Phycocyanin protects against Alpha-Synuclein toxicity in yeast

•Phycocyanin protects against aSyn toxicity and aggregation in yeast.•Protection involves the modulation of oxidative stress response and glutathione metabolism.•Protein quality-control systems are also affected by phycocyanin.•Phycocyanin holds potential as a nutraceutical in synucleinopathies. Par...

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Published inJournal of functional foods Vol. 38; pp. 553 - 560
Main Authors Macedo, Diana, Bertolin, Telma Elita, Oro, Tatiana, Backes, Luana Taís Hartmann, Brás, Inês Caldeira, Santos, Cláudia Nunes, Tenreiro, Sandra, Outeiro, Tiago Fleming
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2017
Elsevier
Subjects
Alpha-synuclein
Oxidative stress
Parkinson’s disease
Phycocyanin
Proteostasis
Phycocyanin
Oxidative stress
Proteostasis
Alpha-synuclein
Parkinson’s disease
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Summary:•Phycocyanin protects against aSyn toxicity and aggregation in yeast.•Protection involves the modulation of oxidative stress response and glutathione metabolism.•Protein quality-control systems are also affected by phycocyanin.•Phycocyanin holds potential as a nutraceutical in synucleinopathies. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder associated with the misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in proteinaceous inclusions. These inclusions are common to a wider spectrum of disorders known as synucleinopathies. While the molecular bases of PD are still unclear, oxidative stress and impairment of protein quality-control systems play an important role, and are regarded as valuable targets for therapeutic interventions. We employed a yeast model of synucleinopathies to test the cytoprotective potential of phycocyanin, a biliprotein used as a nutritional supplement. We found that phycocyanin effectively protected against aSyn toxicity in yeast and, importantly, the mechanism of action involves the reduction of aSyn inclusions and superoxide levels, through the regulation of genes and enzymes involved in oxidative stress response, glutathione metabolism, and cellular protein quality-control systems. Overall, this study highlights the potential of phycocyanin as a nutraceutical in neurodegenerative diseases associated with proteotoxicity, such as synucleinopathies.
ISSN:1756-4646
2214-9414
DOI:10.1016/j.jff.2017.09.044