TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a versatile RNA/DNA binding protein involved in RNA-related metabolism. Hyper-phosphorylated and ubiquitinated TDP-43 deposits act as inclusion bodies in the brain and spinal cord of patients with the motor neuron diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). While the majority of ALS cases (90–95%) are sporadic (sALS), among familial ALS cases 5–10% involve the inheritance of mutations in the TARDBP gene and the remaining (90–95%) are due to mutations in other genes such as: C9ORF72, SOD1, FUS, and NEK1 etc. Strikingly however, the majority of sporadic ALS patients (up to 97%) also contain the TDP-43 protein deposited in the neuronal inclusions, which suggests of its pivotal role in the ALS pathology. Thus, unraveling the molecular mechanisms of the TDP-43 pathology seems central to the ALS therapeutics, hence, we comprehensively review the current understanding of the TDP-43's pathology in ALS. We discuss the roles of TDP-43's mutations, its cytoplasmic mis-localization and aberrant post-translational modifications in ALS. Also, we evaluate TDP-43's amyloid-like in vitro aggregation, its physiological vs. pathological oligomerization in vivo, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), and potential prion-like propagation propensity of the TDP-43 inclusions. Finally, we describe the various evolving TDP-43-induced toxicity mechanisms, such as the impairment of endocytosis and mitotoxicity etc. and also discuss the emerging strategies toward TDP-43 disaggregation and ALS therapeutics.

Degradation of Petroleum-plastics like Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a budding challenge due to increasing white pollution. The present investigation has focused the aspect through microbial assisted biodegradation. Various indigenous microorganisms were isolated from collected municipal landfill soil. Growth medium enriched with 0.2 g of LDPE powder was used to screen the soil bacteria with biodegradation potential. The screened bacteria were subjected to biodegradation assay in presence of LDPE sheets in growth medium. Four strains gave 5%, 17.8%, 0.9% and 0.6% degradation rate based on weight loss in the conducted in vitro assay for four days. The maximum degraded sheet was analyzed through Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Thermogravimetry, taking undegraded LDPE sheet as control. Results illustrated one-step weight loss with control and three-step weight loss with test. Thus, it proved the efficacy of isolated strain. The strain identification was carried out by genomic DNA isolation followed by PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. Genotypic identification revealed the bacterium as Pseudomonas citronellolis. BLAST gave a similarity with the database of 96%, thus phylogenetic assessment clarified the bacterium as a novel strain. The isolate was named as Pseudomonas citronellolis EMBS027 and sequence was deposited as LDPE degrading species, in GenBank with accession number KF361478.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease associated with aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) in neuronal cells and manifests as motor neuron dysfunction & muscle atrophy. The carboxyl-terminal prion-like domain of TDP-43 can aggregate in vitro into toxic β-sheet rich amyloid-like structures. So far, treatment options for ALS are very limited and Riluzole, which targets glutamate receptors, is the only but highly ineffective drug. Therefore, great interest exists in developing molecules for ALS treatment. Here, we have examined certain derivatives of acridine containing same side chains at position 4 & 5, for inhibitory potential against TDP-43 aggregation. Among several acridine derivatives examined, AIM4, which contains polar carboxyl groups in the side arms, significantly reduces TDP-43-YFP aggregation in the powerful yeast model cell and also abolishes in vitro amyloid-like aggregation of carboxyl terminal domain of TDP-43, as observed by AFM imaging. Thus, AIM4 can be a lead molecule potentiating further therapeutic research for ALS.

Lead stands second among the deadly heavy metal pollutants owing to the incompetent mechanism possessed by the human body for its removal. A polymeric hydrogel in the form of composite was prepared using acrylic acid (monomer) and novel nanofiller that possess super adsorbent properties with restricted gel seepage into flowing ionic liquid. The filler used is an adsorbent which is biocompatible, biodegradable, economical, abundant, non-hazardous and easy to synthesize. The invariably porous nanofiller, the Nanobentonite(clay), was synthesized using ion exchange reaction by creating acidic environment for accelerated dispersion with exfoliation by CTAB to enhance cation exchange capacity. NanobentoFnite was capable of removing >97% lead ion in batch adsorption study and followed pseudo-second order kinetic model. Freundlich isotherm suggested a removal capacity of ~20 mg/g. Thus, the successfully experimented adsorbent was implicated as filler to form polyacrylic acid nanoclay hydrogel polymerized in ultrasonic bath. The amount of filler was varied from 0.25 to 2 wt% to get 94% removal, analyzed using ICP-OES. The prepared adsorbents were characterized before and after adsorption using TEM, FESEM, XRD, FTIR and DSC to understand the structural changes and metal-sorbent interaction. Thus, the novel nanosorbent/composite are promiscuous and competent in terms of availability, reusability and longevity to remove heavy metal ions.

Mutations in adenine biosynthesis pathway genes ADE1 and ADE2 have been conventionally used to score for prion [PSI⁺] in yeast. If ade1‐14 mutant allele is present, which contains a premature stop codon, [psi⁻] yeast appear red on YPD medium owing to accumulation of a red intermediate compound in vacuoles. In [PSI⁺] yeast, partial inactivation of the translation termination factor, Sup35 protein, owing to its amyloid aggregation allows for read‐through of the ade1‐14 stop codon and the yeast appears white as the red intermediate pigment is not accumulated. The red colour development in ade1 and ade2 mutant yeast requires reduced‐glutathione, which helps in transport of the intermediate metabolite P‐ribosylaminoimidazole carboxylate into vacuoles, which develops the red colour. Here, we hypothesize that amyloid‐induced oxidative stress would deplete reduced‐glutathione levels and thus thwart the development of red colour in ade1 or ade2 yeast. Indeed, when we overexpressed amyloid‐forming human proteins TDP‐43, Aβ‐42 and Poly‐Gln‐103 and the yeast prion protein Rnq1, the otherwise red ade1 yeast yielded some white colonies. Further, the white colour eventually reverted back to red upon turning off the amyloid protein's expression. Also, the aggregate‐bearing yeast have increased oxidative stress and white phenotype yeast revert to red when grown on media with reducing agent. Furthermore, the red/white assay could also be emulated in ade2‐1, ade2Δ, and ade1Δ mutant yeast and also in an ade1‐14 mutant with erg6 gene deletion that increases cell‐wall permeability. This model would be useful tool for drug‐screening against general amyloid‐induced oxidative stress and toxicity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.