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Grizel AV, Rubel AA, Chernoff YO. Strain conformation controls the specificity of cross-species prion transmission in the yeast model. Prion 2017; 10:269-82. [PMID: 27565563 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1204060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible self-assembled fibrous cross-β polymer infectious proteins (prions) cause neurodegenerative diseases in mammals and control non-Mendelian heritable traits in yeast. Cross-species prion transmission is frequently impaired, due to sequence differences in prion-forming proteins. Recent studies of prion species barrier on the model of closely related yeast species show that colocalization of divergent proteins is not sufficient for the cross-species prion transmission, and that an identity of specific amino acid sequences and a type of prion conformational variant (strain) play a major role in the control of transmission specificity. In contrast, chemical compounds primarily influence transmission specificity via favoring certain strain conformations, while the species origin of the host cell has only a relatively minor input. Strain alterations may occur during cross-species prion conversion in some combinations. The model is discussed which suggests that different recipient proteins can acquire different spectra of prion strain conformations, which could be either compatible or incompatible with a particular donor strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia V Grizel
- a Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,b Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,c Department of Genetics and Biotechnology , St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Aleksandr A Rubel
- a Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,b Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,c Department of Genetics and Biotechnology , St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia
| | - Yury O Chernoff
- a Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,b Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia.,d School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , GA , USA
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Shan Z, Yamasaki T, Suzuki A, Hasebe R, Horiuchi M. Establishment of a simple cell-based ELISA for the direct detection of abnormal isoform of prion protein from prion-infected cells without cell lysis and proteinase K treatment. Prion 2017; 10:305-18. [PMID: 27565564 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1189053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion-infected cells have been used for analyzing the effect of compounds on the formation of abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrP(Sc)). PrP(Sc) is usually detected using anti-prion protein (PrP) antibodies after the removal of the cellular isoform of prion protein (PrP(C)) by proteinase K (PK) treatment. However, it is expected that the PK-sensitive PrP(Sc) (PrP(Sc)-sen), which possesses higher infectivity and conversion activity than the PK-resistant PrP(Sc) (PrP(Sc)-res), is also digested through PK treatment. To overcome this problem, we established a novel cell-based ELISA in which PrP(Sc) can be directly detected from cells persistently infected with prions using anti-PrP monoclonal antibody (mAb) 132 that recognizes epitope consisting of mouse PrP amino acids 119-127. The novel cell-based ELISA could distinguish prion-infected cells from prion-uninfected cells without cell lysis and PK treatment. MAb 132 could detect both PrP(Sc)-sen and PrP(Sc)-res even if all PrP(Sc) molecules were not detected. The analytical dynamic range for PrP(Sc) detection was approximately 1 log. The coefficient of variation and signal-to-background ratio were 7%-11% and 2.5-3.3, respectively, demonstrating the reproducibility of this assay. The addition of a cytotoxicity assay immediately before PrP(Sc) detection did not affect the following PrP(Sc) detection. Thus, all the procedures including cell culture, cytotoxicity assay, and PrP(Sc) detection were completed in the same plate. The simplicity and non-requirement for cell lysis or PK treatment are advantages for the high throughput screening of anti-prion compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifu Shan
- a Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamasaki
- a Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
| | - Akio Suzuki
- a Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
| | - Rie Hasebe
- a Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
| | - Motohiro Horiuchi
- a Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan
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Ke PC, Sani MA, Ding F, Kakinen A, Javed I, Separovic F, Davis TP, Mezzenga R. Implications of peptide assemblies in amyloid diseases. Chem Soc Rev 2017; 46:6492-6531. [PMID: 28702523 PMCID: PMC5902192 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00372b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders and type 2 diabetes are global epidemics compromising the quality of life of millions worldwide, with profound social and economic implications. Despite the significant differences in pathology - much of which are poorly understood - these diseases are commonly characterized by the presence of cross-β amyloid fibrils as well as the loss of neuronal or pancreatic β-cells. In this review, we document research progress on the molecular and mesoscopic self-assembly of amyloid-beta, alpha synuclein, human islet amyloid polypeptide and prions, the peptides and proteins associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes and prion diseases. In addition, we discuss the toxicities of these amyloid proteins based on their self-assembly as well as their interactions with membranes, metal ions, small molecules and engineered nanoparticles. Through this presentation we show the remarkable similarities and differences in the structural transitions of the amyloid proteins through primary and secondary nucleation, the common evolution from disordered monomers to alpha-helices and then to β-sheets when the proteins encounter the cell membrane, and, the consensus (with a few exceptions) that off-pathway oligomers, rather than amyloid fibrils, are the toxic species regardless of the pathogenic protein sequence or physicochemical properties. In addition, we highlight the crucial role of molecular self-assembly in eliciting the biological and pathological consequences of the amyloid proteins within the context of their cellular environments and their spreading between cells and organs. Exploiting such structure-function-toxicity relationship may prove pivotal for the detection and mitigation of amyloid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Marc-Antonie Sani
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
| | - Aleksandr Kakinen
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ibrahim Javed
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Frances Separovic
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Science & Technology, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO, E23, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Genetic human prion disease modelled in PrP transgenic Drosophila. Biochem J 2017; 474:3253-3267. [PMID: 28814578 PMCID: PMC5606059 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20170462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Inherited human prion diseases, such as fatal familial insomnia (FFI) and familial Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (fCJD), are associated with autosomal dominant mutations in the human prion protein gene PRNP and accumulation of PrPSc, an abnormal isomer of the normal host protein PrPC, in the brain of affected individuals. PrPSc is the principal component of the transmissible neurotoxic prion agent. It is important to identify molecular pathways and cellular processes that regulate prion formation and prion-induced neurotoxicity. This will allow identification of possible therapeutic interventions for individuals with, or at risk from, genetic human prion disease. Increasingly, Drosophila has been used to model human neurodegenerative disease. An important unanswered question is whether genetic prion disease with concomitant spontaneous prion formation can be modelled in Drosophila. We have used pUAST/PhiC31-mediated site-directed mutagenesis to generate Drosophila transgenic for murine or hamster PrP (prion protein) that carry single-codon mutations associated with genetic human prion disease. Mouse or hamster PrP harbouring an FFI (D178N) or fCJD (E200K) mutation showed mild Proteinase K resistance when expressed in Drosophila. Adult Drosophila transgenic for FFI or fCJD variants of mouse or hamster PrP displayed a spontaneous decline in locomotor ability that increased in severity as the flies aged. Significantly, this mutant PrP-mediated neurotoxic fly phenotype was transferable to recipient Drosophila that expressed the wild-type form of the transgene. Collectively, our novel data are indicative of the spontaneous formation of a PrP-dependent neurotoxic phenotype in FFI- or CJD-PrP transgenic Drosophila and show that inherited human prion disease can be modelled in this invertebrate host.
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Immunization of cervidized transgenic mice with multimeric deer prion protein induces self-antibodies that antagonize chronic wasting disease infectivity in vitro. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10538. [PMID: 28874781 PMCID: PMC5585258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most contagious prion disease. It is expanding rapidly in North America, was found recently in Europe, and the potential for transmission to humans cannot be excluded yet. We hypothesized that it is possible to prevent peripheral CWD infection and CWD prion shedding by inducing auto-antibodies against the cellular prion protein (PrPC) by active vaccination. Our objective is to overcome self-tolerance against PrP by using a multimeric recombinant PrP (recPrP) as an immunogen. We expressed in E. coli, purified and refolded four immunogens: cervid and murine recPrP in monomeric and dimeric form. Testing immunogenicity in sera of the vaccinated transgenic mice expressing cervid PrP revealed that all four immunogens effectively overcame self-tolerance against the prion protein as shown by high antibody titers. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed effective binding of post-immune sera to surface-located PrPC in both murine and cervid PrP expressing cultured cells. Remarkably, the post-immune auto-antibodies effectively inhibited CWD-induced prion conversion in RT-QuIC assay when incubated with either PrP substrate or CWD seed. Furthermore, they mitigated prion propagation in CWD-infected cervid-PrP expressing RK13 cells. Together, multimeric recombinant cervid PrP effectively overcomes self-tolerance to PrP and induces auto-antibodies that interfere with CWD conversion in vitro.
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Hannaoui S, Amidian S, Cheng YC, Duque Velásquez C, Dorosh L, Law S, Telling G, Stepanova M, McKenzie D, Wille H, Gilch S. Destabilizing polymorphism in cervid prion protein hydrophobic core determines prion conformation and conversion efficiency. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006553. [PMID: 28800624 PMCID: PMC5568445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious neurodegenerative disorders of humans and animals caused by misfolded forms of the cellular prion protein PrPC. Prions cause disease by converting PrPC into aggregation-prone PrPSc. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most contagious prion disease with substantial lateral transmission, affecting free-ranging and farmed cervids. Although the PrP primary structure is highly conserved among cervids, the disease phenotype can be modulated by species-specific polymorphisms in the prion protein gene. How the resulting amino-acid substitutions impact PrPC and PrPSc structure and propagation is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of the cervid 116A>G substitution, located in the most conserved PrP domain, on PrPC structure and conversion and on 116AG-prion conformation and infectivity. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed structural de-stabilization of 116G-PrP, which enhanced its in vitro conversion efficiency when used as recombinant PrP substrate in real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). We demonstrate that 116AG-prions are conformationally less stable, show lower activity as a seed in RT-QuIC and exhibit reduced infectivity in vitro and in vivo. Infectivity of 116AG-prions was significantly enhanced upon secondary passage in mice, yet conformational features were retained. These findings indicate that structurally de-stabilized PrPC is readily convertible by cervid prions of different genetic background and results in a prion conformation adaptable to cervid wild-type PrP. Conformation is an important criterion when assessing transmission barrier, and conformational variants can target a different host range. Therefore, a thorough analysis of CWD isolates and re-assessment of species-barriers is important in order to fully exclude a zoonotic potential of CWD. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease which affects wild and captive cervids. Prion diseases are infectious neurodegenerative disorders, and the causative agent consists of abnormally folded prion protein termed PrPSc. Prions replicate without genetic information, and their three-dimensional structure is thought to encode heritable information necessary to propagate using the cellular prion protein PrPC as a substrate for conversion. In this study, we use in vitro and in vivo techniques to analyze the effect of a polymorphism at codon 116 (A>G) of the white-tailed deer prion protein on CWD prion conformation, propagation and pathogenesis. We observed differences in conformation, infectivity and seeding activity in vitro between CWD prions isolated from white-tailed deer encoding wild-type (116AA) PrPC or 116AG-PrPC. In mouse bioassays conformational differences are retained, however, 116AG CWD prions resulted in significantly shortened incubation times upon passages. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the structure of 116G-PrPC is more flexible, which is supported by an improved convertibility in an in vitro conversion assay. Altogether these data indicate the importance of a variation in the most conserved PrP domain, and highlight the relationship between PrPC structural flexibility, prion conformation and conversion, and pathogenesis of prion disease in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sara Amidian
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yo Ching Cheng
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lyudmyla Dorosh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sampson Law
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Glenn Telling
- Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Maria Stepanova
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Sarnataro D, Pepe A, Zurzolo C. Cell Biology of Prion Protein. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:57-82. [PMID: 28838675 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a mammalian glycoprotein which is usually found anchored to the plasma membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The precise function of PrPC remains elusive but may depend upon its cellular localization. PrPC misfolds to a pathogenic isoform PrPSc, the causative agent of neurodegenerative prion diseases. Nonetheless some forms of prion disease develop in the apparent absence of infectious PrPSc, suggesting that molecular species of PrP distinct from PrPSc may represent the primary neurotoxic culprits. Indeed, in some inherited cases of human prion disease, the predominant form of PrP detectable in the brain is not PrPSc but rather CtmPrP, a transmembrane form of the protein. The relationship between the neurodegeneration occurring in prion diseases involving PrPSc and that associated with CtmPrP remains unclear. However, the different membrane topology of the PrP mutants, as well as the presence of the GPI anchor, could influence both the function and the intracellular localization and trafficking of the protein, all being potentially very important in the pathophysiological mechanism that ultimately causes the disease. Here, we review the latest findings on the fundamental aspects of prions biology, from the PrPC biosynthesis, function, and structure up to its intracellular traffic and analyze the possible roles of the different topological isoforms of the protein, as well as the GPI anchor, in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Sarnataro
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Ceinge-Biotecnologie avanzate, s.c.a r.l., Naples, Italy.
| | - Anna Pepe
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Unité de Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenese, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Unité de Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenese, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Malachin G, Reiten MR, Salvesen Ø, Aanes H, Kamstra JH, Skovgaard K, Heegaard PMH, Ersdal C, Espenes A, Tranulis MA, Bakkebø MK. Loss of prion protein induces a primed state of type I interferon-responsive genes. PLoS One 2017. [PMID: 28651013 PMCID: PMC5484497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) has been extensively studied because of its pivotal role in prion diseases; however, its functions remain incompletely understood. A unique line of goats has been identified that carries a nonsense mutation that abolishes synthesis of PrPC. In these animals, the PrP-encoding mRNA is rapidly degraded. Goats without PrPC are valuable in re-addressing loss-of-function phenotypes observed in Prnp knockout mice. As PrPC has been ascribed various roles in immune cells, we analyzed transcriptomic responses to loss of PrPC in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from normal goat kids (n = 8, PRNP+/+) and goat kids without PrPC (n = 8, PRNPTer/Ter) by mRNA sequencing. PBMCs normally express moderate levels of PrPC. The vast majority of genes were similarly expressed in the two groups. However, a curated list of 86 differentially expressed genes delineated the two genotypes. About 70% of these were classified as interferon-responsive genes. In goats without PrPC, the majority of type I interferon-responsive genes were in a primed, modestly upregulated state, with fold changes ranging from 1.4 to 3.7. Among these were ISG15, DDX58 (RIG-1), MX1, MX2, OAS1, OAS2 and DRAM1, all of which have important roles in pathogen defense, cell proliferation, apoptosis, immunomodulation and DNA damage response. Our data suggest that PrPC contributes to the fine-tuning of resting state PBMCs expression level of type I interferon-responsive genes. The molecular mechanism by which this is achieved will be an important topic for further research into PrPC physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Malachin
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Malin R. Reiten
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øyvind Salvesen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Håvard Aanes
- Department of Microbiology, Division of diagnostics and intervention, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorke H. Kamstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kerstin Skovgaard
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter M. H. Heegaard
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Cecilie Ersdal
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arild Espenes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael A. Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Maren K. Bakkebø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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Salvesen Ø, Reiten MR, Espenes A, Bakkebø MK, Tranulis MA, Ersdal C. LPS-induced systemic inflammation reveals an immunomodulatory role for the prion protein at the blood-brain interface. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:106. [PMID: 28532450 PMCID: PMC5441080 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0879-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is an evolutionary conserved protein abundantly expressed not only in the central nervous system but also peripherally including the immune system. A line of Norwegian dairy goats naturally devoid of PrPC (PRNPTer/Ter) provides a novel model for studying PrPC physiology. Methods In order to explore putative roles for PrPC in acute inflammatory responses, we performed a lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Escherichia coli O26:B6) challenge of 16 goats (8 PRNP+/+ and 8 PRNPTer/Ter) and included 10 saline-treated controls (5 of each PRNP genotype). Clinical examinations were performed continuously, and blood samples were collected throughout the trial. Genome-wide transcription profiles of the choroid plexus, which is at the blood-brain interface, and the hippocampus were analyzed by RNA sequencing, and the same tissues were histologically evaluated. Results All LPS-treated goats displayed clinical signs of sickness behavior, which were of significantly (p < 0.01) longer duration in animals without PrPC. In the choroid plexus, a substantial alteration of the transcriptome and activation of Iba1-positive cells were observed. This response included genotype-dependent differential expression of several genes associated with the immune response, such as ISG15, CXCL12, CXCL14, and acute phase proteins, among others. Activation of cytokine-responsive genes was skewed towards a more profound type I interferon response, and a less obvious type II response, in PrPC-deficient goats. The magnitude of gene expression in response to LPS was smaller in the hippocampus than in the choroid plexus. Resting state expression profiles revealed a few differences between the PRNP genotypes. Conclusions Our data suggest that PrPC acts as a modulator of certain pathways of innate immunity signaling, particularly downstream of interferons, and probably contributes to protection of vulnerable tissues against inflammatory damage. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-017-0879-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ø Salvesen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway
| | - M R Reiten
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway
| | - A Espenes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway
| | - M K Bakkebø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway
| | - M A Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway
| | - C Ersdal
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway.
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Abstract
The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) causes fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Yet PrPC is highly conserved in mammals, suggesting that it exerts beneficial functions preventing its evolutionary elimination. Ablation of PrPC in mice results in well-defined structural and functional alterations in the peripheral nervous system. Many additional phenotypes were ascribed to the lack of PrPC, but some of these were found to arise from genetic artifacts of the underlying mouse models. Here, we revisit the proposed physiological roles of PrPC in the central and peripheral nervous systems and highlight the need for their critical reassessment using new, rigorously controlled animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Angela Wulf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of invariably fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that are associated with the misfolding of the normal cellular prion protein, with the misfolded conformers constituting an infectious unit referred to as a "prion". Prions can spread within an affected organism by directly propagating this misfolding within and between cells and can transmit disease between animals of the same and different species. Prion diseases have a range of clinical phenotypes in humans and animals, with a principle determinant of this attributed to different conformations of the misfolded protein, referred to as prion strains. This chapter will describe the different clinical manifestations of prion diseases, the evidence that these diseases can be transmitted by an infectious protein and how the misfolding of this protein causes disease.
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Structural Modeling of Human Prion Protein's Point Mutations. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:105-122. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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63
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Vermette M, Schleining J, Greenlee J, Smith J. Genetic variation of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in alpaca (Vicugna pacos). GENE REPORTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Khrustalev VV, Khrustaleva TA, Szpotkowski K, Poboinev VV, Kakhanouskaya KY. The part of a long beta hairpin from the scrapie form of the human prion protein is reconstructed in the synthetic CC36 protein. Proteins 2016; 84:1462-79. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.25090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatyana Aleksandrovna Khrustaleva
- Laboratory of Cellular Technologies; Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Academicheskaya, 28 Minsk Belarus
| | - Kamil Szpotkowski
- Department of Crystallography Center of Biocrystallographic Research; Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences; Z. Noskowskiego, 12/14 Poznan Poland
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Hassan MF, Khan SH, Babar ME, Yang L, Ali T, Khan JM, Shah SZA, Zhou X, Hussain T, Zhu T, Hussain T, Zhao D. Polymorphism analysis of prion protein gene in 11 Pakistani goat breeds. Prion 2016; 10:290-304. [PMID: 27388702 PMCID: PMC5082961 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1178422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between caprine PrP gene polymorphisms and its susceptibility to scrapie has been investigated in current years. As the ORF of the PrP gene is extremely erratic in different breeds of goats, we studied the PrP gene polymorphisms in 80 goats which belong to 11 Pakistani indigenous goat breeds from all provinces of Pakistan. A total of 6 distinct polymorphic sites (one novel) with amino acid substitutions were identified in the PrP gene which includes 126 (A -> G), 304 (G -> T), 379 (A -> G), 414 (C -> T), 428 (A -> G) and 718 (C -> T). The locus c.428 was found highly polymorphic in all breeds as compare to other loci. On the basis of these PrP variants NJ phylogenetic tree was constructed through MEGA6.1 which showed that all goat breeds along with domestic sheep and Mauflon sheep appeared as in one clade and sharing its most recent common ancestors (MRCA) with deer species while Protein analysis has shown that these polymorphisms can lead to varied primary, secondary and tertiary structure of protein. Based on these polymorphic variants, genetic distance, multidimensional scaling plot and principal component analyses revealed the clear picture regarding greater number of substitutions in cattle PrP regions as compared to the small ruminant species. In particular these findings may pinpoint the fundamental control over the scrapie in Capra hircus on genetic basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Farooque Hassan
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Sher Hayat Khan
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Lifeng Yang
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Tariq Ali
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jamal Muhammad Khan
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory & College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Syed Zahid Ali Shah
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangmei Zhou
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Tanveer Hussain
- University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
- Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ting Zhu
- Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fujian, China
| | - Tariq Hussain
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Deming Zhao
- Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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66
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Hecel A, Migliorini C, Valensin D, Luczkowski M, Kozlowski H. Impact of SDS surfactant on the interactions of Cu(2+) ions with the amyloidogenic region of human prion protein. Dalton Trans 2016; 44:13125-32. [PMID: 26107283 DOI: 10.1039/c5dt01488c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of fatal neuronal, and to some extent infectious disorders, associated with a pathogenic protein agent called prion protein (PrP). The human prion protein (hPrP) fragment encompassing the 91-127 region, also known as the amyloidogenic domain, comprises two copper-binding sites corresponding to His-96 and His-111 residues that act as anchors for Cu(2+) binding. In this work, we investigated Cu(2+) interaction with hPrP91-127 in the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which induces a partial α-helix folding of the peptide. Our data indicate that the Cu(2+) coordination ability of the amyloidogenic fragment in the presence of SDS micelles is significantly different to that observed in aqueous solution. This is mainly due to the fact that SDS micelles strongly stabilize the formation of the α-helical structure of the peptide backbone, which is well conserved also upon Cu(2+) binding, contrary to the random coil conformation mainly assumed by hPrP91-127 in aqueous solutions. Potentiometric and spectroscopic studies clearly indicate that in the case of SDS containing solutions, Cu(2+) ions coordinate simultaneously to both imidazoles, while in the case of water solutions, metal ion coordination involves only a single His side chain, which individually acts as an independent Cu(2+) anchoring site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Hecel
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50383 Wroclaw, Poland.
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67
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Do prion protein gene polymorphisms induce apoptosis in non-mammals? J Biosci 2016; 41:97-107. [PMID: 26949092 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-015-9584-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in prion protein coding gene, Prnp, greatly affect susceptibility to prion diseases in mammals. Here, the coding region of Prnp was screened for polymorphisms in redeared turtle, Trachemys scripta. Four polymorphisms, L203V, N205I, V225A and M237V, were common in 15 out of 30 turtles; in one sample, three SNPs, L203V, N205I and M237V, and in the remaining 14 samples, only L203V and N205I polymorphisms, were investigated. Besides, C658T, C664T, C670A and C823A SNPs were silent mutations. To elucidate the relationship between the SNPs and apoptosis, TUNEL assays and active caspase-3 immunodetection techniques in brain sections of the polymorphic samples were performed. The results revealed that TUNEL-positive cells and active caspase-3-positive cells in the turtles with four polymorphisms were significantly increased compared with those of the turtles with two polymorphisms (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, this study provides preliminary information about the possible relationship between SNPs within the Prnp locus and apoptosis in a non-mammalian species, Trachemys scripta, in which prion disease has never been reported.
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68
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Abstract
Prions are the etiological agent of fatal neurodegenerative diseases called prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. These maladies can be sporadic, genetic or infectious disorders. Prions are due to post-translational modifications of the cellular prion protein leading to the formation of a β-sheet enriched conformer with altered biochemical properties. The molecular events causing prion formation in sporadic prion diseases are still elusive. Recently, we published a research elucidating the contribution of major structural determinants and environmental factors in prion protein folding and stability. Our study highlighted the crucial role of octarepeats in stabilizing prion protein; the presence of a highly enthalpically stable intermediate state in prion-susceptible species; and the role of disulfide bridge in preserving native fold thus avoiding the misfolding to a β-sheet enriched isoform. Taking advantage from these findings, in this work we present new insights into structural determinants of prion protein folding and stability.
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Key Words
- ADAM family, A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase family
- CJD, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- FFI, fatal familial insomnia
- GPI, glycosylphosphatidylinositol
- GSS, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome
- N-terminal domain
- NMDA receptor, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
- OR, octarepeats
- PrPC, cellular prion protein
- PrPSc, prion
- TSE, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
- disulfide bridge
- folding
- globular domain
- intermediate state
- octarepeat
- prion protein
- stability
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Benetti
- a Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience; Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste , Italy
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69
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Lewis V, Johanssen VA, Crouch PJ, Klug GM, Hooper NM, Collins SJ. Prion protein "gamma-cleavage": characterizing a novel endoproteolytic processing event. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:667-83. [PMID: 26298290 PMCID: PMC11108375 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is a ubiquitously expressed protein of currently unresolved but potentially diverse function. Of putative relevance to normal biological activity, PrP(C) is recognized to undergo both α- and β-endoproteolysis, producing the cleavage fragment pairs N1/C1 and N2/C2, respectively. Experimental evidence suggests the likelihood that these processing events serve differing cellular needs. Through the engineering of a C-terminal c-myc tag onto murine PrP(C), as well as the selective use of a far-C-terminal anti-PrP antibody, we have identified a new PrP(C) fragment, nominally 'C3', and elaborating existing nomenclature, 'γ-cleavage' as the responsible proteolysis. Our studies indicate that this novel γ-cleavage event can occur during transit through the secretory pathway after exiting the endoplasmic reticulum, and after PrP(C) has reached the cell surface, by a matrix metalloprotease. We found that C3 is GPI-anchored like other C-terminal and full length PrP(C) species, though it does not localize primarily at the cell surface, and is preferentially cleaved from an unglycosylated substrate. Importantly, we observed that C3 exists in diverse cell types as well as mouse and human brain tissue, and of possible pathogenic significance, γ-cleavage may increase in human prion diseases. Given the likely relevance of PrP(C) processing to both its normal function, and susceptibility to prion disease, the potential importance of this previously underappreciated and overlooked cleavage event warrants further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Lewis
- Department of Medicine, RMH, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Vanessa A Johanssen
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Peter J Crouch
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Genevieve M Klug
- Department of Medicine, RMH, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- The Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Nigel M Hooper
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Steven J Collins
- Department of Medicine, RMH, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- The Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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70
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Sharma A, Bruce KL, Chen B, Gyoneva S, Behrens SH, Bommarius AS, Chernoff YO. Contributions of the Prion Protein Sequence, Strain, and Environment to the Species Barrier. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1277-88. [PMID: 26565023 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.684100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid propagation requires high levels of sequence specificity so that only molecules with very high sequence identity can form cross-β-sheet structures of sufficient stringency for incorporation into the amyloid fibril. This sequence specificity presents a barrier to the transmission of prions between two species with divergent sequences, termed a species barrier. Here we study the relative effects of protein sequence, seed conformation, and environment on the species barrier strength and specificity for the yeast prion protein Sup35p from three closely related species of the Saccharomyces sensu stricto group; namely, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces bayanus, and Saccharomyces paradoxus. Through in vivo plasmid shuffle experiments, we show that the major characteristics of the transmission barrier and conformational fidelity are determined by the protein sequence rather than by the cellular environment. In vitro data confirm that the kinetics and structural preferences of aggregation of the S. paradoxus and S. bayanus proteins are influenced by anions in accordance with their positions in the Hofmeister series, as observed previously for S. cerevisiae. However, the specificity of the species barrier is primarily affected by the sequence and the type of anion present during the formation of the initial seed, whereas anions present during the seeded aggregation process typically influence kinetics rather than the specificity of prion conversion. Therefore, our work shows that the protein sequence and the conformation variant (strain) of the prion seed are the primary determinants of cross-species prion specificity both in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Sharma
- From the Schools of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and
| | - Kathryn L Bruce
- Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 and
| | - Buxin Chen
- Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 and
| | - Stefka Gyoneva
- Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 and
| | - Sven H Behrens
- From the Schools of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and
| | | | - Yury O Chernoff
- Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 and the Laboratory of Amyloid Biology and Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
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71
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Cingaram PKR, Nyeste A, Dondapati DT, Fodor E, Welker E. Prion Protein Does Not Confer Resistance to Hippocampus-Derived Zpl Cells against the Toxic Effects of Cu2+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Co2+ Not Supporting a General Protective Role for PrP in Transition Metal Induced Toxicity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139219. [PMID: 26426582 PMCID: PMC4591282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions of transition metals with the prion protein (PrP) are well-documented and characterized, however, there is no consensus on their role in either the physiology of PrP or PrP-related neurodegenerative disorders. PrP has been reported to protect cells from the toxic stimuli of metals. By employing a cell viability assay, we examined the effects of various concentrations of Cu2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ on Zpl (Prnp-/-) and ZW (Prnp+/+) hippocampus-derived mouse neuronal cells. Prnp-/- Zpl cells were more sensitive to all four metals than PrP-expressing Zw cells. However, when we introduced PrP or only the empty vector into Zpl cells, we could not discern any protective effect associated with the presence of PrP. This observation was further corroborated when assessing the toxic effect of metals by propidium-iodide staining and fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis. Thus, our results on this mouse cell culture model do not seem to support a strong protective role for PrP against transition metal toxicity and also emphasize the necessity of extreme care when comparing cells derived from PrP knock-out and wild type mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antal Nyeste
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Divya Teja Dondapati
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elfrieda Fodor
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ervin Welker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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72
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Bakkebø MK, Mouillet-Richard S, Espenes A, Goldmann W, Tatzelt J, Tranulis MA. The Cellular Prion Protein: A Player in Immunological Quiescence. Front Immunol 2015; 6:450. [PMID: 26388873 PMCID: PMC4557099 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive studies since the 1990s, the physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) remains elusive. Here, we present a novel concept suggesting that PrP(C) contributes to immunological quiescence in addition to cell protection. PrP(C) is highly expressed in diverse organs that by multiple means are particularly protected from inflammation, such as the brain, eye, placenta, pregnant uterus, and testes, while at the same time it is expressed in most cells of the lymphoreticular system. In this paradigm, PrP(C) serves two principal roles: to modulate the inflammatory potential of immune cells and to protect vulnerable parenchymal cells against noxious insults generated through inflammation. Here, we review studies of PrP(C) physiology in view of this concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren K. Bakkebø
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Arild Espenes
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wilfred Goldmann
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Michael A. Tranulis
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway,*Correspondence: Michael A. Tranulis, Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Campus Adamstuen, Oslo 0033, Norway,
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73
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Kurt TD, Jiang L, Fernández-Borges N, Bett C, Liu J, Yang T, Spraker TR, Castilla J, Eisenberg D, Kong Q, Sigurdson CJ. Human prion protein sequence elements impede cross-species chronic wasting disease transmission. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:1485-96. [PMID: 25705888 PMCID: PMC4396485 DOI: 10.1172/jci79408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of North American deer and elk and poses an unclear risk for transmission to humans. Human exposure to CWD occurs through hunting activities and consumption of venison from prion-infected animals. Although the amino acid residues of the prion protein (PrP) that prevent or permit human CWD infection are unknown, NMR-based structural studies suggest that the β2-α2 loop (residues 165-175) may impact species barriers. Here we sought to define PrP sequence determinants that affect CWD transmission to humans. We engineered transgenic mice that express human PrP with four amino acid substitutions that result in expression of PrP with a β2-α2 loop (residues 165-175) that exactly matches that of elk PrP. Compared with transgenic mice expressing unaltered human PrP, mice expressing the human-elk chimeric PrP were highly susceptible to elk and deer CWD prions but were concurrently less susceptible to human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions. A systematic in vitro survey of amino acid differences between humans and cervids identified two additional residues that impacted CWD conversion of human PrP. This work identifies amino acids that constitute a substantial structural barrier for CWD transmission to humans and helps illuminate the molecular requirements for cross-species prion transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D. Kurt
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lin Jiang
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Cyrus Bett
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tom Yang
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Terry R. Spraker
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - David Eisenberg
- UCLA-DOE Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Qingzhong Kong
- Departments of Pathology and Neurology, and National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Christina J. Sigurdson
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, UCD, Davis, California, USA
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74
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Qing LL, Zhao H, Liu LL. Progress on low susceptibility mechanisms of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 35:436-45. [PMID: 25297084 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2014.5.436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases detected in a wide range of mammalian species. The "protein-only" hypothesis of TSE suggests that prions are transmissible particles devoid of nucleic acid and the primary pathogenic event is thought to be the conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into the disease-associated isoform (PrP(Sc)). According to susceptibility to TSEs, animals can be classified into susceptible species and low susceptibility species. In this review we focus on several species with low susceptibility to TSEs: dogs, rabbits, horses and buffaloes. We summarize recent studies into the characteristics of low susceptibility regarding protein structure, and biochemical and genetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Li Qing
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
| | - Lin-Lin Liu
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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75
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Nyström S, Hammarström P. Is the prevalent human prion protein 129M/V mutation a living fossil from a Paleolithic panzootic superprion pandemic? Prion 2015; 8:2-10. [PMID: 24398570 PMCID: PMC7030913 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are consistently associated with prion protein (PrP(C)) misfolding rendering a cascade of auto-catalytic self-perpetuation of misfolded PrP in an afflicted individual. The molecular process is intriguingly similar to all known amyloid diseases both local and systemic. The prion disease is also infectious by the transfer of misfolded PrP from one individual to the next. Transmissibility is surprisingly efficient in prion diseases and given the rapid disease progression following initial symptoms the prionoses stand out from other amyloidoses, which all may be transmissible under certain circumstances. The nature of the infectious prion as well as the genotype of the host is important for transmissibility. For hitherto unexplained reasons the majority of Europeans carry a missense mutation on one or both alleles of the PrP gene (PRNP), and hence express a variant of PrP with a substitution for valine (V) instead of methionine (M) in position 129. In fact the 129M/V variant is very common in all populations except for the Japanese. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a disease rarely striking people below the age of 60, where homozygosity especially 129MM is a very strong risk factor. Paradoxically, the 129M/V polymorphism suggestive of heterozygote advantage is one of the most clear cut disease associated traits of the human population, yet prion disease is extraordinarily rare. The genetic basis for how this trait spread with such prevalence within human populations is still target to investigations and deserves attention. This short essay represents a somewhat provocative hypothetical notion of a possible ancient significance of this polymorphism.
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76
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Heegaard PMH, Bergström AL, Andersen HG, Cordes H. Prion-Specific Antibodies Produced in Wild-Type Mice. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1348:285-301. [PMID: 26424281 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2999-3_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-specific antibodies produced against synthetic peptides are of high value in probing protein structure and function, especially when working with challenging proteins, including not readily available, non-immunogenic, toxic, and/or pathogenic proteins. Here, we present a straightforward method for production of mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against peptides representing two sites of interest in the bovine prion protein (boPrP), the causative agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow disease") and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease (CJD) in humans, as well as a thorough characterization of their reactivity with a range of normal and pathogenic (misfolded) prion proteins. It is demonstrated that immunization of wild-type mice with ovalbumin-conjugated peptides formulated with Freund's adjuvant induces a good immune response, including high levels of specific anti-peptide antibodies, even against peptides very homologous to murine protein sequences. In general, using the strategies described here for selecting, synthesizing, and conjugating peptides and immunizing 4-5 mice with 2-3 different peptides, high-titered antibodies reacting with the target protein are routinely obtained with at least one of the peptides after three to four immunizations with incomplete Freund's adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M H Heegaard
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Building B, Bülowsvej 27, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Ann-Louise Bergström
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Building B, Bülowsvej 27, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Department Neurodegeneration, H. Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500, Valby, Denmark
| | - Heidi Gertz Andersen
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Building B, Bülowsvej 27, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Henriette Cordes
- Innate Immunology Group, Section for Immunology and Vaccinology, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Building B, Bülowsvej 27, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk A/S, Krogshøjvej 30, 2880, Bagsværd, Denmark
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77
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Gogineni DP, Spuches AM, Burns CS. Calorimetric investigation of copper binding in the N-terminal region of the prion protein at low copper loading: evidence for an entropically favorable first binding event. Inorg Chem 2014; 54:441-7. [PMID: 25541747 PMCID: PMC4303328 DOI: 10.1021/ic502014x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Although
the Cu2+-binding sites of the prion protein have been well
studied when the protein is fully saturated by Cu2+, the
Cu2+-loading mechanism is just beginning to come into view.
Because the Cu2+-binding modes at low and intermediate
Cu2+ occupancy necessarily represent the highest-affinity
binding modes, these are very likely populated under physiological
conditions, and it is thus essential to characterize them in order
to understand better the biological function of copper–prion
interactions. Besides binding-affinity data, almost no other thermodynamic
parameters (e.g., ΔH and ΔS) have been measured, thus leaving undetermined the enthalpic and
entropic factors that govern the free energy of Cu2+ binding
to the prion protein. In this study, isothermal titration calorimetry
(ITC) was used to quantify the thermodynamic parameters (K, ΔG, ΔH, and TΔS) of Cu2+ binding to
a peptide, PrP(23–28, 57–98), that encompasses the majority
of the residues implicated in Cu2+ binding by full-length
PrP. Use of the buffer N-(2-acetomido)-aminoethanesulfonic
acid (ACES), which is also a well-characterized Cu2+ chelator,
allowed for the isolation of the two highest affinity binding events.
Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to characterize the different
binding modes as a function of added Cu2+. The Kd values determined by ITC, 7 and 380 nM, are
well in line with those reported by others. The first binding event
benefits significantly from a positive entropy, whereas the second
binding event is enthalpically driven. The thermodynamic values associated
with Cu2+ binding by the Aβ peptide, which is implicated
in Alzheimer’s disease, bear striking parallels to those found
here for the prion protein. The thermodynamics
(K, ΔG, ΔH, and TΔS) of the two highest
affinity Cu2+-binding events of the prion protein were
investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry. Peptide PrP(23−28,
57−98) was used as a model system for the metal-binding region.
The first binding event had a Kd of 7
nM and was entropically driven (+ΔS), whereas
the second binding event had a Kd of 380
nm and was enthalpically driven (−ΔH).
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Affiliation(s)
- Devi Praneetha Gogineni
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University , East 5th Street, Greenville, North Carolina 27858, United States
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78
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Halliez S, Passet B, Martin-Lannerée S, Hernandez-Rapp J, Laude H, Mouillet-Richard S, Vilotte JL, Béringue V. To develop with or without the prion protein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:58. [PMID: 25364763 PMCID: PMC4207017 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The deletion of the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) in mouse, goat, and cattle has no drastic phenotypic consequence. This stands in apparent contradiction with PrPC quasi-ubiquitous expression and conserved primary and tertiary structures in mammals, and its pivotal role in neurodegenerative diseases such as prion and Alzheimer's diseases. In zebrafish embryos, depletion of PrP ortholog leads to a severe loss-of-function phenotype. This raises the question of a potential role of PrPC in the development of all vertebrates. This view is further supported by the early expression of the PrPC encoding gene (Prnp) in many tissues of the mouse embryo, the transient disruption of a broad number of cellular pathways in early Prnp−/− mouse embryos, and a growing body of evidence for PrPC involvement in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in various types of mammalian stem cells and progenitors. Finally, several studies in both zebrafish embryos and in mammalian cells and tissues in formation support a role for PrPC in cell adhesion, extra-cellular matrix interactions and cytoskeleton. In this review, we summarize and compare the different models used to decipher PrPC functions at early developmental stages during embryo- and organo-genesis and discuss their relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Halliez
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Julia Hernandez-Rapp
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Hubert Laude
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
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79
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Abstract
A naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of mule deer was first reported in Colorado and Wyoming in 1967 and has since spread to other members of the cervid family in 22 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and the Republic of Korea. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), caused by exposure to an abnormally folded isoform of the cellular prion protein, is characterized by progressive neurological disease in susceptible natural and experimental hosts and is ultimately fatal. CWD is thought to be transmitted horizontally in excreta and through contaminated environments, features common to scrapie of sheep, though rare among TSEs. Evolving detection methods have revealed multiple strains of CWD and with continued development may lead to an effective antemortem test. Managing the spread of CWD, through the development of a vaccine or environmental cleanup strategies, is an active area of interest. As such, CWD represents a unique challenge in the study of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan, Kansas 66506;
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80
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Benetti F, Biarnés X, Attanasio F, Giachin G, Rizzarelli E, Legname G. Structural determinants in prion protein folding and stability. J Mol Biol 2014; 426:3796-3810. [PMID: 25280897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Prions are responsible for a heterogeneous group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases, involving post-translational modifications of the cellular prion protein. Epidemiological studies on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a prototype prion disorder, show a majority of cases being sporadic, while the remaining occurrences are either genetic or iatrogenic. The molecular mechanisms by which PrP(C) is converted into its pathological isoform have not yet been established. While point mutations and seeds trigger the protein to cross the energy barriers, thus causing genetic and infectious transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, respectively, the mechanism responsible for sporadic forms remains unclear. Since prion diseases are protein-misfolding disorders, we investigated prion protein folding and stability as functions of different milieus. Using spectroscopic techniques and atomistic simulations, we dissected the contribution of major structural determinants, also defining the energy landscape of prion protein. In particular, we elucidated (i) the essential role of the octapeptide region in prion protein folding and stability, (ii) the presence of a very enthalpically stable intermediate in prion-susceptible species, and (iii) the role of the disulfide bridge in prion protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Benetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Italian Institute of Technology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati Unit, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Xevi Biarnés
- Department of Physics, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesco Attanasio
- National Research Council, Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Viale Andrea Doria 6, I-95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Gabriele Giachin
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Enrico Rizzarelli
- National Research Council, Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, Viale Andrea Doria 6, I-95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Italian Institute of Technology, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati Unit, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., AREA Science Park, I-34149 Basovizza Trieste, Italy.
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81
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Song Z, Zhao D, Yang L. Metabolism of minor isoforms of prion proteins: Cytosolic prion protein and transmembrane prion protein. Neural Regen Res 2014; 8:2868-78. [PMID: 25206608 PMCID: PMC4146015 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.30.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease is triggered by the conversion from cellular prion protein to pathogenic prion protein. Growing evidence has concentrated on prion protein configuration changes and their correlation with prion disease transmissibility and pathogenicity. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that several cytosolic forms of prion protein with specific topological structure can destroy intracellular stability and contribute to prion protein pathogenicity. In this study, the latest molecular chaperone system associated with endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation, the endoplasmic reticulum resident protein quality-control system and the ubiquitination proteasome system, is outlined. The molecular chaperone system directly correlates with the prion protein degradation pathway. Understanding the molecular mechanisms will help provide a fascinating avenue for further investigations on prion disease treatment and prion protein-induced neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Song
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Deming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lifeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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82
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Tsangaras K, Kolokotronis SO, Ulrich RG, Morand S, Michaux J, Greenwood AD. Negative Purifying Selection Drives Prion and Doppel Protein Evolution. J Mol Evol 2014; 79:12-20. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-014-9632-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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83
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Evolutionary implications of metal binding features in different species' prion protein: an inorganic point of view. Biomolecules 2014; 4:546-65. [PMID: 24970230 PMCID: PMC4101497 DOI: 10.3390/biom4020546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion disorders are a group of fatal neurodegenerative conditions of mammals. The key molecular event in the pathogenesis of such diseases is the conformational conversion of prion protein, PrPC, into a misfolded form rich in β-sheet structure, PrPSc, but the detailed mechanistic aspects of prion protein conversion remain enigmatic. There is uncertainty on the precise physiological function of PrPC in healthy individuals. Several evidences support the notion of its role in copper homeostasis. PrPC binds Cu2+ mainly through a domain composed by four to five repeats of eight amino acids. In addition to mammals, PrP homologues have also been identified in birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. The globular domain of protein is retained in the different species, suggesting that the protein carries out an essential common function. However, the comparison of amino acid sequences indicates that prion protein has evolved differently in each vertebrate class. The primary sequences are strongly conserved in each group, but these exhibit a low similarity with those of mammals. The N-terminal domain of different prions shows tandem amino acid repeats with an increasing amount of histidine residues going from amphibians to mammals. The difference in the sequence affects the number of copper binding sites, the affinity and the coordination environment of metal ions, suggesting that the involvement of prion in metal homeostasis may be a specific characteristic of mammalian prion protein. In this review, we describe the similarities and the differences in the metal binding of different species' prion protein, as revealed by studies carried out on the entire protein and related peptide fragments.
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84
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Kurt TD, Jiang L, Bett C, Eisenberg D, Sigurdson CJ. A proposed mechanism for the promotion of prion conversion involving a strictly conserved tyrosine residue in the β2-α2 loop of PrPC. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:10660-10667. [PMID: 24596090 PMCID: PMC4036184 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.549030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmission of infectious prions into different host species requires compatible prion protein (PrP) primary structures, and even one heterologous residue at a pivotal position can block prion infection. Mapping the key amino acid positions that govern cross-species prion conversion has not yet been possible, although certain residue positions have been identified as restrictive, including residues in the β2-α2 loop region of PrP. To further define how β2-α2 residues impact conversion, we investigated residue substitutions in PrP(C) using an in vitro prion conversion assay. Within the β2-α2 loop, a tyrosine residue at position 169 is strictly conserved among mammals, and transgenic mice expressing mouse PrP having the Y169G, S170N, and N174T substitutions resist prion infection. To better understand the structural requirements of specific residues for conversion initiated by mouse prions, we substituted a diverse array of amino acids at position 169 of PrP. We found that the substitution of glycine, leucine, or glutamine at position 169 reduced conversion by ∼ 75%. In contrast, replacing tyrosine 169 with either of the bulky, aromatic residues, phenylalanine or tryptophan, supported efficient prion conversion. We propose a model based on a requirement for tightly interdigitating complementary amino acid side chains within specific domains of adjacent PrP molecules, known as "steric zippers," to explain these results. Collectively, these studies suggest that an aromatic residue at position 169 supports efficient prion conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Kurt
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Cyrus Bett
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - David Eisenberg
- Department of Energy Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Christina J Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093; Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology, University of California, Davis, California 95616.
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85
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Gill AC. β-hairpin-mediated formation of structurally distinct multimers of neurotoxic prion peptides. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87354. [PMID: 24498083 PMCID: PMC3909104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding disorders are associated with conformational changes in specific proteins, leading to the formation of potentially neurotoxic amyloid fibrils. During pathogenesis of prion disease, the prion protein misfolds into β-sheet rich, protease-resistant isoforms. A key, hydrophobic domain within the prion protein, comprising residues 109-122, recapitulates many properties of the full protein, such as helix-to-sheet structural transition, formation of fibrils and cytotoxicity of the misfolded isoform. Using all-atom, molecular simulations, it is demonstrated that the monomeric 109-122 peptide has a preference for α-helical conformations, but that this peptide can also form β-hairpin structures resulting from turns around specific glycine residues of the peptide. Altering a single amino acid within the 109-122 peptide (A117V, associated with familial prion disease) increases the prevalence of β-hairpin formation and these observations are replicated in a longer peptide, comprising residues 106-126. Multi-molecule simulations of aggregation yield different assemblies of peptide molecules composed of conformationally-distinct monomer units. Small molecular assemblies, consistent with oligomers, comprise peptide monomers in a β-hairpin-like conformation and in many simulations appear to exist only transiently. Conversely, larger assemblies are comprised of extended peptides in predominately antiparallel β-sheets and are stable relative to the length of the simulations. These larger assemblies are consistent with amyloid fibrils, show cross-β structure and can form through elongation of monomer units within pre-existing oligomers. In some simulations, assemblies containing both β-hairpin and linear peptides are evident. Thus, in this work oligomers are on pathway to fibril formation and a preference for β-hairpin structure should enhance oligomer formation whilst inhibiting maturation into fibrils. These simulations provide an important new atomic-level model for the formation of oligomers and fibrils of the prion protein and suggest that stabilization of β-hairpin structure may enhance cellular toxicity by altering the balance between oligomeric and fibrillar protein assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Gill
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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86
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Pressure–temperature folding landscape in proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Biophys Chem 2013; 183:9-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Revised: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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87
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Onodera T, Sakudo A, Wu G, Saeki K. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in Japan: History and Recent Studies on Oxidative Stress in Prion Diseases. Microbiol Immunol 2013; 50:565-78. [PMID: 16924141 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2006.tb03831.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
With the respect to BSE and vCJD, compliance with the following three rules should strictly be observed: (i) Identification and destruction of all clinically affected cattle; (ii) destruction of all mammalian proteins used in feeding ruminant livestock; and (iii) destruction of all high-risk tissues for use in human consumption. Scrapie in sheep has been documented in the 18th century in the United Kingdom. Through studies of brain-to-brain transmission in the same species in 1935, Cuille et al. successfully isolated the culprit protein from the sheep brain. To transmit said protein from an animal to another, intracerebral inoculation was much more efficient than intraperitoneal or oral route in certain species; i.e. the hamster and mouse. Since discovery of the more efficacious infection route, studies and development of prion research have undergone 4 developmental phases. Phase I depicted discoveries of the pathological features of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and scrapie with typical lesions of spongiform encephalopathy, while Phase II revealed individual-to-individual (or cross-species) transmissions of CJD, kuru and scrapie in animals. Phases I and II suggested the possible participation of a slow virus in the infection process. In Phase III, Prusiner et al. proposed the 'prion' theory in 1982, followed by the milestone development of the transgenic or gene-targeted mouse in prion research in Phase IV. By strain-typing of prions, CJD has been classified as type 2 or 4 by Parchi et al. and Wadsworth as type-2 or -4 and type-1 or -2, respectively. Wadsworth type 1 is detected in the cerebellum, while Wadsworth type 2 was detected in the prefrontal cortex of 10% of sporadic CJD patients. In 1999, Puoti et al. have reported the co-existence of two types of PrP(res) in a same patient. These reports indicated that PrP(res)-typing is a quantitative rather than a qualitative process, and the relationship between the molecular type and the prion strain is rather complex. In fact, previous findings of Truchot have correlated type-1 distribution with synaptic deposits, and type-2 with arrangement of diffuse deposits in neurons. Although the normal function of PrP(C) has not been fully understood, recent studies have shown that PrP(C) plays a role in copper metabolism, signal transduction, neuroprotection and cell maturation. Further search of PrP(C)-interacting molecules and detailed studies using Prnp(-/-) mice and various type of Prnp(-/-) cell lines under various conditions are the prerequisites in elucidating PrP functions. In the pathogenesis of prion diseases, present results support the hypothesis that 'loss-of-function' of PrP(C) decreases resistance to oxidative stress, and 'gain-of-function' of PrP(Sc) increases oxidative stress. The mechanisms of (i) the 'loss-of-function' of PrP(C) in enhanced susceptibility to oxidative stress and (ii) the 'gain-of-function' of PrP(Sc) in generation of oxidative stress remain to be elucidated, although their mechanisms of action, at least in part, involve the decrease and increase in SOD activity, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Onodera
- Department of Molecular Immunology, School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo
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88
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Mercer RCC, Ma L, Watts JC, Strome R, Wohlgemuth S, Yang J, Cashman NR, Coulthart MB, Schmitt-Ulms G, Jhamandas JH, Westaway D. The prion protein modulates A-type K+ currents mediated by Kv4.2 complexes through dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein 6. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:37241-55. [PMID: 24225951 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.488650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Widely expressed in the adult central nervous system, the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is implicated in a variety of processes, including neuronal excitability. Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein 6 (DPP6) was first identified as a PrP(C) interactor using in vivo formaldehyde cross-linking of wild type (WT) mouse brain. This finding was confirmed in three cell lines and, because DPP6 directs the functional assembly of K(+) channels, we assessed the impact of WT and mutant PrP(C) upon Kv4.2-based cell surface macromolecular complexes. Whereas a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease version of PrP with eight extra octarepeats was a loss of function both for complex formation and for modulation of Kv4.2 channels, WT PrP(C), in a DPP6-dependent manner, modulated Kv4.2 channel properties, causing an increase in peak amplitude, a rightward shift of the voltage-dependent steady-state inactivation curve, a slower inactivation, and a faster recovery from steady-state inactivation. Thus, the net impact of wt PrP(C) was one of enhancement, which plays a critical role in the down-regulation of neuronal membrane excitability and is associated with a decreased susceptibility to seizures. Insofar as previous work has established a requirement for WT PrP(C) in the Aβ-dependent modulation of excitability in cholinergic basal forebrain neurons, our findings implicate PrP(C) regulation of Kv4.2 channels as a mechanism contributing to the effects of oligomeric Aβ upon neuronal excitability and viability.
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89
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McDonald A, Pushie MJ, Millhauser GL, George GN. New insights into metal interactions with the prion protein: EXAFS analysis and structure calculations of copper binding to a single octarepeat from the prion protein. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:13822-41. [PMID: 24102071 PMCID: PMC3890359 DOI: 10.1021/jp408239h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Copper coordination to the prion protein (PrP) has garnered considerable interest for almost 20 years, due in part to the possibility that this interaction may be part of the normal function of PrP. The most characterized form of copper binding to PrP has been Cu(2+) interaction with the conserved tandem repeats in the N-terminal domain of PrP, termed the octarepeats, with many studies focusing on single and multiple repeats of PHGGGWGQ. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used in several previous instances to characterize the solution structure of Cu(2+) binding into the peptide backbone in the HGGG portion of the octarepeats. All previous EXAFS studies, however, have benefitted from crystallographic structure information for [Cu(II) (Ac-HGGGW-NH2)(-2H)] but have not conclusively demonstrated that the complex EXAFS spectrum represents the same coordination environment for Cu(2+) bound to the peptide backbone. Density functional structure calculations as well as full multiple scattering EXAFS curve fitting analysis are brought to bear on the predominant coordination mode for Cu(2+) with the Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 peptide at physiological pH, under high Cu(2+) occupancy conditions. In addition to the structure calculations, which provide a thermodynamic link to structural information, methods are also presented for extensive deconvolution of the EXAFS spectrum. We demonstrate how the EXAFS data can be analyzed to extract the maximum structural information and arrive at a structural model that is significantly improved over previous EXAFS characterizations. The EXAFS spectrum for the chemically reduced form of copper binding to the Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 peptide is presented, which is best modeled as a linear two-coordinate species with a single His imidazole ligand and a water molecule. The extent of in situ photoreduction of the copper center during standard data collection is also presented, and EXAFS curve fitting of the photoreduced species reveals an intermediate structure that is similar to the Cu(2+) form with reduced coordination number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex McDonald
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
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90
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Abstract
Prions are self-templating protein aggregates that were originally identified as the causative agent of prion diseases in mammals, but have since been discovered in other kingdoms. Mammalian prions represent a unique class of infectious agents that are composed of misfolded prion protein. Prion proteins usually exist as soluble proteins but can refold and assemble into highly ordered, self-propagating prion polymers. The prion concept is also applicable to a growing number of non-Mendelian elements of inheritance in lower eukaryotes. While prions identified in mammals are clearly pathogens, prions in lower eukaryotes can be either detrimental or beneficial to the host. Prion phenotypes in fungi are transmitted vertically from mother to daughter cells during cell division and horizontally during mating or abortive mating, but extracellular phases have not been reported. Recent findings now demonstrate that in a mammalian cell environment, protein aggregates derived from yeast prion domains exhibit a prion life cycle similar to mammalian prions propagated ex vivo. This life cycle includes a soluble state of the protein, an induction phase by exogenous prion fibrils, stable replication of prion entities, vertical transmission to progeny and natural horizontal transmission to neighboring cells. Our data reveal that mammalian cells contain all co-factors required for cytosolic prion propagation and dissemination. This has important implications for understanding prion-like properties of disease-related protein aggregates. In light of the growing number of identified functional amyloids, cell-to-cell propagation of cytosolic protein conformers might not only be relevant for the spreading of disease-associated proteins, but might also be of more general relevance under non-disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hofmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.); Bonn, Germany
| | - Ina Vorberg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.); Bonn, Germany; Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität; Bonn, Germany
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91
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Ganguly HK, Kaur H, Basu G. Local control of cis-peptidyl-prolyl bonds mediated by CH···π interactions: the Xaa-Pro-Tyr motif. Biochemistry 2013; 52:6348-57. [PMID: 23941357 DOI: 10.1021/bi4007918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Compared to generic peptide bonds, the peptidyl-prolyl bond shows a strong propensity for the cis conformer. The presence of a sequence-contiguous aromatic (Aro) residue can further stabilize the cis conformer, as observed for the Aro-Pro motif. The cis propensity of the reverse sequence motif, Pro-Aro, is not so well understood, especially the effect of N-capping the Pro-Aro motif with different amino acid residues. From a comparative nuclear magnetic resonance study of two peptide series with the general sequences Ac-Xaa-Pro-Tyr-NH2 and Ac-Xaa-Pro-Ala-NH2, we present a relative thermodynamic scale that reflects how the nature of the Xaa side chain influences the cis propensity of the Xaa-Pro-Tyr motif, with Gly, Pro, and Ala at position Xaa giving the greatest enhancement of the cis-peptidyl-prolyl population. We also show that CH···π interaction between Xaa and Tyr is responsible for the enhanced cis population. However, the mere presence of the CH···π interaction does not guarantee that the peptidyl-prolyl bond will have a higher cis content in Xaa-Pro-Tyr than in Xaa-Pro-Ala. Xaa-dependent intramolecular interactions present in Xaa-trans-Pro-Tyr can nullify favorable CH···π interactions in Xaa-cis-Pro-Tyr. The relative cis-peptidyl-prolyl stabilizing propensities of Xaa (Xaa-Pro-Tyr) in proteins and in our peptide series show strong linear correlation except when Xaa is aromatic. We also explore the Xaa-Pro-Gly-Tyr sequence motif and show that mediated by a Pro-Tyr CH···π interaction, the cis-peptidyl-prolyl bond in the motif is stabilized when Xaa is Pro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himal K Ganguly
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute , P-1/12 CIT Scheme VIIM, Kolkata 700054, India
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92
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Giachin G, Biljan I, Ilc G, Plavec J, Legname G. Probing early misfolding events in prion protein mutants by NMR spectroscopy. Molecules 2013; 18:9451-76. [PMID: 23966072 PMCID: PMC6270549 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18089451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The post-translational conversion of the ubiquitously expressed cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, into its misfolded and pathogenic isoform, known as prion or PrPSc, plays a key role in prion diseases. These maladies are denoted transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and affect both humans and animals. A prerequisite for understanding TSEs is unraveling the molecular mechanism leading to the conversion process whereby most α-helical motifs are replaced by β-sheet secondary structures. Importantly, most point mutations linked to inherited prion diseases are clustered in the C-terminal domain region of PrPC and cause spontaneous conversion to PrPSc. Structural studies with PrP variants promise new clues regarding the proposed conversion mechanism and may help identify "hot spots" in PrPC involved in the pathogenic conversion. These investigations may also shed light on the early structural rearrangements occurring in some PrPC epitopes thought to be involved in modulating prion susceptibility. Here we present a detailed overview of our solution-state NMR studies on human prion protein carrying different pathological point mutations and the implications that such findings may have for the future of prion research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Giachin
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265,Trieste I-34136, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Ivana Biljan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102A, Zagreb HR-10000, Croatia; E-Mail:
| | - Gregor Ilc
- Slovenian NMR Centre, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia; E-Mails: (G.I.); (J.P.)
- EN-FIST Center of Excellence, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR Centre, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia; E-Mails: (G.I.); (J.P.)
- EN-FIST Center of Excellence, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265,Trieste I-34136, Italy; E-Mail:
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93
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Jacobson KH, Kuech TR, Pedersen JA. Attachment of pathogenic prion protein to model oxide surfaces. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:6925-34. [PMID: 23611152 PMCID: PMC4091914 DOI: 10.1021/es3045899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Prions are the infectious agents in the class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which affect humans, deer, sheep, and cattle. Prion diseases of deer and sheep can be transmitted via environmental routes, and soil is has been implicated in the transmission of these diseases. Interaction with soil particles is expected to govern the transport, bioavailability and persistence of prions in soil environments. A mechanistic understanding of prion interaction with soil components is critical for understanding the behavior of these proteins in the environment. Here, we report results of a study to investigate the interactions of prions with model oxide surfaces (Al2O3, SiO2) using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and optical waveguide light mode spectroscopy. The efficiency of prion attachment to Al2O3 and SiO2 depended strongly on pH and ionic strength in a manner consistent with electrostatic forces dominating interaction with these oxides. The presence of the N-terminal portion of the protein appeared to promote attachment to Al2O3 under globally electrostatically repulsive conditions. We evaluated the utility of recombinant prion protein as a surrogate for prions in attachment experiments and found that its behavior differed markedly from that of the infectious agent. Our findings suggest that prions would tend to associate with positively charged mineral surfaces in soils (e.g., iron and aluminum oxides).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt H. Jacobson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Thomas R. Kuech
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Corresponding author address: Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706 1299; phone: (608) 263-4971; fax: (608) 265-2595;
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94
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Kyle LM, John TR, Schätzl HM, Lewis RV. Introducing a rigid loop structure from deer into mouse prion protein increases its propensity for misfolding in vitro. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66715. [PMID: 23825561 PMCID: PMC3692500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPc) into the disease-associated isoform (PrPSc) that has increased β-sheet content and partial resistance to proteolytic digestion. Prion diseases from different mammalian species have varying propensities for transmission upon exposure of an uninfected host to the infectious agent. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a highly transmissible prion disease that affects free ranging and farmed populations of cervids including deer, elk and moose, as well as other mammals in experimental settings. The molecular mechanisms allowing CWD to maintain comparatively high transmission rates have not been determined. Previous work has identified a unique structural feature in cervid PrP, a rigid loop between β-sheet 2 and α-helix 2 on the surface of the protein. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the rigid loop has a direct influence on the misfolding process. The rigid loop was introduced into murine PrP as the result of two amino acid substitutions: S170N and N174T. Wild-type and rigid loop murine PrP were expressed in E. coli and purified. Misfolding propensity was compared for the two proteins using biochemical techniques and cell free misfolding and conversion systems. Murine PrP with a rigid loop misfolded in cell free systems with greater propensity than wild type murine PrP. In a lipid-based conversion assay, rigid loop PrP converted to a PK resistant, aggregated isoform at lower concentrations than wild-type PrP. Using both proteins as substrates in real time quaking-induced conversion, rigid loop PrP adopted a misfolded isoform more readily than wild type PrP. Taken together, these findings may help explain the high transmission rates observed for CWD within cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Kyle
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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95
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Swayampakula M, Baral PK, Aguzzi A, Kav NNV, James MNG. The crystal structure of an octapeptide repeat of the prion protein in complex with a Fab fragment of the POM2 antibody. Protein Sci 2013; 22:893-903. [PMID: 23629842 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive, infectious neurodegenerative disorders caused primarily by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrP(c)) into an insoluble, protease-resistant, aggregated isoform termed PrP(sc). In native conditions, PrP(c) has a structured C-terminal domain and a highly flexible N-terminal domain. A part of this N-terminal domain consists of 4-5 repeats of an unusual glycine-rich, eight amino acids long peptide known as the octapeptide repeat (OR) domain. In this article, we successfully report the first crystal structure of an OR of PrP(c) bound to the Fab fragment of the POM2 antibody. The structure was solved at a resolution of 2.3 Å by molecular replacement. Although several studies have previously predicted a β-turn-like structure of the unbound ORs, our structure shows an extended conformation of the OR when bound to a molecule of the POM2 Fab indicating that the bound Fab disrupts any putative native β turn conformation of the ORs. Encouraging results from several recent studies have shown that administering small molecule ligands or antibodies targeting the OR domain of PrP result in arresting the progress of peripheral prion infections both in ex vivo and in in vivo models. This makes the structural study of the interactions of POM2 Fab with the OR domain very important as it would help us to design smaller and tighter binding OR ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mridula Swayampakula
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7, Canada
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96
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Kretzschmar H, Tatzelt J. Prion disease: a tale of folds and strains. Brain Pathol 2013; 23:321-32. [PMID: 23587138 PMCID: PMC8029118 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on prions, the infectious agents of devastating neurological diseases in humans and animals, has been in the forefront of developing the concept of protein aggregation diseases. Prion diseases are distinguished from other neurodegenerative diseases by three peculiarities. First, prion diseases, in addition to being sporadic or genetic like all other neurodegenerative diseases, are infectious diseases. Animal models were developed early on (a long time before the advent of transgenic technology), and this has made possible the discovery of the prion protein as the infectious agent. Second, human prion diseases have true equivalents in animals, such as scrapie, which has been the subject of experimental research for many years. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a zoonosis caused by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions. Third, they show a wide variety of phenotypes in humans and animals, much wider than the variants of any other sporadic or genetic neurodegenerative disease. It has now become firmly established that particular PrP(Sc) isoforms are closely related to specific human prion strains. The variety of human prion diseases, still an enigma in its own right, is a focus of this article. Recently, a series of experiments has shown that the concept of aberrant protein folding and templating, first developed for prions, may apply to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. In the wake of these discoveries, the term prion has come to be used for Aβ, α-synuclein, tau and possibly others. The self-propagation of alternative conformations seems to be the common denominator of these "prions," which in future, in order to avoid confusion, may have to be specified either as "neurodegenerative prions" or "infectious prions."
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- NeurobiochemistryAdolf‐Butenandt‐InstituteLudwig‐Maximilians‐University MunichMunichGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)MunichGermany
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97
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Acín C, Martín-Burriel I, Monleón E, Lyahyai J, Pitarch JL, Serrano C, Monzón M, Zaragoza P, Badiola JJ. Prion protein gene variability in Spanish goats. Inference through susceptibility to classical scrapie strains and pathogenic distribution of peripheral PrP(sc.). PLoS One 2013; 8:e61118. [PMID: 23580248 PMCID: PMC3620333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Classical scrapie is a neurological disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by the accumulation of an abnormal, partially protease resistant prion protein (PrP(sc)) in the CNS and in some peripheral tissues in domestic small ruminants. Whereas the pathological changes and genetic susceptibility of ovine scrapie are well known, caprine scrapie has been less well studied. We report here a pathological study of 13 scrapie-affected goats diagnosed in Spain during the last 9 years. We used immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques to discriminate between classical and atypical scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). All the animals displayed PrP(sc) distribution patterns and western blot characteristics compatible with classical scrapie. In addition, we determined the complete open reading frame sequence of the PRNP in these scrapie-affected animals. The polymorphisms observed were compared with those of the herd mates (n = 665) and with the frequencies of healthy herds (n = 581) of native Spanish goats (Retinta, Pirenaica and Moncaina) and other worldwide breeds reared in Spain (Saanen, Alpine and crossbreed). In total, sixteen polymorphic sites were identified, including the known amino acid substitutions at codons G37V, G127S, M137I, I142M, H143R, R151H, R154H, R211Q, Q222K, G232W, and P240S, and new polymorphisms at codons G74D, M112T, R139S, L141F and Q215R. In addition, the known 42, 138 and 179 silent mutations were detected, and one new one is reported at codon 122. The genetic differences observed in the population studied have been attributed to breed and most of the novel polymorphic codons show frequencies lower than 5%. This work provides the first basis of polymorphic distribution of PRNP in native and worldwide goat breeds reared in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Acín
- Centro de Investigación en Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
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98
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Zweckstetter M. Conserved amyloid core structure of stop mutants of the human prion protein. Prion 2013; 7:193-7. [PMID: 23406905 DOI: 10.4161/pri.23956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are associated with misfolding of the natively α-helical prion protein into isoforms that are rich in cross β-structure. However, both the mechanism by which pathological conformations are produced and their structural properties remain unclear. Using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, computation, hydroxyl radical probing combined with mass-spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that prion stop mutants that accumulate in amyloidogenic plaque-forming aggregates fold into a β-helix. The polymorphic residue 129 is located in the hydrophobic core of the β-helix in line with a critical role of the 129 region in the packing of protein chains into prion particles. Together with electron microscopy our data support a trimeric left-handed β-helix model in which the trimer interface is formed by residues L125, Y128 and L130. Different prion types or strains might be related to different aggregate structures or filament assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Zweckstetter
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
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99
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Cellular aspects of prion replication in vitro. Viruses 2013; 5:374-405. [PMID: 23340381 PMCID: PMC3564126 DOI: 10.3390/v5010374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders in mammals that are caused by unconventional agents predominantly composed of aggregated misfolded prion protein (PrP). Prions self-propagate by recruitment of host-encoded PrP into highly ordered β-sheet rich aggregates. Prion strains differ in their clinical, pathological and biochemical characteristics and are likely to be the consequence of distinct abnormal prion protein conformers that stably replicate their alternate states in the host cell. Understanding prion cell biology is fundamental for identifying potential drug targets for disease intervention. The development of permissive cell culture models has greatly enhanced our knowledge on entry, propagation and dissemination of TSE agents. However, despite extensive research, the precise mechanism of prion infection and potential strain effects remain enigmatic. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the cell biology and propagation of prions derived from cell culture experiments. We discuss recent findings on the trafficking of cellular and pathologic PrP, the potential sites of abnormal prion protein synthesis and potential co-factors involved in prion entry and propagation.
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100
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