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Abstract
Prions were initially discovered in studies of scrapie, a transmissible neurodegenerative disease (ND) of sheep and goats thought to be caused by slow viruses. Once scrapie was transmitted to rodents, it was discovered that the scrapie pathogen resisted inactivation by procedures that modify nucleic acids. Eventually, this novel pathogen proved to be a protein of 209 amino acids, which is encoded by a chromosomal gene. After the absence of a nucleic acid within the scrapie agent was established, the mechanism of infectivity posed a conundrum and eliminated a hypothetical virus. Subsequently, the infectious scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) enriched for β-sheet was found to be generated from the cellular prion protein (PrPC) that is predominantly α-helical. The post-translational process that features in nascent prion formation involves a templated conformational change in PrPC that results in an infectious copy of PrPSc. Thus, prions are proteins that adopt alternative conformations, which are self-propagating and found in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. Prions have been found in both Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD) diseases. Mutations in APP and α-synuclein genes have been shown to cause familial AD and PD. Recently, AD was found to be a double prion disorder: both Aβ and tau prions feature in this ND. Increasing evidence argues for α-synuclein prions as the cause of PD, multiple system atrophy, and Lewy body dementia.
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Chen J, Chen C, Hu C, Liu L, Xia Y, Wang L, Yang W, Wu HY, Zhou W, Xiao K, Shi Q, Wu Y, Chen ZB, Dong XP. IP10, KC and M-CSF Are Remarkably Increased in the Brains from the Various Strains of Experimental Mice Infected with Different Scrapie Agents. Virol Sin 2020; 35:614-625. [PMID: 32314275 PMCID: PMC7736440 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-020-00216-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of inflammatory cells and upregulations of a number of cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with prion diseases are frequently observed. To evaluate the potential changes of some brain cytokines that were rarely addressed during prion infection, the levels of 17 different cytokines in the brain homogenates of mice infected with different scrapie mouse-adapted agents were firstly screened with Luminex assay. Significant upregulations of interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP10), keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) were frequently detected in the brain lysates of many strains of scrapie infected mice. The upregulations of those three cytokines in the brains of scrapie infected mice were further validated by the individual specific ELISA and immunohistochemical assay. Increased specific mRNAs of IP10, M-CSF and KC in the brains of scrapie infected mice were also detected by the individual specific qRT-PCRs and IP10-specific digital PCR. Dynamic analyses of the brain samples collected at different time points post infection revealed the time-dependent increases of those three cytokines, particularly IP10 during the incubation period of scrapie infection. In addition, we also found that the levels of IP10 in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of 45 sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) patients were slightly but significantly higher than those of the cases who were excluded the diagnosis of prion diseases. These data give us a better understanding of inflammatory reaction during prion infection and progression of prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Chen
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Cao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China.
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430000, China.
| | - Chao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Lian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
| | - Ying Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
| | - Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
| | - Wei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
| | - Hai-Yan Wu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Qi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Yuezhang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Zhi-Bao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163000, China.
| | - Xiao-Ping Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China.
- Center for Global Public Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100000, China.
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430000, China.
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China.
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Marín-Moreno A, Fernández-Borges N, Espinosa JC, Andréoletti O, Torres JM. Transmission and Replication of Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:181-201. [PMID: 28838661 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of progressive, invariably fatal diseases that affect the nervous system of many mammals including humans. The key molecular event in the pathogenesis of TSEs is the conversion of the cellular prion protein PrPC into a disease-associated isoform PrPSc. The "protein-only hypothesis" argues that PrPSc itself is the infectious agent. In effect, PrPSc can adopt several structures that represent different prion strains. The interspecies transmission of TSEs is difficult because of differences between the host and donor primary PrP sequence. However, transmission is not impossible as this occurred when bovine spongiform encephalopathy spread to humans causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). This event determined a need for a thorough understanding of prion replication and transmission so that we could be one step ahead of further threats for human health. This chapter focuses on these concepts and on new insights gained into prion propagation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan C Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRA-ENVT 1225, Interactions Hôte Agent Pathogène, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Juan M Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Madrid, Spain.
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Molecular dynamics studies on the NMR and X-ray structures of rabbit prion proteins. J Theor Biol 2013; 342:70-82. [PMID: 24184221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 08/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, traditionally referred to as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide variety of mammalian species, manifesting as scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad-cow disease) in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, and kulu in humans, etc. These neurodegenerative diseases are caused by the conversion from a soluble normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into insoluble abnormally folded infectious prions (PrP(Sc)), and the conversion of PrP(C) to PrP(Sc) is believed to involve conformational change from a predominantly α-helical protein to one rich in β-sheet structure. Such a conformational change may be amenable to study by molecular dynamics (MD) techniques. For rabbits, classical studies show that they have a low susceptibility to be infected by PrP(Sc), but recently it was reported that rabbit prions can be generated through saPMCA (serial automated Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification) in vitro and the rabbit prion is infectious and transmissible. In this paper, we first do a detailed survey on the research advances of rabbit prion protein (RaPrP) and then we perform MD simulations on the NMR and X-ray molecular structures of rabbit prion protein wild-type and mutants. The survey shows to us that rabbits were not challenged directly in vivo with other known prion strains and the saPMCA result did not pass the test of the known BSE strain of cattle. Thus, we might still look rabbits as a prion resistant species. MD results indicate that the three α-helices of the wild-type are stable under the neutral pH environment (but under low pH environment the three α-helices have been unfolded into β-sheets), and the three α-helices of the mutants (I214V and S173N) are unfolded into rich β-sheet structures under the same pH environment. In addition, we found an interesting result that the salt bridges such as ASP201-ARG155, ASP177-ARG163 contribute greatly to the structural stability of RaPrP.
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Prusiner SB, Stahl N, DeArmond SJ. Novel mechanisms of degeneration of the central nervous system--prion structure and biology. CIBA FOUNDATION SYMPOSIUM 2007; 135:239-60. [PMID: 2900720 DOI: 10.1002/9780470513613.ch16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Prion is a term for the novel infectious agents which cause scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; these infectious pathogens are composed largely, if not entirely, of prion protein (PrP) molecules. No prion-specific polynucleotide has been identified. Considerable evidence indicates that PrP 27-30 is required for and inseparable from scrapie infectivity. PrP 27-30 is derived from a larger protein, denoted PrPSc. A cellular isoform, designated PrPC, and PrPSc are both encoded by a single copy chromosomal gene and both proteins appear to be translated from the same 2.1 kb mRNA. Monoclonal antibodies to PrP 27-30 as well as antisera to PrP synthetic peptides, react with both PrPC and PrPSc, establishing the relatedness of these proteins. PrPC is completely digested by proteinase K; PrPSc is converted to PrP 27-30 under the same conditions. Detergent extraction of microsomal membranes isolated from scrapie-infected hamster brains solubilizes PrPC but induces PrPSc to polymerize into amyloid rods. This procedure allows separation of the two prion protein isoforms and the demonstration that PrPSc accumulates during scrapie infection while the level of PrPC does not change. The prion amyloid rods generated by detergent extraction are identical morphologically, except for length, to extracellular collections of prion amyloid filaments which form plaques in scrapie- and CJD-infected brains. The prion amyloid plaques stain with antibodies to PrP 27-30 and PrP peptides. Prion rods composed of PrP 27-30 dissociate into phospholipid vesicles with full retention of scrapie infectivity. The murine PrP gene (Prn-p) is linked to the Prn-i gene, which controls the length of the scrapie incubation period. Prolonged incubation times are a cardinal feature of scrapie and CJD. While the central role of PrPSc in scrapie pathogenesis is well established, the chemical and conformational differences between PrPC and PrPSc are unknown but presumably arise from post-translational events.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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Fornai F, Ferrucci M, Gesi M, Bandettini di Poggio A, Giorgi FS, Biagioni F, Paparelli A. A hypothesis on prion disorders: Are infectious, inherited, and sporadic causes so distinct? Brain Res Bull 2006; 69:95-100. [PMID: 16533656 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2005.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2005] [Accepted: 12/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases include a group of either sporadic, inherited or infectious disorders characterized by spongiform neurodegeneration and reactive glyosis in several brain regions. Whatever the origin, the neuropathological hallmark of prion diseases is the presence of brain aggregates containing an altered isoform of a cellular protein, named prion protein. Recent findings show the potential toxicity of the normal cellular prion protein, which occurs when its physiological metabolism is altered. In particular, several studies demonstrate that accumulation of the prion protein in the cytosol can be a consequence of an increased amount of misfolded prion proteins, a derangement of the correct protein trafficking or a reduced activity of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The same effects can be a consequence of a mutation in the gene coding for the prion protein. In all these conditions, one assists to accumulation and self-replication of insoluble prion proteins which leads to a severe disease resembling what observed following typical "prion infections". This article provides an opinion aimed at reconciling the classic Prusiner's theory concerning the "prion concepts" with the present knowledge arising from experimental studies on neurodegenerative disorders, suggesting a few overlapping steps in the pathogenesis of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Fornai
- Department of Human Morphology and Applied Biology, University of Pisa, via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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Mastrangelo P, Serpell L, Dafforn T, Lesk A, Fraser P, Westaway D. A cluster of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mutations recapitulate conserved residues in Doppel: a case of molecular mimicry? FEBS Lett 2002; 532:21-6. [PMID: 12459456 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03614-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Intrachromosomal deletions linking Dpl expression to the PrP promoter produce cerebellar degeneration that can be abrogated by the introduction of wild-type PrP transgenes. Since Dpl-like truncated forms of PrP are neuropathogenic in mice and likewise counterbalanced by expression of PrP(C) we asked whether naturally occurring mutant forms of human PrP have Dpl-like attributes. Five PRNP missense mutations causing familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (F-CJD) map to a helical region found in both PrP(C) and Dpl and result in amino acids identical to conserved residues in Dpl. These F-CJD alleles may cause mutant PrP to become a weak mimetic of Dpl structure and/or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mastrangelo
- Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Tanz Neuroscience Building, 6 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3H2
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Gill DS, Tredwin CJ, Gill SK, Ironside JW. The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (prion diseases): a review for dental surgeons. Int Dent J 2001; 51:439-46. [PMID: 11789711 DOI: 10.1002/j.1875-595x.2001.tb00857.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (prion diseases) are a fatal group of neurological diseases characterised by the accumulation of an abnormal form of prion protein in the brain. In humans, these disorders occur in sporadic, acquired and familial forms. Outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, predominantly in the United Kingdom, and the emergence of a clinically and pathologically distinct human prion disease, variant CJD, has generated much interest in the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. As the agent is detectable in lymphoid and neural tissue in variant CJD, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of cross infection of the causative agent. This is particularly important because the abnormal prion protein is resistant to routine sterilisation procedures. This article reviews the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and summarises guidelines concerning prevention of crossinfection when treating patients with or at risk of developing prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Gill
- Department of Orthodontics, Dental Institute, The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, UK.
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Shiga Y, Seki H, Onuma A, Shimizu H, Itoyama Y. Decrement of N20 amplitude of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease patients. J Clin Neurophysiol 2001; 18:576-82. [PMID: 11779972 DOI: 10.1097/00004691-200111000-00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in eight Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients presenting with subacute progressive dementia, generalized myoclonus, and characteristic periodic sharp wave complexes in EEG. Somatosensory evoked potentials were elicited by median nerve stimulation at the wrist. We compared SSEP findings with EEG and the clinical stage proposed by the Japanese Slow Virus Infection Research Committee (stage 1: early stage to stage 5: terminal stage). Until clinical stage 3, short-latency SSEPs showed normal findings despite the severely abnormal EEG. With the progression to clinical stages 4 and 5, however, the amplitude of N20 began to decrease and finally disappeared without prolongation of the latency of N20, whereas other short-latency components were preserved. We recorded giant SSEPs in two of three patients in stage 4, when the periodic sharp wave complex in EEG began to decrease in amplitude. The giant SSEPs decreased in amplitude with the progression of the illness. These findings suggest that the short-latency SSEP is relatively preserved until the middle phase of the disease but that it is eventually affected in the terminal phase. We conclude that our results are compatible with the CJD pathologic findings and that the amplitude of N20 reflects the extent of cortical damage in CJD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Shiga
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
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10
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Abstract
Prions are unprecedented infectious pathogens that cause a group of invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases by an entirely novel mechanism. Prion diseases may present as genetic, infectious, or sporadic disorders, all of which involve modification of the prion protein (PrP). Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie of sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) of humans are among the most notable prion diseases. Prions are transmissible particles that are devoid of nucleic acid and seem to be composed exclusively of a modified protein (PrPSc). The normal, cellular PrP (PrPC) is converted into PrPSc through a posttranslational process during which it acquires a high beta-sheet content. The species of a particular prion is encoded by the sequence of the chromosomal PrP gene of the mammals in which it last replicated. In contrast to pathogens carrying a nucleic acid genome, prions appear to encipher strain-specific properties in the tertiary structure of PrPSc. Transgenetic studies argue that PrPSc acts as a template upon which PrPC is refolded into a nascent PrPSc molecule through a process facilitated by another protein. Miniprions generated in transgenic mice expressing PrP, in which nearly half of the residues were deleted, exhibit unique biological properties and should facilitate structural studies of PrPSc. While knowledge about prions has profound implications for studies of the structural plasticity of proteins, investigations of prion diseases suggest that new strategies for the prevention and treatment of these disorders may also find application in the more common degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Departments of Neurology and of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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11
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Abstract
Prions are unprecedented infectious pathogens that cause a group of invariably fatal, neurodegenerative diseases by an entirely novel mechanism. Prion diseases may present as genetic, infectious, or sporadic disorders, all of which involve modification of the prion protein (PrP). The human prion disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) generally presents as a progressive dementia, whereas scrapie of sheep and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are manifest as ataxic illnesses. Prions are devoid of nucleic acid and seem to be composed exclusively of a modified isoform of PrP designated PrPSc. The normal, cellular PrP designated PrPC is converted into PrPSc through a process whereby some of its alpha-helical structure is converted into beta-sheet. The species of a particular prion is encoded by the sequence of the chromosomal PrP gene of the mammals in which it last replicated. In contrast to pathogens with a nucleic acid genome, prions encipher strain-specific properties in the tertiary structure of PrPSc. Transgenetic studies argue that PrPSc acts as a template upon which PrPC is refolded into a nascent PrPSc molecule through a process facilitated by another protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA
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13
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Meiner Z, Gabizon R, Prusiner SB. Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Codon 200 prion disease in Libyan Jews. Medicine (Baltimore) 1997; 76:227-37. [PMID: 9279329 DOI: 10.1097/00005792-199707000-00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the most prevalent of the human prion diseases, a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders afflicting both humans and animals. The unique characteristic of these diseases, whether sporadic, dominantly inherited, or acquired by transmission, is the accumulation in the brain of an abnormal isoform (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPc). Progress has been made in understanding inherited prion diseases by genetically linking clusters of familial CJD (fCJD) to mutations of the PrP gene (PRNP). One of the largest clusters of fCJD exists among Jews of Libyan origin. The clinical and pathologic manifestations of CJD in this community resemble those seen with sporadic CJD (sCJD), but the incidence is about 100 times higher than in the general population. Initially, this high incidence was attributed to infection via consumption of sheep brains or eyeballs, but a mutation at codon 200 in PRNP resulting in the substitution of lysine (K) for glutamate (E), designated E200K, was identified in this population. The onset of fCJD (E200K) is age dependent and shows nearly complete penetrance by age 85 years. fCJD in Libyan Jews is invariably associated with accumulation of the pathologic isoform PrPSc in the central nervous system. Using mutation-specific antibodies, it was shown that most PrPSc in the brain of these patients originated from the mutant protein. Some studies suggest that mutant PrP may accumulate in brain and other organs due to an impaired degradation, and its accumulation has been postulated to promote conversion into PrPSc. fCJD (E200K) has been transmitted to primates and transgenic mice, highlighting the need to address ethical and public health issues surrounding the possibility of human to human transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Meiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco 94143, USA
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14
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Shetty AK, Steele RW. Prion diseases. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1997; 36:1-7. [PMID: 9007341 DOI: 10.1177/000992289703600101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A K Shetty
- Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans 70112, USA
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15
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Yehiely F, Bamborough P, Da Costa M, Perry BJ, Thinakaran G, Cohen FE, Carlson GA, Prusiner SB. Identification of candidate proteins binding to prion protein. Neurobiol Dis 1997; 3:339-55. [PMID: 9173930 DOI: 10.1006/nbdi.1997.0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are disorders of protein conformation that produce neurodegeneration in humans and animals. Studies of transgenic (Tg) mice indicate that a factor designated protein X is involved in the conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the scrapie isoform (PrPSc); protein X appears to interact with PrPC but not with PrPSc. To search for PrPC binding proteins, we fused PrP with alkaline phosphatase (AP) to produce a soluble, secreted probe. PrP-AP was used to screen a lambdagt11 mouse brain cDNA library, and six clones were isolated. Four cDNAs are novel while two clones are fragments of Nrf2 (NF-E2 related factor 2) transcription factor and Aplp1 (amyloid precursor-like protein 1). The observation that PrP binds to a member of the APP (amyloid precursor protein) gene family is intriguing, in light of possible relevance to Alzheimer's disease. Four of the isolated clones are expressed preferentially in the mouse brain and encode a similar motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Yehiely
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
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16
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Scott MR, Telling GC, Prusiner SB. Transgenetics and gene targeting in studies of prion diseases. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 1996; 207:95-123. [PMID: 8575209 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-60983-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M R Scott
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0518, USA
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0518, USA
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19
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Biochemistry and Genetics of Prion Proteins. Eur J Med Chem 1995. [DOI: 10.1016/s0223-5234(23)00113-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Bessen RA, Marsh RF. Distinct PrP properties suggest the molecular basis of strain variation in transmissible mink encephalopathy. J Virol 1994; 68:7859-68. [PMID: 7966576 PMCID: PMC237248 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.68.12.7859-7868.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 559] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis of strain variation in scrapie diseases is unknown. The only identified component of the agent is the posttranslationally modified host prion protein (PrPSc). The biochemical and physical properties of PrP from two strains of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME), called hyper (HY) and drowsy (DY), were compared to investigate if PrP heterogeneity could account for strain diversity. The degradation rate of PrPTME digested with proteinase K was found to be strain specific and correlated with inactivation of the TME titer. Edman protein sequencing revealed that the major N-terminal end of HY PrPTME commenced at least 10 amino acid residues prior to that of DY PrPTME after digestion with proteinase K. Analysis of the brain distribution of PrPTME exhibited a strain-specific pattern and localization of PrPTME to the perikarya of specific neuron populations. Our findings are consistent with HY and DY PrPTME having distinct protein conformations and/or strain-specific ligand interactions that influence PrPTME properties. We propose that PrPTME conformation could play a role in targeting TME strains to different neuron populations in which strain-specific formation occurs. These data are consistent with the idea that PrPTME protein structure determines the molecular basis of strain variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Bessen
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana 59840
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21
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Hsiao KK, Groth D, Scott M, Yang SL, Serban H, Rapp D, Foster D, Torchia M, Dearmond SJ, Prusiner SB. Serial transmission in rodents of neurodegeneration from transgenic mice expressing mutant prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1994; 91:9126-30. [PMID: 7916462 PMCID: PMC44760 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.19.9126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Two lines of transgenic (Tg) mice expressing high (H) levels of the mutant P101L prion protein (PrP) developed a neurologic illness and central nervous system pathology indistinguishable from experimental murine scrapie; these mice were designated Tg(MoPrP-P101L)H. Brain homogenates from Tg(MoPrP-P101L)H mice were inoculated intracerebrally into CD-1 Swiss mice, Syrian hamsters, and Tg196 mice, Tg mice expressing the MoPrP-P101L transgene at low levels. None of the CD-1 mice developed central nervous system dysfunction, whereas approximately 10% of hamsters and approximately 40% of the Tg196 mice manifested neurologic signs between 117 and 639 days after inoculation. Serial transmission of neurodegeneration in Tg196 mice and Syrian hamsters was initiated with brain extracts, producing incubation times of approximately 400 and approximately 75 days, respectively. Although the Tg(MoPrP-P101L)H mice appear to accumulate only low levels of infections prions in their brains, the serial transmission of disease to inoculated recipients argues that prion formation occurs de novo in the brains of these uninoculated animals. These Tg mouse studies, taken together with similar findings in humans dying of inherited prion diseases, provide additional evidence that prions lack a foreign nucleic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Hsiao
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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22
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Abstract
The prion diseases, sometimes referred to as the "transmissible spongiform encephalopathies," include kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease of humans as well as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy of animals. For many years, the prion diseases were thought to be caused by viruses despite intriguing evidence to the contrary. The unique characteristic common to all of these disorders, whether sporadic, dominantly inherited, or acquired by infection, is that they involve the aberrant metabolism of the prion protein (PrP). In many cases, the cellular prion protein is converted into the scrapie isoform by a posttranslational process that involves a conformational change. Often, the human prion diseases are transmissible to experimental animals and all of the inherited prion diseases segregate with PrP gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0518
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23
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Abstract
Scrapie was thought for many years to be caused by a virus. Enriching fractions from Syrian hamster (SHa) brain for scrapie infectivity led to the discovery of the prion protein (PrP). To date, no scrapie-specific nucleic acid has been found. As well as scrapie, prion diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of cattle, as well as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) of humans. Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing both SHa and mouse (Mo) PrP genes were used to probe the molecular basis of the species barrier and the mechanism of scrapie prion replication. The prion inoculum was found to dictate which prions are synthesized de novo, even though the cells express both PrP genes. Discovery of mutations in the PrP genes of humans with GSS and familial CJD established that prion diseases are both genetic and infectious. Tg mice expressing MoPrP with the GSS point mutation spontaneously develop neurologic dysfunction, spongiform degeneration and astrocytic gliosis. Inoculation of brain extracts prepared from these Tg(MoPrP-P101L) mice produced neurodegeneration in many of the recipient animals after prolonged incubation times. These and other results suggest that prions are devoid of foreign nucleic acid and are thus different from viruses and viroids. Studies on the structure of PrPSc and PrPC suggest that the difference is conformational. Whether one or more putative alpha-helices in PrPC are converted into beta-sheets during synthesis of PrPSc is unknown. Distinct prion isolates or 'strains' exhibit different patterns of PrPSc accumulation which are independent of incubation times. Whether variations in PrPSc conformation are responsible for prion diversity remains to be established. Prion studies have given new insights into the etiologies of infectious, sporadic and inherited degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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24
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Gabizon R, Halimi M, Meiner Z. Genetics and biochemistry of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Libyan Jews. Biomed Pharmacother 1994; 48:385-90. [PMID: 7858176 DOI: 10.1016/0753-3322(94)90056-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A focus of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) among Jews from Libyan origin was identified in Israel 20 years ago. The incidence of the disease in this ethnic group is about 100 times more than in the worldwide population. The consumption of lightly cooked sheep brain has been invoked to explain the high incidence of CJD in this community. The discovery of mutations in the PrP gene which segregates with other familial prion diseases such as Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome (GSS) lead us to perform a molecular genetic study and compare it to an epidemiological survey among the Libyan community. The epidemiological data suggests a very high familial incidence of CJD in this population and a molecular genetic research elucidated that CJD segregates with a point mutation at codon 200 of the PrP gene resulting in the substitution of Lysine for Glutamate. This mutation was found in some 40 CJD patients of Libyan origin and was not found in one Moroccan Jew suffering from CJD. It was also absent in almost 100 healthy Libyan controls above the age of 60. This result strongly supports a genetic etiology for CJD pathogenesis in the Libyan Jewish community and disregards the previous culinary hypothesis. The disease is vertically transmitted in autosomal dominant inheritance with unknown penetrance. All our patients were heterozygote for the mutation except one homozygote patient. The course of the disease in this patient was identical to the heterozygote patients, strongly arguing that inherited CJD displays complete phenotypic dominance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gabizon
- Department of Neurology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pocchiari
- Section of Persistent and Slow Virus Infections, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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26
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Liberski PP. Subacute spongiform encephalopathies--the transmissible brain amyloidoses: a comparison with the non-transmissible brain amyloidoses of Alzheimer type. J Comp Pathol 1993; 109:103-27. [PMID: 8245229 DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9975(08)80256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P P Liberski
- Electron Microscopic Laboratory, Department of Oncology, Medical Academy, Lodz, Poland
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27
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Prusiner SB. Transgenetic investigations of prion diseases of humans and animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 1993; 339:239-54. [PMID: 8097053 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.1993.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions cause transmissible and genetic neurodegenerative diseases. Infectious prion particles are composed largely, if not entirely, of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein (PrPSc), which is encoded by a chromosomal gene. Although the PrP gene is single copy, transgenic mice with both alleles of the PrP gene ablated develop normally. A post-translational process, as yet unidentified, converts the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into PrPSc. Scrapie incubation times, neuropathology and prion synthesis in transgenic mice are controlled by the PrP gene. Mutations in the PrP gene are genetically linked to development of neurodegeneration. Transgenic mice expressing mutant PrP spontaneously develop neurological dysfunction and spongiform neuropathology. Investigations of prion diseases using transgenesis promise to yield much new information about these once enigmatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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28
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Neufeld MY, Josiphov J, Korczyn AD. Demyelinating peripheral neuropathy in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Muscle Nerve 1992; 15:1234-9. [PMID: 1362595 DOI: 10.1002/mus.880151103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We describe 2 patients of Jewish Libyan descent, who presented with a clinical syndrome compatible with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and who were found to have a mutation of codon 200 in the prion protein. The patients developed symptoms and signs of peripheral nerve involvement diagnosed by electrodiagnostic and histopathological studies as demyelinating neuropathy. This may be a rare manifestation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Y Neufeld
- Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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29
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Scott MR, Köhler R, Foster D, Prusiner SB. Chimeric prion protein expression in cultured cells and transgenic mice. Protein Sci 1992; 1:986-97. [PMID: 1338978 PMCID: PMC2142161 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5560010804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The efficient expression of exogenous prion protein (PrP) molecules in mouse neuroblastoma cells that are chronically infected with murine scrapie prions (ScN2a cells; Butler, D.A., et al., 1988, J. Virol. 62, 1558-1564) and in transgenic mice is described. This technology allows investigation of the PrP molecule for structural regions involved in determining species specificity, as well as ablation experiments designed to address the functionality of particular regions of the PrP molecule. Previous reports demonstrated that the PrP gene specifies the host range for susceptibility of transgenic animals to prions (Scott, M., et al., 1989, Cell 59, 847-857; Prusiner, S.B., et al., 1990, Cell 63, 673-686). Consistent with these results, we showed that Syrian hamster (SHa) PrP is ineligible for efficient conversion to PrPSc in ScN2a cells. By constructing a series of chimeric mouse (Mo)/SHaPrP genes, we developed an epitopically tagged functional variant of the MoPrP gene, which can efficiently form protease-resistant PrP molecules upon expression in ScN2a cells. The presence of a defined epitope for an SHa-specific monoclonal antibody allows the products of this chimeric gene to be discriminated from endogenous MoPrP and creates a useful reagent for exploring structure/function relationships via targeted mutagenesis. In addition, we developed a transgenic mouse expression vector by manipulation of an SHaPrP cosmid clone. This vector permits the efficient expression of foreign PrP genes in the brains of transgenic animals, enabling pathological consequences of in vitro mutagenesis to be studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Scott
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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31
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Liberski PP, Brown P, Xiao SY, Gajdusek DC. The ultrastructural diversity of scrapie-associated fibrils isolated from experimental scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. J Comp Pathol 1991; 105:377-86. [PMID: 1770176 DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9975(08)80107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Several different samples of scrapie-associated fibrils (SAF) were extracted in identical fashion from the brains of golden Syrian hamsters infected with the 263K strain of scrapie agent and NIH Swiss mice infected with the Fujisaki strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) agent. Based on a total of over 500 measurements in individual fibrils in different extracts, hamster fibrils were more abundant, thicker and had better defined substructure than mouse fibrils. Hamster protofibrils were usually either twisted helically or in parallel arrays, whereas mouse protofibrils were often twisted, occasionally parallel, or could not be morphologically defined. Thus, SAF preparations from scrapie-affected hamsters can be ultrastructurally distinguished from those of CJD-affected mice, an observation that presumably reflects differences in their respective host-encoded amyloid protein subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- P P Liberski
- Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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32
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Abstract
Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy of animals and Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker diseases of humans are transmissible and genetic neurodegenerative diseases caused by prions. Infectious prion particles are composed largely, if not entirely, of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein which is encoded by a chromosomal gene. An as yet unidentified post-translational process converts the cellular prion protein into an abnormal isoform. Scrapie neuropathology, incubation times, and prion synthesis in transgenic mice are controlled by the prion protein gene. Point mutations in the prion protein genes of animals and humans are genetically linked to development of neurodegeneration. Transgenic mice expressing mutant prion proteins spontaneously develop neurologic dysfunction and spongiform neuropathology. Studies of prion diseases may advance investigations of other neurodegenerative disorders and of how neurons differentiate, function for decades and grow senescent.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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33
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Abstract
Prions cause transmissible and genetic neurodegenerative diseases, including scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy of animals and Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker diseases of humans. Infectious prion particles are composed largely, if not entirely, of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein, which is encoded by a chromosomal gene. A posttranslational process, as yet unidentified, converts the cellular prion protein into an abnormal isoform. Scrapie incubation times, neuropathology, and prion synthesis in transgenic mice are controlled by the prion protein gene. Point mutations in the prion protein genes of animals and humans are genetically linked to development of neuro-degeneration. Transgenic mice expressing mutant prion proteins spontaneously develop neurologic dysfunction and spongiform neuropathology. Understanding prion diseases may advance investigations of other neurodegenerative disorders and of the processes by which neurons differentiate, function for decades, and then grow senescent.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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34
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Godoy JM, Skacel M, Nicaretta DH. [Prions]. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 1991; 49:123-7. [PMID: 1810226 DOI: 10.1590/s0004-282x1991000200001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Os autores se propõem a revisar alguns aspectos básicos sobre os prions, alertando sobre a possível participação destes na etiologia de algumas enfermidades degenerativas do sistema nervoso.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Godoy
- Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Brasil
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35
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Hsiao K, Meiner Z, Kahana E, Cass C, Kahana I, Avrahami D, Scarlato G, Abramsky O, Prusiner SB, Gabizon R. Mutation of the prion protein in Libyan Jews with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. N Engl J Med 1991; 324:1091-7. [PMID: 2008182 DOI: 10.1056/nejm199104183241604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a transmissible neurodegenerative disorder that occurs more than 100 times more frequently among Libyan Jews than in the worldwide population. We examined 11 patients with the disease--10 Libyan Jews from Israel and 1 Libyan Jew from Italy--to determine whether abnormalities of the prion protein could be detected in them. Abnormal forms of this host-encoded protein are the predominant if not sole components of the transmissible agent that causes the disease. METHODS The prion-protein open-reading frame in peripheral-leukocyte DNA from the Italian patient was amplified with the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization was used to assess a prion-protein codon 200 lysine mutation in the 10 Israeli patients and 37 control subjects. RESULTS The prion-protein sequence in DNA from the Italian patient revealed a single nucleotide change (G----A) at the first position of codon 200 that resulted in a substitution of lysine for glutamate. This substitution was detected in all 10 Israeli patients, 8 of whom had a positive family history of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. One patient was homozygous for the lysine mutation, and her clinical course did not differ from that of the patients heterozygous for the mutation. The lysine mutation was not found in one Moroccan Jew from Israel with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. CONCLUSIONS The codon 200 lysine mutation of the prion-protein gene is consistently present among Libyan Jews with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, strongly supporting a genetic pathogenesis of their illness. The similarity of the clinical courses of the patient homozygous for this mutation and the patients heterozygous for it argues that familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a true dominant disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hsiao
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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37
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Abstract
Considerable progress has been made deciphering the role of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein (PrP) in scrapie of animals and Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome (GSS) of humans. Some transgenic (Tg) mouse (Mo) lines that carry and express a Syrian hamster (Ha) PrP gene developed scrapie 75 d after inoculation with Ha prions; non-Tg mice failed to show symptoms after greater than 500 d. Brains of these infected Tg(HaPrP) mice featured protease-resistant HaPrPSc, amyloid plaques characteristic for Ha scrapie, and 10(9) ID50 units of Ha-specific prions upon bioassay. Studies on Syrian, Armenian, and Chinese hamsters suggest that the domain of the PrP molecule between codons 100 and 120 controls both the length of the incubation time and the deposition of PrP in amyloid plaques. Ataxic GSS in families shows genetic linkage to a mutation in the PrP gene, leading to the substitution of Leu for Pro at codon 102. Discovery of a point mutation in the Prp gene from humans with GSS established that GSS is unique among human diseases--it is both genetic and infectious. These results have revised thinking about sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, suggesting it may arise from a somatic mutation. These findings combined with those from many other studies assert that PrPSc is a component of the transmissible particle, and the PrP amino acid sequence controls the neuropathology and species specificity of prion infectivity. The precise mechanism of PrPSc formation remains to be established. Attempts to demonstrate a scrapie-specific nucleic acid within highly purified preparations of prions have been unrewarding to date. Whether transmissible prions are composed only of PrPSc molecules or do they also contain a second component such as small polynucleotide remains uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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38
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Gajdusek DC, Beyreuther K, Brown P, Cork LC, Cunningham DD, Frangione B, Gibbs CJ, Goldfarb LG, Goldgaber D, Hsiao KK. Regulation and genetic control of brain amyloid. FESN Study Group. BRAIN RESEARCH. BRAIN RESEARCH REVIEWS 1991; 16:83-114. [PMID: 1677826 DOI: 10.1016/0165-0173(91)90021-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D C Gajdusek
- Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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39
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Prusiner SB, Scott M, Foster D, Pan KM, Groth D, Mirenda C, Torchia M, Yang SL, Serban D, Carlson GA, Hoppe PC, Westaway D, DeArmond SJ. Transgenetic studies implicate interactions between homologous PrP isoforms in scrapie prion replication. Cell 1990; 63:673-86. [PMID: 1977523 DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90134-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 633] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing both Syrian hamster (Ha) and mouse (Mo) prion protein (PrP) genes were used to probe the mechanism of scrapie prion replication. Four Tg lines expressing HaPrP exhibited distinct incubation times ranging from 48 to 277 days, which correlated inversely with HaPrP mRNA and HaPrPC. Bioassays of Tg brain extracts showed that the prion inoculum dictates which prions are synthesized de novo. Tg mice inoculated with Ha prions had approximately 10(9) ID50 units of Ha prions per gram of brain and less than 10 units of Mo prions. Conversely, Tg mice inoculated with Mo prions synthesized Mo prions but not Ha prions. Similarly, Tg mice inoculated with Ha prions exhibited neuropathologic changes characteristic of hamsters with scrapie, while Mo prions produced changes similar to those in non-Tg mice. Our results argue that species specificity of scrapie prions resides in the PrP sequence and prion synthesis is initiated by a species-specific interaction between PrPSc in the inoculum and homologous PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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40
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Prusiner SB. Novel structure and genetics of prions causing neurodegeneration in humans and animals. Biologicals 1990; 18:247-62. [PMID: 1981006 DOI: 10.1016/1045-1056(90)90027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S B Prusiner
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gabizon
- Department of Neurology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
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42
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Schlenska GK, Walter GF. Temporal evolution of electroencephalographic abnormalities in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. J Neurol 1989; 236:456-60. [PMID: 2693620 DOI: 10.1007/bf00328506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Frequent serial EEG investigations of three patients with neuropathologically confirmed Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease lasting 13, 24 and 68 weeks revealed typical periodic activity of short duration with stereotyped bilateral sharp waves at the 7th, 8th, and 12th week, respectively, after the onset of symptoms. During the later stages, there were several deviations from this typical pattern. However, periodic activity was preceded between the 3rd and 9th week by intermittent localized or lateralized delta rhythms, which gradually changed into periodic activity. This early temporal evolution of EEG abnormalities may be helpful in the early diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease when accompanied by other investigations to exclude other causes of intermittent delta rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- G K Schlenska
- Department of Neurology, Niedersächsisches Landeskrankenhaus Hildesheim, Federal Republic of Germany
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43
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Scott M, Foster D, Mirenda C, Serban D, Coufal F, Wälchli M, Torchia M, Groth D, Carlson G, DeArmond SJ, Westaway D, Prusiner SB. Transgenic mice expressing hamster prion protein produce species-specific scrapie infectivity and amyloid plaques. Cell 1989; 59:847-57. [PMID: 2574076 DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90608-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 490] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Three transgenic mouse lines designated Tg 69, 71, and 81 were produced harboring a Syrian hamster (Ha) prion protein (PrP) gene; all expressed the cellular HaPrP isoform in their brains. Inoculation of Tg 81 mice or hamsters with Ha prions caused scrapie in integral of 75 days; nontransgenic control mice failed to develop scrapie after greater than 500 days. Tg 71 mice inoculated with Ha prions developed scrapie in integral of 170 days. Both Tg 71 and Tg 81 mice exhibited spongiform degeneration and reactive astrocytic gliosis, and they produced the scrapie HaPrP isoform in their brains. Tg 81 brains also showed HaPrP amyloid plaques characteristic of Ha scrapie and contained integral of 10(9) ID50 units of Ha prions based on Ha bioassays. Our findings argue that the PrP gene modulates scrapie susceptibility, incubation times, and neuropathology; furthermore, they demonstrate synthesis of infectious scrapie prions programmed by a recombinant DNA molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Scott
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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44
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Abstract
Prions are transmissible pathogens that cause degenerative diseases in humans and animals. Unique attributes of prion diseases include infectious, sporadic and genetic manifestations, as well as progression to death, all in the absence of a detectable immune response. Prions are resistant to chemical procedures that modify or destroy nucleic acids and are composed largely of a protein, designated PrPSc. Molecular cloning of a cognate cDNA established a cellular host origin for PrPSc protein and a convergence with the genetics of host susceptibility. The murine PrP gene is linked to the Prn-i gene which determines incubation times in experimental scrapie. Mice with long incubation times have unusual PrP alleles encoding phenylalanine and valine at codons 108 and 189. Moreover, the ataxic form of Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome (a rare human neurodegenerative disorder) has been defined as an autosomal dominant disorder with a PrP mis-sense mutation at codon 102 linked to the predisposition locus. These studies argue that amino acid substitutions in 'PrP' genes may modulate initiation and development of prion diseases.
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45
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Hsiao K, Baker HF, Crow TJ, Poulter M, Owen F, Terwilliger JD, Westaway D, Ott J, Prusiner SB. Linkage of a prion protein missense variant to Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome. Nature 1989; 338:342-5. [PMID: 2564168 DOI: 10.1038/338342a0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 555] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome is a rare familial neurodegenerative condition that is vertically transmitted, in an apparently autosomal dominant way. It can also be horizontally transmitted to non-human primates and rodents through intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenates from patients with the disease. The exact incidence of the syndrome is unknown but is estimated to be between one and ten per hundred million. Patients initially suffer from ataxia or dementia and deteriorate until they die, in one to ten years. Protease-resistant prion protein (PrP) and PrP-immunoreactive amyloid plaques with characteristic morphology accumulate in the brains of these patients. Current diagnostic criteria for Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome incorporate clinical and neuropathological features, as animal transmission studies can be unreliable. PrP is implicated in the pathogenesis and transmission of the condition and in scrapie, an equivalent animal disease. It was discovered by enriching scrapie-infected hamster brain fractions for infectivity. Because there is compelling evidence that the scrapie isoform of PrP is a necessary component of the infectious particle, it seemed possible that the PrP gene on the short arm of human chromosome 20 in Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome might be abnormal. We show here that PrP codon 102 is linked to the putative gene for the syndrome in two pedigrees, providing the best evidence to date that this familial condition is inherited despite also being infectious, and that substitution of leucine for proline at PrP codon 102 may lead to the development of Gerstmann-Sträussler syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hsiao
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
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Abstract
The defining histological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques, although neither is pathognomonic for this disorder. The distribution of AD histopathology suggests selective neuronal vulnerability, with specific cell populations affected within discrete regions of the cerebral hemispheres and within certain subcortical and brain-stem nuclear areas. At the ultrastructural level, tangles and plaque neurites contain paired helical filaments whose composition is unknown but may include altered cytoskeletal elements. Amyloid, deposited in plaque cores and often focally present within the cerebral vasculature, contains a polypeptide ("beta-protein," or "beta-amyloid") encoded by a chromosome 21 gene. At least in occasional families, AD has been linked to a separate chromosome 21 locus, but different underlying genetic factors may operate in other cases. Inorganic substances, including aluminum and silicon, are reported to co-localize within tangle-bearing neurons and plaque cores. Specific environmental agents have not been confirmed to be pathogenetically important, however, but may eventually prove to exert a permissive, facilitatory, or even causative role in many AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- V W Henderson
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles
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Bockman JM, Kingsbury DT. Immunological analysis of host and agent effects on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie prion proteins. J Virol 1988; 62:3120-7. [PMID: 2900341 PMCID: PMC253428 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.62.9.3120-3127.1988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and scrapie are degenerative neurological diseases caused by unusual infectious pathogens. The term prion has been introduced to underscore the apparent distinctness of these agents from viruses and viroids. The only macromolecule shown to be associated with the infectious agent, the CJD or scrapie prion protein (PrPCJD or PrPSc, respectively), is encoded by the same gene as a normal cellular protein. In several studies biochemical differences have been reported in PrPScs derived from a common host species infected with different putative strains of the scrapie agent, suggesting agent-specific characteristics independent of the host. We analyzed various agent-host combinations by Western blotting of PrPs that were separated by size or charge. The profile of immunoreactive proteins for CJD prions isolated from mice, guinea pigs, and humans appeared distinct. Importantly, PrPCJDS purified from a human brain and from the corresponding first-passage mouse brains were clearly distinguishable. PrPCJDs isolated from CJD prions propagated in NAMRU or B10.Q mice, which are homozygous for a short-incubation-time gene; from the short-incubation-time backcross progeny of (B10.Q x I/LnJ)F1 x B10.Q; or from NAMRU mice inoculated with I/LnJ prions were identical to each other but distinguishable from those of I/LnJ mice, which are homozygous for the long-incubation-time gene. The PrPs from human CJD and ovine scrapie propagated in the same mouse strain appeared the same, but they were distinct from the same isolate of scrapie passaged in hamsters. Lastly, PrPScs purified from five different strains of scrapie propagated in C57BL mice were identical, including strains, ME7 and 139A, which were previously reported to be distinct. This evidence does not support, although it does not exclude, agent-mediated characteristics independent of host-mediated ones for scrapie and CJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Bockman
- Department of Microbiology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037
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Gabizon R, McKinley MP, Groth D, Prusiner SB. Immunoaffinity purification and neutralization of scrapie prion infectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1988; 85:6617-21. [PMID: 3137571 PMCID: PMC282028 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.85.18.6617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are unusual infectious pathogens causing scrapie of sheep and goats as well as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease of humans. Biochemical and genetic studies contend that the scrapie isoform of the prion protein (PrPSc) is a major component of the prion. Limited proteinase K digestion of PrPSc produced a protein of 27-30 kDa. After dispersion of brain microsomes isolated from scrapie-infected hamsters into detergent-lipid-protein complexes, copurification of PrPSc and scrapie infectivity was obtained with scrapie prion protein of 27-30 kDa monoclonal antibody-affinity columns. PrPSc was enriched approximately equal to 5700-fold with respect to total brain protein, whereas scrapie prion infectivity was enriched approximately equal to 4000-fold. The ratio of prion titer to PrPSc remained constant throughout purification. Heterologous monoclonal antibody columns failed to bind either PrPSc or scrapie infectivity. Polyclonal rabbit prion protein antiserum raised against NaDodSO4/PAGE-purified scrapie prion protein of 27-30 kDa reduced scrapie infectivity dispersed into detergent-lipid-protein complexes by a factor of 100. These results represent direct immunologic and chromatographic demonstrations of a relationship between PrPSc and prion infectivity as well as providing additional support for the contention that PrPSc is a major component of the infectious scrapie particle. That PrPSc is a host-encoded protein is an important feature distinguishing prions from viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gabizon
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143
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Tateishi J, Kitamoto T, Hashiguchi H, Shii H. Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease: immunohistological and experimental studies. Ann Neurol 1988; 24:35-40. [PMID: 3046469 DOI: 10.1002/ana.410240108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The older brother of the patient from whom the Fukuoka-1 strain was isolated was found to have numerous kuru plaques, the main finding common to both siblings. Other clinicopathological features including spongiform change were absent in the older brother. Immunostaining using anti-kuru plaque core protein and anti-beta-protein peptide revealed many kuru plaques and a few senile plaques in the older brother. Experimental transmission of the disease to laboratory animals was successful, using tissues from both siblings, through inoculation of fresh brain homogenates, purified prion protein, and formalin-fixed brain homogenates. Prion protein fractions from the patient's brain shortened the incubation periods and formalin-fixed mouse brains did not lengthen the periods. The disease in the two brothers can be classified as Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, a familial variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease manifests a variety of clinicopathological features. Immunohistological verification of kuru plaques has major diagnostic value in assessing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Tateishi
- Department of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Butler DA, Scott MR, Bockman JM, Borchelt DR, Taraboulos A, Hsiao KK, Kingsbury DT, Prusiner SB. Scrapie-infected murine neuroblastoma cells produce protease-resistant prion proteins. J Virol 1988; 62:1558-64. [PMID: 3282080 PMCID: PMC253182 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.62.5.1558-1564.1988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 317] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are transmissible, degenerative neurological diseases caused by prions. Considerable evidence argues that prions contain protease-resistant sialoglycoproteins, designated PrPSc, encoded by a cellular gene. The prion protein (PrP) gene also encodes a normal cellular protein designated PrPC. We established clonal cell lines which support the replication of mouse scrapie or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions. Mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells were exposed to mouse scrapie prions and subsequently cloned. After limited proteinase K digestion, three PrP-immunoreactive proteins with apparent molecular masses ranging between 20 and 30 kilodaltons were detected in extracts of scrapie-infected N2a cells by Western (immuno-) blotting. The authenticity of these PrPSc molecules was established by using monospecific antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to a portion of the prion protein. Those clones synthesizing PrPSc molecules possessed scrapie prion infectivity as measured by bioassay; clones without PrPSc failed to demonstrate infectivity. Detection of PrPSc molecules in scrapie-infected N2a cells supports the contention that PrPSc is a component of the infectious scrapie particle and opens new approaches to the study of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Butler
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0518
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