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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Assay Development for High Content Quantification of Sod1 Mutant Protein Aggregate Formation in Living Cells
Published on: October 4, 2017
Adherent monomer-misfolded SOD1
Yasuhiro Watanabe1, Eri Morita, Yasuyo Fukada
1Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
Background:
Multiple cellular functions are compromised in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In familial ALS (FALS) with Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutations, the mechanisms by which the mutation in SOD1 leads to such a wide range of abnormalities remains elusive.
Methodology/Principal Findings:
To investigate underlying cellular conditions caused by the SOD1 mutation, we explored mutant SOD1-interacting proteins in the spinal cord of symptomatic transgenic mice expressing a mutant SOD1, SOD1(Leu126delTT) with a FLAG sequence (DF mice). This gene product is structurally unable to form a functional homodimer. Tissues were obtained from both DF mice and disease-free mice expressing wild-type with FLAG SOD1 (WF mice). Both FLAG-tagged SOD1 and cross-linking proteins were enriched and subjected to a shotgun proteomic analysis. We identified 34 proteins (or protein subunits) in DF preparations, while in WF preparations, interactions were detected with only 4 proteins.
Conclusions/Significance:
These results indicate that disease-causing mutant SOD1 likely leads to inadequate protein-protein interactions. This could be an early and crucial process in the pathogenesis of FALS.
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