Anti-prion and α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitory Sterols from the Sponge Lamellodysidea cf. chlorea

J Nat Prod. 2020 Dec 24;83(12):3751-3757. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c01168. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

Abstract

In a study aimed at identifying new anti-prion compounds we screened a library of 500 Australian marine invertebrate derived extracts using a yeast-based anti-prion assay. This resulted in an extract from the subtropical sponge Lamellodysidea cf. chlorea showing potent anti-prion activity. The bioassay-guided investigation of the sponge extract led to the isolation of three new bioactive polyoxygenated steroids, lamellosterols A-C (1-3). These sterols were all isolated in low yield, and their structures elucidated by extensive NMR and MS data analysis. Lamellosterols A-C displayed potent anti-prion activity against the [PSI+] yeast prion (EC50s of 12.7, 13.8, and 9.8 μM, respectively). Lamellosterol A (1) was further shown to bind to the Parkinson's disease implicated amyloid protein, α-synuclein, and to significantly inhibit its aggregation. Our findings indicate that these polyoxygenated sterol sulfates may be useful compounds to study mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Molecular Structure
  • Porifera / metabolism*
  • Prions / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Prions / metabolism
  • Sterols / pharmacology*
  • alpha-Synuclein / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism

Substances

  • Prions
  • Sterols
  • alpha-Synuclein