201
|
Translational therapies for multiple system atrophy: Bottlenecks and future directions. Auton Neurosci 2017; 211:7-14. [PMID: 29017831 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade a prominent amount of studies in preclinical transgenic models of multiple system atrophy (MSA) has been performed. These studies have helped understand mechanisms downstream to the α-synuclein oligodendroglial accumulation relevant to human MSA. However, the successful translation of the preclinical outcomes into a clinical trial has failed. Looking back, we can now identify possible confounders for the failure. Biomarkers of disease progression are mostly missing. Early diagnosis and initiation of therapeutic clinical trials is limited. The need of both proof-of-concept as well as clinically relevant preclinical study designs with clinically relevant timing and preclinical readouts is identified as a must in our translational efforts for MSA to date. Finally, improved clinical study designs with improved enrollment criteria, and measurement outcomes are warranted on the way to finding the successful therapeutic approach for MSA. This review provides an overview of experimental studies and clinical trials for MSA and the lessons learned over the last decade towards the identification of the cure for MSA.
Collapse
|
202
|
Wang X, Noroozian Z, Lynch M, Armstrong N, Schneider R, Liu M, Ghodrati F, Zhang AB, Yang YJ, Hall AC, Solarski M, Killackey SA, Watts JC. Strains of Pathological Protein Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Discoveries (Craiova) 2017; 5:e78. [PMID: 32309596 PMCID: PMC7159837 DOI: 10.15190/d.2017.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of protein aggregates in the brain is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Considerable evidence has revealed that the pathological protein aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases are able to self-propagate, which may enable pathology to spread from cell-to-cell within the brain. This property is reminiscent of what occurs in prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A widely recognized feature of prion disorders is the existence of distinct strains of prions, which are thought to represent unique protein aggregate structures. A number of recent studies have pointed to the existence of strains of protein aggregates in other, more common neurodegenerative illnesses such as AD, PD, and related disorders. In this review, we outline the pathobiology of prion strains and discuss how the concept of protein aggregate strains may help to explain the heterogeneity inherent to many human neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zeinab Noroozian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Madelaine Lynch
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Armstrong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Raphael Schneider
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mingzhe Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Farinaz Ghodrati
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley B Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yoo Jeong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda C Hall
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Solarski
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samuel A Killackey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
203
|
Deutschländer AB, Ross OA, Dickson DW, Wszolek ZK. Atypical parkinsonian syndromes: a general neurologist's perspective. Eur J Neurol 2017; 25:41-58. [PMID: 28803444 DOI: 10.1111/ene.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The differential diagnosis of atypical parkinsonian syndromes is challenging. These severe and often rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorders are clinically heterogeneous and show significant phenotypic overlap. Here, clinical, imaging, neuropathological and genetic features of multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are reviewed. The terms corticobasal degeneration and FTLD refer to pathologically confirmed cases of corticobasal syndrome and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Frontotemporal lobar degeneration clinically presents as the behavioral variant FTD, semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA), non-fluent agrammatic variant PPA, logopenic variant PPA and FTD associated with motor neuron disease. While progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome have been called Parkinson-plus syndromes in the past, they are now classified as FTD-related disorders, reflecting that they pathologically differ from α-synucleinopathies like multiple system atrophy and Parkinson disease. The contribution of genetic factors to atypical parkinsonian syndromes is increasingly recognized. Genes involved in the etiology of FTLD include MAPT, GRN and C9orf72. Novel neuroimaging techniques, including tau positron emission tomography imaging, are being investigated. Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging approaches and automated magnetic resonance imaging volume segmentation techniques are being evaluated for optimized differential diagnosis. Current treatment options are symptomatic, and disease modifying therapies are under active investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A B Deutschländer
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - O A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - D W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Z K Wszolek
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
204
|
Dhillon JKS, Riffe C, Moore BD, Ran Y, Chakrabarty P, Golde TE, Giasson BI. A novel panel of α-synuclein antibodies reveal distinctive staining profiles in synucleinopathies. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184731. [PMID: 28910367 PMCID: PMC5599040 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the intracellular deposition of the protein α-synuclein leading to multiple outcomes, including dementia and Parkinsonism. Recent findings support the notion that across the spectrum of synucleinopathies there exist diverse but specific biochemical modifications and/or structural conformations of α-synuclein, which would give rise to protein strain specific prion-like intercellular transmission, a proposed model that could explain synucleinopathies disease progression. Herein, we characterized a panel of antibodies with epitopes within both the C- and N- termini of α-synuclein. A comprehensive analysis of human pathological tissue and mouse models of synucleinopathy with these antibodies support the notion that α-synuclein exists in distinct modified forms and/or structural variants. Furthermore, these well-characterized and specific tools allow the investigation of biochemical changes associated with α-synuclein inclusion formation. We have identified several antibodies of interest with diverse staining and epitope properties that will prove useful in future investigations of strain specific disease progression and the development of targeted immunotherapeutic approaches to synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jess-Karan S. Dhillon
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Cara Riffe
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Brenda D. Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yong Ran
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Todd E. Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Benoit I. Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, and McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
205
|
Eschlboeck S, Krismer F, Wenning GK. Key themes and future prospects in translational multiple system atrophy research. Auton Neurosci 2017; 211:43-45. [PMID: 28867372 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a highly variable clinical presentation. Unfortunately, there exists no effective therapy that can improve the course of the disease and symptomatic treatment options remain limited. Although significant progress in research has improved our understanding of MSA, knowledge gaps still remain. Thus, a global network focusing on different research areas is required to face this fatal disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Eschlboeck
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - F Krismer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - G K Wenning
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
206
|
Sargent D, Verchère J, Lazizzera C, Gaillard D, Lakhdar L, Streichenberger N, Morignat E, Bétemps D, Baron T. ‘Prion-like’ propagation of the synucleinopathy of M83 transgenic mice depends on the mouse genotype and type of inoculum. J Neurochem 2017; 143:126-135. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Sargent
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Jérémy Verchère
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Corinne Lazizzera
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Damien Gaillard
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Latifa Lakhdar
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Nathalie Streichenberger
- Centre de Pathologie et Neuropathologie Est; Hospices Civils de Lyon; Université de Lyon; Institut Neuromyogène; CNRS; INSERM; Bron France
| | - Eric Morignat
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Dominique Bétemps
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| | - Thierry Baron
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'alimentation; de l'environnement et du travail; Université de Lyon; Lyon France
| |
Collapse
|
207
|
Tofaris GK, Goedert M, Spillantini MG. The Transcellular Propagation and Intracellular Trafficking of α-Synuclein. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a024380. [PMID: 27920026 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, with only partial symptomatic therapy and no mechanism-based therapies. The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein is causatively linked to the sporadic form of the disease, which accounts for 95% of cases. The pathology is a result of a gain of toxic function of misfolded α-synuclein conformers, which can template the aggregation of soluble monomers and lead to cellular dysfunction, at least partly by interfering with membrane fusion events at synaptic terminals. Here, we discuss the transcellular propagation and intracellular trafficking of α-synuclein and posit that endosomal processing could be a point of convergence between these two routes. Understanding these events will clarify the therapeutic potential of enzymes that regulate protein trafficking and degradation in synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George K Tofaris
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
208
|
Aulić S, Masperone L, Narkiewicz J, Isopi E, Bistaffa E, Ambrosetti E, Pastore B, De Cecco E, Scaini D, Zago P, Moda F, Tagliavini F, Legname G. α-Synuclein Amyloids Hijack Prion Protein to Gain Cell Entry, Facilitate Cell-to-Cell Spreading and Block Prion Replication. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10050. [PMID: 28855681 PMCID: PMC5577263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10236-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The precise molecular mechanism of how misfolded α-synuclein (α-Syn) accumulates and spreads in synucleinopathies is still unknown. Here, we show the role of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in mediating the uptake and the spread of recombinant α-Syn amyloids. The in vitro data revealed that the presence of PrPC fosters the higher uptake of α-Syn amyloid fibrils, which was also confirmed in vivo in wild type (Prnp+/+) compared to PrP knock-out (Prnp−/−) mice. Additionally, the presence of α-Syn amyloids blocked the replication of scrapie prions (PrPSc) in vitro and ex vivo, indicating a link between the two proteins. Indeed, whilst PrPC is mediating the internalization of α-Syn amyloids, PrPSc is not able to replicate in their presence. This observation has pathological relevance, since several reported case studies show that the accumulation of α-Syn amyloid deposits in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients is accompanied by a longer disease course.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzana Aulić
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Lara Masperone
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Joanna Narkiewicz
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Elisa Isopi
- Department of Medical, Oral, and Biotechnology Science and Center on Aging Sciences and Translational Medicine (CeSI-MeT) "G. D'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Edoardo Bistaffa
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute Italy Laboratory, Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Ambrosetti
- ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.,Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Beatrice Pastore
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Elena De Cecco
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Denis Scaini
- ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.,Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Paola Zago
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabio Moda
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute Italy Laboratory, Milano, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology 5, IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute Italy Laboratory, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy. .,ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
209
|
Doucet M, El-Turabi A, Zabel F, Hunn BH, Bengoa-Vergniory N, Cioroch M, Ramm M, Smith AM, Gomes AC, Cabral de Miranda G, Wade-Martins R, Bachmann MF. Preclinical development of a vaccine against oligomeric alpha-synuclein based on virus-like particles. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181844. [PMID: 28797124 PMCID: PMC5552317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive and currently incurable neurological disorder characterised by the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and the accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein (a-syn). Oligomeric a-syn is proposed to play a central role in spreading protein aggregation in the brain with associated cellular toxicity contributing to a progressive neurological decline. For this reason, a-syn oligomers have attracted interest as therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative conditions such as PD and other alpha-synucleinopathies. In addition to strategies using small molecules, neutralisation of the toxic oligomers by antibodies represents an attractive and highly specific strategy for reducing disease progression. Emerging active immunisation approaches using vaccines are already being trialled to induce such antibodies. Here we propose a novel vaccine based on the RNA bacteriophage (Qbeta) virus-like particle conjugated with short peptides of human a-syn. High titres of antibodies were successfully and safely generated in wild-type and human a-syn over-expressing (SNCA-OVX) transgenic mice following vaccination. Antibodies from vaccine candidates targeting the C-terminal regions of a-syn were able to recognise Lewy bodies, the hallmark aggregates in human PD brains. Furthermore, antibodies specifically targeted oligomeric and aggregated a-syn as they exhibited 100 times greater affinity for oligomeric species over monomer a-syn proteins in solution. In the SNCA-OVX transgenic mice used, vaccination was, however, unable to confer significant changes to oligomeric a-syn bioburden. Similarly, there was no discernible effect of vaccine treatment on behavioural phenotype as compared to control groups. Thus, antibodies specific for oligomeric a-syn induced by vaccination were unable to treat symptoms of PD in this particular mouse model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marika Doucet
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aadil El-Turabi
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Henry Wellcome Building for Molecular Physiology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Benjamin H.M. Hunn
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Bengoa-Vergniory
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Milena Cioroch
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mauricio Ramm
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amy M. Smith
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ariane Cruz Gomes
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Henry Wellcome Building for Molecular Physiology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Cabral de Miranda
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Henry Wellcome Building for Molecular Physiology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (RWM); (MFB)
| | - Martin F. Bachmann
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Henry Wellcome Building for Molecular Physiology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Immunology, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy (RIA), Inselspital, University of Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (RWM); (MFB)
| |
Collapse
|
210
|
Carlson GA. Prion Protein and Genetic Susceptibility to Diseases Caused by Its Misfolding. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:123-145. [PMID: 28838658 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Early genetic studies on scrapie, an infectious neurodegenerative disease of sheep that was adapted to mice, provided evidence in support of the hypothesis that the agent was a slow virus with a nucleic acid genome independent of the host. Particularly compelling support for an independent genome came from the existence of strains of scrapie agent, some of which were true breeding, while others appeared to mutate under selective pressure. Kuru, a neurodegenerative disease in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, had pathological changes similar to those in scrapie and also proved to be transmissible. Genetic studies with the tools of molecular biology and transgenic mice forced a reevaluation of earlier work and supported the prion hypothesis of a novel pathogen devoid of nucleic acid. In this chapter, I discuss the contributions of classical and molecular genetics to understanding PrP prion diseases and to determining that heritable information is enciphered in protein conformation.
Collapse
|
211
|
Giles K, Woerman AL, Berry DB, Prusiner SB. Bioassays and Inactivation of Prions. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a023499. [PMID: 28246183 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The experimental study of prions requires a model for their propagation. However, because prions lack nucleic acids, the simple techniques used to replicate bacteria and viruses are not applicable. For much of the history of prion research, time-consuming bioassays in animals were the only option for measuring infectivity. Although cell models and other in vitro tools for the propagation of prions have been developed, they all suffer limitations, and animal bioassays remain the gold standard for measuring infectivity. A wealth of recent data argues that both β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins form prions that cause Alzheimer's disease, and α-synuclein forms prions that cause multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease. Cell and animal models that recapitulate some of the key features of cell-to-cell spreading and distinct strains of prions can now be measured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Giles
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - David B Berry
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| |
Collapse
|
212
|
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathogenic conformation (PrPSc). PrPSc is capable of folding into multiple self-replicating prion strains that produce phenotypically distinct neurological disorders. Evidence suggests that the structural heterogeneity of PrPSc is the molecular basis of strain-specific prion properties. The self-templating of PrPSc typically ensures that prion strains breed true upon passage. However, prion strains also have the capacity to conformationally transform to maximize their rate of replication in a given environment. Here, we provide an overview of the prion-strain phenomenon and describe the role of strain adaptation in drug resistance. We also describe recent evidence that shows the presence of distinct conformational strains in other neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sina Ghaemmaghami
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627
| |
Collapse
|
213
|
Peng C, Gathagan RJ, Lee VMY. Distinct α-Synuclein strains and implications for heterogeneity among α-Synucleinopathies. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 109:209-218. [PMID: 28751258 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The deposition of misfolded β-sheet enriched amyloid protein is a shared feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies demonstrated the existence of conformationally diverse strains as a common property for multiple amyloidogenic proteins including α-Synuclein (α-Syn). α-Syn is misfolded and aggregated in a group of neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as α-Synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy body, multiple system atrophy and also a subset of Alzheimer's disease patients with concomitant PD-like Lewy bodies and neurites. While sharing the same pathological protein, different α-Synucleinopathies demonstrate distinct clinical and pathological phenotypes, which could result from the existence of diverse pathological α-Syn strains in patients. In this review, we summarized the characteristics of different α-Synucleinopathies and α-Syn strains generated with recombinant α-Syn monomers. We also make predictions of α-Syn strains that could potentially exist in patients based on the knowledge from other amyloid proteins and the clinical and pathological features of different α-Synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Peng
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ronald J Gathagan
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
214
|
Laurens B, Vergnet S, Lopez MC, Foubert-Samier A, Tison F, Fernagut PO, Meissner WG. Multiple System Atrophy - State of the Art. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2017; 17:41. [PMID: 28378233 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-017-0751-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a variable combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar impairment, and autonomic dysfunction. Some symptomatic treatments are available while neuroprotection or disease-modification remain unmet treatment needs. The pathologic hallmark is the accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein (α-syn) in oligodendrocytes forming glial cytoplasmic inclusions, which qualifies MSA as synucleinopathy together with Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Despite progress in our understanding of the pathogenesis of MSA, the origin of α-syn aggregates in oligodendrocytes is still a matter of an ongoing debate. We critically review here studies published in the field over the past 5 years dealing with pathogenesis, genetics, clinical signs, biomarker for improving diagnostic accuracy, and treatment development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brice Laurens
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sylvain Vergnet
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Miguel Cuina Lopez
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Univ. de Bordeaux, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alexandra Foubert-Samier
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Centre de Référence Maladie Rare AMS, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - François Tison
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Univ. de Bordeaux, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Centre de Référence Maladie Rare AMS, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Fernagut
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Univ. de Bordeaux, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Wassilios G Meissner
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Univ. de Bordeaux, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,Centre de Référence Maladie Rare AMS, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076, Bordeaux, France.
| |
Collapse
|
215
|
Dugger BN, Dickson DW. Pathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a028035. [PMID: 28062563 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a028035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 776] [Impact Index Per Article: 110.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by progressive loss of selectively vulnerable populations of neurons, which contrasts with select static neuronal loss because of metabolic or toxic disorders. Neurodegenerative diseases can be classified according to primary clinical features (e.g., dementia, parkinsonism, or motor neuron disease), anatomic distribution of neurodegeneration (e.g., frontotemporal degenerations, extrapyramidal disorders, or spinocerebellar degenerations), or principal molecular abnormality. The most common neurodegenerative disorders are amyloidoses, tauopathies, α-synucleinopathies, and TDP-43 proteinopathies. The protein abnormalities in these disorders have abnormal conformational properties. Growing experimental evidence suggests that abnormal protein conformers may spread from cell to cell along anatomically connected pathways, which may in part explain the specific anatomical patterns observed at autopsy. In this review, we detail the human pathology of select neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on their main protein aggregates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Dugger
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | | |
Collapse
|
216
|
Toll-like receptor 4 stimulation with monophosphoryl lipid A ameliorates motor deficits and nigral neurodegeneration triggered by extraneuronal α-synucleinopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2017; 12:52. [PMID: 28676095 PMCID: PMC5496237 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-017-0195-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation represents the pathological hallmark of α-synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of highly conserved molecules that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and define the innate immunity response. It was previously shown that TLR4 plays a role in the clearance of α-syn, suggesting that TLR4 up-regulation in microglia may be a natural mechanism to improve the clearance of α-syn. However, administration of TLR4 ligands could also lead to dangerous adverse effects associated with the induction of toxic inflammatory responses. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) is a TLR4 selective agonist and a potent inducer of phagocytosis which does not trigger strong toxic inflammatory responses as compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We hypothesize that MPLA treatment will lead to increased clearance of α-syn inclusions in the brain of transgenic mice overexpressing α-syn in oligodendrocytes under the proteolipid protein promoter (PLP-α-syn mouse model of MSA), without triggering toxic cytokine release, thus leading to a general amelioration of the pathology. Methods Six month old PLP-α-syn mice were randomly allocated to four groups and received weekly intraperitoneal injections of MPLA (50 or 100 μg), LPS or vehicle. After a 12-week treatment period, motor behavior was assessed with the pole test. Brains and plasma samples were collected for neuropathological and immunological analysis. Results Chronic systemic MPLA treatment of PLP-α-syn mice led to increased uptake of α-syn by microglial cells, a significant motor improvement, rescue of nigral dopaminergic and striatal neurons and region-specific reduction of the density of oligodendroglial α-syn cytoplasmic inclusions in the absence of a marked systemic inflammatory response. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate beneficial effects of chronic MPLA treatment in transgenic PLP-α-syn mice. MPLA appears to be an attractive therapeutic candidate for disease modification trials in MSA and related α-synucleinopathies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-017-0195-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
217
|
Mandel RJ, Marmion DJ, Kirik D, Chu Y, Heindel C, McCown T, Gray SJ, Kordower JH. Novel oligodendroglial alpha synuclein viral vector models of multiple system atrophy: studies in rodents and nonhuman primates. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:47. [PMID: 28619074 PMCID: PMC5473003 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a horrible and unrelenting neurodegenerative disorder with an uncertain etiology and pathophysiology. MSA is a unique proteinopathy in which alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulates preferentially in oligodendroglia rather than neurons. Glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) of α-syn are thought to elicit changes in oligodendrocyte function, such as reduced neurotrophic support and demyelination, leading to neurodegeneration. To date, only a murine model using one of three promoters exist to study this disease. We sought to develop novel rat and nonhuman primate (NHP) models of MSA by overexpressing α-syn in oligodendroglia using a novel oligotrophic adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, Olig001. To establish tropism, rats received intrastriatal injections of Olig001 expressing GFP. Histological analysis showed widespread expression of GFP throughout the striatum and corpus callosum with >95% of GFP+ cells co-localizing with oligodendroglia and little to no expression in neurons or astrocytes. We next tested the efficacy of this vector in rhesus macaques with intrastriatal injections of Olig001 expressing GFP. As in rats, we observed a large number of GFP+ cells in gray matter and white matter tracts of the striatum and the corpus callosum, with 90–94% of GFP+ cells co-localizing with an oligodendroglial marker. To evaluate the potential of our vector to elicit MSA-like pathology in NHPs, we injected rhesus macaques intrastriatally with Olig001 expressing the α-syn transgene. Histological analysis 3-months after injection demonstrated widespread α-syn expression throughout the striatum as determined by LB509 and phosphorylated serine-129 α-syn immunoreactivity, all of which displayed as tropism similar to that seen with GFP. As in MSA, Olig001-α-syn GCIs in our model were resistant to proteinase K digestion and caused microglial activation. Critically, demyelination was observed in the white matter tracts of the corpus callosum and striatum of Olig001-α-syn but not Olig001-GFP injected animals, similar to the human disease. These data support the concept that this vector can provide novel rodent and nonhuman primate models of MSA.
Collapse
|
218
|
Prion-Like Seeding of Misfolded α-Synuclein in the Brains of Dementia with Lewy Body Patients in RT-QUIC. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:3916-3930. [PMID: 28550528 PMCID: PMC5884914 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0624-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The prion-like seeding of misfolded α-synuclein (αSyn) involved in the pathogenesis of Lewy body diseases (LBD) remains poorly understood at the molecular level. Using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QUIC) seeding assay, we investigated whether brain tissues from cases of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), which contain serine 129 (Ser129)-phosphorylated insoluble aggregates of αSyn, can convert Escherichia coli-derived recombinant αSyn (r-αSyn) to fibrils. Diffuse neocortical DLB yielded 50% seeding dose (SD50) values of 107~1010/g brain. Limbic DLB was estimated to have an SD50 value of ~105/g brain. Furthermore, RT-QUIC assay discriminated DLB from other neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Unexpectedly, the prion-like seeding was reconstructed in reactions seeded with oligomer-like species, but not with insoluble aggregates of r-αSyn, regardless of Ser129 phosphorylation status. Our findings suggest that RT-QUIC using r-αSyn can be applied to detect seeding activity in LBD, and the culprit that causes prion-like seeding may be oligomeric forms of αSyn.
Collapse
|
219
|
Breid S, Bernis ME, Tachu JB, Garza MC, Wille H, Tamgüney G. Bioluminescence Imaging of Neuroinflammation in Transgenic Mice After Peripheral Inoculation of Alpha-Synuclein Fibrils. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28448035 DOI: 10.3791/55503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the prion-like behavior of misfolded alpha-synuclein, mouse models are needed that allow fast and simple transmission of alpha-synuclein prionoids, which cause neuropathology within the central nervous system (CNS). Here we describe that intraglossal or intraperitoneal injection of alpha-synuclein fibrils into bigenic Tg(M83+/-:Gfap-luc+/-) mice, which overexpress human alpha-synuclein with the A53T mutation from the prion protein promoter and firefly luciferase from the promoter for glial fibrillary acidic protein (Gfap), is sufficient to induce neuropathologic disease. In comparison to homozygous Tg(M83+/+) mice that develop severe neurologic symptoms beginning at an age of 8 months, heterozygous Tg(M83+/-:Gfap-luc+/-) animals remain free of spontaneous disease until they reach an age of 22 months. Interestingly, injection of alpha-synuclein fibrils via the intraperitoneal route induced neurologic disease with paralysis in four of five Tg(M83+/-:Gfap-luc+/-) mice with a median incubation time of 229 ±17 days. Diseased animals showed severe deposits of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in their brains and spinal cords. Accumulations of alpha-synuclein were sarkosyl-insoluble and colocalized with ubiquitin and p62, and were accompanied by an inflammatory response resulting in astrocytic gliosis and microgliosis. Surprisingly, inoculation of alpha-synuclein fibrils into the tongue was less effective in causing disease with only one of five injected animals showing alpha-synuclein pathology after 285 days. Our findings show that inoculation via the intraglossal route and more so via the intraperitoneal route is suitable to induce neurologic illness with relevant hallmarks of synucleinopathies in Tg(M83+/-:Gfap-luc+/-) mice. This provides a new model for studying prion-like pathogenesis induced by alpha-synuclein prionoids in greater detail.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Breid
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
| | | | | | - Maria C Garza
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases & Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta
| | - Holger Wille
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases & Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta
| | | |
Collapse
|
220
|
Prion-like mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2017; 172:22-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
221
|
Melki R. How the shapes of seeds can influence pathology. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 109:201-208. [PMID: 28363800 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that the loss of function of different cellular proteins following their aggregation into highly stable aggregates or the gain of pathologic function of the resulting macromolecular assemblies or both processes are tightly associated to distinct debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Creutzfeldt-Jacob, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Huntington's diseases. How the aggregation of one given protein leads to distinct diseases is unclear. Here, a structural-molecular explanation based on the ability of proteins such as α-synuclein or tau to form assemblies that differ by their intrinsic architecture, stability, seeding capacity, and surfaces is proposed to account for distinct synucleinopathies and tauopathies. The shape and surfaces of the seeds is proposed to define at the same time their seeding capacity, interactome and tropism for defined neuronal cells within the central nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Melki
- Paris Saclay Institute of Neurosciences, CNRS, Bâtiment 32-33, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| |
Collapse
|
222
|
Condello C, Stöehr J. Aβ propagation and strains: Implications for the phenotypic diversity in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 109:191-200. [PMID: 28359847 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The progressive nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is thought to occur, at least in part, by the self-replication and spreading of Aβ and Tau aggregates through a prion mechanism. Evidence now exists that structural variants of Aβ prions can propagate their distinct conformations through template-directed folding of naïve Aβ peptides. This notion implicates that the first self-propagating Aβ assembly to emerge in the brain dictates the conformation, anatomical spread and pace of subsequently formed deposits. It is hypothesized that a prion mechanism defines the molecular basis underlying the diverse clinicopathologic phenotypes observed across the spectrum of AD patients. Thus, distinct AD strains might require further sub-classification based on biochemical and structural characterization of aggregated Aβ. Here, we review the evidence for distinct, self-propagating Aβ strains, and discuss potential cellular mechanisms that might contribute to their manifestation. From this perspective, we also explore the implications of Aβ strains for current FDA-approved medical imaging probes and therapies for amyloid. Ultimately, the discovery of new molecular tools to differentiate Aβ strains and dissect the heterogeneity of AD may lead to the development of more informative diagnostics and strain-specific therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Condello
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Jan Stöehr
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
223
|
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a devastating and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The clinical presentation of this disease is highly variable, with parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia and autonomic failure being the most common - and often debilitating - symptoms. These symptoms progress rapidly, and patients die from MSA-related complications after 9 years of symptom duration on average. Unfortunately, the course of the disease cannot be improved by drug or surgical treatment. In addition, symptomatic treatment options are currently limited, and therapeutic benefits are often only transient. Thus, further interventional studies of candidate disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies are essential to improve patient care. In the past 15 years, the understanding of MSA-specific requirements in trial methodology has improved, resulting in a substantial increase in high-quality interventional studies. In this Review, we discuss MSA risk factors, clinical presentation and neuropathology, and we provide a hypothesis on key pathophysiological events, a summary of recent randomized controlled trials, and an overview of ongoing international collaborations.
Collapse
|
224
|
Sidhu A, Segers-Nolten I, Raussens V, Claessens MMAE, Subramaniam V. Distinct Mechanisms Determine α-Synuclein Fibril Morphology during Growth and Maturation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:538-547. [PMID: 28292187 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid polymorphs have become one of the focal points of molecular studies of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. Due to their distinct biochemical properties and prion-like characteristics, insights into the molecular origin and stability of amyloid polymorphs over time are crucial for understanding the potential role of amyloid polymorphism in these diseases. Here, we systematically study the fibrillization of recombinantly produced human α-synuclein (αSyn) over an extended period of time to unravel the origin and temporal evolution of polymorphism. We follow morphological changes in the same fibril sample with atomic force microscopy over a period of 1 year. We show that wild-type (wt) αSyn fibrils undergo a slow maturation over time after reaching the plateau phase of aggregation (as detected in a Thioflavin-T fluorescence assay). This maturation, visualized by changes in the fibril periodicity over time, is absent in the disease mutant fibrils. The β-sheet content of the plateau phase and matured fibrils, obtained using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, is however similar for the αSyn protein sequences, suggesting that the morphological changes in wt αSyn fibrils are tertiary or quaternary in origin. Furthermore, results from a reversibility assay show that the plateau phase fibrils do not disassemble over time. Together, the observed changes in the periodicity distributions and stability of the fibrillar core over time point toward two distinct mechanisms that determine the morphology of wt αSyn fibrils: competitive growth between different polymorphs during the fibrillization phase followed by a process wherein fibrils undergo slow maturation or annealing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arshdeep Sidhu
- Nanobiophysics,
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Ine Segers-Nolten
- Nanobiophysics,
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Raussens
- Structural
Biology and Bioinformatics Centre, Structure and Function of Biological
Membranes, Faculty of Science, Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mireille M. A. E. Claessens
- Nanobiophysics,
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- MIRA
Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Vinod Subramaniam
- Nanobiophysics,
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- MIRA
Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Postbox 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
225
|
Sharma J, Wisniewski BT, Paulson E, Obaoye JO, Merrill SJ, Manogaran AL. De novo [PSI +] prion formation involves multiple pathways to form infectious oligomers. Sci Rep 2017; 7:76. [PMID: 28250435 PMCID: PMC5427932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00135-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion and other neurodegenerative diseases are associated with misfolded protein assemblies called amyloid. Research has begun to uncover common mechanisms underlying transmission of amyloids, yet how amyloids form in vivo is still unclear. Here, we take advantage of the yeast prion, [PSI +], to uncover the early steps of amyloid formation in vivo. [PSI +] is the prion form of the Sup35 protein. While [PSI +] formation is quite rare, the prion can be greatly induced by overexpression of the prion domain of the Sup35 protein. This de novo induction of [PSI +] shows the appearance of fluorescent cytoplasmic rings when the prion domain is fused with GFP. Our current work shows that de novo induction is more complex than previously thought. Using 4D live cell imaging, we observed that fluorescent structures are formed by four different pathways to yield [PSI +] cells. Biochemical analysis of de novo induced cultures indicates that newly formed SDS resistant oligomers change in size over time and lysates made from de novo induced cultures are able to convert [psi -] cells to [PSI +] cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that newly formed prion oligomers are infectious.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Brett T Wisniewski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Emily Paulson
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Joanna O Obaoye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Stephen J Merrill
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Anita L Manogaran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
226
|
Dubnikov T, Ben-Gedalya T, Cohen E. Protein Quality Control in Health and Disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a023523. [PMID: 27864315 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining functional protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is a constant challenge in the face of limited protein-folding capacity, environmental threats, and aging. Cells have developed several quality-control mechanisms that assist nascent polypeptides to fold properly, clear misfolded molecules, respond to the accumulation of protein aggregates, and deposit potentially toxic conformers in designated sites. Proteostasis collapse can lead to the development of diseases known as proteinopathies. Here we delineate the current knowledge on the different layers of protein quality-control mechanisms at the organelle and cellular levels with an emphasis on the prion protein (PrP). We also describe how protein quality control is integrated at the organismal level and discuss future perspectives on utilizing proteostasis maintenance as a strategy to develop novel therapies for the treatment of proteinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Dubnikov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Tziona Ben-Gedalya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Ehud Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
227
|
Stopschinski BE, Diamond MI. The prion model for progression and diversity of neurodegenerative diseases. Lancet Neurol 2017; 16:323-332. [PMID: 28238712 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(17)30037-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neuropathology of different neurodegenerative diseases begins in different brain regions, and involves distinct brain networks. Evidence indicates that transcellular propagation of protein aggregation, which is the basis of prion disease, might underlie the progression of pathology in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. The prion model predicts specific patterns of neuronal vulnerability and network involvement on the basis of the conformation of pathological proteins. Indeed, evidence indicates that self-propagating aggregate conformers, or so-called strains, are associated with distinct neuropathological syndromes. The extension of this hypothesis to our understanding of common neurodegenerative disorders can suggest new therapeutic approaches, such as immunotherapy and small molecules, to block transcellular propagation, and new diagnostic tools to detect early evidence of disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E Stopschinski
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr Brain Institute, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75225, USA
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr Brain Institute, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75225, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
228
|
Shimozawa A, Ono M, Takahara D, Tarutani A, Imura S, Masuda-Suzukake M, Higuchi M, Yanai K, Hisanaga SI, Hasegawa M. Propagation of pathological α-synuclein in marmoset brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:12. [PMID: 28148299 PMCID: PMC5289012 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0413-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein is a defining, key component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), as well as glial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy (MSA). The distribution and spreading of these pathologies are closely correlated with disease progression. Recent studies have revealed that intracerebral injection of synthetic α-synuclein fibrils or pathological α-synuclein prepared from DLB or MSA brains into wild-type or transgenic animal brains induced prion-like propagation of phosphorylated α-synuclein pathology. The common marmoset is a very small primate that is expected to be a useful model of human diseases. Here, we show that intracerebral injection of synthetic α-synuclein fibrils into adult wild-type marmoset brains (caudate nucleus and/or putamen) resulted in spreading of abundant α-synuclein pathologies, which were positive for various antibodies to α-synuclein, including phospho Ser129-specific antibody, anti-ubiquitin and anti-p62 antibodies, at three months after injection. Remarkably, robust Lewy body-like inclusions were formed in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in these marmosets, strongly suggesting the retrograde spreading of abnormal α-synuclein from striatum to substantia nigra. Moreover, a significant decrease in the numbers of TH-positive neurons was observed in the injection-side of the brain, where α-synuclein inclusions were deposited. Furthermore, most of the α-synuclein inclusions were positive for 1-fluoro-2,5-bis (3-carboxy-4-hydroxystyryl) benzene (FSB) and thioflavin-S, which are dyes widely used to visualize the presence of amyloid. Thus, injection of synthetic α-synuclein fibrils into brains of non-transgenic primates induced PD-like α-synuclein pathologies within only 3 months after injection. Finally, we provide evidence indicating that neurons with abnormal α-synuclein inclusions may be cleared by microglial cells. This is the first marmoset model for α-synuclein propagation. It should be helpful in studies to elucidate mechanisms of disease progression and in development and evaluation of disease-modifying drugs for α-synucleinopathies.
Collapse
|
229
|
Toni M, Massimino ML, De Mario A, Angiulli E, Spisni E. Metal Dyshomeostasis and Their Pathological Role in Prion and Prion-Like Diseases: The Basis for a Nutritional Approach. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:3. [PMID: 28154522 PMCID: PMC5243831 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal ions are key elements in organisms' life acting like cofactors of many enzymes but they can also be potentially dangerous for the cell participating in redox reactions that lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Any factor inducing or limiting a metal dyshomeostasis, ROS production and cell injury may contribute to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases or play a neuroprotective action. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting the central nervous system (CNS) of human and other mammalian species. The causative agent of TSEs is believed to be the scrapie prion protein PrPSc, the β sheet-rich pathogenic isoform produced by the conformational conversion of the α-helix-rich physiological isoform PrPC. The peculiarity of PrPSc is its ability to self-propagate in exponential fashion in cells and its tendency to precipitate in insoluble and protease-resistance amyloid aggregates leading to neuronal cell death. The expression “prion-like diseases” refers to a group of neurodegenerative diseases that share some neuropathological features with prion diseases such as the involvement of proteins (α-synuclein, amyloid β, and tau) able to precipitate producing amyloid deposits following conformational change. High social impact diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's belong to prion-like diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that the exposure to environmental metals is a risk factor for the development of prion and prion-like diseases and that metal ions can directly bind to prion and prion-like proteins affecting the amount of amyloid aggregates. The diet, source of metal ions but also of natural antioxidant and chelating agents such as polyphenols, is an aspect to take into account in addressing the issue of neurodegeneration. Epidemiological data suggest that the Mediterranean diet, based on the abundant consumption of fresh vegetables and on low intake of meat, could play a preventive or delaying role in prion and prion-like neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, metal role in the onset of prion and prion-like diseases is dealt with from a nutritional, cellular, and molecular point of view.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Toni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University Rome, Italy
| | - Maria L Massimino
- National Research Council (CNR), Neuroscience Institute c/o Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| | - Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| | - Elisa Angiulli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Spisni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
230
|
Robust Central Nervous System Pathology in Transgenic Mice following Peripheral Injection of α-Synuclein Fibrils. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.02095-16. [PMID: 27852849 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02095-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolded α-synuclein (αS) is hypothesized to spread throughout the central nervous system (CNS) by neuronal connectivity leading to widespread pathology. Increasing evidence indicates that it also has the potential to invade the CNS via peripheral nerves in a prion-like manner. On the basis of the effectiveness following peripheral routes of prion administration, we extend our previous studies of CNS neuroinvasion in M83 αS transgenic mice following hind limb muscle (intramuscular [i.m.]) injection of αS fibrils by comparing various peripheral sites of inoculations with different αS protein preparations. Following intravenous injection in the tail veins of homozygous M83 transgenic (M83+/+) mice, robust αS pathology was observed in the CNS without the development of motor impairments within the time frame examined. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of αS fibrils in hemizygous M83 transgenic (M83+/-) mice resulted in CNS αS pathology associated with paralysis. Interestingly, injection with soluble, nonaggregated αS resulted in paralysis and pathology in only a subset of mice, whereas soluble Δ71-82 αS, human βS, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) control proteins induced no symptoms or pathology. Intraperitoneal injection of αS fibrils also induced CNS αS pathology in another αS transgenic mouse line (M20), albeit less robustly in these mice. In comparison, i.m. injection of αS fibrils was more efficient in inducing CNS αS pathology in M83 mice than i.p. or tail vein injections. Furthermore, i.m. injection of soluble, nonaggregated αS in M83+/- mice also induced paralysis and CNS αS pathology, although less efficiently. These results further demonstrate the prion-like characteristics of αS and reveal its efficiency to invade the CNS via multiple routes of peripheral administration. IMPORTANCE The misfolding and accumulation of α-synuclein (αS) inclusions are found in a number of neurodegenerative disorders and is a hallmark feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) and PD-related diseases. Similar characteristics have been observed between the infectious prion protein and αS, including its ability to spread from the peripheral nervous system and along neuroanatomical tracts within the central nervous system. In this study, we extend our previous results and investigate the efficiency of intravenous (i.v.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), and intramuscular (i.m.) routes of injection of αS fibrils and other protein controls. Our data reveal that injection of αS fibrils via these peripheral routes in αS-overexpressing mice are capable of inducing a robust αS pathology and in some cases cause paralysis. Furthermore, soluble, nonaggregated αS also induced αS pathology, albeit with much less efficiency. These findings further support and extend the idea of αS neuroinvasion from peripheral exposures.
Collapse
|
231
|
Leblanc P, Arellano-Anaya ZE, Bernard E, Gallay L, Provansal M, Lehmann S, Schaeffer L, Raposo G, Vilette D. Isolation of Exosomes and Microvesicles from Cell Culture Systems to Study Prion Transmission. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1545:153-176. [PMID: 27943213 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6728-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are composed of microvesicles and exosomes. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles (40-120 nm sized) of endosomal origin released in the extracellular medium from cells when multivesicular bodies fuse with the plasma membrane, whereas microvesicles (i.e., shedding vesicles, 100 nm to 1 μm sized) bud from the plasma membrane. Exosomes and microvesicles carry functional proteins and nucleic acids (especially mRNAs and microRNAs) that can be transferred to surrounding cells and tissues and can impact multiple dimensions of the cellular life. Most of the cells, if not all, from neuronal to immune cells, release exosomes and microvesicles in the extracellular medium, and all biological fluids including blood (serum/plasma), urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva contain EVs.Prion-infected cultured cells are known to secrete infectivity into their environment. We characterized this cell-free form of prions and showed that infectivity was associated with exosomes. Since exosomes are produced by a variety of cells, including cells that actively accumulate prions, they could be a vehicle for infectivity in body fluids and could participate to the dissemination of prions in the organism. In addition, such infectious exosomes also represent a natural, simple, biological material to get key information on the abnormal PrP forms associated with infectivity.In this chapter, we describe first a method that allows exosomes and microvesicles isolation from prion-infected cell cultures and in a second time the strategies to characterize the prions containing exosomes and their ability to disseminate the prion agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Leblanc
- CNRS UMR5239, LBMC, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, 69007, France.
- Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), CNRS UMR5310 - INSERM U1217, Université de Lyon - Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, 69000, France.
| | | | | | - Laure Gallay
- CNRS UMR5239, LBMC, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, 69007, France
- Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), CNRS UMR5310 - INSERM U1217, Université de Lyon - Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, 69000, France
| | | | | | - Laurent Schaeffer
- CNRS UMR5239, LBMC, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, 69007, France
- Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), CNRS UMR5310 - INSERM U1217, Université de Lyon - Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, 69000, France
| | - Graça Raposo
- CNRS UMR144, Institut Curie, Paris, 75248, France
| | - Didier Vilette
- IHAP, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
| |
Collapse
|
232
|
Stefanova N, Wenning GK. Review: Multiple system atrophy: emerging targets for interventional therapies. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2016; 42:20-32. [PMID: 26785838 PMCID: PMC4788141 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal orphan neurodegenerative disorder that manifests with rapidly progressive autonomic and motor dysfunction. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein fibrils in oligodendrocytes that form glial cytoplasmic inclusions, a neuropathological hallmark and central player in the pathogenesis of MSA. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the etiopathogenesis and neuropathology of MSA. We discuss the role of α-synuclein pathology, microglial activation, oligodendroglial dysfunction and putative cell death mechanisms as candidate therapeutic targets in MSA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Stefanova
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - G K Wenning
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
233
|
Valera E, Monzio Compagnoni G, Masliah E. Review: Novel treatment strategies targeting alpha-synuclein in multiple system atrophy as a model of synucleinopathy. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2016; 42:95-106. [PMID: 26924723 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders with alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation (synucleinopathies) include Parkinson's disease (PD), PD dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Due to the involvement of toxic α-syn aggregates in the molecular origin of these disorders, developing effective therapies targeting α-syn is a priority as a disease-modifying alternative to current symptomatic treatments. Importantly, the clinical and pathological attributes of MSA make this disorder an excellent candidate as a synucleinopathy model for accelerated drug development. Recent therapeutic strategies targeting α-syn in in vivo and in vitro models of MSA, as well as in clinical trials, have been focused on the pathological mechanisms of α-syn synthesis, aggregation, clearance, and/or cell-to-cell propagation of its neurotoxic conformers. Here we summarize the most relevant approaches in this direction, with emphasis on their potential as general synucleinopathy modifiers, and enumerate research areas for potential improvement in MSA drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Valera
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - G Monzio Compagnoni
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - E Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
234
|
Rey NL, George S, Brundin P. Review: Spreading the word: precise animal models and validated methods are vital when evaluating prion-like behaviour of alpha-synuclein. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2016; 42:51-76. [PMID: 26666838 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are characterized by abnormal proteinaceous aggregates, mainly composed of fibrillar α-synuclein (α-syn). It is now believed that α-syn can form small aggregates in a restricted number of cells, that propagate to neighbouring cells and seed aggregation of endogenous α-syn, in a 'prion-like manner'. This process could underlie the stereotypical progression of Lewy bodies described by Braak and colleagues across different stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). This prion-like behaviour of α-syn has been recently investigated in animal models of PD or multiple system atrophy (MSA). These models investigate the cell-to-cell transfer of α-syn seeds, or the induction and spreading of α-syn pathology in transgenic or wild-type rodent brain. In this review, we first outline the involvement of α-syn in Lewy body diseases and MSA, and discuss how 'prion-like' mechanisms can contribute to disease. Thereon, we debate the relevance of animal models used to study prion-like propagation. Finally, we review current main histological methods used to assess α-syn pathology both in animal models and in human samples and their relevance to the disease. Specifically, we discuss using α-syn phosphorylated at serine 129 as a marker of pathology, and the novel methods available that allow for more sensitive detection of early pathology, which has relevance for modelling synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N L Rey
- Van Andel Research Institute, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - S George
- Van Andel Research Institute, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - P Brundin
- Van Andel Research Institute, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
235
|
Engelender S, Isacson O. The Threshold Theory for Parkinson's Disease. Trends Neurosci 2016; 40:4-14. [PMID: 27894611 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is recognized by the accumulation of α-synuclein within neurons. In contrast to the current ascending theory where α-synuclein would propagate from neuron to neuron, we now propose the threshold theory for PD based on evidence of parallel degeneration of both central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) in PD. The functional threshold is lower for the emergence of early symptoms before the classical motor symptoms of PD. This is due to the larger functional reserve of the midbrain dopamine and integrated basal ganglia motor systems to control movement. This threshold theory better accounts for the current neurobiology of PD symptom progression compared to the hypothesis that the disease ascends from the PNS to the CNS as proposed by Braak's hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Engelender
- Department of Biochemistry, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
| | - Ole Isacson
- Neuroregeneration Research Institute, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
236
|
Braak H, Del Tredici K. Potential Pathways of Abnormal Tau and α-Synuclein Dissemination in Sporadic Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2016; 8:a023630. [PMID: 27580631 PMCID: PMC5088528 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Experimental data indicate that transneuronal propagation of abnormal protein aggregates in neurodegenerative proteinopathies, such as sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), is capable of a self-propagating process that leads to a progression of neurodegeneration and accumulation of prion-like particles. The mechanisms by which misfolded tau and α-synuclein possibly spread from one involved nerve cell to the next in the neuronal chain to induce abnormal aggregation are still unknown. Based on findings from studies of human autopsy cases, we review potential pathways and mechanisms related to axonal and transneuronal dissemination of tau (sporadic AD) and α-synuclein (sporadic PD) aggregates between anatomically interconnected regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Braak
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section/Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstrasse 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kelly Del Tredici
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section/Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstrasse 8/1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
237
|
α-Synuclein-Based Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Era. Trends Neurosci 2016; 39:750-762. [PMID: 27776749 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, a new generation of animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) based on ectopic expression, overexpression, or intracerebral injection of the protein α-synuclein have emerged. Critically, these models develop inclusions of aggregated α-synuclein and/or α-synuclein-mediated neuronal loss replicating the defining pathological hallmarks of PD and driving significant advances in the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underpinning PD. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of this new generation of animal models of PD, ranging from invertebrate to rodent to nonhuman primate. We focus on their strengths and limitations with respect to their highly anticipated contribution to the further understanding of α-synuclein pathobiology and the future testing of novel disease-modifying therapeutics.
Collapse
|
238
|
MacLea KS. What Makes a Prion: Infectious Proteins From Animals to Yeast. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 329:227-276. [PMID: 28109329 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
While philosophers in ancient times had many ideas for the cause of contagion, the modern study of infective agents began with Fracastoro's 1546 proposal that invisible "spores" spread infectious disease. However, firm categorization of the pathogens of the natural world would need to await a mature germ theory that would not arise for 300 years. In the 19th century, the earliest pathogens described were bacteria and other cellular microbes. By the close of that century, the work of Ivanovsky and Beijerinck introduced the concept of a virus, an infective particle smaller than any known cell. Extending into the early-mid-20th century there was an explosive growth in pathogenic microbiology, with a cellular or viral cause identified for nearly every transmissible disease. A few occult pathogens remained to be discovered, including the infectious proteins (prions) proposed by Prusiner in 1982. This review discusses the prions identified in mammals, yeasts, and other organisms, focusing on the amyloid-based prions. I discuss the essential biochemical properties of these agents and the application of this knowledge to diseases of protein misfolding and aggregation, as well as the utility of yeast as a model organism to study prion and amyloid proteins that affect human and animal health. Further, I summarize the ideas emerging out of these studies that the prion concept may go beyond proteinaceous infectious particles and that prions may be a subset of proteins having general nucleating or seeding functions involved in noninfectious as well as infectious pathogenic protein aggregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K S MacLea
- University of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
239
|
Tyson T, Steiner JA, Brundin P. Sorting out release, uptake and processing of alpha-synuclein during prion-like spread of pathology. J Neurochem 2016; 139 Suppl 1:275-289. [PMID: 26617280 PMCID: PMC4958606 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that is characterized by the formation of intracellular protein inclusion bodies composed primarily of a misfolded and aggregated form of the protein α-synuclein. There is growing evidence that supports the prion-like hypothesis of α-synuclein progression. This hypothesis postulates that α-synuclein is a prion-like pathological agent and is responsible for the progression of Parkinson pathology in the brain. Potential misfolding or aggregation of α-synuclein that might occur in the peripheral nervous system as a result of some insult, environmental or genetic (or more likely a combination of both) that might spread into the midbrain, eventually causing degeneration of the neurons in the substantia nigra. As the disease progresses further, it is likely that α-synuclein pathology continues to spread throughout the brain, including the cortex, leading to deterioration of cognition and higher brain functions. While it is unknown why α-synuclein initially misfolds and aggregates, a great deal has been learned about how the cell handles aberrant α-synuclein assemblies. In this review, we focus on these mechanisms and discuss them in an attempt to define the role that they might play in the propagation of misfolded α-synuclein from cell-to-cell. The prion-like hypothesis of α-synuclein pathology suggests a method for the transmission of misfolded α-synuclein from one neuron to another. This hypothesis postulates that misfolded α-synuclein becomes aggregation prone and when released and taken up by neighboring cells, seeds further misfolding and aggregation. In this review we examine the cellular mechanisms that are involved in the processing of α-synuclein and how these may contribute to the prion-like propagation of α-synuclein pathology. This article is part of a special issue on Parkinson disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Tyson
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Jennifer A Steiner
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Patrik Brundin
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
240
|
Watts JC, Giles K, Bourkas MEC, Patel S, Oehler A, Gavidia M, Bhardwaj S, Lee J, Prusiner SB. Towards authentic transgenic mouse models of heritable PrP prion diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 132:593-610. [PMID: 27350609 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1585-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Attempts to model inherited human prion disorders such as familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease, and fatal familial insomnia (FFI) using genetically modified mice have produced disappointing results. We recently demonstrated that transgenic (Tg) mice expressing wild-type bank vole prion protein (BVPrP) containing isoleucine at polymorphic codon 109 develop a spontaneous neurodegenerative disorder that exhibits many of the hallmarks of prion disease. To determine if mutations causing inherited human prion disease alter this phenotype, we generated Tg mice expressing BVPrP containing the D178N mutation, which causes FFI; the E200K mutation, which causes familial CJD; or an anchorless PrP mutation similar to mutations that cause GSS. Modest expression levels of mutant BVPrP resulted in highly penetrant spontaneous disease in Tg mice, with mean ages of disease onset ranging from ~120 to ~560 days. The brains of spontaneously ill mice exhibited prominent features of prion disease-specific neuropathology that were unique to each mutation and distinct from Tg mice expressing wild-type BVPrP. An ~8-kDa proteinase K-resistant PrP fragment was found in the brains of spontaneously ill Tg mice expressing either wild-type or mutant BVPrP. The spontaneously formed mutant BVPrP prions were transmissible to Tg mice expressing wild-type or mutant BVPrP as well as to Tg mice expressing mouse PrP. Thus, Tg mice expressing mutant BVPrP exhibit many of the hallmarks of heritable prion disorders in humans including spontaneous disease, protease-resistant PrP, and prion infectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel C Watts
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Kurt Giles
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Matthew E C Bourkas
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Smita Patel
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
| | - Marta Gavidia
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
| | - Sumita Bhardwaj
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
| | - Joanne Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0518, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
241
|
Inactivation of Prions and Amyloid Seeds with Hypochlorous Acid. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005914. [PMID: 27685252 PMCID: PMC5042475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is produced naturally by neutrophils and other cells to kill conventional microbes in vivo. Synthetic preparations containing HOCl can also be effective as microbial disinfectants. Here we have tested whether HOCl can also inactivate prions and other self-propagating protein amyloid seeds. Prions are deadly pathogens that are notoriously difficult to inactivate, and standard microbial disinfection protocols are often inadequate. Recommended treatments for prion decontamination include strongly basic (pH ≥~12) sodium hypochlorite bleach, ≥1 N sodium hydroxide, and/or prolonged autoclaving. These treatments are damaging and/or unsuitable for many clinical, agricultural and environmental applications. We have tested the anti-prion activity of a weakly acidic aqueous formulation of HOCl (BrioHOCl) that poses no apparent hazard to either users or many surfaces. For example, BrioHOCl can be applied directly to skin and mucous membranes and has been aerosolized to treat entire rooms without apparent deleterious effects. Here, we demonstrate that immersion in BrioHOCl can inactivate not only a range of target microbes, including spores of Bacillus subtilis, but also prions in tissue suspensions and on stainless steel. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays showed that BrioHOCl treatments eliminated all detectable prion seeding activity of human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cervine chronic wasting disease, sheep scrapie and hamster scrapie; these findings indicated reductions of ≥103- to 106-fold. Transgenic mouse bioassays showed that all detectable hamster-adapted scrapie infectivity in brain homogenates or on steel wires was eliminated, representing reductions of ≥~105.75-fold and >104-fold, respectively. Inactivation of RT-QuIC seeding activity correlated with free chlorine concentration and higher order aggregation or destruction of proteins generally, including prion protein. BrioHOCl treatments had similar effects on amyloids composed of human α-synuclein and a fragment of human tau. These results indicate that HOCl can block the self-propagating activity of prions and other amyloids. Many serious diseases have been linked to pathogenic states of various proteins. These naturally occurring proteins can be corrupted to form aggregates such as prions and amyloids that propagate in and between tissues by acting as seeds that convert the normal form of the protein into more of the pathological form. For example, corrupted prion protein can cause fatal transmissible neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, chronic wasting disease in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Other amyloid-forming protein aggregates are pathogenic in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. The fact that prions and amyloids are composed predominantly of tough, tightly packed proteins makes them unusually resistant to conventional microbial disinfection procedures. Infectious prions can persist indefinitely in, or on, a variety of materials such as tissues, fluids, tools, instruments, and environmental surfaces, making it important to identify decontaminants that are effective without being dangerous or damaging. Here we show that hypochlorous acid, a disinfectant that is produced naturally by certain cells within the body, has strong anti-prion and anti-amyloid activity. We find that a non-irritating and broadly applicable hypochlorous acid preparation can disinfect prions in tissue homogenates and on stainless steel wires serving as surrogates for surgical instruments.
Collapse
|
242
|
Neuroinvasion of α-Synuclein Prionoids after Intraperitoneal and Intraglossal Inoculation. J Virol 2016; 90:9182-93. [PMID: 27489279 PMCID: PMC5044858 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01399-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein is a soluble, cellular protein that in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy, forms pathological deposits of protein aggregates. Because misfolded α-synuclein has some characteristics that resemble those of prions, we investigated its potential to induce disease after intraperitoneal or intraglossal challenge injection into bigenic Tg(M83+/−:Gfap-luc+/−) mice, which express the A53T mutant of human α-synuclein and firefly luciferase. After a single intraperitoneal injection with α-synuclein fibrils, four of five mice developed paralysis and α-synuclein pathology in the central nervous system, with a median incubation time of 229 ± 17 days. Diseased mice accumulated aggregates of Sarkosyl-insoluble and phosphorylated α-synuclein in the brain and spinal cord, which colocalized with ubiquitin and p62 and were accompanied by gliosis. In contrast, only one of five mice developed α-synuclein pathology in the central nervous system after intraglossal injection with α-synuclein fibrils, after 285 days. These findings are novel and important because they show that, similar to prions, α-synuclein prionoids can neuroinvade the central nervous system after intraperitoneal or intraglossal injection and can cause neuropathology and disease.
IMPORTANCE Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by the pathological presence of aggregated α-synuclein in cells of the nervous system. Previous studies have shown that α-synuclein aggregates made of recombinant protein or derived from brains of patients can spread in the central nervous system in a spatiotemporal manner when inoculated into the brains of animals and can induce pathology and neurologic disease, suggesting that misfolded α-synuclein can behave similarly to prions. Here we show that α-synuclein inoculation into the peritoneal cavity or the tongue in mice overexpressing α-synuclein causes neurodegeneration after neuroinvasion from the periphery, which further corroborates the prionoid character of misfolded α-synuclein.
Collapse
|
243
|
Ugalde CL, Finkelstein DI, Lawson VA, Hill AF. Pathogenic mechanisms of prion protein, amyloid-β and α-synuclein misfolding: the prion concept and neurotoxicity of protein oligomers. J Neurochem 2016; 139:162-180. [PMID: 27529376 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Proteinopathies represent a group of diseases characterized by the unregulated misfolding and aggregation of proteins. Accumulation of misfolded protein in the central nervous system (CNS) is associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (or prion diseases), Alzheimer's disease, and the synucleinopathies (the most common of which is Parkinson's disease). Of these, the pathogenic mechanisms of prion diseases are particularly striking where the transmissible, causative agent of disease is the prion, or proteinaceous infectious particle. Prions are composed almost exclusively of PrPSc ; a misfolded isoform of the normal cellular protein, PrPC , which is found accumulated in the CNS in disease. Today, mounting evidence suggests other aggregating proteins, such as amyloid-β (Aβ) and α-synuclein (α-syn), proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and synucleinopathies, respectively, share similar biophysical and biochemical properties with PrPSc that influences how they misfold, aggregate, and propagate in disease. In this regard, the definition of a 'prion' may ultimately expand to include other pathogenic proteins. Unifying knowledge of folded proteins may also reveal common mechanisms associated with other features of disease that are less understood, such as neurotoxicity. This review discusses the common features Aβ and α-syn share with PrP and neurotoxic mechanisms associated with these misfolded proteins. Several proteins are known to misfold and accumulate in the central nervous system causing a range of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and the prion diseases. Prions are transmissible misfolded conformers of the prion protein, PrP, which seed further generation of infectious proteins. Similar effects have recently been observed in proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and the synucleinopathies, leading to the proposition that the definition of a 'prion' may ultimately expand to include other pathogenic proteins. Unifying knowledge of misfolded proteins may also reveal common mechanisms associated with other features of disease that are less understood, such as neurotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn L Ugalde
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia.,Howard Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - David I Finkelstein
- Howard Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Victoria A Lawson
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Andrew F Hill
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
244
|
Abstract
α-Synuclein, which is present as a small, soluble, cytosolic protein in healthy subjects, is converted to amyloid-like fibrils in diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Bulk synthesis of purified α-synuclein has made it more convenient to study the nature of the normal protein and the mechanism of its conversion to an abnormal form in vitro and in vivo. Synthetic α-synuclein fibrils and pathological α-synuclein from diseased brains can act as triggers to convert normal α-synuclein to an abnormal form via prion-like mechanisms. In this article, we describe the experimental pathologies of α-synuclein both in vitro and in vivo in human and animal models. Prion-like spreading of abnormal α-synuclein from cell to cell can account for the progression of these α-synucleinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Takashi Nonaka
- Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masami Masuda-Suzukake
- Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
245
|
Sacino AN, Brooks MM, Chakrabarty P, Saha K, Khoshbouei H, Golde TE, Giasson BI. Proteolysis of α-synuclein fibrils in the lysosomal pathway limits induction of inclusion pathology. J Neurochem 2016; 140:662-678. [PMID: 27424880 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Progression of α-synuclein inclusion pathology may occur through cycles of release and uptake of α-synuclein aggregates, which induce additional intracellular α-synuclein inclusion pathology. This process may explain (i) the presence of α-synuclein inclusion pathology in grafted cells in human brains, and (ii) the slowly progressive nature of most human α-synucleinopathies. It also provides a rationale for therapeutic targeting of extracellular aggregates to limit pathology spread. We investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying intraneuronal α-synuclein aggregation following exposure to exogenous preformed α-synuclein amyloid fibrils. Exogenous α-synuclein fibrils efficiently attached to cell membranes and were subsequently internalized and degraded within the endosomal/lysosomal system. However, internalized α-synuclein amyloid fibrils can apparently overwhelm the endosomal/lysosomal machinery leading to the induction of intraneuronal α-synuclein inclusions comprised of endogenous α-synuclein. Furthermore, the efficiency of inclusion formation was relatively low in these studies compared to studies using primary neuronal-glial cultures over-expressing α-synuclein. Our study indicates that under physiologic conditions, endosomal/lysosomal function acts as an endogenous barrier to the induction of α-synuclein inclusion pathology, but when compromised, it may lower the threshold for pathology induction/transmission. Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.13787.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Sacino
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mieu M Brooks
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Kaustuv Saha
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Habibeh Khoshbouei
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Todd E Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
246
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We describe evidence supporting the hypothesis that α-synuclein has a prion-like role in Parkinson's disease and related α-synucleinopathies, and discuss how this novel thinking impacts the development of diagnostics and disease-modifying therapies. RECENT FINDINGS Observations that immature dopamine neurons grafted to Parkinson's disease patients can develop Lewy bodies triggered a surge of interest in the putative prion-like properties of α-synuclein. We recount results from experiments which confirm that misfolded α-synuclein can exhibit disease-propagating properties, and describe how they relate to the spreading of α-synuclein aggregates in α-synucleinopathies. We share insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and their relevance to novel therapeutic targets. Finally, we discuss what the initial triggers of α-synuclein misfolding might be, where in the body the misfolding events might take place, and how this can instruct development of novel diagnostic tools. We speculate that differences in anatomical trigger sites and variability in α-synuclein fibril structure can contribute to clinical differences between α-synucleinopathies. SUMMARY The realization that α-synuclein pathology can propagate between brain regions in neurodegenerative diseases has deepened and expanded our understanding of potential pathogenic processes which can lead to the development of novel diagnostic tools as well as the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Brundin
- Translational Parkinson’s Disease Research, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Prion Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Disease, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Kordower
- Parkinson’s Disease: Pathogenesis and Experimental Therapeutics; Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
247
|
Walsh DM, Selkoe DJ. A critical appraisal of the pathogenic protein spread hypothesis of neurodegeneration. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:251-60. [PMID: 26988744 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There has been an explosion in the number of papers discussing the hypothesis of 'pathogenic spread' in neurodegenerative disease - the idea that abnormal forms of disease-associated proteins, such as tau or α-synuclein, physically move from neuron to neuron to induce disease progression. However, whether inter-neuronal spread of protein aggregates actually occurs in humans and, if so, whether it causes symptom onset remain uncertain. Even if pathogenic spread is proven in humans, it is unclear how much this would alter the specific therapeutic approaches that are in development. A critical appraisal of this increasingly popular hypothesis thus seems both important and timely.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominic M Walsh
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
248
|
Tarutani A, Suzuki G, Shimozawa A, Nonaka T, Akiyama H, Hisanaga SI, Hasegawa M. The Effect of Fragmented Pathogenic α-Synuclein Seeds on Prion-like Propagation. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:18675-88. [PMID: 27382062 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.734707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregates of abnormal proteins are widely observed in neuronal and glial cells of patients with various neurodegenerative diseases, and it has been proposed that prion-like behavior of these proteins can account for not only the onset but also the progression of these diseases. However, it is not yet clear which abnormal protein structures function most efficiently as seeds for prion-like propagation. In this study, we aimed to identify the most pathogenic species of α-synuclein (α-syn), the main component of the Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites that are observed in α-synucleinopathies. We prepared various forms of α-syn protein and examined their seeding properties in vitro in cells and in mouse experimental models. We also characterized these α-syn species by means of electron microscopy and thioflavin fluorescence assays and found that fragmented β sheet-rich fibrous structures of α-syn with a length of 50 nm or less are the most efficient promoters of accumulation of phosphorylated α-syn, which is the hallmark of α-synucleinopathies. These results indicate that fragmented amyloid-like aggregates of short α-syn fibrils are the key pathogenic seeds that trigger prion-like conversion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and the Department of Biological Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Genjiro Suzuki
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and
| | - Aki Shimozawa
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and the Department of Biological Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Takashi Nonaka
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and
| | - Haruhiko Akiyama
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and
| | - Shin-Ichi Hisanaga
- the Department of Biological Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- From the Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan and
| |
Collapse
|
249
|
Sanders DW, Kaufman SK, Holmes BB, Diamond MI. Prions and Protein Assemblies that Convey Biological Information in Health and Disease. Neuron 2016; 89:433-48. [PMID: 26844828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Prions derived from the prion protein (PrP) were first characterized as infectious agents that transmit pathology between individuals. However, the majority of cases of neurodegeneration caused by PrP prions occur sporadically. Proteins that self-assemble as cross-beta sheet amyloids are a defining pathological feature of infectious prion disorders and all major age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, multiple non-infectious proteins exhibit properties of template-driven self-assembly that are strikingly similar to PrP. Evidence suggests that like PrP, many proteins form aggregates that propagate between cells and convert cognate monomer into ordered assemblies. We now recognize that numerous proteins assemble into macromolecular complexes as part of normal physiology, some of which are self-amplifying. This review highlights similarities among infectious and non-infectious neurodegenerative diseases associated with prions, emphasizing the normal and pathogenic roles of higher-order protein assemblies. We propose that studies of the structural and cellular biology of pathological versus physiological aggregates will be mutually informative.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David W Sanders
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Sarah K Kaufman
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Brandon B Holmes
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
250
|
Melki R. Role of Different Alpha-Synuclein Strains in Synucleinopathies, Similarities with other Neurodegenerative Diseases. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2016; 5:217-27. [PMID: 25757830 PMCID: PMC4923763 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-150543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Misfolded protein aggregates are the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases in humans. The main protein constituent of these aggregates and the regions within the brain that are affected differ from one neurodegenerative disorder to another. A plethora of reports suggest that distinct diseases have in common the ability of protein aggregates to spread and amplify within the central nervous system. This review summarizes briefly what is known about the nature of the protein aggregates that are infectious and the reason they are toxic to cells. The chameleon property of polypeptides which aggregation into distinct high-molecular weight assemblies is associated to different diseases, in particular, that of alpha-synuclein which aggregation is the hallmark of distinct synucleinopathies, is discussed. Finally, strategies targeting the formation and propagation of structurally distinct alpha-synuclein assemblies associated to different synucleinopathies are presented and their therapeutic and diagnostic potential is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Melki
- Correspondence to: Ronald Melki, Neuro Psi, CNRS, Avenue de la Terrasse, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Tel.: +33 169823503; Fax: +33 169823129;
| |
Collapse
|