brain of a mouse model of PD rescued movement impairment and dopaminergic neuronal degeneration. CAMP-hMT1A delivery into mitochondria might be therapeutic against PD by alleviating mitochondrial damage, and we predict that CAMP could be used to deliver other cargo proteins to the mitochondria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / chemistry
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / pharmacology
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / therapeutic use*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Metallothionein / pharmacology
  • Metallothionein / therapeutic use*
  • Mice
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Protein Transport
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Substantia Nigra / drug effects
  • Substantia Nigra / metabolism
  • Substantia Nigra / pathology
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides
  • MT1A protein, human
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Metallothionein
  • 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase