Pathological hydrogen peroxide triggers the fibrillization of wild-type SOD1 via sulfenic acid modification of Cys-111

Cell Death Dis. 2018 Jan 22;9(2):67. doi: 10.1038/s41419-017-0106-4.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves the abnormal posttranslational modifications and fibrillization of copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and TDP-43. However, how SOD1-catalyzed reaction product hydrogen peroxide affects amyloid formation of SOD1 and TDP-43 remains elusory. 90% of ALS cases are sporadic and the remaining cases are familial ALS. In this paper, we demonstrate that H2O2 at pathological concentrations triggers the fibrillization of wild-type SOD1 both in vitro and in SH-SY5Y cells. Using an anti-dimedone antibody that detects sulfenic acid modification of proteins, we found that Cys-111 in wild-type SOD1 is oxidized to C-SOH by pathological concentration of H2O2, followed by the formation of sulfenic acid modified SOD1 oligomers. Furthermore, we show that such SOD1 oligomers propagate in a prion-like manner, and not only drive wild-type SOD1 to form fibrils in the cytoplasm but also induce cytoplasm mislocalization and the subsequent fibrillization of wild-type TDP-43, thereby inducing apoptosis of living cells. Thus, we propose that H2O2 at pathological concentrations triggers the fibrillization of wild-type SOD1 and subsequently induces SOD1 toxicity and TDP-43 toxicity in neuronal cells via sulfenic acid modification of Cys-111 in SOD1. Our Western blot and ELISA data demonstrate that sulfenic acid modified wild-type SOD1 level in cerebrospinal fluid of 15 sporadic ALS patients is significantly increased compared with 6 age-matched control patients. These findings can explain how H2O2 at pathologic concentrations regulates the misfolding and toxicity of SOD1 and TDP-43 associated with ALS, and suggest that sulfenic acid modification of wild-type SOD1 should play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of sporadic ALS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid / drug effects
  • Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cysteine / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / toxicity*
  • Models, Biological
  • Protein Multimerization / drug effects
  • Sulfenic Acids / metabolism*
  • Superoxide Dismutase-1 / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Superoxide Dismutase-1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Sulfenic Acids
  • TARDBP protein, human
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Superoxide Dismutase-1
  • Cysteine

Supplementary concepts

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 1