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Vallabh SM, Zou D, Pitstick R, O’Moore J, Peters J, Silvius D, Kriz J, Jackson WS, Carlson GA, Minikel EV, Cabin DE. Therapeutic Trial of anle138b in Mouse Models of Genetic Prion Disease. J Virol 2023; 97:e0167222. [PMID: 36651748 PMCID: PMC9973041 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01672-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic screening has yielded small-molecule inhibitors of prion replication that are effective in vivo against certain prion strains but not others. Here, we sought to test the small molecule anle138b in multiple mouse models of prion disease. In mice inoculated with the RML strain of prions, anle138b doubled survival and durably suppressed astrogliosis measured by live-animal bioluminescence imaging. In knock-in mouse models of the D178N and E200K mutations that cause genetic prion disease, however, we were unable to identify a clear, quantifiable disease endpoint against which to measure therapeutic efficacy. Among untreated animals, the mutations did not impact overall survival, and bioluminescence remained low out to >20 months of age. Vacuolization and PrP deposition were observed in some brain regions in a subset of mutant animals but appeared to be unable to carry the weight of a primary endpoint in a therapeutic study. We conclude that not all animal models of prion disease are suited to well-powered therapeutic efficacy studies, and care should be taken in choosing the models that will support drug development programs. IMPORTANCE There is an urgent need to develop drugs for prion disease, a currently untreatable neurodegenerative disease. In this effort, there is a debate over which animal models can best support a drug development program. While the study of prion disease benefits from excellent animal models because prions naturally afflict many different mammals, different models have different capabilities and limitations. Here, we conducted a therapeutic efficacy study of the drug candidate anle138b in mouse models with two of the most common mutations that cause genetic prion disease. In a more typical model where prions are injected directly into the brain, we found anle138b to be effective. In the genetic models, however, the animals never reached a clear, measurable point of disease onset. We conclude that not all prion disease animal models are ideally suited to drug efficacy studies, and well-defined, quantitative disease metrics should be a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M. Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dan Zou
- Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Rose Pitstick
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jill O’Moore
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Janet Peters
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Derek Silvius
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jasna Kriz
- Cervo Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - George A. Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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2
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Cali I, Espinosa JC, Nemani SK, Marin-Moreno A, Camacho MV, Aslam R, Kitamoto T, Appleby BS, Torres JM, Gambetti P. Two distinct conformers of PrP D type 1 of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with codon 129VV genotype faithfully propagate in vivo. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:55. [PMID: 33766126 PMCID: PMC7995586 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01132-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Current classifications of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) identify five subtypes associated with different disease phenotypes. Most of these histopathological phenotypes (histotypes) co-distribute with distinct pairings of methionine (M)/valine (V) genotypes at codon 129 of the prion protein (PrP) gene and the type (1 or 2) of the disease-associated PrP (PrPD). Types 1 and 2 are defined by the molecular mass (~ 21 kDa and ~ 19 kDa, respectively) of the unglycosylated isoform of the proteinase K-resistant PrPD (resPrPD). We recently reported that the sCJDVV1 subtype (129VV homozygosity paired with PrPD type 1, T1) shows an electrophoretic profile where the resPrPD unglycosylated isoform is characterized by either one of two single bands of ~ 20 kDa (T120) and ~ 21 kDa (T121), or a doublet of ~ 21–20 kDa (T121−20). We also showed that T120 and T121 in sCJDVV have different conformational features but are associated with indistinguishable histotypes. The presence of three distinct molecular profiles of T1 is unique and raises the issue as to whether T120 and T121 represent distinct prion strains. To answer this question, brain homogenates from sCJDVV cases harboring each of the three resPrPD profiles, were inoculated to transgenic (Tg) mice expressing the human PrP-129M or PrP-129V genotypes. We found that T120 and T121 were faithfully replicated in Tg129V mice. Electrophoretic profile and incubation period of mice challenged with T121−20 resembled those of mice inoculated with T121 and T120, respectively. As in sCJDVV1, Tg129V mice challenged with T121 and T120 generated virtually undistinguishable histotypes. In Tg129M mice, T121 was not replicated while T120 and T121−20 generated a ~ 21–20 kDa doublet after lengthier incubation periods. On second passage, Tg129M mice incubation periods and regional PrP accumulation significantly differed in T120 and T121−20 challenged mice. Combined, these data indicate that T121 and T120 resPrPD represent distinct human prion strains associated with partially overlapping histotypes.
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Suzuki A, Sawada K, Yamasaki T, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA, Horiuchi M. Involvement of N- and C-terminal region of recombinant cervid prion protein in its reactivity to CWD and atypical BSE prions in real-time quaking-induced conversion reaction in the presence of high concentrations of tissue homogenates. Prion 2020; 14:283-295. [PMID: 33345717 PMCID: PMC7757825 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1858694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) reaction is a sensitive and specific method for detecting prions. However, inhibitory factors present in tissue homogenates can easily interfere with this reaction. To identify the RT-QuIC condition under which low levels of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions can be detected in the presence of high concentrations of brain tissue homogenates, reactivities of various recombinant prion proteins (rPrPs) were tested. Among the tested rPrPs, recombinant cervid PrP (rCerPrP) showed a unique reactivity: the reactivity of rCerPrP to CWD and atypical BSE prions was not highly affected by high concentrations of normal brain homogenates. The unique reactivity of rCerPrP disappeared when the N-terminal region (aa 25-93) was truncated. Replacement of aa 23-149 of mouse (Mo) PrP with the corresponding region of CerPrP partially restored the unique reactivity of rCerPrP in RT-QuIC. Replacement of the extreme C-terminal region of MoPrP aa 219-231 to the corresponding region of CerPrP partially conferred the unique reactivity of rCerPrP to rMoPrP, suggesting the involvement of both N- and C-terminal regions. Additionally, rCerN-Mo-CerCPrP, a chimeric PrP comprising CerPrP aa 25-153, MoPrP aa 150-218, and CerPrP aa 223-233, showed an additive effect of the N- and C-terminal regions. These results provide a mechanistic implication for detecting CWD and atypical BSE prions using rCerPrP and are useful for further improvements of RT-QuIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Suzuki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuhei Sawada
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamasaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Nathaniel D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Motohiro Horiuchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control. Global Institute for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
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4
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Asante EA, Linehan JM, Tomlinson A, Jakubcova T, Hamdan S, Grimshaw A, Smidak M, Jeelani A, Nihat A, Mead S, Brandner S, Wadsworth JDF, Collinge J. Spontaneous generation of prions and transmissible PrP amyloid in a humanised transgenic mouse model of A117V GSS. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000725. [PMID: 32516343 PMCID: PMC7282622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited prion diseases are caused by autosomal dominant coding mutations in the human prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP) and account for about 15% of human prion disease cases worldwide. The proposed mechanism is that the mutation predisposes to conformational change in the expressed protein, leading to the generation of disease-related multichain PrP assemblies that propagate by seeded protein misfolding. Despite considerable experimental support for this hypothesis, to-date spontaneous formation of disease-relevant, transmissible PrP assemblies in transgenic models expressing only mutant human PrP has not been demonstrated. Here, we report findings from transgenic mice that express human PrP 117V on a mouse PrP null background (117VV Tg30 mice), which model the PRNP A117V mutation causing inherited prion disease (IPD) including Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease phenotypes in humans. By studying brain samples from uninoculated groups of mice, we discovered that some mice (≥475 days old) spontaneously generated abnormal PrP assemblies, which after inoculation into further groups of 117VV Tg30 mice, produced a molecular and neuropathological phenotype congruent with that seen after transmission of brain isolates from IPD A117V patients to the same mice. To the best of our knowledge, the 117VV Tg30 mouse line is the first transgenic model expressing only mutant human PrP to show spontaneous generation of transmissible PrP assemblies that directly mirror those generated in an inherited prion disease in humans. Transgenic mice expressing the human prion protein containing a mutation linked to the inherited prion disease Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease develop spontaneous neuropathology. This represents the first human prion protein transgenic model to show spontaneous generation of transmissible prion assemblies that directly mirror those generated in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel A. Asante
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
| | | | - Andrew Tomlinson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana Jakubcova
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shyma Hamdan
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Grimshaw
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Smidak
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Asif Jeelani
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Akin Nihat
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Division of Neuropathology, the National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D. F. Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
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5
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Rossi M, Baiardi S, Parchi P. Understanding Prion Strains: Evidence from Studies of the Disease Forms Affecting Humans. Viruses 2019; 11:E309. [PMID: 30934971 PMCID: PMC6520670 DOI: 10.3390/v11040309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tissue deposition of heterogeneous aggregates of abnormally folded protease-resistant prion protein (PrPSc), a broad spectrum of disease phenotypes and a variable efficiency of disease propagation in vivo. The dominant clinicopathological phenotypes of human prion disease include Creutzfeldt⁻Jakob disease, fatal insomnia, variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, and Gerstmann⁻Sträussler⁻Scheinker disease. Prion disease propagation into susceptible hosts led to the isolation and characterization of prion strains, initially operatively defined as "isolates" causing diseases with distinctive characteristics, such as the incubation period, the pattern of PrPSc distribution, and the regional severity of neuropathological changes after injection into syngeneic hosts. More recently, the structural basis of prion strains has been linked to amyloid polymorphs (i.e., variant amyloid protein conformations) and the concept extended to all protein amyloids showing polymorphic structures and some evidence of in vivo or in vitro propagation by seeding. Despite the significant advances, however, the link between amyloid structure and disease is not understood in many instances. Here we reviewed the most significant contributions of human prion disease studies to current knowledge of the molecular basis of phenotypic variability and the prion strain phenomenon and underlined the unsolved issues from the human disease perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Rossi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna 40139, Italy.
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40123, Italy.
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna 40139, Italy.
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy.
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6
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Baiardi S, Rossi M, Capellari S, Parchi P. Recent advances in the histo-molecular pathology of human prion disease. Brain Pathol 2019; 29:278-300. [PMID: 30588685 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and other mammalian species. The term prion, originally put forward to propose the concept that a protein could be infectious, refers to PrPSc , a misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC ) that represents the pathogenetic hallmark of these disorders. The discovery that other proteins characterized by misfolding and seeded aggregation can spread from cell to cell, similarly to PrPSc , has increased interest in prion diseases. Among neurodegenerative disorders, however, prion diseases distinguish themselves for the broader phenotypic spectrum, the fastest disease progression and the existence of infectious forms that can be transmitted through the exposure to diseased tissues via ingestion, injection or transplantation. The main clinicopathological phenotypes of human prion disease include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, by far the most common, fatal insomnia, variably protease-sensitive prionopathy, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. However, clinicopathological manifestations extend even beyond those predicted by this classification. Because of their transmissibility, the phenotypic diversity of prion diseases can also be propagated into syngenic hosts as prion strains with distinct characteristics, such as incubation period, pattern of PrPSc distribution and regional severity of histopathological changes in the brain. Increasing evidence indicates that different PrPSc conformers, forming distinct ordered aggregates, encipher the phenotypic variants related to prion strains. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances concerning the histo-molecular pathology of human prion disease focusing on the phenotypic spectrum of the disease including co-pathologies, the characterization of prion strains by experimental transmission and their correlation with the physicochemical properties of PrPSc aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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7
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Abstract
Genetic prion diseases (gPrDs) caused by mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been classified as genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, or fatal familial insomnia. Mutations in PRNP can be missense, nonsense, and/or octapeptide repeat insertions or, possibly, deletions. These mutations can produce diverse clinical features. They may also show varying ancillary testing results and neuropathological findings. Although the majority of gPrDs have a rapid progression with a short survival time of a few months, many also present as ataxic or parkinsonian disorders, which have a slower decline over a few to several years. A few very rare mutations manifest as neuropsychiatric disorders, with systemic symptoms that include gastrointestinal disorders and neuropathy; these forms can progress over years to decades. In this review, we classify gPrDs as rapid, slow, or mixed types based on their typical rate of progression and duration, and we review the broad spectrum of phenotypes manifested by these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mee-Ohk Kim
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Leonel T Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Katherine Wong
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Sven A Forner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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8
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Abstract
Genetic prion diseases (gPrDs) caused by mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been classified as genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, or fatal familial insomnia. Mutations in PRNP can be missense, nonsense, and/or octapeptide repeat insertions or, possibly, deletions. These mutations can produce diverse clinical features. They may also show varying ancillary testing results and neuropathological findings. Although the majority of gPrDs have a rapid progression with a short survival time of a few months, many also present as ataxic or parkinsonian disorders, which have a slower decline over a few to several years. A few very rare mutations manifest as neuropsychiatric disorders, with systemic symptoms that include gastrointestinal disorders and neuropathy; these forms can progress over years to decades. In this review, we classify gPrDs as rapid, slow, or mixed types based on their typical rate of progression and duration, and we review the broad spectrum of phenotypes manifested by these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mee-Ohk Kim
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Leonel T Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Katherine Wong
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Sven A Forner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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9
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Abstract
Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is associated with mutations in the human PrP gene (PRNP) on chromosome 20p12-pter. Pathogenic mutations have been identified in 10-15% of all CJD patients, who often have a family history of autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance and variable penetrance. However, the use of genetic tests implemented by surveillance networks all over the world increasingly identifies unexpectedly PRNP mutations in persons apparently presenting with a sporadic form of CJD. A high phenotypic variability was reported in genetic prion diseases, which partly overlap with the features of sporadic CJD. Here we review recent advances on the epidemiologic, clinical, and neuropathologic features of cases that phenotypically resemble CJD linked to point and insert mutations of the PRNP gene. Multidisciplinary studies are still required to understand the phenotypic spectrum, penetrance, and significance of PRNP mutations.
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Takada LT, Kim MO, Metcalf S, Gala II, Geschwind MD. Prion disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 148:441-464. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64076-5.00029-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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11
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Watts JC, Prusiner SB. Experimental Models of Inherited PrP Prion Diseases. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a027151. [PMID: 28096244 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a027151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The inherited prion protein (PrP) prion disorders, which include familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia, constitute ∼10%-15% of all PrP prion disease cases in humans. Attempts to generate animal models of these disorders using transgenic mice expressing mutant PrP have produced variable results. Although many lines of mice develop spontaneous signs of neurological illness with accompanying prion disease-specific neuropathological changes, others do not. Furthermore, demonstrating the presence of protease-resistant PrP species and prion infectivity-two of the hallmarks of the PrP prion disorders-in the brains of spontaneously sick mice has proven particularly challenging. Here, we review the progress that has been made toward developing accurate mouse models of the inherited PrP prion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry and Biophysics, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
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12
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Minikel EV, MacArthur DG. Publicly Available Data Provide Evidence against NR1H3 R415Q Causing Multiple Sclerosis. Neuron 2017; 92:336-338. [PMID: 27764668 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It has recently been reported that an NR1H3 missense variant, R415Q, causes a novel familial form of multiple sclerosis (Wang et al., 2016a). This claim is at odds with publicly available data from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC; http://exac.broadinstitute.org). The allele frequency of R415Q is not significantly higher in cases (0.024%-0.049%) than in ExAC population controls (0.031%), whereas if R415Q conferred even 50% lifetime risk of developing MS, it would be hundreds of times more common in cases than in controls. The upper bound of the 95% confidence interval of penetrance for R415Q can be estimated at 2.2% for women and 1.2% for men, indicating that even if this variant is disease associated, individuals harboring the variant would have a lifetime risk of developing MS no higher than a few percent. ExAC data should be considered when evaluating claims of variant pathogenicity. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Wang et al. (2016a), published in Neuron. See also the related Matters Arising paper by The International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (2016) and the response by Wang et al. (2016b), published in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytical and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Daniel G MacArthur
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Analytical and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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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.
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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
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Paz SA, Vanden-Eijnden E, Abrams CF. Polymorphism at 129 dictates metastable conformations of the human prion protein N-terminal β-sheet. Chem Sci 2017; 8:1225-1232. [PMID: 28451263 PMCID: PMC5369536 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03275c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We study the thermodynamic stability of the native state of the human prion protein using a new free-energy method, replica-exchange on-the-fly parameterization. This method is designed to overcome hidden-variable sampling limitations to yield nearly error-free free-energy profiles along a conformational coordinate. We confirm that all four (M129V, D178N) polymorphs have a ground-state conformation with three intact β-sheet hydrogen bonds. Additionally, they are observed to have distinct metastabilities determined by the side-chain at position 129. We rationalize these findings with reference to the prion "strain" hypothesis, which links the variety of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy phenotypes to conformationally distinct infectious prion forms and classifies distinct phenotypes of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease based solely on the 129 polymorphism. Because such metastable structures are not easily observed in structural experiments, our approach could potentially provide new insights into the conformational origins of prion diseases and other pathologies arising from protein misfolding and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Alexis Paz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , Drexel University , Philadelphia , PA 19104 , USA .
| | - Eric Vanden-Eijnden
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences , New York University , New York , NY 10012 , USA
| | - Cameron F Abrams
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , Drexel University , Philadelphia , PA 19104 , USA .
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15
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Takada LT, Kim MO, Cleveland RW, Wong K, Forner SA, Gala II, Fong JC, Geschwind MD. Genetic prion disease: Experience of a rapidly progressive dementia center in the United States and a review of the literature. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:36-69. [PMID: 27943639 PMCID: PMC7207989 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although prion diseases are generally thought to present as rapidly progressive dementias with survival of only a few months, the phenotypic spectrum for genetic prion diseases (gPrDs) is much broader. The majority have a rapid decline with short survival, but many patients with gPrDs present as slowly progressive ataxic or parkinsonian disorders with progression over a few to several years. A few very rare mutations even present as neuropsychiatric disorders, sometimes with systemic symptoms such as gastrointestinal disorders and neuropathy, progressing over years to decades. gPrDs are caused by mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP), and have been historically classified based on their clinicopathological features as genetic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease (gJCD), Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS), or Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI). Mutations in PRNP can be missense, nonsense, and octapeptide repeat insertions or a deletion, and present with diverse clinical features, sensitivities of ancillary testing, and neuropathological findings. We present the UCSF gPrD cohort, including 129 symptomatic patients referred to and/or seen at UCSF between 2001 and 2016, and compare the clinical features of the gPrDs from 22 mutations identified in our cohort with data from the literature, as well as perform a literature review on most other mutations not represented in our cohort. E200K is the most common mutation worldwide, is associated with gJCD, and was the most common in the UCSF cohort. Among the GSS-associated mutations, P102L is the most commonly reported and was also the most common at UCSF. We also had several octapeptide repeat insertions (OPRI), a rare nonsense mutation (Q160X), and three novel mutations (K194E, E200G, and A224V) in our UCSF cohort. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonel T. Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mee-Ohk Kim
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107
| | - Ross W. Cleveland
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401
| | - Katherine Wong
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107
| | - Sven A. Forner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107
| | - Ignacio Illán Gala
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jamie C. Fong
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107
| | - Michael D. Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107
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16
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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.
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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.
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17
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article presents an update on the clinical aspects of human prion disease, including the wide spectrum of their presentations. RECENT FINDINGS Prion diseases, a group of disorders caused by abnormally shaped proteins called prions, occur in sporadic (Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease), genetic (genetic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia), and acquired (kuru, variant Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, and iatrogenic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease) forms. This article presents updated information on the clinical features and diagnostic methods for human prion diseases. New antemortem potential diagnostic tests based on amplifying prions in order to detect them are showing very high specificity. Understanding of the diversity of possible presentations of human prion diseases continues to evolve, with some genetic forms progressing slowly over decades, beginning with dysautonomia and neuropathy and progressing to a frontal-executive dementia with pathology of combined prionopathy and tauopathy. Unfortunately, to date, all human prion disease clinical trials have failed to show survival benefit. A very rare polymorphism in the prion protein gene recently has been identified that appears to protect against prion disease; this finding, in addition to providing greater understanding of the prionlike mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, might lead to potential treatments. SUMMARY Sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease is the most common form of human prion disease. Genetic prion diseases, resulting from mutations in the prion-related protein gene (PRNP), are classified based on the mutation, clinical phenotype, and neuropathologic features and can be difficult to diagnose because of their varied presentations. Perhaps most relevant to this Continuum issue on neuroinfectious diseases, acquired prion diseases are caused by accidental transmission to humans, but fortunately, they are the least common form and are becoming rarer as awareness of transmission risk has led to implementation of measures to prevent such occurrences.
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