Camouflaged Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles Target Aggregates and Condensates of the Amyloidogenic Protein Tau

Bioconjug Chem. 2022 Jul 20;33(7):1261-1268. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00168. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Abstract

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are increasingly found to be associated with irreversible neurodegenerative disorders. The protein tau is a prototypical IDP whose abnormal aggregation into insoluble filaments is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The view has emerged that aggregation may proceed via alternative pathways involving oligomeric intermediates or phase-separated liquid droplets. Nanoparticles (NPs) offer significant potential for probing the mechanisms of protein fibrillation and may be capable of redirecting conformational transitions. Here, we camouflaged dye-doped silica NPs through functionalization with tau molecules to impart them the ability to associate with protein assemblies such as aggregates or condensates. The prepared NP-tau conjugates showed little influence on the aggregation kinetics and morphology of filamentous aggregates of tau but were found to associate with the filaments. Moreover, NP-tau conjugates were recruited and concentrated into polyanion-induced condensates of tau, driven by multivalent electrostatic interactions, thereby illuminating liquid droplets and their time-dependent transformation, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. NP-tau conjugates were capable of entering human neuroglioma cells and were not cytotoxic. Hence, we propose that NP-tau conjugates could serve as nanotracers for in vitro and in-cell studies to target and visualize tau assemblies and condensates, contributing to an explanation for the molecular mechanisms of abnormal protein aggregation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / metabolism
  • Amyloidogenic Proteins
  • Humans
  • Nanoparticles*
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Protein Conformation
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • tau Proteins

Substances

  • Amyloidogenic Proteins
  • Protein Aggregates
  • tau Proteins
  • Silicon Dioxide