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Burato A, Legname G. Comparing Prion Proteins Across Species: Is Zebrafish a Useful Model? Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04324-z. [PMID: 38918277 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04324-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Despite the considerable body of research dedicated to the field of neurodegeneration, the gap in knowledge on the prion protein and its intricate involvement in brain diseases remains substantial. However, in the past decades, many steps forward have been taken toward a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying both the physiological role of the prion protein and the misfolding event converting it into its pathological counterpart, the prion. This review aims to provide an overview of the main findings regarding this protein, highlighting the advantages of many different animal models that share a conserved amino acid sequence and/or structure with the human prion protein. A particular focus will be given to the species Danio rerio, a compelling research organism for the investigation of prion biology, thanks to its conserved orthologs, ease of genetic manipulation, and cost-effectiveness of high-throughput experimentation. We will explore its potential in filling some of the gaps on physiological and pathological aspects of the prion protein, with the aim of directing the future development of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Burato
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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2
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Stoner A, Fu L, Nicholson L, Zheng C, Toyonaga T, Spurrier J, Laird W, Cai Z, Strittmatter SM. Neuronal transcriptome, tau and synapse loss in Alzheimer's knock-in mice require prion protein. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:201. [PMID: 37968719 PMCID: PMC10647125 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01345-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progression of Alzheimer's disease leads to synapse loss, neural network dysfunction and cognitive failure. Accumulation of protein aggregates and brain immune activation have triggering roles in synaptic failure but the neuronal mechanisms underlying synapse loss are unclear. On the neuronal surface, cellular prion protein (PrPC) is known to be a high-affinity binding site for Amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo). However, PrPC's dependence in knock-in AD models for tau accumulation, transcriptomic alterations and imaging biomarkers is unknown. METHODS The necessity of PrPC was examined as a function of age in homozygous AppNL-G-F/hMapt double knock-in mice (DKI). Phenotypes of AppNL-G-F/hMapt mice with a deletion of Prnp expression (DKI; Prnp-/-) were compared with DKI mice with intact Prnp, mice with a targeted deletion of Prnp (Prnp-/-), and mice with intact Prnp (WT). Phenotypes examined included behavioral deficits, synapse loss by PET imaging, synapse loss by immunohistology, tau pathology, gliosis, inflammatory markers, and snRNA-seq transcriptomic profiling. RESULTS By 9 months age, DKI mice showed learning and memory impairment, but DKI; Prnp-/- and Prnp-/- groups were indistinguishable from WT. Synapse loss in DKI brain, measured by [18F]SynVesT-1 SV2A PET or anti-SV2A immunohistology, was prevented by Prnp deletion. Accumulation of Tau phosphorylated at aa 217 and 202/205, C1q tagging of synapses, and dystrophic neurites were all increased in DKI mice but each decreased to WT levels with Prnp deletion. In contrast, astrogliosis, microgliosis and Aβ levels were unchanged between DKI and DKI; Prnp-/- groups. Single-nuclei transcriptomics revealed differential expression in neurons and glia of DKI mice relative to WT. For DKI; Prnp-/- mice, the majority of neuronal genes differentially expressed in DKI mice were no longer significantly altered relative to WT, but most glial DKI-dependent gene expression changes persisted. The DKI-dependent neuronal genes corrected by Prnp deletion associated bioinformatically with synaptic function. Additional genes were uniquely altered only in the Prnp-/- or the DKI; Prnp-/- groups. CONCLUSIONS Thus, PrPC-dependent synapse loss, phospho-tau accumulation and neuronal gene expression in AD mice can be reversed without clearing Aβ plaque or preventing gliotic reaction. This supports targeting the Aβo-PrPC interaction to prevent Aβo-neurotoxicity and pathologic tau accumulation in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Stoner
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Li Fu
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - LaShae Nicholson
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chao Zheng
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joshua Spurrier
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Will Laird
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhengxin Cai
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Thomas CM, Salamat MKF, de Wolf C, McCutcheon S, Blanco ARA, Manson JC, Hunter N, Houston EF. Development of a sensitive real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for application in prion-infected blood. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293845. [PMID: 37917783 PMCID: PMC10621866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Efforts to prevent human-to-human transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) by contaminated blood would be aided by the development of a sensitive diagnostic test that could be routinely used to screen blood donations. As blood samples from vCJD patients are extremely rare, here we describe the optimisation of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) for detection of PrPSc (misfolded prion protein, a marker of prion infection) in blood samples from an established large animal model of vCJD, sheep experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Comparative endpoint titration experiments with RT-QuIC, miniaturized bead protein misfolding cyclic amplification (mb-PMCA) and intracerebral inoculation of a transgenic mouse line expressing sheep PrP (tgOvARQ), demonstrated highly sensitive detection of PrPSc by RT-QuIC in a reference sheep brain homogenate. Upon addition of a capture step with iron oxide beads, the RT-QuIC assay was able to detect PrPSc in whole blood samples from BSE-infected sheep up to two years before disease onset. Both RT-QuIC and mb-PMCA also demonstrated sensitive detection of PrPSc in a reference vCJD-infected human brain homogenate, suggesting that either assay may be suitable for application to human blood samples. Our results support the further development and evaluation of RT-QuIC as a diagnostic or screening test for vCJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M. Thomas
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - M. Khalid F. Salamat
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher de Wolf
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra McCutcheon
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - A. Richard Alejo Blanco
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Jean C. Manson
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Hunter
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - E. Fiona Houston
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, United Kingdom
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Gao F, Li P, Yin Y, Du X, Cao G, Wu S, Zhao Y. Molecular breeding of livestock for disease resistance. Virology 2023; 587:109862. [PMID: 37562287 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Animal infectious diseases pose a significant threat to the global agriculture and biomedicine industries, leading to significant economic losses and public health risks. The emergence and spread of viral infections such as African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and avian influenza virus (AIV) have highlighted the need for innovative approaches to develop resilient and disease-resistant animal populations. Gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, offer a promising avenue for generating animals with enhanced disease resistance. This review summarizes recent advances in molecular breeding strategies for generating disease-resistant animals, focusing on the development of disease-resistant livestock. We also highlight the potential applications of genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 library screening and base editors in producing precise gene modified livestock for disease resistance in the future. Overall, gene editing technologies have the potential to revolutionize animal breeding and improve animal health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Pan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ye Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuguang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Gengsheng Cao
- Henan Livestock Genome Editing and Biobreeding Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China
| | - Sen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, 572025, China.
| | - Yaofeng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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Ortiz HC, das Neves SC, Kassuya CAL, Coelho HRS, Martins ACF, Vilela MLB, do Nascimento VA, Karuppusamy A, Stefanello MÉA, Oliveira RJ, da Silva Gomes R. The ethanolic extract of Salvia lachnostachys Benth is not maternotoxic, does not alter reproductive performance, but has teratogenic potential. BMC Complement Med Ther 2023; 23:145. [PMID: 37143000 PMCID: PMC10157921 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-03953-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Salvia lachnostachys Benth is native to Brazil and has anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, cytotoxic, antitumor, and antihyperalgesic activities. The population, including pregnant women, consume this plant to treat pain, inflammation, flu, spasms, insomnia, and depression, mainly. There are no safety reports on the use of this plant during pregnancy. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of S. lachnostachys ethanolic extract (EESl) on reproductive performance, embryofetal development, and DNA integrity of pregnant female mice. Pregnant females were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 10): The Control group was treated with a vehicle, and treatment groups were administered with EESl at 100 and 1000 mg/kg, respectively. Treatment occurred by gavage throughout the gestational period until day 18. Afterward, reproductive performance, embryofetal development, and DNA integrity parameters were evaluated. The results indicated that EESl did not alter any reproductive performance parameters. However, it changed embryofetal outcome through reduced placental weight (EESl 100 mg/kg), decreased fetal weight (EESl 100 and 1000 mg/kg), and increased frequency of small for gestational age fetuses (EESl 1000 mg/kg). In addition, EES1 increased the frequency of external, visceral, and skeletal malformations. Because of the above, it is considered that EESl is not maternotoxic, does not alter reproductive performance, but does alter embryofetal development. Its use in the gestational period is not indicated due to its teratogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudman Cunha Ortiz
- Centro de Estudos Em Células TroncoTerapia Celular E Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Silvia Cordeiro das Neves
- Centro de Estudos Em Células TroncoTerapia Celular E Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde E Desenvolvimento Na Região Centro-OesteFaculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Henrique Rodrigues Scherer Coelho
- Centro de Estudos Em Células TroncoTerapia Celular E Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde E Desenvolvimento Na Região Centro-OesteFaculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Allana C F Martins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA
| | - Marcelo Luiz Brandão Vilela
- Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | - Valter Aragão do Nascimento
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde E Desenvolvimento Na Região Centro-OesteFaculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
- Group of Spectroscopy and Bioinformatics Applied to Biodiversity and Health (GEBABS), Graduate Program in Health and Development in the Central-West Region of Brazil, School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Arunachalam Karuppusamy
- Centro de Estudos Em Células TroncoTerapia Celular E Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde E Desenvolvimento Na Região Centro-OesteFaculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Rodrigo Juliano Oliveira
- Centro de Estudos Em Células TroncoTerapia Celular E Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Saúde E Desenvolvimento Na Região Centro-OesteFaculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Roberto da Silva Gomes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA.
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Nunes RCS, Neves SCD, Salustriano FR, Vilela MLB, do Nascimento VA, Arunachalam K, Gomes RDS, Kassuya CAL, Mota JDS, Oliveira RJ. The Ethanolic Extract of Piper glabratum Kunth Is Teratogenic and Interferes with the Ossification Process of Swiss Mice Fetuses. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16030430. [PMID: 36986529 PMCID: PMC10051201 DOI: 10.3390/ph16030430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Piper glabratum Kunth is a plant traditionally used to treat pain and inflammation in the Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Even pregnant women consume this plant. Toxicology studies of the ethanolic extract from the leaves of P. glabratum (EEPg) could establish the safety of popular use of P. glabratrum. Thus, the effects of the ethanolic extract of leaves of P. glabratum (EEPg) on the reproductive performance and embryofetal development of Swiss mice were evaluated. Pregnant female mice were treated with 100, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg throughout the gestational period by gavage (p.o). The control group received the EEPg vehicle (Tween 80–1%) in the proportion of 0.1 mL/10 g (p.o.). The results demonstrated that EEPg has low maternal toxic potential and does not alter the reproductive performance of females. However, it altered embryofetal development and caused fetal weight reduction (increasing the frequency of small-for-gestational-age fetuses) at the two highest doses. In addition, it interfered with placental weight, placental index and placental efficiency. The frequency of visceral malformations increased by 2.8 times for the lowest dose of EEPg, and skeletal malformations increased by 2.48, 1.89 and 2.11 times for doses of 100, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of EEPg, respectively. It is noteworthy that 100% of the offspring treated with EEPg showed changes in the ossification process. Thus, it is considered that the EEPg has low maternal toxic potential; it does not alter the reproductive performance of females. However, it is teratogenic and interferes, mainly, in the ossification process, and therefore its use is contraindicated in the gestational period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogério Carlos Sanfelice Nunes
- Centro de Estudos em Células-Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Silvia Cordeiro das Neves
- Centro de Estudos em Células-Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fabricia Rodrigues Salustriano
- Centro de Estudos em Células-Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Luiz Brandão Vilela
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Valter Aragão do Nascimento
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Karuppusamy Arunachalam
- Centro de Estudos em Células-Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Roberto da Silva Gomes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
| | - Candida Aparecida Leite Kassuya
- Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD), Dourados 79825-070, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jonas da Silva Mota
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS), Dourados 79804-970, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Juliano Oliveira
- Centro de Estudos em Células-Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-67-98434-6510
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Vanni I, Iacobone F, D’Agostino C, Giovannelli M, Pirisinu L, Altmeppen HC, Castilla J, Torres JM, Agrimi U, Nonno R. An optimized Western blot assay provides a comprehensive assessment of the physiological endoproteolytic processing of the prion protein. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102823. [PMID: 36565989 PMCID: PMC9867980 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion protein (PrPC) is subjected to several conserved endoproteolytic events producing bioactive fragments that are of increasing interest for their physiological functions and their implication in the pathogenesis of prion diseases and other neurodegenerative diseases. However, systematic and comprehensive investigations on the full spectrum of PrPC proteoforms have been hampered by the lack of methods able to identify all PrPC-derived proteoforms. Building on previous knowledge of PrPC endoproteolytic processing, we thus developed an optimized Western blot assay able to obtain the maximum information about PrPC constitutive processing and the relative abundance of PrPC proteoforms in a complex biological sample. This approach led to the concurrent identification of the whole spectrum of known endoproteolytic-derived PrPC proteoforms in brain homogenates, including C-terminal, N-terminal and, most importantly, shed PrPC-derived fragments. Endoproteolytic processing of PrPC was remarkably similar in the brain of widely used wild type and transgenic rodent models, with α-cleavage-derived C1 representing the most abundant proteoform and ADAM10-mediated shedding being an unexpectedly prominent proteolytic event. Interestingly, the relative amount of shed PrPC was higher in WT mice than in most other models. Our results indicate that constitutive endoproteolytic processing of PrPC is not affected by PrPC overexpression or host factors other than PrPC but can be impacted by PrPC primary structure. Finally, this method represents a crucial step in gaining insight into pathophysiological roles, biomarker suitability, and therapeutic potential of shed PrPC and for a comprehensive appraisal of PrPC proteoforms in therapies, drug screening, or in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Vanni
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Floriana Iacobone
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia D’Agostino
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Giovannelli
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Joaquin Castilla
- Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) - CIC BioGUNE & IKERBasque, Bizkaia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Maria Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Umberto Agrimi
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Vidal E, Sánchez-Martín MA, Eraña H, Lázaro SP, Pérez-Castro MA, Otero A, Charco JM, Marín B, López-Moreno R, Díaz-Domínguez CM, Geijo M, Ordóñez M, Cantero G, di Bari M, Lorenzo NL, Pirisinu L, d’Agostino C, Torres JM, Béringue V, Telling G, Badiola JJ, Pumarola M, Bolea R, Nonno R, Requena JR, Castilla J. Bona fide atypical scrapie faithfully reproduced for the first time in a rodent model. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:179. [PMID: 36514160 PMCID: PMC9749341 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01477-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical Scrapie, which is not linked to epidemics, is assumed to be an idiopathic spontaneous prion disease in small ruminants. Therefore, its occurrence is unlikely to be controlled through selective breeding or other strategies as it is done for classical scrapie outbreaks. Its spontaneous nature and its sporadic incidence worldwide is reminiscent of the incidence of idiopathic spontaneous prion diseases in humans, which account for more than 85% of the cases in humans. Hence, developing animal models that consistently reproduce this phenomenon of spontaneous PrP misfolding, is of importance to study the pathobiology of idiopathic spontaneous prion disorders. Transgenic mice overexpressing sheep PrPC with I112 polymorphism (TgShI112, 1-2 × PrP levels compared to sheep brain) manifest clinical signs of a spongiform encephalopathy spontaneously as early as 380 days of age. The brains of these animals show the neuropathological hallmarks of prion disease and biochemical analyses of the misfolded prion protein show a ladder-like PrPres pattern with a predominant 7-10 kDa band. Brain homogenates from spontaneously diseased transgenic mice were inoculated in several models to assess their transmissibility and characterize the prion strain generated: TgShI112 (ovine I112 ARQ PrPC), Tg338 (ovine VRQ PrPC), Tg501 (ovine ARQ PrPC), Tg340 (human M129 PrPC), Tg361 (human V129 PrPC), TgVole (bank vole I109 PrPC), bank vole (I109I PrPC), and sheep (AHQ/ARR and AHQ/AHQ churra-tensina breeds). Our analysis of the results of these bioassays concludes that the strain generated in this model is indistinguishable to that causing atypical scrapie (Nor98). Thus, we present the first faithful model for a bona fide, transmissible, ovine, atypical scrapie prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Vidal
- grid.424716.2Unitat Mixta d’Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain ,grid.424716.2IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain
| | - Manuel A. Sánchez-Martín
- grid.11762.330000 0001 2180 1817Transgenic Facility. Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain ,ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L., Derio, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.413448.e0000 0000 9314 1427Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Pérez Lázaro
- grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza–IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Pérez-Castro
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Alicia Otero
- grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza–IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jorge M. Charco
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain ,ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L., Derio, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.413448.e0000 0000 9314 1427Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Marín
- grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza–IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Moreno
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Carlos M. Díaz-Domínguez
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Mariví Geijo
- grid.509696.50000 0000 9853 6743Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Spain
| | - Montserrat Ordóñez
- grid.424716.2Unitat Mixta d’Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain ,grid.424716.2IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain
| | - Guillermo Cantero
- grid.424716.2Unitat Mixta d’Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain ,grid.424716.2IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain
| | - Michele di Bari
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Nuria L. Lorenzo
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago, Spain
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia d’Agostino
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Juan María Torres
- grid.419190.40000 0001 2300 669XCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Valdeolmos, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vincent Béringue
- grid.417961.cMolecular Virology and Immunology, Institut National de La Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Glenn Telling
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Juan J. Badiola
- grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza–IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Martí Pumarola
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Campus de UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Rosa Bolea
- grid.11205.370000 0001 2152 8769Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza–IA2, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Romolo Nonno
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Jesús R. Requena
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Santiago, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- grid.420175.50000 0004 0639 2420Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Biociencias (CIC BioGUNE), Laboratorio de Investigación de Priones, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Derio, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.413448.e0000 0000 9314 1427Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain ,grid.424810.b0000 0004 0467 2314IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Bizkaia Spain
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9
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Salustriano FR, Monreal ACD, das Neves SC, de Oliveira GM, de Oliveira DDM, Vilela MLB, do Nascimento VA, Martins ACF, Saroja B, Karuppusamy A, Coelho HRS, Kassuya CAL, Gelves DIA, Salvador MJ, Oliveira RJ, Gomes RDS. The Ethanolic Extract of Gomphrena celosioides Mart. Does Not Alter Reproductive Performance or Embryo-Fetal Development, nor Does It Cause Chromosomal Damage. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2369. [PMID: 36365187 PMCID: PMC9695157 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Gomphrena celosioides is a native Brazilian plant found in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is used in folk medicine to treat kidney diseases, skin diseases, infections, rheumatism, gastrointestinal diseases, and respiratory diseases. It is also used as an abortifacient. To evaluate the effects of the ethanolic extract of Gomphrena celosioides (EEGc) on reproductive performance, embryo development, and chromosome stability, Swiss mice were randomly divided into experimental groups (n = 10). The animals in the control group received the vehicle Tween 80-1% in the proportion of 0.1 mL/10 g of body weight orally, from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals in the treatment groups received the EEGc (100, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals underwent evaluations of their reproductive performance and embryofetal development. The results showed that the EEGc did not change the animals' final weight, weight gain, uterine weight, or net weight gain. The evaluation showed that the absolute and relative organs' weights did not vary between the different experimental groups. In addition, the EEGc did not change the numbers of implants, live fetuses, dead fetuses, or fetal resorptions. There were no differences in post-operative loss rates, implantations, or resorptions, nor were there differences in fetal viability or sex ratio. The use of the EEGc did not result in different frequencies of malformations. In addition, the EEGc did not alter the frequency of chromosomal damage or frequency of micronuclei. Based on our findings, we considered the extract of Gomphrena celosioides to be safe for use during pregnancy, although some parameters indicated caution in its use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabricia Rodrigues Salustriano
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Silvia Cordeiro das Neves
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Giovana Martins de Oliveira
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Diego Duarte Marques de Oliveira
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Luiz Brandão Vilela
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Valter Aragão do Nascimento
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Baby Saroja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
| | - Arunachalam Karuppusamy
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Henrique Rodrigues Scherer Coelho
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Dayanna Isabel Araque Gelves
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos José Salvador
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Juliano Oliveira
- Centro de Estudos em Células Tronco, Terapia Celular e Genética Toxicológica (CeTroGen), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina Dr. Hélio Mandetta (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento da Região Centro-Oeste, Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil
| | - Roberto da Silva Gomes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
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10
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Grimaldi I, Leser FS, Janeiro JM, da Rosa BG, Campanelli AC, Romão L, Lima FRS. The multiple functions of PrP C in physiological, cancer, and neurodegenerative contexts. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:1405-1425. [PMID: 36056255 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-022-02245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a highly conserved glycoprotein, present both anchored in the cell membrane and soluble in the extracellular medium. It has a diversity of ligands and is variably expressed in numerous tissues and cell subtypes, most notably in the central nervous system (CNS). Its importance has been brought to light over the years both under physiological conditions, such as embryogenesis and immune system homeostasis, and in pathologies, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. During development, PrPC plays an important role in CNS, participating in axonal growth and guidance and differentiation of glial cells, but also in other organs such as the heart, lung, and digestive system. In diseases, PrPC has been related to several types of tumors, modulating cancer stem cells, enhancing malignant properties, and inducing drug resistance. Also, in non-neoplastic diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, PrPC seems to alter the dynamics of neurotoxic aggregate formation and, consequently, the progression of the disease. In this review, we explore in detail the multiple functions of this protein, which proved to be relevant for understanding the dynamics of organism homeostasis, as well as a promising target in the treatment of both neoplastic and degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabella Grimaldi
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Felipe Saceanu Leser
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José Marcos Janeiro
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Gomes da Rosa
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara Campanelli
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luciana Romão
- Cell Morphogenesis Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Flavia Regina Souza Lima
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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11
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A high-content neuron imaging assay demonstrates inhibition of prion disease-associated neurotoxicity by an anti-prion protein antibody. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9493. [PMID: 35680944 PMCID: PMC9184462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13455-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop disease-modifying therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases which pose increasing challenges to global healthcare systems. Prion diseases, although rare, provide a paradigm to study neurodegenerative dementias as similar disease mechanisms involving propagation and spread of multichain assemblies of misfolded protein ("prion-like" mechanisms) are increasingly recognised in the commoner conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. However, studies of prion disease pathogenesis in mouse models showed that prion propagation and neurotoxicity can be mechanistically uncoupled and in vitro assays confirmed that highly purified prions are indeed not directly neurotoxic. To aid development of prion disease therapeutics we have therefore developed a cell-based assay for the specific neurotoxicity seen in prion diseases rather than to simply assess inhibition of prion propagation. We applied this assay to examine an anti-prion protein mouse monoclonal antibody (ICSM18) known to potently cure prion-infected cells and to delay onset of prion disease in prion-infected mice. We demonstrate that whilst ICSM18 itself lacks inherent neurotoxicity in this assay, it potently blocks prion disease-associated neurotoxicity.
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12
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Castle AR, Wohlgemuth S, Arce L, Westaway D. Investigating CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive for production of disease-preventing prion gene alleles. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269342. [PMID: 35671288 PMCID: PMC9173614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that includes chronic wasting disease, which affects cervids and is highly transmissible. Given that chronic wasting disease prevalence exceeds 30% in some endemic areas of North America, and that eventual transmission to other mammalian species, potentially including humans, cannot be ruled out, novel control strategies beyond population management via hunting and/or culling must be investigated. Prion diseases depend upon post-translational conversion of the cellular prion protein, encoded by the Prnp gene, into a disease-associated conformation; ablation of cellular prion protein expression, which is generally well-tolerated, eliminates prion disease susceptibility entirely. Inspired by demonstrations of gene drive in caged mosquito species, we aimed to test whether a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive mechanism could, in principle, promote the spread of a null Prnp allele among mammalian populations. First, we showed that transient co-expression of Cas9 and Prnp-directed guide RNAs in RK13 cells generates indels within the Prnp open-reading frame, indicating that repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks by non-homologous end-joining had taken place. Second, we integrated a ~1.2 kb donor DNA sequence into the Prnp open-reading frame in N2a cells by homology-directed repair following Cas9-induced cleavages and confirmed that integration occurred precisely in most cases. Third, we demonstrated that electroporation of Cas9/guide RNA ribonucleoprotein complexes into fertilised mouse oocytes resulted in pups with a variety of disruptions to the Prnp open reading frame, with a new coisogenic line of Prnp-null mice obtained as part of this work. However, a technical challenge in obtaining expression of Cas9 in the male germline prevented implementation of a complete gene drive mechanism in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Castle
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Serene Wohlgemuth
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Luis Arce
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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13
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Roy M, Nath AK, Pal I, Dey SG. Second Sphere Interactions in Amyloidogenic Diseases. Chem Rev 2022; 122:12132-12206. [PMID: 35471949 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Amyloids are protein aggregates bearing a highly ordered cross β structural motif, which may be functional but are mostly pathogenic. Their formation, deposition in tissues and consequent organ dysfunction is the central event in amyloidogenic diseases. Such protein aggregation may be brought about by conformational changes, and much attention has been directed toward factors like metal binding, post-translational modifications, mutations of protein etc., which eventually affect the reactivity and cytotoxicity of the associated proteins. Over the past decade, a global effort from different groups working on these misfolded/unfolded proteins/peptides has revealed that the amino acid residues in the second coordination sphere of the active sites of amyloidogenic proteins/peptides cause changes in H-bonding pattern or protein-protein interactions, which dramatically alter the structure and reactivity of these proteins/peptides. These second sphere effects not only determine the binding of transition metals and cofactors, which define the pathology of some of these diseases, but also change the mechanism of redox reactions catalyzed by these proteins/peptides and form the basis of oxidative damage associated with these amyloidogenic diseases. The present review seeks to discuss such second sphere modifications and their ramifications in the etiopathology of some representative amyloidogenic diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2Dm), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuparna Roy
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Arnab Kumar Nath
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Ishita Pal
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Somdatta Ghosh Dey
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
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14
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Gene-Edited Cell Models to Study Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030609. [PMID: 35337016 PMCID: PMC8950194 DOI: 10.3390/v14030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), PrPSc, and currently no options exist to prevent or cure prion diseases. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and other cervids is considered the most contagious prion disease, with extensive shedding of infectivity into the environment. Cell culture models provide a versatile platform for convenient quantification of prions, for studying the molecular and cellular biology of prions, and for performing high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of cell lines are available that facilitate robust and persistent propagation of CWD prions. Gene-editing using programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 (CC9)) has proven to be a valuable tool for high precision site-specific gene modification, including gene deletion, insertion, and replacement. CC9-based gene editing was used recently for replacing the PrP gene in mouse and cell culture models, as efficient prion propagation usually requires matching sequence homology between infecting prions and prion protein in the recipient host. As expected, such gene-editing proved to be useful for developing CWD models. Several transgenic mouse models were available that propagate CWD prions effectively, however, mostly fail to reproduce CWD pathogenesis as found in the cervid host, including CWD prion shedding. This is different for the few currently available knock-in mouse models that seem to do so. In this review, we discuss the available in vitro and in vivo models of CWD, and the impact of gene-editing strategies.
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15
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Kovač V, Čurin Šerbec V. Prion Protein: The Molecule of Many Forms and Faces. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031232. [PMID: 35163156 PMCID: PMC8835406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein most abundantly found in the outer membrane of neurons. Due to structural characteristics (a flexible tail and structured core), PrPC interacts with a wide range of partners. Although PrPC has been proposed to be involved in many physiological functions, only peripheral nerve myelination homeostasis has been confirmed as a bona fide function thus far. PrPC misfolding causes prion diseases and PrPC has been shown to mediate β-rich oligomer-induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as neuroprotection in ischemia. Upon proteolytic cleavage, PrPC is transformed into released and attached forms of PrP that can, depending on the contained structural characteristics of PrPC, display protective or toxic properties. In this review, we will outline prion protein and prion protein fragment properties as well as overview their involvement with interacting partners and signal pathways in myelination, neuroprotection and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Matamoros-Angles A, Hervera A, Soriano J, Martí E, Carulla P, Llorens F, Nuvolone M, Aguzzi A, Ferrer I, Gruart A, Delgado-García JM, Del Río JA. Analysis of co-isogenic prion protein deficient mice reveals behavioral deficits, learning impairment, and enhanced hippocampal excitability. BMC Biol 2022; 20:17. [PMID: 35027047 PMCID: PMC8759182 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a cell surface GPI-anchored protein, usually known for its role in the pathogenesis of human and animal prionopathies. However, increasing knowledge about the participation of PrPC in prion pathogenesis contrasts with puzzling data regarding its natural physiological role. PrPC is expressed in a number of tissues, including at high levels in the nervous system, especially in neurons and glial cells, and while previous studies have established a neuroprotective role, conflicting evidence for a synaptic function has revealed both reduced and enhanced long-term potentiation, and variable observations on memory, learning, and behavior. Such evidence has been confounded by the absence of an appropriate knock-out mouse model to dissect the biological relevance of PrPC, with some functions recently shown to be misattributed to PrPC due to the presence of genetic artifacts in mouse models. Here we elucidate the role of PrPC in the hippocampal circuitry and its related functions, such as learning and memory, using a recently available strictly co-isogenic Prnp0/0 mouse model (PrnpZH3/ZH3). Results We performed behavioral and operant conditioning tests to evaluate memory and learning capabilities, with results showing decreased motility, impaired operant conditioning learning, and anxiety-related behavior in PrnpZH3/ZH3 animals. We also carried in vivo electrophysiological recordings on CA3-CA1 synapses in living behaving mice and monitored spontaneous neuronal firing and network formation in primary neuronal cultures of PrnpZH3/ZH3 vs wildtype mice. PrPC absence enhanced susceptibility to high-intensity stimulations and kainate-induced seizures. However, long-term potentiation (LTP) was not enhanced in the PrnpZH3/ZH3 hippocampus. In addition, we observed a delay in neuronal maturation and network formation in PrnpZH3/ZH3 cultures. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that PrPC promotes neuronal network formation and connectivity. PrPC mediates synaptic function and protects the synapse from excitotoxic insults. Its deletion may underlie an epileptogenic-susceptible brain that fails to perform highly cognitive-demanding tasks such as associative learning and anxiety-like behaviors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01203-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Matamoros-Angles
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Hervera
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Soriano
- Departament de Física de la Materia Condensada, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Martí
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bioinformatics and Genomics, Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Carulla
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Llorens
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - M Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Amyloidosis Center, Foundation IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - A Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - I Ferrer
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Senior Consultant, Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Centre), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - J M Delgado-García
- Division of Neurosciences, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013, Seville, Spain.
| | - J A Del Río
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Membrane Domain Localization and Interaction of the Prion-Family Proteins, Prion and Shadoo with Calnexin. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11120978. [PMID: 34940479 PMCID: PMC8704586 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11120978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is renowned for its infectious conformational isoform PrPSc, capable of templating subsequent conversions of healthy PrPCs and thus triggering the group of incurable diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Besides this mechanism not being fully uncovered, the protein’s physiological role is also elusive. PrPC and its newest, less understood paralog Shadoo are glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins highly expressed in the central nervous system. While they share some attributes and neuroprotective actions, opposing roles have also been reported for the two; however, the amount of data about their exact functions is lacking. Protein–protein interactions and membrane microdomain localizations are key determinants of protein function. Accurate identification of these functions for a membrane protein, however, can become biased due to interactions occurring during sample processing. To avoid such artifacts, we apply a non-detergent-based membrane-fractionation approach to study the prion protein and Shadoo. We show that the two proteins occupy similarly raft and non-raft membrane fractions when expressed in N2a cells and that both proteins pull down the chaperone calnexin in both rafts and non-rafts. These indicate their possible binding to calnexin in both types of membrane domains, which might be a necessary requisite to aid the inherently unstable native conformation during their lifetime.
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Panes JD, Saavedra P, Pineda B, Escobar K, Cuevas ME, Moraga-Cid G, Fuentealba J, Rivas CI, Rezaei H, Muñoz-Montesino C. PrP C as a Transducer of Physiological and Pathological Signals. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:762918. [PMID: 34880726 PMCID: PMC8648500 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.762918] [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: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
After the discovery of prion phenomenon, the physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) remained elusive. In the past decades, molecular and cellular analysis has shed some light regarding interactions and functions of PrP C in health and disease. PrP C , which is located mainly at the plasma membrane of neuronal cells attached by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, can act as a receptor or transducer from external signaling. Although the precise role of PrP C remains elusive, a variety of functions have been proposed for this protein, namely, neuronal excitability and viability. Although many issues must be solved to clearly define the role of PrP C , its connection to the central nervous system (CNS) and to several misfolding-associated diseases makes PrP C an interesting pharmacological target. In a physiological context, several reports have proposed that PrP C modulates synaptic transmission, interacting with various proteins, namely, ion pumps, channels, and metabotropic receptors. PrP C has also been implicated in the pathophysiological cell signaling induced by β-amyloid peptide that leads to synaptic dysfunction in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as a mediator of Aβ-induced cell toxicity. Additionally, it has been implicated in other proteinopathies as well. In this review, we aimed to analyze the role of PrP C as a transducer of physiological and pathological signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Panes
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Paulina Saavedra
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Benjamin Pineda
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Kathleen Escobar
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Magdalena E Cuevas
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Gustavo Moraga-Cid
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Jorge Fuentealba
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Coralia I Rivas
- Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Human Rezaei
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires (VIM), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Versailles, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Carola Muñoz-Montesino
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Dexter E, Kong Q. Neuroprotective effect and potential of cellular prion protein and its cleavage products for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders part I. a literature review. Expert Rev Neurother 2021; 21:969-982. [PMID: 34470561 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2021.1965881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is well known for its pathogenic roles in prion diseases, several other neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's disease), and multiple types of cancer, but the beneficial aspects of PrPC and its cleavage products received much less attention. AREAS COVERED Here the authors will systematically review the literatures on the negative as well as protective aspects of PrPC and its derivatives (especially PrP N-terminal N1 peptide and shed PrP). The authors will dissect the current findings on N1 and shed PrP, including evidence for their neuroprotective effects, the categories of PrPC cleavage, and numerous cleavage enzymes involved. The authors will also discuss the protective effects and therapeutic potentials of PrPC-rich exosomes. The cited articles were obtained from extensive PubMed searches of recent literature, including peer-reviewed original articles and review articles. EXPERT OPINION PrP and its N-terminal fragments have strong neuroprotective activities that should be explored for therapeutics and prophylactics development against prion disease, Alzheimer's disease and a few other neurodegenerative diseases. The strategies to develop PrP-based therapeutics and prophylactics for these neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed in a companion article (Part II).
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Dexter
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
| | - Qingzhong Kong
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA
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20
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Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). As the main component of prion, PrPSc acts as an infectious template that recruits and converts normal cellular PrPC into its pathogenic, misfolded isoform. Intriguingly, the phenomenon of prionoid, or prion-like, spread has also been observed in many other disease-associated proteins, such as amyloid β (Aβ), tau and α-synuclein. This Cell Science at a Glance and the accompanying poster highlight recently described physiological roles of prion protein and the advanced understanding of pathogenesis of prion disease they have afforded. Importantly, prion protein may also be involved in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic studies of prion disease have also exploited novel strategies to combat these devastating diseases. Future studies on prion protein and prion disease will deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, CH-8091, Switzerland
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21
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Aguilar-Calvo P, Fernández-Borges N, Pitarch JL, González L, Torres JM. Canine D 163-PrP polymorphic variant does not provide complete protection against prion infection in small ruminant PrP context. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14309. [PMID: 34253783 PMCID: PMC8275588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93594-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
E/D163 polymorphism of dog prion protein (PrP) has been recently proposed as the variant responsible for canid prion resistance. To further investigate the protective role of this variant against prion replication, the transgenic mouse model OvPrP-Tg532 expressing sheep/goat PrP carrying the substitution D162 (equivalent to D163 position of dog PrP) was generated and intracranially inoculated with a broad collection of small ruminant prion strains. OvPrP-Tg532 mice showed resistance to classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from sheep and some classical scrapie isolates from sheep and goat but were susceptible to ovine atypical L-BSE and numerous classical scrapie isolates. Strikingly, some of these classical scrapie isolates showed a shift in their prion strain properties. These results suggest that other PrP residues apart from E/D163 variant of dog PrP or factors distinct than PrP may participate in prion resistance of canids and that different factors may be required for D162 sheep PrP to provide effective protection to sheep against ruminant prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo González
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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22
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Espinosa JC, Marín‐Moreno A, Aguilar‐Calvo P, Torres JM. Met 166 -Glu 168 residues in human PrP β2-α2 loop account for evolutionary resistance to prion infection. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 47:506-518. [PMID: 33253417 PMCID: PMC8247420 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The amino acid sequence of prion protein (PrP) is a key determinant in the transmissibility of prion diseases. While PrP sequence is highly conserved among mammalian species, minor changes in the PrP amino acid sequence may confer alterations in the transmissibility of prion diseases. Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE) is the only zoonotic prion strain reported to date causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) in humans, although experimental transmission points to atypical L-BSE and some classical scrapie isolates as also zoonotic. The precise molecular elements in the human PrP sequence that limit the transmissibility of prion strains such as sheep/goat scrapie or cervid chronic wasting disease (CWD) are not well known. METHODS The transmissibility of a panel of diverse prions from different species was compared in transgenic mice expressing either wild-type human PrPC (MDE-HuTg340) or a mutated human PrPC harbouring Val166 -Gln168 amino acid changes (VDQ-HuTg372) in the β2-α2 loop instead of Met166 -Glu168 wild-type variants. RESULTS VDQ-HuTg372 mice were more susceptible to prions than MDE-HuTg340 mice in a strain-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Met166 -Glu168 amino acid residues present in wild-type human PrPC are molecular determinants that limit the propagation of most prion strains assayed in the human PrP context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patricia Aguilar‐Calvo
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA‐CISA)MadridSpain
- Present address:
Department of PathologyUC San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
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23
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Janner DR, de Lima EV, da Silva RT, Clarke JR, Linden R. Dissociation of genotype-dependent cognitive and motor behavior in a strain of aging mice devoid of the prion protein. Behav Brain Res 2021; 411:113386. [PMID: 34052264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The prion glycoprotein (PrPC) is highly expressed in the nervous system as well as in other organs. Its functional roles in behavior have been examined mainly in non co-isogenic, wild-type and PrPC-deficient mice, which showed both age- and genotype-dependent differences. In general, however, effects of genetic background upon behavioral tests are mostly unclear when applied to aging rodents. The present study aimed to determine the effect of deletion of the prion protein on behavior of isogenic mice across different ages. We disclosed a genotype-dependent behavioral dissociation between either motor or cognitive tests, as a function of both age and test type. Remarkably, we also detected a clear age- and genotype-dependent difference in the variability of performance in a cognitive test. The current findings are relevant for both the interpretation of PrPC-related behavior, as well as for issues of reproducibility in studies of rodent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane R Janner
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, RJ, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Linden
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, RJ, Brazil.
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Schneider B, Baudry A, Pietri M, Alleaume-Butaux A, Bizingre C, Nioche P, Kellermann O, Launay JM. The Cellular Prion Protein-ROCK Connection: Contribution to Neuronal Homeostasis and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:660683. [PMID: 33912016 PMCID: PMC8072021 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.660683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-based neurodegenerative diseases such as prion, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases have distinct etiologies and clinical manifestations, but they share common pathological events. These diseases are caused by abnormally folded proteins (pathogenic prions PrPSc in prion diseases, β-amyloids/Aβ and Tau in Alzheimer's disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease) that display β-sheet-enriched structures, propagate and accumulate in the nervous central system, and trigger neuronal death. In prion diseases, PrPSc-induced corruption of the physiological functions exerted by normal cellular prion proteins (PrPC) present at the cell surface of neurons is at the root of neuronal death. For a decade, PrPC emerges as a common cell surface receptor for other amyloids such as Aβ and α-synuclein, which relays, at least in part, their toxicity. In lipid-rafts of the plasma membrane, PrPC exerts a signaling function and controls a set of effectors involved in neuronal homeostasis, among which are the RhoA-associated coiled-coil containing kinases (ROCKs). Here we review (i) how PrPC controls ROCKs, (ii) how PrPC-ROCK coupling contributes to neuronal homeostasis, and (iii) how the deregulation of the PrPC-ROCK connection in amyloid-based neurodegenerative diseases triggers a loss of neuronal polarity, affects neurotransmitter-associated functions, contributes to the endoplasmic reticulum stress cascade, renders diseased neurons highly sensitive to neuroinflammation, and amplifies the production of neurotoxic amyloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Schneider
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Anne Baudry
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Mathéa Pietri
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Aurélie Alleaume-Butaux
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France.,Université de Paris - BioMedTech Facilities- INSERM US36
- CNRS UMS2009 - Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform, Paris, France
| | - Chloé Bizingre
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Nioche
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France.,Université de Paris - BioMedTech Facilities- INSERM US36
- CNRS UMS2009 - Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform, Paris, France
| | - Odile Kellermann
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marie Launay
- Inserm UMR 942, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France.,Pharma Research Department, Hoffmann-La-Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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Allelic Interference in Prion Replication Is Modulated by the Convertibility of the Interfering PrP C and Other Host-Specific Factors. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03508-20. [PMID: 33727358 PMCID: PMC8092304 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03508-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion propagation can be interfered with by the expression of a second prion protein in the host. In the present study, we investigated prion propagation in a host expressing two different prion protein genes. Early studies in transgenic mouse lines have shown that the coexpression of endogenous murine prion protein (PrPC) and transgenic PrPC from another species either inhibits or allows the propagation of prions, depending on the infecting prion strain and interacting protein species. The way whereby this phenomenon, so-called “interference,” is modulated remains to be determined. In this study, different transgenic mouse lines were crossbred to produce mice coexpressing bovine and porcine PrPC, bovine and murine PrPC, or murine and porcine PrPC. These animals and their respective hemizygous controls were inoculated with several prion strains from different sources (cattle, mice, and pigs) to examine the effects of the simultaneous presence of PrPC from two different species. Our results indicate interference with the infection process, manifested as extended survival times and reduced attack rates. The interference with the infectious process was reduced or absent when the potentiality interfering PrPC species was efficiently converted by the inoculated agent. However, the propagation of the endogenous murine PrPSc was favored, allowing us to speculate that host-specific factors may disturb the interference caused by the coexpression of an exogenous second PrPC.
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Shoup D, Priola SA. The Size and Stability of Infectious Prion Aggregates Fluctuate Dynamically during Cellular Uptake and Disaggregation. Biochemistry 2021; 60:398-411. [PMID: 33497187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases arise when PrPSc, an aggregated, infectious, and insoluble conformer of the normally soluble mammalian prion protein, PrPC, catalyzes the conversion of PrPC into more PrPSc, which then accumulates in the brain leading to disease. PrPSc is the primary, if not sole, component of the infectious prion. Despite the stability and protease insensitivity of PrPSc aggregates, they can be degraded after cellular uptake. However, how cells disassemble and degrade PrPSc is poorly understood. In this work, we analyzed how the protease sensitivity and size distribution of PrPSc aggregates from two different mouse-adapted prion strains, 22L, that can persistently infect cells and 87V, that cannot, changed during cellular uptake. We show that within the first 4 h following uptake large PrPSc aggregates from both prion strains become less resistant to digestion by proteinase K (PK) through a mechanism that is dependent upon the acidic environment of endocytic vesicles. We further show that during disassembly, PrPSc aggregates from both strains become more resistant to PK digestion through the apparent removal of protease-sensitive PrPSc, with PrPSc from the 87V strain disassembled more readily than PrPSc from the 22L strain. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the sizes and stabilities of PrPSc from different prion strains change during cellular uptake and degradation, thereby potentially impacting the ability of prions to infect cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shoup
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, United States
| | - Suzette A Priola
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, United States
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27
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Perisse IV, Fan Z, Singina GN, White KL, Polejaeva IA. Improvements in Gene Editing Technology Boost Its Applications in Livestock. Front Genet 2021; 11:614688. [PMID: 33603767 PMCID: PMC7885404 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.614688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accelerated development of novel CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing techniques provides a feasible approach to introduce a variety of precise modifications in the mammalian genome, including introduction of multiple edits simultaneously, efficient insertion of long DNA sequences into specific targeted loci as well as performing nucleotide transitions and transversions. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9 tool has become the method of choice for introducing genome alterations in livestock species. The list of new CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing tools is constantly expanding. Here, we discuss the methods developed to improve efficiency and specificity of gene editing tools as well as approaches that can be employed for gene regulation, base editing, and epigenetic modifications. Additionally, advantages and disadvantages of two primary methods used for the production of gene-edited farm animals: somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT or cloning) and zygote manipulations will be discussed. Furthermore, we will review agricultural and biomedical applications of gene editing technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuri Viotti Perisse
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Zhiqiang Fan
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Galina N. Singina
- L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Podolsk, Russia
| | - Kenneth L. White
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
| | - Irina A. Polejaeva
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
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Park KE, Frey JF, Waters J, Simpson SG, Coutu C, Plummer S, Campbell M, Donovan DM, Telugu BP. One-Step Homology Mediated CRISPR-Cas Editing in Zygotes for Generating Genome Edited Cattle. CRISPR J 2020; 3:523-534. [PMID: 33252243 PMCID: PMC7757693 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective breeding and genetic modification have been the cornerstone of animal agriculture. However, the current strategy of breeding animals over multiple generations to introgress novel alleles is not practical in addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and the predicted need to feed a population of 9 billion by 2050. Consequently, genome editing in zygotes to allow for seamless introgression of novel alleles is required, especially in cattle with long generation intervals. We report for the first time the use of CRISPR-Cas genome editors to introduce novel PRNP allelic variants that have been shown to provide resilience towards human prion pandemics. From one round of embryo injections, we have established six pregnancies and birth of seven edited offspring, with two founders showing >90% targeted homology-directed repair modifications. This study lays out the framework for in vitro optimization, unbiased deep-sequencing to identify editing outcomes, and generation of high frequency homology-directed repair–edited calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Eun Park
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Juli Foster Frey
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Jerel Waters
- RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Sean G Simpson
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Chris Coutu
- Thomas D. Morris Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - David M Donovan
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Bhanu P Telugu
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
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Microglia in Prion Diseases: Angels or Demons? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207765. [PMID: 33092220 PMCID: PMC7589037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rare transmissible neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of a misfolded isoform (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in the central nervous system (CNS). Neuropathological hallmarks of prion diseases are neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and enhanced microglial proliferation and activation. As immune cells of the CNS, microglia participate both in the maintenance of the normal brain physiology and in driving the neuroinflammatory response to acute or chronic (e.g., neurodegenerative disorders) insults. Microglia involvement in prion diseases, however, is far from being clearly understood. During this review, we summarize and discuss controversial findings, both in patient and animal models, suggesting a neuroprotective role of microglia in prion disease pathogenesis and progression, or—conversely—a microglia-mediated exacerbation of neurotoxicity in later stages of disease. We also will consider the active participation of PrPC in microglial functions, by discussing previous reports, but also by presenting unpublished results that support a role for PrPC in cytokine secretion by activated primary microglia.
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30
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Mabbott NA, Bradford BM, Pal R, Young R, Donaldson DS. The Effects of Immune System Modulation on Prion Disease Susceptibility and Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7299. [PMID: 33023255 PMCID: PMC7582561 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique group of infectious chronic neurodegenerative disorders to which there are no cures. Although prion infections do not stimulate adaptive immune responses in infected individuals, the actions of certain immune cell populations can have a significant impact on disease pathogenesis. After infection, the targeting of peripherally-acquired prions to specific immune cells in the secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), such as the lymph nodes and spleen, is essential for the efficient transmission of disease to the brain. Once the prions reach the brain, interactions with other immune cell populations can provide either host protection or accelerate the neurodegeneration. In this review, we provide a detailed account of how factors such as inflammation, ageing and pathogen co-infection can affect prion disease pathogenesis and susceptibility. For example, we discuss how changes to the abundance, function and activation status of specific immune cell populations can affect the transmission of prion diseases by peripheral routes. We also describe how the effects of systemic inflammation on certain glial cell subsets in the brains of infected individuals can accelerate the neurodegeneration. A detailed understanding of the factors that affect prion disease transmission and pathogenesis is essential for the development of novel intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A. Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK; (B.M.B.); (R.P.); (R.Y.); (D.S.D.)
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31
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Torres JM. Transgenic mouse models for the study of prion diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:147-177. [PMID: 32958231 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Prions are unique agents that challenge the molecular biology dogma by transmitting information on the protein level. They cause neurodegenerative diseases that lack of any cure or treatment called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The function of the normal form of the prion protein, the exact mechanism of prion propagation between species as well as at the cellular level and neuron degeneration remains elusive. However, great amount of information known for all these aspects has been achieved thanks to the use of animal models and more precisely to transgenic mouse models. In this chapter, the main contributions of these powerful research tools in the prion field are revised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain.
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Hara H, Sakaguchi S. N-Terminal Regions of Prion Protein: Functions and Roles in Prion Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176233. [PMID: 32872280 PMCID: PMC7504422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The normal cellular isoform of prion protein, designated PrPC, is constitutively converted to the abnormally folded, amyloidogenic isoform, PrPSc, in prion diseases, which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in animals. PrPC is a membrane glycoprotein consisting of the non-structural N-terminal domain and the globular C-terminal domain. During conversion of PrPC to PrPSc, its 2/3 C-terminal region undergoes marked structural changes, forming a protease-resistant structure. In contrast, the N-terminal region remains protease-sensitive in PrPSc. Reverse genetic studies using reconstituted PrPC-knockout mice with various mutant PrP molecules have revealed that the N-terminal domain has an important role in the normal function of PrPC and the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc. The N-terminal domain includes various characteristic regions, such as the positively charged residue-rich polybasic region, the octapeptide repeat (OR) region consisting of five repeats of an octapeptide sequence, and the post-OR region with another positively charged residue-rich polybasic region followed by a stretch of hydrophobic residues. We discuss the normal functions of PrPC, the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc, and the neurotoxicity of PrPSc by focusing on the roles of the N-terminal regions in these topics.
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Gavín R, Lidón L, Ferrer I, del Río JA. The Quest for Cellular Prion Protein Functions in the Aged and Neurodegenerating Brain. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030591. [PMID: 32131451 PMCID: PMC7140396 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular (also termed ‘natural’) prion protein has been extensively studied for many years for its pathogenic role in prionopathies after misfolding. However, neuroprotective properties of the protein have been demonstrated under various scenarios. In this line, the involvement of the cellular prion protein in neurodegenerative diseases other than prionopathies continues to be widely debated by the scientific community. In fact, studies on knock-out mice show a vast range of physiological functions for the protein that can be supported by its ability as a cell surface scaffold protein. In this review, we first summarize the most commonly described roles of cellular prion protein in neuroprotection, including antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities and modulation of glutamate receptors. Second, in light of recently described interaction between cellular prion protein and some amyloid misfolded proteins, we will also discuss the molecular mechanisms potentially involved in protection against neurodegeneration in pathologies such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalina Gavín
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Science Park of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (J.A.d.R.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), 28031 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-93-4031185
| | - Laia Lidón
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Science Park of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (J.A.d.R.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), 28031 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), 28031 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
- Senior Consultant, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Antonio del Río
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Science Park of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (L.L.); (J.A.d.R.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), 28031 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Adão-Novaes J, Valverde R, Landemberger M, Silveira M, Simões-Pires E, Lowe J, Linden R. Substrain-related dependence of Cu(I)-ATPase activity among prion protein-null mice. Brain Res 2020; 1727:146550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Implications of gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic changes in prion disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 135:104704. [PMID: 31837420 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence of the gut microbiota influencing neurodegenerative diseases has been reported for several neural diseases. However, there is little insight regarding the relationship between the gut microbiota and prion disease. Here, using fecal samples of 12 prion-infected mice and 25 healthy controls, we analyzed the structure of the gut microbiota and metabolic changes by 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS-based metabolomics respectively as multi-omic analyses. Additionally, SCFAs and common amino acids were detected by GC-MS and UPLC respectively. Enteric changes induced by prion disease affected both structure and abundances of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota of infected mice displayed greater numbers of Proteobacteria and less Saccharibacteria at the phylum level and more Lactobacillaceae and Helicobacteraceae and less Prevotellaceae and Ruminococcaceae at the family level. A total of 145 fecal metabolites were found to be significantly different in prion infection, and most (114) of these were lipid metabolites. Using KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, we found that 3 phosphatidylcholine (PC) compounds significantly decreased and 4 hydrophobic bile acids significantly increased. Decreases of 8 types of short-chain acids (SCFAs) and increases of Cys and Tyr and decreases of His, Trp, and Arg were observed in prion infection. Correlation analysis indicated that the gut microbiota changes observed in our study may have been the shared outcome of prion disease. These findings suggest that prion disease can cause significant shifts in the gut microbiota. Certain bacterial taxa can then respond to the resulting change to the enteric environment by causing dramatic shifts in metabolite levels. Our data highlight the health impact of the gut microbiota and related metabolites in prion disease.
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Skedsmo FS, Malachin G, Våge DI, Hammervold MM, Salvesen Ø, Ersdal C, Ranheim B, Stafsnes MH, Bartosova Z, Bruheim P, Jäderlund KH, Matiasek K, Espenes A, Tranulis MA. Demyelinating polyneuropathy in goats lacking prion protein. FASEB J 2019; 34:2359-2375. [PMID: 31907995 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902588r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Studies in mice with ablation of Prnp, the gene that encodes the cellular prion protein (PrPC ), have led to the hypothesis that PrPC is important for peripheral nerve myelin maintenance. Here, we have used a nontransgenic animal model to put this idea to the test; namely, goats that, due to a naturally occurring nonsense mutation, lack PrPC . Teased nerve fiber preparation revealed a demyelinating pathology in goats without PrPC . Affected nerves were invaded by macrophages and T cells and displayed vacuolated fibers, shrunken axons, and onion bulbs. Peripheral nerve lipid composition was similar in young goats with or without PrPC , but markedly different between corresponding groups of adult goats, reflecting the progressive nature of the neuropathy. This is the first report of a subclinical demyelinating polyneuropathy caused by loss of PrPC function in a nontransgenic mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik S Skedsmo
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Giulia Malachin
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Inge Våge
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Mie Marie Hammervold
- Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Øyvind Salvesen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cecilie Ersdal
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Ranheim
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit H Stafsnes
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Zdenka Bartosova
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Bruheim
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Karin H Jäderlund
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kaspar Matiasek
- Section of Clinical & Comparative Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Arild Espenes
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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Fremuntova Z, Mosko T, Soukup J, Kucerova J, Kostelanska M, Hanusova ZB, Filipova M, Cervenakova L, Holada K. Changes in cellular prion protein expression, processing and localisation during differentiation of the neuronal cell line CAD 5. Biol Cell 2019; 112:1-21. [PMID: 31736091 DOI: 10.1111/boc.201900045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Cellular prion protein (PrPC ) is infamous for its role in prion diseases. The physiological function of PrPC remains enigmatic, but several studies point to its involvement in cell differentiation processes. To test this possibility, we monitored PrPC changes during the differentiation of prion-susceptible CAD 5 cells, and then we analysed the effect of PrPC ablation on the differentiation process. RESULTS Neuronal CAD 5 cells differentiate within 5 days of serum withdrawal, with the majority of the cells developing long neurites. This process is accompanied by an up to sixfold increase in PrPC expression and enhanced N-terminal β-cleavage of the protein, which suggests a role for the PrPC in the differentiation process. Moreover, the majority of PrPC in differentiated cells is inside the cell, and a large proportion of the protein does not associate with membrane lipid rafts. In contrast, PrPC in proliferating cells is found mostly on the cytoplasmic membrane and is predominantly associated with lipid rafts. To determine the importance of PrPC in cell differentiation, a CAD 5 PrP-/- cell line with ablated PrPC expression was created using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We observed no considerable difference in morphology, proliferation rate or expression of molecular markers between CAD 5 and CAD 5 PrP-/- cells during the differentiation initiated by serum withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS PrPC characteristics, such as cell localisation, level of expression and posttranslational modifications, change during CAD 5 cell differentiation, but PrPC ablation does not change the course of the differentiation process. SIGNIFICANCE Ablation of PrPC expression does not affect CAD 5 cell differentiation, although we observed many intriguing changes in PrPC features during the process. Our study does not support the concept that PrPC is important for neuronal cell differentiation, at least in simple in vitro conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Fremuntova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Mosko
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Soukup
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Johanka Kucerova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Kostelanska
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Backovska Hanusova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Filipova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Karel Holada
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Minikel EV, Kuhn E, Cocco AR, Vallabh SM, Hartigan CR, Reidenbach AG, Safar JG, Raymond GJ, McCarthy MD, O'Keefe R, Llorens F, Zerr I, Capellari S, Parchi P, Schreiber SL, Carr SA. Domain-specific Quantification of Prion Protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid by Targeted Mass Spectrometry. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:2388-2400. [PMID: 31558565 PMCID: PMC6885701 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra119.001702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapies currently in preclinical development for prion disease seek to lower prion protein (PrP) expression in the brain. Trials of such therapies are likely to rely on quantification of PrP in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a pharmacodynamic biomarker and possibly as a trial endpoint. Studies using PrP ELISA kits have shown that CSF PrP is lowered in the symptomatic phase of disease, a potential confounder for reading out the effect of PrP-lowering drugs in symptomatic patients. Because misfolding or proteolytic cleavage could potentially render PrP invisible to ELISA even if its concentration were constant or increasing in disease, we sought to establish an orthogonal method for CSF PrP quantification. We developed a multi-species targeted mass spectrometry method based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of nine PrP tryptic peptides quantified relative to an isotopically labeled recombinant protein standard for human samples, or isotopically labeled synthetic peptides for nonhuman species. Analytical validation experiments showed process replicate coefficients of variation below 15%, good dilution linearity and recovery, and suitable performance for both CSF and brain homogenate and across humans as well as preclinical species of interest. In n = 55 CSF samples from individuals referred to prion surveillance centers with rapidly progressive dementia, all six human PrP peptides, spanning the N- and C-terminal domains of PrP, were uniformly reduced in prion disease cases compared with individuals with nonprion diagnoses. Thus, lowered CSF PrP concentration in prion disease is a genuine result of the disease process and not an artifact of ELISA-based measurement. As a result, dose-finding studies for PrP lowering drugs may need to be conducted in presymptomatic at-risk individuals rather than in symptomatic patients. We provide a targeted mass spectrometry-based method suitable for preclinical quantification of CSF PrP as a tool for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139; Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142.
| | - Eric Kuhn
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Alexandra R Cocco
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Andrew G Reidenbach
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Departments of Pathology and Neurology Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Gregory J Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, NIAID Rocky Mountain Labs, Hamilton, MT 59840
| | - Michael D McCarthy
- Environmental Health and Safety, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Rhonda O'Keefe
- Environmental Health and Safety, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Franc Llorens
- National Reference Center for TSE, Georg-August University, Göttingen, 37073, Germany; Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for TSE, Georg-August University, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, 40139, Italy; 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, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40138, Italy
| | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142; Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Steven A Carr
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142.
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Thellung S, Corsaro A, Bosio AG, Zambito M, Barbieri F, Mazzanti M, Florio T. Emerging Role of Cellular Prion Protein in the Maintenance and Expansion of Glioma Stem Cells. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111458. [PMID: 31752162 PMCID: PMC6912268 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a membrane-anchored glycoprotein representing the physiological counterpart of PrP scrapie (PrPSc), which plays a pathogenetic role in prion diseases. Relatively little information is however available about physiological role of PrPC. Although PrPC ablation in mice does not induce lethal phenotypes, impairment of neuronal and bone marrow plasticity was reported in embryos and adult animals. In neurons, PrPC stimulates neurite growth, prevents oxidative stress-dependent cell death, and favors antiapoptotic signaling. However, PrPC activity is not restricted to post-mitotic neurons, but promotes cell proliferation and migration during embryogenesis and tissue regeneration in adult. PrPC acts as scaffold to stabilize the binding between different membrane receptors, growth factors, and basement proteins, contributing to tumorigenesis. Indeed, ablation of PrPC expression reduces cancer cell proliferation and migration and restores cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. Conversely, PrPC overexpression in cancer stem cells (CSCs) from different tumors, including gliomas—the most malignant brain tumors—is predictive for poor prognosis, and correlates with relapses. The mechanisms of the PrPC role in tumorigenesis and its molecular partners in this activity are the topic of the present review, with a particular focus on PrPC contribution to glioma CSCs multipotency, invasiveness, and tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Thellung
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessia G. Bosio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Martina Zambito
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Federica Barbieri
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Michele Mazzanti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
| | - Tullio Florio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
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Hackl S, Becker CFW. Prion protein-Semisynthetic prion protein (PrP) variants with posttranslational modifications. J Pept Sci 2019; 25:e3216. [PMID: 31713950 PMCID: PMC6899880 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the pathophysiologic events in prion diseases is challenging, and the role of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as glypidation and glycosylation remains elusive due to the lack of homogeneous protein preparations. So far, experimental studies have been limited in directly analyzing the earliest events of the conformational change of cellular prion protein (PrPC ) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc ) that further propagates PrPC misfolding and aggregation at the cellular membrane, the initial site of prion infection, and PrP misfolding, by a lack of suitably modified PrP variants. PTMs of PrP, especially attachment of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, have been shown to be crucially involved in the PrPSc formation. To this end, semisynthesis offers a unique possibility to understand PrP behavior invitro and invivo as it provides access to defined site-selectively modified PrP variants. This approach relies on the production and chemoselective linkage of peptide segments, amenable to chemical modifications, with recombinantly produced protein segments. In this article, advances in understanding PrP conversion using semisynthesis as a tool to obtain homogeneous posttranslationally modified PrP will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hackl
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian F W Becker
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
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Espinosa JC, Comoy EE, Marin-Moreno A, Aguilar-Calvo P, Birling MC, Pitarch JL, Deslys JP, Torres JM. Transgenic mouse models expressing human and macaque prion protein exhibit similar prion susceptibility on a strain-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15699. [PMID: 31666632 PMCID: PMC6821920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cynomolgus macaque has been used for the evaluation of the zoonotic potential of prion diseases, especially for classical-Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (classical-BSE) infectious agent. PrP amino acid sequence is considered to play a key role in the susceptibility to prion strains and only one amino acid change may alter this susceptibility. Macaque and human-PrP sequences have only nine amino acid differences, but the effect of these amino acid changes in the susceptibility to dissimilar prion strains is unknown. In this work, the transmissibility of a panel of different prions from several species was compared in transgenic mice expressing either macaque-PrPC (TgMac) or human-PrPC (Hu-Tg340). Similarities in the transmissibility of most prion strains were observed suggesting that macaque is an adequate model for the evaluation of human susceptibility to most of the prion strains tested. Interestingly, TgMac were more susceptible to classical-BSE strain infection than Hu-Tg340. This differential susceptibility to classical-BSE transmission should be taken into account for the interpretation of the results obtained in macaques. It could notably explain why the macaque model turned out to be so efficient (worst case model) until now to model human situation towards classical-BSE despite the limited number of animals inoculated in the laboratory experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Emmanuel E Comoy
- CEA, Institut François Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, 18 Route du Panorama, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alba Marin-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jean-Philippe Deslys
- CEA, Institut François Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, 18 Route du Panorama, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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Prions Strongly Reduce NMDA Receptor S-Nitrosylation Levels at Pre-symptomatic and Terminal Stages of Prion Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6035-6045. [PMID: 30710214 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1505-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the cellular prion protein (PrPC) conversion into a misfolded and infectious isoform termed prion or PrPSc. The neuropathological mechanism underlying prion toxicity is still unclear, and the debate on prion protein gain- or loss-of-function is still open. PrPC participates to a plethora of physiological mechanisms. For instance, PrPC and copper cooperatively modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity by mediating S-nitrosylation, an inhibitory post-translational modification, hence protecting neurons from excitotoxicity. Here, NMDAR S-nitrosylation levels were biochemically investigated at pre- and post-symptomatic stages of mice intracerebrally inoculated with RML, 139A, and ME7 prion strains. Neuropathological aspects of prion disease were studied by histological analysis and proteinase K digestion. We report that hippocampal NMDAR S-nitrosylation is greatly reduced in all three prion strain infections in both pre-symptomatic and terminal stages of mouse disease. Indeed, we show that NMDAR S-nitrosylation dysregulation affecting prion-inoculated animals precedes the appearance of clinical signs of disease and visible neuropathological changes, such as PrPSc accumulation and deposition. The pre-symptomatic reduction of NMDAR S-nitrosylation in prion-infected mice may be a possible cause of neuronal death in prion pathology, and it might contribute to the pathology progression opening new therapeutic strategies against prion disorders.
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Abstract
Prion diseases are rapidly progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded, aggregated proteins known as prions, which are uniquely infectious. Remarkably, these infectious proteins have been responsible for widespread disease epidemics, including kuru in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in cervids, the latter of which has spread across North America and recently appeared in Norway and Finland. The hallmark histopathological features include widespread spongiform encephalopathy, neuronal loss, gliosis, and deposits of variably sized aggregated prion protein, ranging from small, soluble oligomers to long, thin, unbranched fibrils, depending on the disease. Here, we explore recent advances in prion disease research, from the function of the cellular prion protein to the dysfunction triggering neurotoxicity, as well as mechanisms underlying prion spread between cells. We also highlight key findings that have revealed new therapeutic targets and consider unanswered questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Sigurdson
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Salvesen Ø, Tatzelt J, Tranulis MA. The prion protein in neuroimmune crosstalk. Neurochem Int 2018; 130:104335. [PMID: 30448564 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a medium-sized glycoprotein, attached to the cell surface by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. PrPC is encoded by a single-copy gene, PRNP, which is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system and at lower levels in non-neuronal cells, including those of the immune system. Evidence from experimental knockout of PRNP in rodents, goats, and cattle and the occurrence of a nonsense mutation in goat that prevents synthesis of PrPC, have shown that the molecule is non-essential for life. Indeed, no easily recognizable phenotypes are associate with a lack of PrPC, except the potentially advantageous trait that animals without PrPC cannot develop prion disease. This is because, in prion diseases, PrPC converts to a pathogenic "scrapie" conformer, PrPSc, which aggregates and eventually induces neurodegeneration. In addition, endogenous neuronal PrPC serves as a toxic receptor to mediate prion-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, PrPC is an interesting target for treatment of prion diseases. Although loss of PrPC has no discernable effect, alteration of its normal physiological function can have very harmful consequences. It is therefore important to understand cellular processes involving PrPC, and research of this topic has advanced considerably in the past decade. Here, we summarize data that indicate the role of PrPC in modulating immune signaling, with emphasis on neuroimmune crosstalk both under basal conditions and during inflammatory stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øyvind Salvesen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway.
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
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Abstract
The cellular prion protein, PrPC, is a small, cell surface glycoprotein with a function that is currently somewhat ill defined. It is also the key molecule involved in the family of neurodegenerative disorders called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which are also known as prion diseases. The misfolding of PrPC to a conformationally altered isoform, designated PrPTSE, is the main molecular process involved in pathogenesis and appears to precede many other pathologic and clinical manifestations of disease, including neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and cognitive loss. PrPTSE is also believed to be the major component of the infectious "prion," the agent responsible for disease transmission, and preparations of this protein can cause prion disease when inoculated into a naïve host. Thus, understanding the biochemical and biophysical properties of both PrPC and PrPTSE, and ultimately the mechanisms of their interconversion, is critical if we are to understand prion disease biology. Although entire books could be devoted to research pertaining to the protein, herein we briefly review the state of knowledge of prion biochemistry, including consideration of prion protein structure, function, misfolding, and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gill
- School of Chemistry, Joseph Banks Laboratories, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom; Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew R Castle
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Oral Prion Neuroinvasion Occurs Independently of PrP C Expression in the Gut Epithelium. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.01010-18. [PMID: 30021891 PMCID: PMC6146811 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01010-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of orally acquired prions within Peyer's patches in the small intestine is essential for the efficient spread of disease to the brain. Little is known of how the prions initially establish infection within Peyer's patches. Some gastrointestinal pathogens utilize molecules, such as the cellular prion protein PrPC, expressed on gut epithelial cells to enter Peyer's patches. Acute mucosal inflammation can enhance PrPC expression in the intestine, implying the potential to enhance oral prion disease susceptibility. We used transgenic mice to determine whether the uptake of prions into Peyer's patches was dependent upon PrPC expression in the gut epithelium. We show that orally acquired prions can establish infection in Peyer's patches independently of PrPC expression in gut epithelial cells. Our data suggest that the magnitude of PrPC expression in the epithelium lining the small intestine is unlikely to be an important factor which influences oral prion disease susceptibility. The early replication of certain prion strains within Peyer's patches in the small intestine is essential for the efficient spread of disease to the brain after oral exposure. Our data show that orally acquired prions utilize specialized gut epithelial cells known as M cells to enter Peyer's patches. M cells express the cellular isoform of the prion protein, PrPC, and this may be exploited by some pathogens as an uptake receptor to enter Peyer's patches. This suggested that PrPC might also mediate the uptake and transfer of prions across the gut epithelium into Peyer's patches in order to establish infection. Furthermore, the expression level of PrPC in the gut epithelium could influence the uptake of prions from the lumen of the small intestine. To test this hypothesis, transgenic mice were created in which deficiency in PrPC was specifically restricted to epithelial cells throughout the lining of the small intestine. Our data clearly show that efficient prion neuroinvasion after oral exposure occurred independently of PrPC expression in small intestinal epithelial cells. The specific absence of PrPC in the gut epithelium did not influence the early replication of prions in Peyer's patches or disease susceptibility. Acute mucosal inflammation can enhance PrPC expression in the intestine, implying the potential to enhance oral prion disease pathogenesis and susceptibility. However, our data suggest that the magnitude of PrPC expression in the epithelium lining the small intestine is unlikely to be an important factor which influences the risk of oral prion disease susceptibility. IMPORTANCE The accumulation of orally acquired prions within Peyer's patches in the small intestine is essential for the efficient spread of disease to the brain. Little is known of how the prions initially establish infection within Peyer's patches. Some gastrointestinal pathogens utilize molecules, such as the cellular prion protein PrPC, expressed on gut epithelial cells to enter Peyer's patches. Acute mucosal inflammation can enhance PrPC expression in the intestine, implying the potential to enhance oral prion disease susceptibility. We used transgenic mice to determine whether the uptake of prions into Peyer's patches was dependent upon PrPC expression in the gut epithelium. We show that orally acquired prions can establish infection in Peyer's patches independently of PrPC expression in gut epithelial cells. Our data suggest that the magnitude of PrPC expression in the epithelium lining the small intestine is unlikely to be an important factor which influences oral prion disease susceptibility.
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The Prion Protein Regulates Synaptic Transmission by Controlling the Expression of Proteins Key to Synaptic Vesicle Recycling and Exocytosis. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3420-3436. [PMID: 30128651 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC), whose misfolded conformers are implicated in prion diseases, localizes to both the presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density. To explore possible molecular contributions of PrPC to synaptic transmission, we utilized a mass spectrometry approach to quantify the release of glutamate from primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) expressing, or deprived of (PrP-KO), PrPC, following a depolarizing stimulus. Under the same conditions, we also tracked recycling of synaptic vesicles (SVs) in the two neuronal populations. We found that in PrP-KO CGN these processes decreased by 40 and 60%, respectively, compared to PrPC-expressing neurons. Unbiased quantitative mass spectrometry was then employed to compare the whole proteome of CGN with the two PrP genotypes. This approach allowed us to assess that, relative to the PrPC-expressing counterpart, the absence of PrPC modified the protein expression profile, including diminution of some components of SV recycling and fusion machinery. Subsequent quantitative RT-PCR closely reproduced proteomic data, indicating that PrPC is committed to ensuring optimal synaptic transmission by regulating genes involved in SV dynamics and neurotransmitter release. These novel molecular and cellular aspects of PrPC add insight into the underlying mechanisms for synaptic dysfunctions occurring in neurodegenerative disorders in which a compromised PrPC is likely to intervene.
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Hirsch TZ, Martin-Lannerée S, Reine F, Hernandez-Rapp J, Herzog L, Dron M, Privat N, Passet B, Halliez S, Villa-Diaz A, Lacroux C, Klein V, Haïk S, Andréoletti O, Torres JM, Vilotte JL, Béringue V, Mouillet-Richard S. Epigenetic Control of the Notch and Eph Signaling Pathways by the Prion Protein: Implications for Prion Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2159-2173. [PMID: 29998397 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1193-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Among the ever-growing number of self-replicating proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases, the prion protein PrP remains the most infamous for its central role in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). In these diseases, pathogenic prions propagate through a seeding mechanism, where normal PrPC molecules are converted into abnormally folded scrapie isoforms termed PrPSc. Since its discovery over 30 years ago, much advance has contributed to define the host-encoded cellular prion protein PrPC as a critical relay of prion-induced neuronal cell demise. A current consensual view is that the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc in neuronal cells diverts the former from its normal function with subsequent molecular alterations affecting synaptic plasticity. Here, we report that prion infection is associated with reduced expression of key effectors of the Notch pathway in vitro and in vivo, recapitulating changes fostered by the absence of PrPC. We further show that both prion infection and PrPC depletion promote drastic alterations in the expression of a defined set of Eph receptors and their ephrin ligands, which represent important players in synaptic function. Our data indicate that defects in the Notch and Eph axes can be mitigated in response to histone deacetylase inhibition in PrPC-depleted as well as prion-infected cells. We thus conclude that infectious prions cause a loss-of-function phenotype with respect to Notch and Eph signaling and that these alterations are sustained by epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Z Hirsch
- INSERM UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- INSERM U1162, 75010, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- INSERM UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Fabienne Reine
- INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR 892 Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Julia Hernandez-Rapp
- INSERM UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, G1V4G2, Québec, Canada
| | - Laetitia Herzog
- INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR 892 Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Michel Dron
- INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR 892 Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Nicolas Privat
- INSERM UMR 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013, Paris, France
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- INRA UMR1313, Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Halliez
- INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR 892 Virologie Immunologie Moléculaires, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- INSERM, UMR-S1172, Lille University, 59045, Lille, France
| | - Ana Villa-Diaz
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal-INIA, 28130, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Victor Klein
- INSERM UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Haïk
- INSERM UMR 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, 75013, Paris, France
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Juan-Maria Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal-INIA, 28130, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- INRA UMR1313, Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- INSERM UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France.
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, 75006, Paris, France.
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Leighton PLA, Kanyo R, Neil GJ, Pollock NM, Allison WT. Prion gene paralogs are dispensable for early zebrafish development and have nonadditive roles in seizure susceptibility. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:12576-12592. [PMID: 29903907 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Normally folded prion protein (PrPC) and its functions in healthy brains remain underappreciated compared with the intense study of its misfolded forms ("prions," PrPSc) during the pathobiology of prion diseases. This impedes the development of therapeutic strategies in Alzheimer's and prion diseases. Disrupting the zebrafish homologs of PrPC has provided novel insights; however, mutagenesis of the zebrafish paralog prp2 did not recapitulate previous dramatic developmental phenotypes, suggesting redundancy with the prp1 paralog. Here, we generated zebrafish prp1 loss-of-function mutant alleles and dual prp1-/-;prp2-/- mutants. Zebrafish prp1-/- and dual prp1-/-;prp2-/- mutants resemble mammalian Prnp knockouts insofar as they lack overt phenotypes, which surprisingly contrasts with reports of severe developmental phenotypes when either prp1 or prp2 is knocked down acutely. Previous studies suggest that PrPC participates in neural cell development/adhesion, including in zebrafish where loss of prp2 affects adhesion and deposition patterns of lateral line neuromasts. In contrast with the expectation that prp1's functions would be redundant to prp2, they appear to have opposing functions in lateral line neurodevelopment. Similarly, loss of prp1 blunted the seizure susceptibility phenotypes observed in prp2 mutants, contrasting the expected exacerbation of phenotypes if these prion gene paralogs were serving redundant roles. In summary, prion mutant fish lack the overt phenotypes previously predicted, and instead they have subtle phenotypes similar to mammals. No evidence was found for functional redundancy in the zebrafish prion gene paralogs, and the phenotypes observed when each gene is disrupted individually are consistent with ancient functions of prion proteins in neurodevelopment and modulation of neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L A Leighton
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Prion and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Richard Kanyo
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Prion and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Gavin J Neil
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Prion and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Niall M Pollock
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Prion and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - W Ted Allison
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Prion and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
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Heiss JK, Barrett J, Yu Z, Haas LT, Kostylev MA, Strittmatter SM. Early Activation of Experience-Independent Dendritic Spine Turnover in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:3660-3674. [PMID: 27365298 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss is critical in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the dynamics of synapse turnover are poorly defined. We imaged dendritic spines in transgenic APPswe/PSen1∆E9 (APP/PS1) cerebral cortex. Dendritic spine turnover is increased far from plaque in aged APP/PS1 mice, and in young APP/PS1 mice prior to plaque formation. Dysregulation occurs in the presence of soluble Aβ oligomer and requires cellular prion protein (PrPC). APP/PS1 mice lack responsiveness of spine turnover to sensory stimulation. Critically, enhanced spine turnover is coupled with the loss of persistent spines starting early and continuing with age. To evaluate mechanisms of experience-independent supranormal spine turnover, we analyzed the transcriptome of young APP/PS1 mouse brain when turnover is altered but synapse density and memory are normal, and plaque and inflammation are absent. Early PrPC-dependent expression changes occur in synaptic and lipid-metabolizing genes. Thus, pathologic synaptic dysregulation underlying AD begins at a young age prior to Aβ plaque.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline K Heiss
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT 06520, USA
| | - Joshua Barrett
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Zizi Yu
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Laura T Haas
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Mikhail A Kostylev
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Stephen M Strittmatter
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration & Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA.,Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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