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Karner D, Kvestak D, Kucan Brlic P, Cokaric Brdovcak M, Lisnic B, Brizic I, Juranic Lisnic V, Golemac M, Tomac J, Krmpotic A, Karkeni E, Libri V, Mella S, Legname G, Altmeppen HC, Hasan M, Jonjic S, Lenac Rovis T. Prion protein alters viral control and enhances pathology after perinatal cytomegalovirus infection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7754. [PMID: 39237588 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51931-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection poses risks to newborns, necessitating effective therapies. Given that the damage includes both viral infection of brain cells and immune system-related damage, here we investigate the involvement of cellular prion protein (PrP), which plays vital roles in neuroprotection and immune regulation. Using a murine model, we show the role of PrP in tempering neonatal T cell immunity during CMV infection. PrP-null mice exhibit enhanced viral control through elevated virus-specific CD8 T cell responses, leading to reduced viral titers and pathology. We further unravel the molecular mechanisms by showing CMV-induced upregulation followed by release of PrP via the metalloproteinase ADAM10, impairing CD8 T cell response specifically in neonates. Additionally, we confirm PrP downregulation in human CMV (HCMV)-infected fibroblasts, underscoring the broader relevance of our observations beyond the murine model. Furthermore, our study highlights how PrP, under the stress of viral pathogenesis, reveals its impact on neonatal immune modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dubravka Karner
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Daria Kvestak
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Paola Kucan Brlic
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | | | - Berislav Lisnic
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ilija Brizic
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Vanda Juranic Lisnic
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Mijo Golemac
- Department of Histology and Embryology; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jelena Tomac
- Department of Histology and Embryology; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Astrid Krmpotic
- Department of Histology and Embryology; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Esma Karkeni
- Cytometry and Biomarkers Unit of Technology and Service (CB TechS); Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Valentina Libri
- Cytometry and Biomarkers Unit of Technology and Service (CB TechS); Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Mella
- Cytometry and Biomarkers Unit of Technology and Service (CB TechS); Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Department of Neuroscience, Prion Biology Laboratory, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Milena Hasan
- Cytometry and Biomarkers Unit of Technology and Service (CB TechS); Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Stipan Jonjic
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Tihana Lenac Rovis
- Center for Proteomics; Faculty of Medicine; University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
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Napper S, Schatzl HM. Oral vaccination as a potential strategy to manage chronic wasting disease in wild cervid populations. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1156451. [PMID: 37122761 PMCID: PMC10140515 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1156451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a novel class of infectious disease based in the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological, self-propagating isoform (PrPSc). These fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disorders affect a variety of species causing scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Of the animal prion diseases, CWD is currently regarded as the most significant threat due its ongoing geographical spread, environmental persistence, uptake into plants, unpredictable evolution, and emerging evidence of zoonotic potential. The extensive efforts to manage CWD have been largely ineffective, highlighting the need for new disease management tools, including vaccines. Development of an effective CWD vaccine is challenged by the unique biology of these diseases, including the necessity, and associated dangers, of overcoming immune tolerance, as well the logistical challenges of vaccinating wild animals. Despite these obstacles, there has been encouraging progress towards the identification of safe, protective antigens as well as effective strategies of formulation and delivery that would enable oral delivery to wild cervids. In this review we highlight recent strategies for antigen selection and optimization, as well as considerations of various platforms for oral delivery, that will enable researchers to accelerate the rate at which candidate CWD vaccines are developed and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Napper
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Hermann M. Schatzl
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Huntingtin and Other Neurodegeneration-Associated Proteins in the Development of Intracellular Pathologies: Potential Target Search for Therapeutic Intervention. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415533. [PMID: 36555175 PMCID: PMC9779313 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are currently incurable. Numerous experimental data accumulated over the past fifty years have brought us closer to understanding the molecular and cell mechanisms responsible for their development. However, these data are not enough for a complete understanding of the genesis of these diseases, nor to suggest treatment methods. It turns out that many cellular pathologies developing during neurodegeneration coincide from disease to disease. These observations give hope to finding a common intracellular target(s) and to offering a universal method of treatment. In this review, we attempt to analyze data on similar cellular disorders among neurodegenerative diseases in general, and polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases in particular, focusing on the interaction of various proteins involved in the development of neurodegenerative diseases with various cellular organelles. The main purposes of this review are: (1) to outline the spectrum of common intracellular pathologies and to answer the question of whether it is possible to find potential universal target(s) for therapeutic intervention; (2) to identify specific intracellular pathologies and to speculate about a possible general approach for their treatment.
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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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Thom T, Schmitz M, Fischer AL, Correia A, Correia S, Llorens F, Pique AV, Möbius W, Domingues R, Zafar S, Stoops E, Silva CJ, Fischer A, Outeiro TF, Zerr I. Cellular Prion Protein Mediates α-Synuclein Uptake, Localization, and Toxicity In Vitro and In Vivo. Mov Disord 2021; 37:39-51. [PMID: 34448510 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cellular prion protein (PrPC ) is a membrane-bound, multifunctional protein mainly expressed in neuronal tissues. Recent studies indicate that the native trafficking of PrPC can be misused to internalize misfolded amyloid beta and α-synuclein (aSyn) oligomers. OBJECTIVES We define PrPC 's role in internalizing misfolded aSyn in α-synucleinopathies and identify further involved proteins. METHODS We performed comprehensive behavioral studies on four transgenic mouse models (ThySyn and ThySynPrP00, TgM83 and TgMPrP00) at different ages. We developed PrPC -(over)-expressing cell models (cell line and primary cortical neurons), used confocal laser microscopy to perform colocalization studies, applied mass spectrometry to identify interactomes, and determined disassociation constants using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. RESULTS Behavioral deficits (memory, anxiety, locomotion, etc.), reduced lifespans, and higher oligomeric aSyn levels were observed in PrPC -expressing mice (ThySyn and TgM83), but not in homologous Prnp ablated mice (ThySynPrP00 and TgMPrP00). PrPC colocalized with and facilitated aSyn (oligomeric and monomeric) internalization in our cell-based models. Glimepiride treatment of PrPC -overexpressing cells reduced aSyn internalization in a dose-dependent manner. SPR analysis showed that the binding affinity of PrPC to monomeric aSyn was lower than to oligomeric aSyn. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic studies identified clathrin in the immunoprecipitates of PrPC and aSyn. SPR was used to show that clathrin binds to recombinant PrP, but not aSyn. Experimental disruption of clathrin-coated vesicles significantly decreased aSyn internalization. CONCLUSION PrPC 's native trafficking can be misused to internalize misfolded aSyn through a clathrin-based mechanism, which may facilitate the spreading of pathological aSyn. Disruption of aSyn-PrPC binding is, therefore, an appealing therapeutic target in α-synucleinopathies. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Thom
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna-Lisa Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Angela Correia
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Susana Correia
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany.,Network Center for Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Anna-Villar Pique
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany.,Network Center for Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Wiebke Möbius
- Department for Neurogenetics, EM Core Unit Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Renato Domingues
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany.,Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Department, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Christopher J Silva
- Produce Safety & Microbiology Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Albany, California, USA
| | - Andre Fischer
- Department for Epigenetics and Systems Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany.,Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
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Intrinsic disorder and phase transitions: Pieces in the puzzling role of the prion protein in health and disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 183:1-43. [PMID: 34656326 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
After four decades of prion protein research, the pressing questions in the literature remain similar to the common existential dilemmas. Who am I? Some structural characteristics of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and scrapie PrP (PrPSc) remain unknown: there are no high-resolution atomic structures for either full-length endogenous human PrPC or isolated infectious PrPSc particles. Why am I here? It is not known why PrPC and PrPSc are found in specific cellular compartments such as the nucleus; while the physiological functions of PrPC are still being uncovered, the misfolding site remains obscure. Where am I going? The subcellular distribution of PrPC and PrPSc is wide (reported in 10 different locations in the cell). This complexity is further exacerbated by the eight different PrP fragments yielded from conserved proteolytic cleavages and by reversible post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Moreover, about 55 pathological mutations and 16 polymorphisms on the PrP gene (PRNP) have been described. Prion diseases also share unique, challenging features: strain phenomenon (associated with the heterogeneity of PrPSc conformations) and the possible transmissibility between species, factors which contribute to PrP undruggability. However, two recent concepts in biochemistry-intrinsically disordered proteins and phase transitions-may shed light on the molecular basis of PrP's role in physiology and disease.
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7
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Cha S, Sin MJ, Kim MJ, Kim HJ, Kim YS, Choi EK, Kim MY. Involvement of Cellular Prion Protein in Invasion and Metastasis of Lung Cancer by Inducing Treg Cell Development. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020285. [PMID: 33671884 PMCID: PMC7918983 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a cell surface glycoprotein expressed in many cell types that plays an important role in normal cellular processes. However, an increase in PrPC expression has been associated with a variety of human cancers, where it may be involved in resistance to the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. PrP-deficient (Prnp0/0) and PrP-overexpressing (Tga20) mice were studied to evaluate the role of PrPC in the invasion and metastasis of cancer. Tga20 mice, with increased PrPC, died more quickly from lung cancer than did the Prnp0/0 mice, and this effect was associated with increased transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), which are important for the development and function of regulatory T (Treg) cells. The number of FoxP3+CD25+ Treg cells was increased in Tga20 mice compared to Prnp0/0 mice, but there was no significant difference in either natural killer or cytotoxic T cell numbers. In addition, mice infected with the ME7 scrapie strain had decreased numbers of Treg cells and decreased expression of TGF-β and PD-L1. These results suggest that PrPC plays an important role in invasion and metastasis of cancer cells by inducing Treg cells through upregulation of TGF-β and PD-L1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghwa Cha
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea; (S.C.); (M.-J.S.)
| | - Mi-Ji Sin
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea; (S.C.); (M.-J.S.)
| | - Mo-Jong Kim
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang 14066, Korea; (M.-J.K.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.-S.K.)
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
| | - Hee-Jun Kim
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang 14066, Korea; (M.-J.K.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.-S.K.)
| | - Yong-Sun Kim
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang 14066, Korea; (M.-J.K.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.-S.K.)
| | - Eun-Kyoung Choi
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang 14066, Korea; (M.-J.K.); (H.-J.K.); (Y.-S.K.)
- Department of Biomedical Gerontology, Graduate School of Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea
- Correspondence: (E.-K.C.); (M.-Y.K.)
| | - Mi-Yeon Kim
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea; (S.C.); (M.-J.S.)
- Correspondence: (E.-K.C.); (M.-Y.K.)
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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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Gu H, Kirchhein Y, Zhu T, Zhao G, Peng H, Du E, Liu J, Mastrianni JA, Farlow MR, Dodel R, Du Y. IVIG Delays Onset in a Mouse Model of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2353-2361. [PMID: 30027340 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1228-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Our previous studies showed that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) contained anti-Aβ autoantibodies that might be able to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, we identified and characterized naturally occurring autoantibodies against PrP from IVIG. Although autoantibodies in IVIG blocked PrP fibril formation and PrP neurotoxicity in vitro, it remained unknown whether IVIG could reduce amyloid plaque pathology in vivo and be used to effectively treat animals with prion diseases. In this study, we used Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS)-Tg (PrP-A116V) transgenic mice to test IVIG efficacy since amyloid plaque formation played an important role in GSS pathogenesis. Here, we provided strong evidence that demonstrates how IVIG could significantly delay disease onset, elongate survival, and improve clinical phenotype in Tg (PrP-A116V) mice. Additionally, in treated animals, IVIG could markedly inhibit PrP amyloid plaque formation and attenuate neuronal apoptosis at the age of 120 days in mice. Our results indicate that IVIG may be a potential, effective therapeutic treatment for GSS and other prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Gu
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Yvonne Kirchhein
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Timothy Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Gang Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongjun Peng
- Department of Pediatrics, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, 210002, China
| | - Eileen Du
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Junyi Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | | | - Martin R Farlow
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Richard Dodel
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Yansheng Du
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. .,Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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Mabbott NA. How do PrP Sc Prions Spread between Host Species, and within Hosts? Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6040060. [PMID: 29186791 PMCID: PMC5750584 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are sub-acute neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and some domestic and free-ranging animals. Infectious prion agents are considered to comprise solely of abnormally folded isoforms of the cellular prion protein known as PrPSc. Pathology during prion disease is restricted to the central nervous system where it causes extensive neurodegeneration and ultimately leads to the death of the host. The first half of this review provides a thorough account of our understanding of the various ways in which PrPSc prions may spread between individuals within a population, both horizontally and vertically. Many natural prion diseases are acquired peripherally, such as by oral exposure, lesions to skin or mucous membranes, and possibly also via the nasal cavity. Following peripheral exposure, some prions accumulate to high levels within the secondary lymphoid organs as they make their journey from the site of infection to the brain, a process termed neuroinvasion. The replication of PrPSc prions within secondary lymphoid organs is important for their efficient spread to the brain. The second half of this review describes the key tissues, cells and molecules which are involved in the propagation of PrPSc prions from peripheral sites of exposure (such as the lumen of the intestine) to the brain. This section also considers how additional factors such as inflammation and aging might influence prion disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
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12
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Mabbott NA. Immunology of Prion Protein and Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:203-240. [PMID: 28838662 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many natural prion diseases are acquired peripherally, such as following the oral consumption of contaminated food or pasture. After peripheral exposure many prion isolates initially accumulate to high levels within the host's secondary lymphoid tissues. The replication of prions within these tissues is essential for their efficient spread to the brain where they ultimately cause neurodegeneration. This chapter describes our current understanding of the critical tissues, cells, and molecules which the prions exploit to mediate their efficient propagation from the site of exposure (such as the intestine) to the brain. Interactions between the immune system and prions are not only restricted to the secondary lymphoid tissues. Therefore, an account of how the activation status of the microglial in the brain can also influence progression of prion disease pathogenesis is provided. Prion disease susceptibility may also be influenced by additional factors such as chronic inflammation, coinfection with other pathogens, and aging. Finally, the potential for immunotherapy to provide a means of safe and effective prophylactic or therapeutic intervention in these currently untreatable diseases is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
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Luman contributes to brefeldin A-induced prion protein gene expression by interacting with the ERSE26 element. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42285. [PMID: 28205568 PMCID: PMC5304227 DOI: 10.1038/srep42285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP) is essential for transmissible prion diseases, but its exact physiological function remains unclear. Better understanding the regulation of the human prion protein gene (PRNP) expression can provide insight into this elusive function. Spliced XBP1 (sXBP1) was recently shown to mediate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced PRNP expression. In this manuscript, we identify Luman, a ubiquitous, non-canonical unfolded protein response (UPR), as a novel regulator of ER stress-induced PRNP expression. Luman activity was transcriptionally and proteolytically activated by the ER stressing drug brefeldin A (BFA) in human neurons, astrocytes, and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Over-expression of active cleaved Luman (ΔLuman) increased PrP levels, while siRNA-mediated Luman silencing decreased BFA-induced PRNP expression. Site-directed mutagenesis and chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that ΔLuman regulates PRNP expression by interacting with the ER stress response element 26 (ERSE26). Co-over-expression and siRNA-mediated silencing experiments showed that sXBP1 and ΔLuman both up-regulate ER stress-induced PRNP expression. Attempts to understand the function of PRNP up-regulation by Luman excluded a role in atorvastatin-induced neuritogenesis, ER-associated degradation, or proteasomal inhibition-induced cell death. Overall, these results refine our understanding of ER stress-induced PRNP expression and function.
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Prion Protein Family Contributes to Tumorigenesis via Multiple Pathways. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1018:207-224. [PMID: 29052140 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5765-6_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
A wealth of evidence suggests that proteins from prion protein (PrP) family contribute to tumorigenesis in many types of cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), breast cancer, glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, melanoma, etc. It is well documented that PrP is a biomarker for PDAC, breast cancer, and gastric cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The major reasons for cancer cell-caused patient death are metastasis and multiple drug resistance, both of which connect to physiological functions of PrP expressing in cancer cells. PrP enhances tumorigenesis by multiple pathways. For example, PrP existed as pro-PrP in most of the PDAC cell lines, thus increasing cancer cell motility by binding to cytoskeletal protein filamin A (FLNa). Using PDAC cell lines BxPC-3 and AsPC-1 as model system, we identified that dysfunction of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor synthesis machinery resulted in the biogenesis of pro-PrP. In addition, in cancer cells without FLNa expression, pro-PrP can modify cytoskeleton structure by affecting cofilin/F-actin axis, thus influencing cancer cell movement. Besides pro-PrP, we showed that GPI-anchored unglycosylated PrP can elevate cell mobility by interacting with VEGFR2, thus stimulating cell migration under serum-free condition. Besides affecting cancer cell motility, overexpressed PrP or doppel (Dpl) in cancer cells has been shown to increase cell proliferation, multiple drug resistance, and angiogenesis, thus, proteins from PrP gene family by affecting important processes via multiple pathways for cancer cell growth exacerbating tumorigenesis.
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Abstract
Prion diseases denote a distinct form of infectivity that is based in the misfolding of a self-protein (PrP(C)) into a pathological, infectious conformation (PrP(Sc)). Efforts to develop vaccines for prion diseases have been complicated by the potential dangers that are associated with induction of immune responses against a self-protein. As a consequence, there is considerable appeal for vaccines that specifically target the misfolded prion conformation. Such conformation-specific immunotherapy is made possible through the identification of vaccine targets (epitopes) that are exclusively presented as a consequence of misfolding. An immune response directed against these targets, termed disease-specific epitopes (DSEs), has the potential to spare the function of the native form of the protein while clearing, or neutralizing, the infectious isomer. Although identification of DSEs represents a critical first step in the induction of conformation-specific immune responses, substantial efforts are required to translate these targets into functional vaccines. Due to the poor immunogenicity that is inherent to self-proteins, and that is often associated with short peptides, substantial efforts are required to overcome tolerance-to-self and maximize the resultant immune response following DSE-based immunization. This often includes optimization of target sequences in terms of immunogenicity and development of effective formulation and delivery strategies for the associated peptides. Further, these vaccines must satisfy additional criteria from perspectives of specificity (PrP(C) vs. PrP(Sc)) and safety (antibody-induced template-driven misfolding of PrP(C)). The emphasis of this report is on the steps required to translate DSEs into prion vaccines and subsequent evaluation of the resulting immune responses.
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Mehrabian M, Hildebrandt H, Schmitt-Ulms G. NCAM1 Polysialylation: The Prion Protein's Elusive Reason for Being? ASN Neuro 2016; 8:8/6/1759091416679074. [PMID: 27879349 PMCID: PMC5122176 DOI: 10.1177/1759091416679074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Much confusion surrounds the physiological function of the cellular prion protein (PrPC). It is, however, anticipated that knowledge of its function will shed light on its contribution to neurodegenerative diseases and suggest ways to interfere with the cellular toxicity central to them. Consequently, efforts to elucidate its function have been all but exhaustive. Building on earlier work that uncovered the evolutionary descent of the prion founder gene from an ancestral ZIP zinc transporter, we recently investigated a possible role of PrPC in a morphogenetic program referred to as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). By capitalizing on PrPC knockout cell clones in a mammalian cell model of EMT and using a comparative proteomics discovery strategy, neural cell adhesion molecule-1 emerged as a protein whose upregulation during EMT was perturbed in PrPC knockout cells. Follow-up work led us to observe that PrPC regulates the polysialylation of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM1 in cells undergoing morphogenetic reprogramming. In addition to governing cellular migration, polysialylation modulates several other cellular plasticity programs PrPC has been phenotypically linked to. These include neurogenesis in the subventricular zone, controlled mossy fiber sprouting and trimming in the hippocampal formation, hematopoietic stem cell renewal, myelin repair and maintenance, integrity of the circadian rhythm, and glutamatergic signaling. This review revisits this body of literature and attempts to present it in light of this novel contextual framework. When approached in this manner, a coherent model of PrPC acting as a regulator of polysialylation during specific cell and tissue morphogenesis events comes into focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohadeseh Mehrabian
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Herbert Hildebrandt
- Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gerold Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada .,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Mukai Y, Takahashi D, Inoue K, Sugita H, Kikegawa T, Etchuya K. Secondary Structure of GPI Attachment Signal Region Monitored by Circular Dichroism. CHEM LETT 2016. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.160551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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18
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Annus Á, Csáti A, Vécsei L. Prion diseases: New considerations. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2016; 150:125-132. [PMID: 27656779 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the pathological accumulation of abnormal prion protein. The diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is complex. The electroencephalogram, magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture and genetic testing findings can help in the differential diagnosis of rapidly progressive dementia. There has recently been considerable debate as to whether proteins involved in the development of neurodegenerative diseases should be regarded as prions or only share prion-like mechanisms. Two recent reports described the detection of abnormal prion protein in the nasal mucosa and urine of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. These findings raise major health concerns regarding the transmissibility of human prion diseases. We set out to address this neurological hot topic and to draw conclusions on the basis of what is known in the literature thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Annus
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Anett Csáti
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - László Vécsei
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary; MTA-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Szeged, Hungary.
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Taschuk R, Van der Merwe J, Marciniuk K, Potter A, Cashman N, Griebel P, Napper S. In vitro neutralization of prions with PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies. Prion 2016; 9:292-303. [PMID: 26284508 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2015.1071761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases reflect the misfolding of a self-protein (PrP(C)) into an infectious, pathological isomer (PrP(Sc)). By targeting epitopes uniquely exposed by misfolding, our group developed PrP(Sc)-specific vaccines to 3 disease specific epitopes (DSEs). Here, antibodies induced by individual DSE vaccines are evaluated for their capacity to neutralize prions in vitro. For both purified antibodies and immunoreactive sera, the PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies were equally effective in neutralizing prions. Further, there was no significant increase in neutralizing activity when multiple DSEs were targeted within an assay. At a low antibody concentration, the PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies matched the neutralization achieved by an antibody that may act via both PrP(C) and PrP(Sc). At higher doses, however, this pan-specific antibody was more effective, potentially due to a combined deactivation of PrP(Sc) and depletion of PrP(C).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Taschuk
- a School of Public Health ; University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon , Saskatchewan , Canada
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20
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Kim S, Han S, Lee YE, Jung WJ, Lee HS, Kim YS, Choi EK, Kim MY. Prion protein-deficient mice exhibit decreased CD4 T and LTi cell numbers and impaired spleen structure. Immunobiology 2016; 221:94-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2015.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Cingaram PKR, Nyeste A, Dondapati DT, Fodor E, Welker E. Prion Protein Does Not Confer Resistance to Hippocampus-Derived Zpl Cells against the Toxic Effects of Cu2+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Co2+ Not Supporting a General Protective Role for PrP in Transition Metal Induced Toxicity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139219. [PMID: 26426582 PMCID: PMC4591282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions of transition metals with the prion protein (PrP) are well-documented and characterized, however, there is no consensus on their role in either the physiology of PrP or PrP-related neurodegenerative disorders. PrP has been reported to protect cells from the toxic stimuli of metals. By employing a cell viability assay, we examined the effects of various concentrations of Cu2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ on Zpl (Prnp-/-) and ZW (Prnp+/+) hippocampus-derived mouse neuronal cells. Prnp-/- Zpl cells were more sensitive to all four metals than PrP-expressing Zw cells. However, when we introduced PrP or only the empty vector into Zpl cells, we could not discern any protective effect associated with the presence of PrP. This observation was further corroborated when assessing the toxic effect of metals by propidium-iodide staining and fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis. Thus, our results on this mouse cell culture model do not seem to support a strong protective role for PrP against transition metal toxicity and also emphasize the necessity of extreme care when comparing cells derived from PrP knock-out and wild type mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antal Nyeste
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Divya Teja Dondapati
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Elfrieda Fodor
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ervin Welker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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22
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Bakkebø MK, Mouillet-Richard S, Espenes A, Goldmann W, Tatzelt J, Tranulis MA. The Cellular Prion Protein: A Player in Immunological Quiescence. Front Immunol 2015; 6:450. [PMID: 26388873 PMCID: PMC4557099 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive studies since the 1990s, the physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) remains elusive. Here, we present a novel concept suggesting that PrP(C) contributes to immunological quiescence in addition to cell protection. PrP(C) is highly expressed in diverse organs that by multiple means are particularly protected from inflammation, such as the brain, eye, placenta, pregnant uterus, and testes, while at the same time it is expressed in most cells of the lymphoreticular system. In this paradigm, PrP(C) serves two principal roles: to modulate the inflammatory potential of immune cells and to protect vulnerable parenchymal cells against noxious insults generated through inflammation. Here, we review studies of PrP(C) physiology in view of this concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren K. Bakkebø
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Arild Espenes
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wilfred Goldmann
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Michael A. Tranulis
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway,*Correspondence: Michael A. Tranulis, Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Campus Adamstuen, Oslo 0033, Norway,
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23
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Reiten MR, Bakkebø MK, Brun-Hansen H, Lewandowska-Sabat AM, Olsaker I, Tranulis MA, Espenes A, Boysen P. Hematological shift in goat kids naturally devoid of prion protein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2015. [PMID: 26217662 PMCID: PMC4495340 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) is incompletely understood. The expression of PrPC in hematopoietic stem cells and immune cells suggests a role in the development of these cells, and in PrPC knockout animals altered immune cell proliferation and phagocytic function have been observed. Recently, a spontaneous nonsense mutation at codon 32 in the PRNP gene in goats of the Norwegian Dairy breed was discovered, rendering homozygous animals devoid of PrPC. Here we report hematological and immunological analyses of homozygous goat kids lacking PrPC (PRNPTer/Ter) compared to heterozygous (PRNP+/Ter) and normal (PRNP+/+) kids. Levels of cell surface PrPC and PRNP mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) correlated well and were very low in PRNPTer/Ter, intermediate in PRNP+/Ter and high in PRNP+/+ kids. The PRNPTer/Ter animals had a shift in blood cell composition with an elevated number of red blood cells (RBCs) and a tendency toward a smaller mean RBC volume (P = 0.08) and an increased number of neutrophils (P = 0.068), all values within the reference ranges. Morphological investigations of blood smears and bone marrow imprints did not reveal irregularities. Studies of relative composition of PBMCs, phagocytic ability of monocytes and T-cell proliferation revealed no significant differences between the genotypes. Our data suggest that PrPC has a role in bone marrow physiology and warrant further studies of PrPC in erythroid and immune cell progenitors as well as differentiated effector cells also under stressful conditions. Altogether, this genetically unmanipulated PrPC-free animal model represents a unique opportunity to unveil the enigmatic physiology and function of PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin R Reiten
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Maren K Bakkebø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Hege Brun-Hansen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna M Lewandowska-Sabat
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Olsaker
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Arild Espenes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Preben Boysen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
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24
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Onodera T, Sakudo A, Tsubone H, Itohara S. Review of studies that have used knockout mice to assess normal function of prion protein under immunological or pathophysiological stress. Microbiol Immunol 2015; 58:361-74. [PMID: 24866463 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Deletion of cellular isoform of prion protein (PrP(C)) increases neuronal predisposition to damage by modulating apoptosis and the negative consequences of oxidative stress. In vivo studies have demonstrated that PrP(C)-deficient mice are more prone to seizure, depression, and induction of epilepsy and experience extensive cerebral damage following ischemic challenge or viral infection. In addition, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of PrP(C) reduces brain damage in rat models of cerebral ischemia. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, PrP(C)-deficient mice reportedly have a more aggressive disease onset and less clinical improvement during the chronic phase than wild-type mice mice. In mice given oral dextran sulfate, PrP(C) has a potential protective role against inflammatory bowel disease. PrP(C)-deficient mice demonstrate significantly greater increases in blood glucose concentrations after intraperitoneal injection of glucose than wild-type mice. Further in vivo challenges to PrP gene-deficient models and conditional knockout models with siRNA and in vivo administration of PrP-ligating agents may assist in refining knowledge of the lymphoid function of PrP(C) and predicting the effects of anti-PrP treatment on the immune system. Together, these findings indicate that PrP(C) may have multiple neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory roles, which explains why this protein is so widely expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Onodera
- Research Center for Food Safety, School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657
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25
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Pathogenic prion protein fragment (PrP106-126) promotes human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection in peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages. Virology 2015; 476:372-376. [PMID: 25589240 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.11.032] [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: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Transfusion of blood and blood products contaminated with the pathogenic form of prion protein Prp(sc), thought to be the causative agent of variant a Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), may result in serious consequences in recipients with a compromised immune system, for example, as seen in HIV-1 infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that treatment of peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) with PrP106-126, a synthetic domain of PrP(sc) that has intrinsic functional activities related to the full-length protein, markedly increased their susceptibility to HIV-1 infection, induced cytokine secretion, and enhanced their migratory behavior in response to N-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine (fMLP). Live-cell imaging of MDM cultured in the presence of PrP106-126 showed large cell clusters indicative of cellular activation. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI-571, protein kinase C inhibitor K252B, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor olomoucine attenuated PrP106-126-induced altered MDM functions. These findings delineate a previously undefined functional role of PrP106-126-mediated host cell response in promoting HIV-1 pathogenesis.
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26
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Black SAG, Stys PK, Zamponi GW, Tsutsui S. Cellular prion protein and NMDA receptor modulation: protecting against excitotoxicity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:45. [PMID: 25364752 PMCID: PMC4207032 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is well established that misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the β-sheet-rich, aggregated scrapie conformation (PrPSc) causes a variety of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), the physiological roles of PrPC are still incompletely understood. There is accumulating evidence describing the roles of PrPC in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Recently, we identified a functional regulation of NMDA receptors by PrPC that involves formation of a physical protein complex between these proteins. Excessive NMDA receptor activity during conditions such as ischemia mediates enhanced Ca2+ entry into cells and contributes to excitotoxic neuronal death. In addition, NMDA receptors and/or PrPC play critical roles in neuroinflammation and glial cell toxicity. Inhibition of NMDA receptor activity protects against PrPSc-induced neuronal death. Moreover, in mice lacking PrPC, infarct size is increased after focal cerebral ischemia, and absence of PrPC increases susceptibility of neurons to NMDA receptor-dependent death. Recently, PrPC was found to be a receptor for oligomeric beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, suggesting a role for PrPC in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our recent findings suggest that Aβ peptides enhance NMDA receptor current by perturbing the normal copper- and PrPC-dependent regulation of these receptors. Here, we review evidence highlighting a role for PrPC in preventing NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity and inflammation. There is a need for more detailed molecular characterization of PrPC-mediated regulation of NMDA receptors, such as determining which NMDA receptor subunits mediate pathogenic effects upon loss of PrPC-mediated regulation and identifying PrPC binding site(s) on the receptor. This knowledge will allow development of novel therapeutic interventions for not only TSEs, but also for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders involving dysfunction of PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie A G Black
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada ; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gerald W Zamponi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada ; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shigeki Tsutsui
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada ; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
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27
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Yang X, Zhang Y, Zhang L, He T, Zhang J, Li C. Prion protein and cancers. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2014; 46:431-40. [PMID: 24681883 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmu019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The normal cellular prion protein, PrP(C) is a highly conserved and widely expressed cell surface glycoprotein in all mammals. The expression of PrP is pivotal in the pathogenesis of prion diseases; however, the normal physiological functions of PrP(C) remain incompletely understood. Based on the studies in cell models, a plethora of functions have been attributed to PrP(C). In this paper, we reviewed the potential roles that PrP(C) plays in cell physiology and focused on its contribution to tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Yang
- Department of the First Abdominal Surgery, Jiangxi Tumor Hospital, Nanchang 330029, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lihua Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tianlin He
- Department of General Surgery, Changhai Hospital of Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Chaoyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
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Discrimination of Mammalian GPI-Anchored Proteins by Hydropathy and Amino Acid Propensities. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2014; 77:526-33. [DOI: 10.1271/bbb.120781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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29
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Development of a Multivalent, PrPSc-Specific Prion Vaccine through Rational Optimization of Three Disease-Specific Epitopes. Vaccine 2014; 32:1988-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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30
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Ordóñez-Gutiérrez L, Torres JM, Gavín R, Antón M, Arroba-Espinosa AI, Espinosa JC, Vergara C, del Río JA, Wandosell F. Cellular prion protein modulates β-amyloid deposition in aged APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:2793-804. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Määttänen P, Taschuk R, Ross L, Marciniuk K, Bertram L, Potter A, Cashman NR, Napper S. PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies do not induce prion disease or misfolding of PrP(C) in highly susceptible Tga20 mice. Prion 2013; 7:434-9. [PMID: 24105298 DOI: 10.4161/pri.26639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolding of a cellular protein PrP(C) into an infectious conformation PrP(Sc). Previously our group demonstrated induction of PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies with a SN6b vaccine that targets regions of the protein that are exposed upon misfolding. There are concerns that these antibodies could function as templates to promote misfolding and cause disease. To evaluate the consequences of prolonged exposure to PrP(Sc)-specific antibodies in a prion sensitized animal, tga20 mice were vaccinated with the SN6b vaccine. No clinical signs of disease were detected up to 255 d post-vaccination, and postmortem assay of brains and spleens revealed no proteinase-K resistant PrP. These results suggest that vaccinating against TSEs with the SN6b antigen is safe from the standpoint of prion disease induction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan Taschuk
- VIDO-InterVac; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA; School of Public Health; University of Saskatchewan; SK CA
| | - Li Ross
- Brain Research Center; University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC CA
| | - Kristen Marciniuk
- VIDO-InterVac; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA; Department of Biochemistry; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA
| | - Lisa Bertram
- Brain Research Center; University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC CA
| | - Andrew Potter
- VIDO-InterVac; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA
| | - Neil R Cashman
- Brain Research Center; University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC CA
| | - Scott Napper
- VIDO-InterVac; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA; School of Public Health; University of Saskatchewan; SK CA; Department of Biochemistry; University of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, SK CA
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Rubenstein R, Chang B. Re-assessment of PrP(Sc) distribution in sporadic and variant CJD. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66352. [PMID: 23843953 PMCID: PMC3700981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders associated with an accumulation of PrPSc in the central nervous system (CNS). Of the human prion diseases, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), which has no known origin, is the most common form while variant CJD (vCJD) is an acquired human prion disease reported to differ from other human prion diseases in its neurological, neuropathological, and biochemical phenotype. Peripheral tissue involvement in prion disease, as judged by PrPSc accumulation in the tonsil, spleen, and lymph node has been reported in vCJD as well as several animal models of prion diseases. However, this distribution of PrPSc has not been consistently reported for sCJD. We reexamined CNS and non-CNS tissue distribution and levels of PrPSc in both sCJD and vCJD. Using a sensitive immunoassay, termed SOFIA, we also assessed PrPSc levels in human body fluids from sCJD as well as in vCJD-infected humanized transgenic mice (Tg666). Unexpectedly, the levels of PrPSc in non-CNS human tissues (spleens, lymph nodes, tonsils) from both sCJD and vCJD did not differ significantly and, as expected, were several logs lower than in the brain. Using protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) followed by SOFIA, PrPSc was detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but not in urine or blood, in sCJD patients. In addition, using PMCA and SOFIA, we demonstrated that blood from vCJD-infected Tg666 mice showing clinical disease contained prion disease-associated seeding activity although the data was not statistically significant likely due to the limited number of samples examined. These studies provide a comparison of PrPSc in sCJD vs. vCJD as well as analysis of body fluids. Further, these studies also provide circumstantial evidence that in human prion diseases, as in the animal prion diseases, a direct comparison and intraspecies correlation cannot be made between the levels of PrPSc and infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Rubenstein
- Department of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
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Ortega-Cubero S, Luquín M, Domínguez I, Arbizu J, Pagola I, Carmona-Abellán M, Riverol M. Structural and functional neuroimaging in human prion diseases. NEUROLOGÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2011.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Zhou J, Liu B. Alzheimer's disease and prion protein. Intractable Rare Dis Res 2013; 2:35-44. [PMID: 25343100 PMCID: PMC4204584 DOI: 10.5582/irdr.2013.v2.2.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with progressive loss of memory and cognitive function, pathologically hallmarked by aggregates of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide and hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain. Aggregation of Aβ under the form of amyloid fibrils has long been considered central to the pathogenesis of AD. However, recent evidence has indicated that soluble Aβ oligomers, rather than insoluble fibrils, are the main neurotoxic species in AD. The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) has newly been identified as a cell surface receptor for Aβ oligomers. PrP(C) is a cell surface glycoprotein that plays a key role in the propagation of prions, proteinaceous infectious agents that replicate by imposing their abnormal conformation to PrP(C) molecules. In AD, PrP(C) acts to transduce the neurotoxic signals arising from Aβ oligomers, leading to synaptic failure and cognitive impairment. Interestingly, accumulating evidence has also shown that aggregated Aβ or tau possesses prion-like activity, a property that would allow them to spread throughout the brain. In this article, we review recent findings regarding the function of PrP(C) and its role in AD, and discuss potential therapeutic implications of PrP(C)-based approaches in the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Jiayi Zhou, Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. E-mail:
| | - Bingqian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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McCulloch L, Brown KL, Mabbott NA. Ablation of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, specifically on follicular dendritic cells has no effect on their maturation or function. Immunol Suppl 2013; 138:246-57. [PMID: 23121447 PMCID: PMC3573278 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are situated in the primary follicles of lymphoid tissues where they maintain the structural integrity of the B-lymphocyte follicle, and help to drive immunoglobulin class-switch recombination, somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation during the germinal centre response. FDC can also provide a reservoir for pathogens that infect germinal centres including HIV and prions. FDC express high levels of the normal cellular form of the prion protein (PrP(C) ), which makes them susceptible to prion infection. The function of PrP(C) is uncertain and it is not known why FDC require such high levels of expression of a protein that is found mainly on cells of the central nervous system. In this study, the function of FDC was assessed in mice that had PrP(C) ablated specifically in their FDC. In mice with FDC-specific PrP(C) ablation, our analysis revealed no observable deficits in lymphoid follicle microarchitecture and FDC status. No effects on FDC ability to trap immune complexes or drive antigen-specific antibody responses and affinity maturation in B lymphocytes were observed. These data clearly demonstrate that PrP(C) expression is dispensable for the functional maturation of FDC and their ability to maintain antigen-specific antibody responses and affinity maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura McCulloch
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is subjected to various processing under physiological and pathological conditions, of which the α-cleavage within the central hydrophobic domain not only disrupts a region critical for both PrP toxicity and PrPC to PrPSc conversion but also produces the N1 fragment that is neuroprotective and the C1 fragment that enhances the pro-apoptotic effect of staurosporine in one report and inhibits prion in another. The proteases responsible for the α-cleavage of PrPC are controversial. The effect of ADAM10, ADAM17, and ADAM9 on N1 secretion clearly indicates their involvement in the α-cleavage of PrPC, but there has been no report of direct PrPC α-cleavage activity with any of the three ADAMs in a purified protein form. We demonstrated that, in muscle cells, ADAM8 is the primary protease for the α-cleavage of PrPC, but another unidentified protease(s) must also play a minor role. We also found that PrPC regulates ADAM8 expression, suggesting that a close examination on the relationships between PrPC and its processing enzymes may reveal novel roles and underlying mechanisms for PrPC in non-prion diseases such as asthma and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Mariante RM, Nóbrega A, Martins RAP, Areal RB, Bellio M, Linden R. Neuroimmunoendocrine regulation of the prion protein in neutrophils. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:35506-35515. [PMID: 22910907 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.394924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP(C)) is a cell surface protein expressed mainly in the nervous system. In addition to the role of its abnormal conformer in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, normal PrP(C) may be implicated in other degenerative conditions often associated with inflammation. PrP(C) is also present in cells of hematopoietic origin, including T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages, and it has been shown to modulate their functions. Here, we investigated the impact of inflammation and stress on the expression and function of PrP(C) in neutrophils, a cell type critically involved in both acute and chronic inflammation. We found that systemic injection of LPS induced transcription and translation of PrP(C) in mouse neutrophils. Up-regulation of PrP(C) was dependent on the serum content of TGF-β and glucocorticoids (GC), which, in turn, are contingent on the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to systemic inflammation. GC and TGF-β, either alone or in combination, directly up-regulated PrP(C) in neutrophils, and accordingly, the blockade of GC receptors in vivo curtailed the LPS-induced increase in the content of PrP(C). Moreover, GC also mediated up-regulation of PrP(C) in neutrophils following noninflammatory restraint stress. Finally, neutrophils with up-regulated PrP(C) presented enhanced peroxide-dependent cytotoxicity to endothelial cells. The data demonstrate a novel interplay of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems upon both the expression and function of PrP(C) in neutrophils, which may have a broad impact upon the physiology and pathology of various organs and systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael M Mariante
- Institutes of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Alberto Nóbrega
- Institutes of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A P Martins
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rômulo B Areal
- Institutes of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Bellio
- Institutes of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Linden
- Institutes of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Oh JM, Choi EK, Carp RI, Kim YS. Oxidative stress impairs autophagic flux in prion protein-deficient hippocampal cells. Autophagy 2012; 8:1448-61. [PMID: 22889724 DOI: 10.4161/auto.21164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that autophagy is upregulated in Prnp-deficient (Prnp ( 0/0) ) hippocampal neuronal cells in comparison to cellular prion protein (PrP (C) )-expressing (Prnp (+/+) ) control cells under conditions of serum deprivation. In this study, we determined whether a protective mechanism of PrP (C) is associated with autophagy using Prnp ( 0/0) hippocampal neuronal cells under hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2)-induced oxidative stress. We found that Prnp ( 0/0) cells were more susceptible to oxidative stress than Prnp (+/+) cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, we observed enhanced autophagy by immunoblotting, which detected the conversion of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 β (LC3B)-I to LC3B-II, and we observed increased punctate LC3B immunostaining in H 2O 2-treated Prnp ( 0/0) cells compared with H 2O 2-treated control cells. Interestingly, this enhanced autophagy was due to impaired autophagic flux in the H 2O 2-treated Prnp ( 0/0) cells, while the H 2O 2-treated Prnp (+/+) cells showed enhanced autophagic flux. Furthermore, caspase-dependent and independent apoptosis was observed when both cell lines were exposed to H 2O 2. Moreover, the inhibition of autophagosome formation by Atg7 siRNA revealed that increased autophagic flux in Prnp (+/+) cells contributes to the prosurvival effect of autophagy against H 2O 2 cytotoxicity. Taken together, our results provide the first experimental evidence that the deficiency of PrP (C) may impair autophagic flux via H 2O 2-induced oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Min Oh
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea
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Glier H, Holada K. Blood storage affects the detection of cellular prion protein on peripheral blood leukocytes and circulating dendritic cells in part by promoting platelet satellitism. J Immunol Methods 2012; 380:65-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Revised: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) can be considered a pivotal molecule because it interacts with several partners to perform a diverse range of critical biological functions that might differ in embryonic and adult cells. In recent years, there have been major advances in elucidating the putative role of PrP in the basic biology of stem cells in many different systems. Here, we review the evidence indicating that PrP is a key molecule involved in driving different aspects of the potency of embryonic and tissue-specific stem cells in self-perpetuation and differentiation in many cell types. It has been shown that PrP is involved in stem cell self-renewal, controlling pluripotency gene expression, proliferation, and neural and cardiomyocyte differentiation. PrP also has essential roles in distinct processes that regulate tissue-specific stem cell biology in nervous and hematopoietic systems and during muscle regeneration. Results from our own investigations have shown that PrP is able to modulate self-renewal and proliferation in neural stem cells, processes that are enhanced by PrP interactions with stress inducible protein 1 (STI1). Thus, the available data reveal the influence of PrP in acting upon the maintenance of pluripotent status or the differentiation of stem cells from the early embryogenesis through adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilene H Lopes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Gourdain P, Ballerini C, Nicot AB, Carnaud C. Exacerbation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in prion protein (PrPc)-null mice: evidence for a critical role of the central nervous system. J Neuroinflammation 2012; 9:25. [PMID: 22281016 PMCID: PMC3305405 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-9-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cellular prion protein (PrPc) is a host-encoded glycoprotein whose transconformation into PrP scrapie (PrPSc) initiates prion diseases. The role of PrPc in health is still obscure, but many candidate functions have been attributed to the protein, both in the immune and the nervous systems. Recent data show that experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is worsened in mice lacking PrPc. Disease exacerbation has been attributed to T cells that would differentiate into more aggressive effectors when deprived of PrPc. However, alternative interpretations such as reduced resistance of neurons to autoimmune insult and exacerbated gliosis leading to neuronal deficits were not considered. METHOD To better discriminate the contribution of immune cells versus neural cells, reciprocal bone marrow chimeras with differential expression of PrPc in the lymphoid or in the central nervous system (CNS) were generated. Mice were subsequently challenged with MOG35-55 peptide and clinical disease as well as histopathology were compared in both groups. Furthermore, to test directly the T cell hypothesis, we compared the encephalitogenicity of adoptively transferred PrPc-deficient versus PrPc-sufficient, anti-MOG T cells. RESULTS First, EAE exacerbation in PrPc-deficient mice was confirmed. Irradiation exacerbated EAE in all the chimeras and controls, but disease was more severe in mice with a PrPc-deleted CNS and a normal immune system than in the reciprocal construction. Moreover, there was no indication that anti-MOG responses were different in PrPc-sufficient and PrPc-deficient mice. Paradoxically, PrPc-deficient anti-MOG 2D2 T cells were less pathogenic than PrPc-expressing 2D2 T cells. CONCLUSIONS In view of the present data, it can be concluded that the origin of EAE exacerbation in PrPc-ablated mice resides in the absence of the prion protein in the CNS. Furthermore, the absence of PrPc on both neural and immune cells does not synergize for disease worsening. These conclusions highlight the critical role of PrPc in maintaining the integrity of the CNS in situations of stress, especially during a neuroinflammatory insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Gourdain
- INSERM, UMR S 938, Centre de Recherche Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
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Gomes MPB, Vieira TCRG, Cordeiro Y, Silva JL. The role of RNA in mammalian prion protein conversion. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2011; 3:415-28. [PMID: 22095764 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases remain a challenge to modern science in the 21st century because of their capacity for transmission without an encoding nucleic acid. PrP(Sc), the infectious and alternatively folded form of the PrP prion protein, is capable of self-replication, using PrP(C), the properly folded form of PrP, as a template. This process is associated with neuronal death and the clinical manifestation of prion-based diseases. Unfortunately, little is known about the mechanisms that drive this process. Over the last decade, the theory that a nucleic acid, such as an RNA molecule, might be involved in the process of prion structural conversion has become more widely accepted; such a nucleic acid would act as a catalyst rather than encoding genetic information. Significant amounts of data regarding the interactions of PrP with nucleic acids have created a new foundation for understanding prion conversion and the transmission of prion diseases. Our knowledge has been enhanced by the characterization of a large group of RNA molecules known as non-coding RNAs, which execute a series of important cellular functions, from transcriptional regulation to the modulation of neuroplasticity. The RNA-binding properties of PrP along with the competition with other polyanions, such as glycosaminoglycans and nucleic acid aptamers, open new avenues for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P B Gomes
- Centro Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Jiri Jonas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Williams SK, Fairless R, Weise J, Kalinke U, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Diem R. Neuroprotective effects of the cellular prion protein in autoimmune optic neuritis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 178:2823-31. [PMID: 21641403 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2010] [Revised: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 02/23/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Although the pathologic role of the prion protein in transmissible spongiform encephalopathic diseases has been widely investigated, the physiologic role of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is not known. Among the many functions attributed to PrP(C), there is increasing evidence that it is involved in cell survival and mediates neuroprotection. A potential role in the immune response has also been suggested. However, how these two functions interplay in autoimmune disease is unclear. To address this, autoimmune optic neuritis, a model of multiple sclerosis, was induced in C57Bl/6 mice, and up-regulation of PrP(C) was observed throughout the disease course. In addition, compared with wild-type mice, in PrP(C)-deficient mice and mice overexpressing PrP(C), histopathologic analysis demonstrated that optic neuritis was exacerbated, as indicated by axonal degeneration, inflammatory infiltration, and demyelination. However, significant neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells, the axons of which form the optic nerve, was observed in mice that overexpressed PrP(C). Conversely, mice lacking PrP(C) demonstrated significantly more neurodegeneration. This suggests that PrP(C) may have a neuroprotective function independent of its role in regulating the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Williams
- Department of Neurology, University of the Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
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Kuczius T, Kleinert J, Karch H, Sibrowski W, Kelsch R. Cellular prion proteins in human platelets show a phenotype different to those in brain tissues. J Cell Biochem 2011; 112:954-62. [PMID: 21328470 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.23012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by high accumulation of infectious prion proteins (PrP(Sc)) in brains. PrP(Sc) are propagated by the conversion of host-encoded cellular prion proteins (PrP(C)) which are essential for developing the disease but are heterogeneously expressed in brains. The disease can be transmitted to humans and animals through blood and blood products, however, little attention has been given to molecular characterization of PrP(C) in blood cells. In this presented study, we characterized phenotypically PrP(C) of platelets (plt) and characterized the proteins regarding their glycobanding profiles by quantitative immunoblotting using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The glycosylation patterns of plt and brain PrP(C) were compared using the ratios of di-, mono-, and non-glycosylated prions. The detergent solubility of plt and brain PrP(C) was also analyzed. The distinct banding patterns and detergent solubility of plt PrP(C) differed clearly from the glycosylation profiles and solubility characteristics of brain PrP(C). Plt PrP(C) exhibited single or only few prion protein types, whereas brain PrP(C) showed more extensive banding patterns and lower detergent solubility. Plt PrP(C) are post-translational modified differently from PrP(C) in brain. These findings suggest other or less physiological functions of plt PrP(C) than in brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Kuczius
- Institute for Hygiene, Westfälische Wilhelms-University and University Hospital Münster, Robert Koch-Strasse 41, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Structural and functional neuroimaging in human prion diseases. Neurologia 2011; 28:299-308. [PMID: 21621879 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2011.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders resulting from the accumulation of a misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPc). They can occur as acquired, sporadic, or hereditary forms. Although prion diseases show a wide range of phenotypic variations, pathological features and clinical evolution, they are all characterised by a common unfavourable course and a fatal outcome. REVIEW SUMMARY Some variants, such as kuru, have practically disappeared, while others, for example the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) or those attributable to iatrogenic causes, are still in force and pose a challenge to current medicine. There are no definitive pre-mortem diagnostic tests, except for vCJD, where a tonsil biopsy detects 100% of the cases. For this reason, diagnostic criteria dependent on statistical probability have had to be created. These require complementary examinations, such as an electroencephalogram (EEG) or the detection of 14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Only the pulvinar sign in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been included as a vCJD diagnostic criterion. The present review discusses neuroimaging findings for each type of prion disease in patients with a definitive histopathological diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS The aim is to define the usefulness of these complementary examinations as a tool for the diagnosis of this family of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Wisniewski T, Goñi F. Immunomodulation for prion and prion-related diseases. Expert Rev Vaccines 2011; 9:1441-52. [PMID: 21105779 DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique category of illness, affecting both animals and humans, where the underlying pathogenesis is related to a conformational change of a normal self protein called cellular prion protein to a pathological and infectious conformer known as scrapie prion protein (PrP(Sc)). Currently, all prion diseases lack effective treatment and are universally fatal. Past experiences with bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mainly in Europe, as well as the current epidemic of chronic wasting disease in North America, have highlighted the need to develop prophylactic and/or therapeutic approaches. In Alzheimer's disease that, like prion disease, is a conformational neurodegenerative disorder, both passive and active immunization has been shown to be highly effective in model animals at preventing disease and cognitive deficits, with emerging data from human trials suggesting that this approach is able to reduce amyloid-related pathology. However, any immunomodulatory approach aimed at a self-antigen has to finely balance an effective humoral immune response with potential autoimmune toxicity. The prion diseases most commonly acquired by infection typically have the alimentary tract as a portal of infectious agent entry. This makes mucosal immunization a potentially attractive method to produce a local immune response that partially or completely prevents prion entry across the gut barrier, while at the same time producing modulated systemic immunity that is unlikely to be associated with toxicity. Our results using an attenuated Salmonella vaccine strain expressing the prion protein showed that mucosal vaccination can protect against prion infection from a peripheral source, suggesting the feasibility of this approach. It is also possible to develop active and/or passive immunomodulatory approaches that more specifically target PrP(Sc) or target the shared pathological conformer found in numerous conformational disorders. Such approaches could have a significant impact on many of the common age-associated dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wisniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Millhauser Laboratories, Room HN419, New York University School of Medicine, 560 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Li L, Napper S, Cashman NR. Immunotherapy for prion diseases: opportunities and obstacles. Immunotherapy 2010; 2:269-82. [PMID: 20635933 DOI: 10.2217/imt.10.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) represent a unique form of infectious disease based on the misfolding of a self-protein into a pathological conformation. While other human diseases are also attributed to protein misfolding, the TSEs are unique in their zoonotic potential and iatrogenic infectivity. These characteristics are of particular importance in the aftermath of the UK bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak due to the dual concerns that a subpopulation of individuals exposed to the infectious agent may be serving as asymptomatic carriers, and that TSEs of other food animals may also threaten human health. These potentials, in addition to the ongoing baseline of familial and sporadic human prion diseases, necessitate development of effective treatment options. While TSEs represent a novel paradigm of infection, there is nevertheless the opportunity to apply traditional approaches of medicine for disease treatment and prevention, including vaccines for immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis. However, vaccine development for TSEs is complicated by the challenges and potential dangers associated with induction of immune responses to a self-epitope, as well as the obstacles to treatment of a chronic infection through immunotherapy. The ongoing threat of TSEs to human health, together with the opportunity to apply information emerging from these investigations to other protein misfolding disorders, justifies the efforts required to overcome these obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- University of British Columbia & Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Fish models in prion biology: underwater issues. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2010; 1812:402-14. [PMID: 20933080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2010.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2009] [Revised: 09/11/2010] [Accepted: 09/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), otherwise known as prion disorders, are fatal diseases causing neurodegeneration in a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans. The causative agents - prions - are thought to be composed of a rogue isoform of the endogenous prion protein (PrP). Beyond these and other basic concepts, fundamental questions in prion biology remain unanswered, such as the physiological function of PrP, the molecular mechanisms underlying prion pathogenesis, and the origin of prions. To date, the occurrence of TSEs in lower vertebrates like fish and birds has received only limited attention, despite the fact that these animals possess bona fide PrPs. Recent findings, however, have brought fish before the footlights of prion research. Fish models are beginning to provide useful insights into the roles of PrP in health and disease, as well as the potential risk of prion transmission between fish and mammals. Although still in its infancy, the use of fish models in TSE research could significantly improve our basic understanding of prion diseases, and also help anticipate risks to public health. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Zebrafish Models of Neurological Diseases.
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The depletion of α and β PrP from complex mixtures. J Virol Methods 2010; 169:253-8. [PMID: 20603150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2010.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2009] [Revised: 06/21/2010] [Accepted: 06/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Prion disorders occur when endogenous prion protein (PrP(C)) undergoes a conformational change from a predominantly α-helix-rich structure to an insoluble β-sheet-rich structure (PrP(Sc)). The resulting PrP(Sc) then in some way facilitates the progressive transformation of nearby PrP(C) to PrP(Sc). In time this results in the deposition of insoluble PrP(Sc) aggregates in the brain; aggregate deposition is irreversible and is ultimately fatal. Prion diseases are transmissible orally or through transplantation (including blood transfusion). Current diagnostic methods are limited in that they lack the ability to distinguish qualitatively between PrP(C) and PrP(Sc). PrP has been shown to bind divalent cations including copper and zinc, these cations are toxic and thus of limited use in the removal of PrP from solutions destined for administration to subjects. We have immobilised Fe(3+) to an inert Sepharose resin; this resin was capable of quantitatively removing endogenous and recombinant PrP(C) and recombinant β PrP from complex solutions. The low toxicity of Fe(3+) suggests that the resin described in this report may be of practical use in the depletion of PrP from blood products destined for human use.
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Cecarini V, Bonfili L, Cuccioloni M, Mozzicafreddo M, Angeletti M, Eleuteri AM. The relationship between the 20S proteasomes and prion-mediated neurodegenerations: potential therapeutic opportunities. Apoptosis 2010; 15:1322-35. [DOI: 10.1007/s10495-010-0480-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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