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Block AJ, Bartz JC. Prion strains: shining new light on old concepts. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:113-133. [PMID: 35796874 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03665-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of inevitably fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting numerous mammalian species, including humans. The existence of heritable phenotypes of disease in the natural host suggested that prions exist as distinct strains. Transmission of sheep scrapie to rodent models accelerated prion research, resulting in the isolation and characterization of numerous strains with distinct characteristics. These strains are grouped into categories based on the incubation period of disease in different strains of mice and also by how stable the strain properties were upon serial passage. These classical studies defined the host and agent parameters that affected strain properties, and, prior to the advent of the prion hypothesis, strain properties were hypothesized to be the result of mutations in a nucleic acid genome of a conventional pathogen. The development of the prion hypothesis challenged the paradigm of infectious agents, and, initially, the existence of strains was difficult to reconcile with a protein-only agent. In the decades since, much evidence has revealed how a protein-only infectious agent can perform complex biological functions. The prevailing hypothesis is that strain-specific conformations of PrPSc encode prion strain diversity. This hypothesis can provide a mechanism to explain the observed strain-specific differences in incubation period of disease, biochemical properties of PrPSc, tissue tropism, and subcellular patterns of pathology. This hypothesis also explains how prion strains mutate, evolve, and adapt to new species. These concepts are applicable to prion-like diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, where evidence of strain diversity is beginning to emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa J Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA.
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2
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Differential Accumulation of Misfolded Prion Strains in Natural Hosts of Prion Diseases. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122453. [PMID: 34960722 PMCID: PMC8706046 DOI: 10.3390/v13122453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of neurodegenerative protein misfolding diseases that invariably cause death. TSEs occur when the endogenous cellular prion protein (PrPC) misfolds to form the pathological prion protein (PrPSc), which templates further conversion of PrPC to PrPSc, accumulates, and initiates a cascade of pathologic processes in cells and tissues. Different strains of prion disease within a species are thought to arise from the differential misfolding of the prion protein and have different clinical phenotypes. Different strains of prion disease may also result in differential accumulation of PrPSc in brain regions and tissues of natural hosts. Here, we review differential accumulation that occurs in the retinal ganglion cells, cerebellar cortex and white matter, and plexuses of the enteric nervous system in cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, sheep and goats with scrapie, cervids with chronic wasting disease, and humans with prion diseases. By characterizing TSEs in their natural host, we can better understand the pathogenesis of different prion strains. This information is valuable in the pursuit of evaluating and discovering potential biomarkers and therapeutics for prion diseases.
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3
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Mabbott NA, Bradford BM, Pal R, Young R, Donaldson DS. The Effects of Immune System Modulation on Prion Disease Susceptibility and Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7299. [PMID: 33023255 PMCID: PMC7582561 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique group of infectious chronic neurodegenerative disorders to which there are no cures. Although prion infections do not stimulate adaptive immune responses in infected individuals, the actions of certain immune cell populations can have a significant impact on disease pathogenesis. After infection, the targeting of peripherally-acquired prions to specific immune cells in the secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), such as the lymph nodes and spleen, is essential for the efficient transmission of disease to the brain. Once the prions reach the brain, interactions with other immune cell populations can provide either host protection or accelerate the neurodegeneration. In this review, we provide a detailed account of how factors such as inflammation, ageing and pathogen co-infection can affect prion disease pathogenesis and susceptibility. For example, we discuss how changes to the abundance, function and activation status of specific immune cell populations can affect the transmission of prion diseases by peripheral routes. We also describe how the effects of systemic inflammation on certain glial cell subsets in the brains of infected individuals can accelerate the neurodegeneration. A detailed understanding of the factors that affect prion disease transmission and pathogenesis is essential for the development of novel intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A. Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK; (B.M.B.); (R.P.); (R.Y.); (D.S.D.)
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4
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Rezvani Boroujeni E, Hosseini SM, Fani G, Cecchi C, Chiti F. Soluble Prion Peptide 107-120 Protects Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells against Oligomers Associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7273. [PMID: 33019683 PMCID: PMC7582777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia and soluble amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers are thought to play a critical role in AD pathogenesis. Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a high-affinity receptor for Aβ oligomers and mediates some of their toxic effects. The N-terminal region of PrPC can interact with Aβ, particularly the region encompassing residues 95-110. In this study, we identified a soluble and unstructured prion-derived peptide (PrP107-120) that is external to this region of the sequence and was found to successfully reduce the mitochondrial impairment, intracellular ROS generation and cytosolic Ca2+ uptake induced by oligomeric Aβ42 ADDLs in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. PrP107-120 was also found to rescue SH-SY5Y cells from Aβ42 ADDL internalization. The peptide did not change the structure and aggregation pathway of Aβ42 ADDLs, did not show co-localization with Aβ42 ADDLs in the cells and showed a partial colocalization with the endogenous cellular PrPC. As a sequence region that is not involved in Aβ binding but in PrP self-recognition, the peptide was suggested to protect against the toxicity of Aβ42 oligomers by interfering with cellular PrPC and/or activating a signaling that protected the cells. These results strongly suggest that PrP107-120 has therapeutic potential for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Rezvani Boroujeni
- Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983969411, Iran;
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy; (G.F.); (C.C.)
| | - Seyed Masoud Hosseini
- Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983969411, Iran;
| | - Giulia Fani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy; (G.F.); (C.C.)
| | - Cristina Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy; (G.F.); (C.C.)
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy; (G.F.); (C.C.)
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5
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Experimental Study Using Multiple Strains of Prion Disease in Cattle Reveals an Inverse Relationship between Incubation Time and Misfolded Prion Accumulation, Neuroinflammation, and Autophagy. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2020; 190:1461-1473. [PMID: 32259521 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Proteinopathies result from aberrant folding and accumulation of specific proteins. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge about the factors that influence disease progression, making this a key challenge for the development of therapies for proteinopathies. Because of the similarities between transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and other protein misfolding diseases, TSEs can be used to understand other proteinopathies. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a TSE that occurs in cattle and can be subdivided into three strains: classic BSE and atypical BSEs (H and L types) that have shorter incubation periods. The NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 inflammasome is a critical component of the innate immune system that leads to release of IL-1β. Macroautophagy is an intracellular mechanism that plays an essential role in protein clearance. In this study, the retina was used as a model to investigate the relationship between disease incubation period, prion protein accumulation, neuroinflammation, and changes in macroautophagy. We demonstrate that atypical BSEs present with increased prion protein accumulation, neuroinflammation, and decreased autophagy. This work suggests a relationship between disease time course, neuroinflammation, and the autophagic stress response, and may help identify novel therapeutic biomarkers that can delay or prevent the progression of proteinopathies.
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6
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Bradford BM, Wijaya CAW, Mabbott NA. Discrimination of Prion Strain Targeting in the Central Nervous System via Reactive Astrocyte Heterogeneity in CD44 Expression. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:411. [PMID: 31551718 PMCID: PMC6746926 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are fatal, progressive, neurodegenerative, protein-misfolding disorders. Prion diseases may arise spontaneously, be inherited genetically or be acquired by infection and affect a variety of mammalian species including humans. Prion infections in the central nervous system (CNS) cause extensive neuropathology, including abnormal accumulations of misfolded host prion protein, vacuolar change resulting in sponge-like (spongiform) appearance of CNS tissue, neurodegeneration and reactive glial responses. Many different prion agent strains exist and these can differ based on disease duration, clinical signs and the targeting and distribution of the neuropathology in distinct brain areas. Reactive astrocytes are a prominent feature in the prion disease affected CNS as revealed by distinct morphological changes and upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The CD44 antigen is a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in cell-cell interactions, cell adhesion and migration. Here we show that CD44 is also highly expressed in a subset of reactive astrocytes in regions of the CNS targeted by prions. Astrocyte heterogeneity revealed by differential CD44 upregulation occurs coincident with the earliest neuropathological changes during the pre-clinical phase of disease, and is not affected by the route of infection. The expression and distribution of CD44 was compared in brains from a large collection of 15 distinct prion agent strains transmitted to mice of different prion protein (Prnp) genotype backgrounds. Our data show that the pattern of CD44 upregulation observed in the hippocampus in each prion agent strain and host Prnp genotype combination was unique. Many mouse-adapted prion strains and hosts have previously been characterized based on the pattern of the distribution of the spongiform pathology or the misfolded PrP deposition within the brain. Our data show that CD44 expression also provides a reliable discriminatory marker of prion infection with a greater dynamic range than misfolded prion protein deposition, aiding strain identification. Together, our data reveal CD44 as a novel marker to detect reactive astrocyte heterogeneity during CNS prion disease and for enhanced identification of distinct prion agent strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry M Bradford
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christianus A W Wijaya
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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7
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Scialò C, De Cecco E, Manganotti P, Legname G. Prion and Prion-Like Protein Strains: Deciphering the Molecular Basis of Heterogeneity in Neurodegeneration. Viruses 2019; 11:E261. [PMID: 30875755 PMCID: PMC6466326 DOI: 10.3390/v11030261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that neurodegenerative disorders share a common pathogenic feature: the presence of deposits of misfolded proteins with altered physicochemical properties in the Central Nervous System. Despite a lack of infectivity, experimental data show that the replication and propagation of neurodegenerative disease-related proteins including amyloid-β (Aβ), tau, α-synuclein and the transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) share a similar pathological mechanism with prions. These observations have led to the terminology of "prion-like" to distinguish between conditions with noninfectious characteristics but similarities with the prion replication and propagation process. Prions are considered to adapt their conformation to changes in the context of the environment of replication. This process is known as either prion selection or adaptation, where a distinct conformer present in the initial prion population with higher propensity to propagate in the new environment is able to prevail over the others during the replication process. In the last years, many studies have shown that prion-like proteins share not only the prion replication paradigm but also the specific ability to aggregate in different conformations, i.e., strains, with relevant clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic implications. This review focuses on the molecular basis of the strain phenomenon in prion and prion-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Scialò
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Elena De Cecco
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Paolo Manganotti
- Clinical Unit of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University Hospital and Health Services of Trieste, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), 34136 Trieste, Italy.
- ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
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8
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Piccardo P, Asher DM. Complex proteinopathies and neurodegeneration: insights from the study of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2018; 76:705-712. [PMID: 30427511 DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20180111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding diseases are usually associated with deposits of single "key" proteins that somehow drive the pathology; β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau accumulate in Alzheimer's disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, or abnormal prion protein (PrPTSE) in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs or prion diseases). However, in some diseases more than two proteins accumulate in the same brain. These diseases might be considered "complex" proteinopathies. We have studied models of TSEs (to explore deposits of PrPTSE and of "secondary proteins") infecting different strains and doses of TSE agent, factors that control incubation period, duration of illness and histopathology. Model TSEs allowed us to investigate whether different features of histopathology are independent of PrPTSE or appear as a secondary result of PrPTSE. Better understanding the complex proteinopathies may help to explain the wide spectrum of degenerative diseases and why some overlap clinically and histopathologically. These studies might also improve diagnosis and eventually even suggest new treatments for human neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Piccardo
- Laboratory of Bacterial and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
| | - David M Asher
- Laboratory of Bacterial and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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9
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Abstract
Scrapie is a naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) or prion disease of sheep and goats. Scrapie is a protein misfolding disease where the normal prion protein (PrPC) misfolds into a pathogenic form (PrPSc) that is highly resistant to enzymatic breakdown within the cell and accumulates, eventually leading to neurodegeneration. The amino acid sequence of the prion protein and tissue distribution of PrPSc within affected hosts have a major role in determining susceptibility to and potential environmental contamination with the scrapie agent. Many countries have genotype-based eradication programs that emphasize using rams that express arginine at codon 171 in the prion protein, which is associated with resistance to the classical scrapie agent. In classical scrapie, accumulation of PrPSc within lymphoid and other tissues facilitates environmental contamination and spread of the disease within flocks. A major distinction can be made between classical scrapie strains that are readily spread within populations of susceptible sheep and goats and atypical (Nor-98) scrapie that has unique molecular and phenotype characteristics and is thought to occur spontaneously in older sheep or goats. This review provides an overview of classical and atypical scrapie with consideration of potential transmission of classical scrapie to other mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Greenlee
- 1 Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, USA
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10
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Microglia Are Critical in Host Defense against Prion Disease. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.00549-18. [PMID: 29769333 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00549-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglial cells in the central nervous system play important roles in neurodevelopment and resistance to infection, yet microglia can become neurotoxic under some conditions. An early event during prion infection is the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the brain prior to damage or death of neurons. Previous prion disease studies using two different strategies to manipulate signaling through the microglial receptor CSF-1R reported contrary effects on survival from prion disease. However, in these studies, reductions of microglial numbers and function were variable, thus confounding interpretation of the results. In the present work, we used oral treatment with a potent inhibitor of CSF-1R, PLX5622, to eliminate 78 to 90% of microglia from cortex early during the course of prion infection. Oral drug treatment early after infection with the RML scrapie strain significantly accelerated vacuolation, astrogliosis, and deposition of disease-associated prion protein. Furthermore, drug-treated mice had advanced clinical disease requiring euthanasia 31 days earlier than untreated control mice. Similarly, PLX5622 treatment during the preclinical phase at 80 days postinfection with RML scrapie also accelerated disease and resulted in euthanasia of mice 33 days earlier than infected controls. PLX5622 also accelerated clinical disease after infection with scrapie strains ME7 and 22L. Thus, microglia are critical in host defense during prion disease. The early accumulation of PrPSc in the absence of microglia suggested that microglia may function by clearing PrPSc, resulting in longer survival.IMPORTANCE Microglia contribute to many aspects of health and disease. When activated, microglia can be beneficial by repairing damage in the central nervous system (CNS) or they can turn harmful by becoming neurotoxic. In prion and prionlike diseases, the involvement of microglia in disease is unclear. Previous studies suggest that microglia can either speed up or slow down disease. In this study, we infected mice with prions and depleted microglia from the brains of mice using PLX5622, an effective CSF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Microglia were markedly reduced in brains, and prion disease was accelerated, so that mice needed to be euthanized 20 to 33 days earlier than infected control mice due to advanced clinical disease. Similar results occurred when mice were treated with PLX5622 at 80 days after infection, which was just prior to the start of clinical signs. Thus, microglia are important for removing prions, and the disease is faster when microglia are depleted.
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11
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Ru G, Sanaa M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Kuile BT, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Benestad S, Gavier-Widen D, Miller MW, Telling GC, Tryland M, Latronico F, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Stella P, Simmons M. Scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease (II). EFSA J 2018; 16:e05132. [PMID: 32625679 PMCID: PMC7328883 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA for a scientific opinion on chronic wasting disease in two parts. Part one, on surveillance, animal health risk-based measures and public health risks, was published in January 2017. This opinion (part two) addresses the remaining Terms of Reference, namely, 'are the conclusions and recommendations in the EFSA opinion of June 2004 on diagnostic methods for chronic wasting disease still valid? If not, an update should be provided', and 'update the conclusions of the 2010 EFSA opinion on the results of the European Union survey on chronic wasting disease in cervids, as regards its occurrence in the cervid population in the European Union'. Data on the performance of authorised rapid tests in North America are not comprehensive, and are more limited than those available for the tests approved for statutory transmissible spongiform encephalopathies surveillance applications in cattle and sheep. There are no data directly comparing available rapid test performances in cervids. The experience in Norway shows that the Bio-Rad TeSeE™ SAP test, immunohistochemistry and western blotting have detected reindeer, moose and red deer cases. It was shown that testing both brainstem and lymphoid tissue from each animal increases the surveillance sensitivity. Shortcomings in the previous EU survey limited the reliability of inferences that could be made about the potential disease occurrence in Europe. Subsequently, testing activity in Europe was low, until the detection of the disease in Norway, triggering substantial testing efforts in that country. Available data neither support nor refute the conclusion that chronic wasting disease does not occur widely in the EU and do not preclude the possibility that the disease was present in Europe before the survey was conducted. It appears plausible that chronic wasting disease could have become established in Norway more than a decade ago.
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12
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Piccardo P, King D, Brown D, Barron RM. Variable tau accumulation in murine models with abnormal prion protein deposits. J Neurol Sci 2017; 383:142-150. [PMID: 29246602 PMCID: PMC6381323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP) into a misfolded isoform is central to the development of prion diseases. However, the heterogeneous phenotypes observed in prion disease may be linked with the presence of other misfolded proteins in the brain. While hyperphosphorylated tau (p.tau) is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD), p.tau is also observed in human prion diseases. To explore this association in the absence of potential effects due to aging, drug treatment, agonal stage and postmortem delay we analyzed p.tau and PrP immunopositivity in mouse models. Analyses were performed on mice inoculated with prion agents, and mice with PrP amyloid in the absence of prion disease. We observed that p.tau was consistently present in animals with prion infectivity (models that transmit disease upon serial passage). In contrast, p.tau was very rarely observed or absent in mice with PrP amyloid plaques in the absence of prion replication. These data indicate that the formation of p.tau is not linked to deposition of misfolded PrP, but suggest that the interaction between replication of infectivity and host factors regulate the formation of p.tau and may contribute to the heterogeneous phenotype of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Piccardo
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Declan King
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah Brown
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Rona M Barron
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, United Kingdom
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13
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Wang X, Noroozian Z, Lynch M, Armstrong N, Schneider R, Liu M, Ghodrati F, Zhang AB, Yang YJ, Hall AC, Solarski M, Killackey SA, Watts JC. Strains of Pathological Protein Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Discoveries (Craiova) 2017; 5:e78. [PMID: 32309596 PMCID: PMC7159837 DOI: 10.15190/d.2017.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of protein aggregates in the brain is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Considerable evidence has revealed that the pathological protein aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases are able to self-propagate, which may enable pathology to spread from cell-to-cell within the brain. This property is reminiscent of what occurs in prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A widely recognized feature of prion disorders is the existence of distinct strains of prions, which are thought to represent unique protein aggregate structures. A number of recent studies have pointed to the existence of strains of protein aggregates in other, more common neurodegenerative illnesses such as AD, PD, and related disorders. In this review, we outline the pathobiology of prion strains and discuss how the concept of protein aggregate strains may help to explain the heterogeneity inherent to many human neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zeinab Noroozian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Madelaine Lynch
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Armstrong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Raphael Schneider
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mingzhe Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute - Biological Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Farinaz Ghodrati
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley B Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yoo Jeong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda C Hall
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Solarski
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samuel A Killackey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Different Molecular Mechanisms Mediate Direct or Glia-Dependent Prion Protein Fragment 90-231 Neurotoxic Effects in Cerebellar Granule Neurons. Neurotox Res 2017; 32:381-397. [PMID: 28540665 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-017-9749-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Glia over-stimulation associates with amyloid deposition contributing to the progression of central nervous system neurodegenerative disorders. Here we analyze the molecular mechanisms mediating microglia-dependent neurotoxicity induced by prion protein (PrP)90-231, an amyloidogenic polypeptide corresponding to the protease-resistant portion of the pathological prion protein scrapie (PrPSc). PrP90-231 neurotoxicity is enhanced by the presence of microglia within neuronal culture, and associated to a rapid neuronal [Ca++] i increase. Indeed, while in "pure" cerebellar granule neuron cultures, PrP90-231 causes a delayed intracellular Ca++ entry mediated by the activation of NMDA receptors; when neuron and glia are co-cultured, a transient increase of [Ca++] i occurs within seconds after treatment in both granule neurons and glial cells, then followed by a delayed and sustained [Ca++] i raise, associated with the induction of the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and phagocytic NADPH oxidase. [Ca++] i fast increase in neurons is dependent on the activation of multiple pathways since it is not only inhibited by the blockade of voltage-gated channel activity and NMDA receptors but also prevented by the inhibition of nitric oxide and PGE2 release from glial cells. Thus, Ca++ homeostasis alteration, directly induced by PrP90-231 in cerebellar granule cells, requires the activation of NMDA receptors, but is greatly enhanced by soluble molecules released by activated glia. In glia-enriched cerebellar granule cultures, the activation of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and NADPH oxidase represents the main mechanism of toxicity since their pharmacological inhibition prevented PrP90-231 neurotoxicity, whereas NMDA blockade by D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid is ineffective; conversely, in pure cerebellar granule cultures, NMDA blockade but not iNOS inhibition strongly reduced PrP90-231 neurotoxicity. These data indicate that amyloidogenic peptides induce neurotoxic signals via both direct neuron interaction and glia activation through different mechanisms responsible of calcium homeostasis disruption in neurons and potentiating each other: the activation of excitotoxic pathways via NMDA receptors and the release of radical species that establish an oxidative milieu.
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Bett C, Lawrence J, Kurt TD, Orru C, Aguilar-Calvo P, Kincaid AE, Surewicz WK, Caughey B, Wu C, Sigurdson CJ. Enhanced neuroinvasion by smaller, soluble prions. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:32. [PMID: 28431576 PMCID: PMC5399838 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0430-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious prion aggregates can propagate from extraneural sites into the brain with remarkable efficiency, likely transported via peripheral nerves. Yet not all prions spread into the brain, and the physical properties of a prion that is capable of transit within neurons remain unclear. We hypothesized that small, diffusible aggregates spread into the CNS via peripheral nerves. Here we used a structurally diverse panel of prion strains to analyze how the prion conformation impacts transit into the brain. Two prion strains form fibrils visible ultrastructurally in the brain in situ, whereas three strains form diffuse, subfibrillar prion deposits and no visible fibrils. The subfibrillar strains had significantly higher levels of soluble prion aggregates than the fibrillar strains. Primary neurons internalized both the subfibrillar and fibril-forming prion strains by macropinocytosis, and both strain types were transported from the axon terminal to the cell body in vitro. However in mice, only the predominantly soluble, subfibrillar prions, and not the fibrillar prions, were efficiently transported from the tongue to the brain. Sonicating a fibrillar prion strain increased the solubility and enabled prions to spread into the brain in mice, as evident by a 40% increase in the attack rate, indicating that an increase in smaller particles enhances prion neuroinvasion. Our data suggest that the small, highly soluble prion particles have a higher capacity for transport via nerves. These findings help explain how prions that predominantly assemble into subfibrillar states can more effectively traverse into and out of the CNS, and suggest that promoting fibril assembly may slow the neuron-to-neuron spread of protein aggregates.
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Foutz A, Appleby BS, Hamlin C, Liu X, Yang S, Cohen Y, Chen W, Blevins J, Fausett C, Wang H, Gambetti P, Zhang S, Hughson A, Tatsuoka C, Schonberger LB, Cohen ML, Caughey B, Safar JG. Diagnostic and prognostic value of human prion detection in cerebrospinal fluid. Ann Neurol 2017; 81:79-92. [PMID: 27893164 PMCID: PMC5266667 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several prion amplification systems have been proposed for detection of prions in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), most recently, the measurements of prion seeding activity with second-generation real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of the RT-QuIC prion test in the broad phenotypic spectrum of prion diseases. METHODS We performed CSF RT-QuIC testing in 2,141 patients who had rapidly progressive neurological disorders, determined diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in 272 cases that were autopsied, and evaluated the impact of mutations and polymorphisms in the PRNP gene, and type 1 or type 2 human prions on diagnostic performance. RESULTS The 98.5% diagnostic specificity and 92% sensitivity of CSF RT-QuIC in a blinded retrospective analysis matched the 100% specificity and 95% sensitivity of a blind prospective study. The CSF RT-QuIC differentiated 94% of cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) MM1 from the sCJD MM2 phenotype, and 80% of sCJD VV2 from sCJD VV1. The mixed prion type 1-2 and cases heterozygous for codon 129 generated intermediate CSF RT-QuIC patterns, whereas genetic prion diseases revealed distinct profiles for each PRNP gene mutation. INTERPRETATION The diagnostic performance of the improved CSF RT-QuIC is superior to surrogate marker tests for prion diseases such as 14-3-3 and tau proteins, and together with PRNP gene sequencing the test allows the major prion subtypes to be differentiated in vivo. This differentiation facilitates prediction of the clinicopathological phenotype and duration of the disease-two important considerations for envisioned therapeutic interventions. ANN NEUROL 2017;81:79-92.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Foutz
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Clive Hamlin
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Xiaoqin Liu
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Sheng Yang
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Yvonne Cohen
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Wei Chen
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Janis Blevins
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Cameron Fausett
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Pierluigi Gambetti
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Shulin Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Andrew Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
| | - Curtis Tatsuoka
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Lawrence B. Schonberger
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Mark L. Cohen
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT
| | - Jiri G. Safar
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
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Chevaleyre V, Piskorowski RA. Hippocampal Area CA2: An Overlooked but Promising Therapeutic Target. Trends Mol Med 2016; 22:645-655. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Abstract
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal protein-misfolding neurodegenerative diseases. TSEs have been described in several species, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) in mink, and Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. These diseases are associated with the accumulation of a protease-resistant, disease-associated isoform of the prion protein (called PrP(Sc)) in the central nervous system and other tissues, depending on the host species. Typically, TSEs are acquired through exposure to infectious material, but inherited and spontaneous TSEs also occur. All TSEs share pathologic features and infectious mechanisms but have distinct differences in transmission and epidemiology due to host factors and strain differences encoded within the structure of the misfolded prion protein. The possibility that BSE can be transmitted to humans as the cause of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has brought attention to this family of diseases. This review is focused on the TSEs of livestock: bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and scrapie in sheep and goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Greenlee
- Justin J. Greenlee, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP, is a research veterinary medical officer in the Virus and Prion Research Unit of the National Animal Disease Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service in Ames, Iowa. M. Heather West Greenlee, PhD, is an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
| | - M Heather West Greenlee
- Justin J. Greenlee, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP, is a research veterinary medical officer in the Virus and Prion Research Unit of the National Animal Disease Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service in Ames, Iowa. M. Heather West Greenlee, PhD, is an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
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19
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Methods for Differentiating Prion Types in Food-Producing Animals. BIOLOGY 2015; 4:785-813. [PMID: 26580664 PMCID: PMC4690018 DOI: 10.3390/biology4040785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Prions are an enigma amongst infectious disease agents as they lack a genome yet confer specific pathologies thought to be dictated mainly, if not solely, by the conformation of the disease form of the prion protein (PrPSc). Prion diseases affect humans and animals, the latter including the food-producing ruminant species cattle, sheep, goats and deer. Importantly, it has been shown that the disease agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is zoonotic, causing variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans. Current diagnostic tests can distinguish different prion types and in food-producing animals these focus on the differentiation of BSE from the non-zoonotic agents. Whilst BSE cases are now rare, atypical forms of both scrapie and BSE have been reported, as well as two types of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. Typing of animal prion isolates remains an important aspect of prion diagnosis and is now becoming more focused on identifying the range of prion types that are present in food-producing animals and also developing tests that can screen for emerging, novel prion diseases. Here, we review prion typing methodologies in light of current and emerging prion types in food-producing animals.
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Miyazawa K, Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Masujin K, Yokoyama T. Susceptibility of GT1-7 cells to mouse-passaged field scrapie isolates with a long incubation. Prion 2015; 8:306-13. [PMID: 25482605 PMCID: PMC4601507 DOI: 10.4161/pri.32232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A typical feature of scrapie in sheep and goats is the accumulation of disease-associated prion protein. Scrapie consists of many strains with different biological properties. Nine natural sheep scrapie cases were transmitted to wild-type mice and mouse-passaged isolates were classified into 2 types based on incubation time: short and long. These 2 types displayed a distinct difference in their pathology. We attempted to transmit these mouse-passaged isolates to 2 murine cell lines (GT1–7 and L929) to compare their properties. All of the isolates were transmitted to L929 cells. However, only mouse-passaged field isolates with a long incubation time were transmitted to GT1–7 cells. This specific susceptibility of GT1–7 cells was also confirmed with a primary-passaged isolate that was not completely adapted to the new host species. Characterization of the mechanisms of the specific susceptibility of GT1–7 cells to isolates with a long incubation time may lead to a greater understanding of the differences among prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohtaro Miyazawa
- a Influenza and Prion Disease Research Center ; National Institute of Animal Health; NARO ; Tsukuba , Ibaraki , Japan
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21
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Abstract
Increasingly, evidence argues that many neurodegenerative diseases, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), are caused by prions, which are alternatively folded proteins undergoing self-propagation. In earlier studies, PSP prions were detected by infecting human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells expressing a tau fragment [TauRD(LM)] fused to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Here, we report on an improved bioassay using selective precipitation of tau prions from human PSP brain homogenates before infection of the HEK cells. Tau prions were measured by counting the number of cells with TauRD(LM)-YFP aggregates using confocal fluorescence microscopy. In parallel studies, we fused α-synuclein to YFP to bioassay α-synuclein prions in the brains of patients who died of multiple system atrophy (MSA). Previously, MSA prion detection required ∼120 d for transmission into transgenic mice, whereas our cultured cell assay needed only 4 d. Variation in MSA prion levels in four different brain regions from three patients provided evidence for three different MSA prion strains. Attempts to demonstrate α-synuclein prions in brain homogenates from Parkinson's disease patients were unsuccessful, identifying an important biological difference between the two synucleinopathies. Partial purification of tau and α-synuclein prions facilitated measuring the levels of these protein pathogens in human brains. Our studies should facilitate investigations of the pathogenesis of both tau and α-synuclein prion disorders as well as help decipher the basic biology of those prions that attack the CNS.
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Mirabile I, Jat PS, Brandner S, Collinge J. Identification of clinical target areas in the brainstem of prion-infected mice. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:613-30. [PMID: 25311251 PMCID: PMC4949711 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS While prion infection ultimately involves the entire brain, it has long been thought that the abrupt clinical onset and rapid neurological decline in laboratory rodents relates to involvement of specific critical neuroanatomical target areas. The severity and type of clinical signs, together with the rapid progression, suggest the brainstem as a candidate location for such critical areas. In this study we aimed to correlate prion pathology with clinical phenotype in order to identify clinical target areas. METHOD We conducted a comprehensive survey of brainstem pathology in mice infected with two distinct prion strains, which produce different patterns of pathology, in mice overexpressing prion protein (with accelerated clinical onset) and in mice in which neuronal expression was reduced by gene targeting (which greatly delays clinical onset). RESULTS We identified specific brainstem areas that are affected by prion pathology during the progression of the disease. In the early phase of disease the locus coeruleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the pre-Bötzinger complex were affected by prion protein deposition. This was followed by involvement of the motor and autonomic centres of the brainstem. CONCLUSIONS Neurodegeneration in the locus coeruleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract and the pre-Bötzinger complex predominated and corresponded to the manifestation of the clinical phenotype. Because of their fundamental role in controlling autonomic function and the overlap with clinical signs in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, we suggest that these nuclei represent key clinical target areas in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Mirabile
- MRC Prion UnitDepartment of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Parmjit S. Jat
- MRC Prion UnitDepartment of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion UnitDepartment of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion UnitDepartment of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
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23
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Wang X, McGovern G, Zhang Y, Wang F, Zha L, Jeffrey M, Ma J. Intraperitoneal Infection of Wild-Type Mice with Synthetically Generated Mammalian Prion. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004958. [PMID: 26136122 PMCID: PMC4489884 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion hypothesis postulates that the infectious agent in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) is an unorthodox protein conformation based agent. Recent successes in generating mammalian prions in vitro with bacterially expressed recombinant prion protein provide strong support for the hypothesis. However, whether the pathogenic properties of synthetically generated prion (rec-Prion) recapitulate those of naturally occurring prions remains unresolved. Using end-point titration assay, we showed that the in vitro prepared rec-Prions have infectious titers of around 104 LD50 / μg. In addition, intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation of wild-type mice with rec-Prion caused prion disease with an average survival time of 210 – 220 days post inoculation. Detailed pathological analyses revealed that the nature of rec-Prion induced lesions, including spongiform change, disease specific prion protein accumulation (PrP-d) and the PrP-d dissemination amongst lymphoid and peripheral nervous system tissues, the route and mechanisms of neuroinvasion were all typical of classical rodent prions. Our results revealed that, similar to naturally occurring prions, the rec-Prion has a titratable infectivity and is capable of causing prion disease via routes other than direct intra-cerebral challenge. More importantly, our results established that the rec-Prion caused disease is pathogenically and pathologically identical to naturally occurring contagious TSEs, supporting the concept that a conformationally altered protein agent is responsible for the infectivity in TSEs. The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of infectious neurodegenerative diseases affecting both humans and animals. The prion hypothesis postulates that prions are protein conformation based infectious agents responsible for TSE infectivity. Prions have been synthetically generated in vitro, but it remains unclear whether the properties of synthetically generated prion are the same as those of TSE agents and whether the disease caused by synthetically generated prion is identical to naturally occurring TSEs. In this study, we demonstrated that similar to the classical TSE agents, the synthetically generated prion has a titratable infectivity and is able to cause prion disease in wild-type mice via routes other than direct intra-cerebral inoculation. More importantly, we showed that the synthetically generated prion induced pathological changes, including the dissemination of disease-specific prion protein accumulation and the route and mechanism of neuroinvasion, were all typical of classical TSEs. These results demonstrate the similarity of synthetically generated prion to the infectious agent in TSEs, providing strong evidence supporting the prion hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhe Wang
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Gillian McGovern
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Lasswade Laboratory, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (East China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (East China Normal University), School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Liang Zha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Martin Jeffrey
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Lasswade Laboratory, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (East China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (East China Normal University), School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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24
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van Keulen LJM, Langeveld JPM, Dolstra CH, Jacobs J, Bossers A, van Zijderveld FG. TSE strain differentiation in mice by immunohistochemical PrP(Sc) profiles and triplex Western blot. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:756-79. [PMID: 25201447 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED TSE strains are routinely identified by their incubation period and vacuolation profile in the brain after intracerebral inoculation and serial passaging in inbred mouse lines. There are some major drawbacks to this method that are related to the variation in vacuolation that exists in the brains of mice infected with the same TSE strain and to variation between observers and laboratories in scoring vacuolation and determining the final incubation period. AIM We investigated the potential of PrP(Sc) immunohistochemistry and triplex Western blotting as possible alternative methods to differentiate between TSE strains. METHODS TSE reference strains ME7, 87A/87V, 22A/22C, 79A/79V and 301C/301V were intracerebrally inoculated in RIII or VM inbred mice that differ in their PrP genotype. Immunohistochemical PrP(Sc) profiles were drawn up by scanning light microscopy both on coronal and sagittal sections. RESULTS On the basis of the localization of PrP(Sc) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellar cortex and the overall type of PrP(Sc) staining, all TSE strains could be well differentiated from each other through their typical strain dependent characteristics. In addition, Western blot showed that the combination of glycosylation profile and 12B2 epitope content of PrP(Sc) allowed to distinguish between all reference strains except for ME7 and 22A in VM mice. CONCLUSION TSE strains in mice can be identified on the basis of their PrP(Sc) profile alone. The potential to identify TSE strains in ruminants with these PrP(Sc) profiles after a single primary passage in mice will be the topic of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien J M van Keulen
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Jan P M Langeveld
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Corry H Dolstra
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Jorg Jacobs
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Bossers
- Department of Infection Biology, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Fred G van Zijderveld
- Department of Bacteriology and TSEs, Central Veterinary Institute of Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands
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25
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The standard scrapie cell assay: development, utility and prospects. Viruses 2015; 7:180-98. [PMID: 25602372 PMCID: PMC4306833 DOI: 10.3390/v7010180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a family of fatal neurodegenerative diseases that involve the misfolding of a host protein, PrPC. Measuring prion infectivity is necessary for determining efficacy of a treatment or infectivity of a prion purification procedure; animal bioassays are, however, very expensive and time consuming. The Standard Scrapie Cell Assay (SSCA) provides an alternative approach. The SSCA facilitates quantitative in vitro analysis of prion strains, titres and biological properties. Given its robust nature and potential for high throughput, the SSCA has substantial utility for in vitro characterization of prions and can be deployed in a number of settings. Here we provide an overview on establishing the SSCA, its use in studies of disease dissemination and pathogenesis, potential pitfalls and a number of remaining challenges.
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Magnusson K, Simon R, Sjölander D, Sigurdson CJ, Hammarström P, Nilsson KPR. Multimodal fluorescence microscopy of prion strain specific PrP deposits stained by thiophene-based amyloid ligands. Prion 2014; 8:319-29. [PMID: 25495506 PMCID: PMC4601348 DOI: 10.4161/pri.29239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The disease-associated prion protein (PrP) forms aggregates which vary in structural conformation yet share an identical primary sequence. These variations in PrP conformation are believed to manifest in prion strains exhibiting distinctly different periods of disease incubation as well as regionally specific aggregate deposition within the brain. The anionic luminescent conjugated polythiophene (LCP), polythiophene acetic acid (PTAA) has previously been used to distinguish PrP deposits associated with distinct mouse adapted strains via distinct fluorescence emission profiles from the dye. Here, we employed PTAA and 3 structurally related chemically defined luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs) to stain brain tissue sections from mice inoculated with 2 distinct prion strains. Our results showed that in addition to emission spectra, excitation, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) can fruitfully be assessed for optical distinction of PrP deposits associated with distinct prion strains. Our findings support the theory that alterations in LCP/LCO fluorescence are due to distinct conformational restriction of the thiophene backbone upon interaction with PrP aggregates associated with distinct prion strains. We foresee that LCP and LCO staining in combination with multimodal fluorescence microscopy might aid in detecting structural differences among discrete protein aggregates and in linking protein conformational features with disease phenotypes for a variety of neurodegenerative proteinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Magnusson
- a Department of Chemistry ; Linköping University ; Linköping , Sweden
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Jalland CMO, Benestad SL, Ersdal C, Scheffler K, Suganthan R, Nakabeppu Y, Eide L, Bjørås M, Tranulis MA. Accelerated clinical course of prion disease in mice compromised in repair of oxidative DNA damage. Free Radic Biol Med 2014; 68:1-7. [PMID: 24296244 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The detailed mechanisms of prion-induced neurotoxicity are largely unknown. Here, we have studied the role of DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species in a mouse scrapie model by characterizing prion disease in the ogg1(-/-)mutyh(-/-) double knockout, which is compromised in oxidative DNA base excision repair. Ogg1 initiates removal of the major oxidation product 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) in DNA, and Mutyh initiates removal of adenine that has been misincorporated opposite 8-oxoG. Our data show that the onset of clinical signs appeared unaffected by Mutyh and Ogg1 expression. However, the ogg1(-/-)mutyh(-/-) mice displayed a significantly shorter clinical phase of the disease. Thus, accumulation of oxidative DNA damage might be of particular importance in the terminal clinical phase of prion disease. The prion-induced pathology and lesion profile were similar between knockout mice and controls. The fragmentation pattern of protease-resistant PrP as revealed in Western blots was also identical between the groups. Our data show that the fundamentals of prion propagation and pathological manifestation are not influenced by the oxidative DNA damage repair mechanisms studied here, but that progressive accumulation of oxidative lesions may accelerate the final toxic phase of prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cecilie Ersdal
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, NO-0033 Oslo, Norway
| | - Katja Scheffler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Rajikala Suganthan
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Yusaku Nakabeppu
- Division of Neurofunctional Genomics, Department of Immunobiology and Neuroscience, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Lars Eide
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Magnar Bjørås
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway
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Vrentas CE, Greenlee JJ, Baron T, Caramelli M, Czub S, Nicholson EM. Stability properties of PrP(Sc) from cattle with experimental transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: use of a rapid whole homogenate, protease-free assay. BMC Vet Res 2013; 9:167. [PMID: 23945217 PMCID: PMC3751458 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-9-167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), including scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME), and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), are fatal diseases of the nervous system associated with accumulation of misfolded prion protein (PrPSc). Different strains of TSEs exist, associated with different PrPSc conformations that can be probed by the stability assay, in which PrPSc is treated with increasing concentrations of the denaturant guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl). Results Here, we provide the first comprehensive application of a rapid, protease-free version of the GdnHCl stability assay to brain tissue from cattle experimentally infected with various TSE isolates. Consistent with previous findings from a single Japanese isolate, the L-type isolates of BSE are not distinguishable from classical BSE in this assay. In contrast, H-type isolates of BSE, including our unique isolate of E211K BSE, exhibit higher stability than classical BSE, suggesting that its increased protection against protease digestion at the BSE N-terminus is associated with a higher stability in GdnHCl. While the difference in stability in our version of the assay is likely not large enough for effective use in a diagnostic laboratory setting, the use of alternative experimental conditions may enhance this effect. TSEs from other natural host species that have been passaged in cattle, including CWD and TME, were not distinguishable from classical BSE, while isolates of cattle passaged scrapie exhibited a slight increase in stability as compared to classical BSE. Conclusions These results suggest that the core of PrPSc, as probed in this assay, has similar stability properties among cattle-passaged TSE isolates and that the conformational differences that lead to changes in the proteinase K cleavage site do not cause large changes in the stability of PrPSc from TSE-affected cattle. However, the stability differences observed here will provide a basis of comparison for new isolates of atypical BSE observed in the future and in other geographic locations, especially in the case of H-type BSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Vrentas
- Virus and Prion Disease Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50010, USA
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29
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McCarthy JM, Rasines Moreno B, Filippini D, Komber H, Maly M, Cernescu M, Brutschy B, Appelhans D, Rogers MS. Influence of surface groups on poly(propylene imine) dendrimers antiprion activity. Biomacromolecules 2012; 14:27-37. [PMID: 23234313 DOI: 10.1021/bm301165u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of PrP(Sc), an aberrantly folded isoform of the host protein PrP(C). Specific forms of synthetic molecules known as dendrimers are able to eliminate protease-resistant PrP(Sc) in both an intracellular and in vitro setting. The properties of a dendrimer which govern this ability are unknown. We addressed the issue by comparing the in vitro antiprion ability of numerous modified poly(propylene-imine) dendrimers, which varied in size, structure, charge, and surface group composition. Several of the modified dendrimers, including an anionic glycodendrimer, reduced the level of protease resistant PrP(Sc) in a prion strain-dependent manner. This led to the formulation of a new working model for dendrimer/prion interactions which proposes dendrimers eliminate PrP(Sc) by destabilizing the protein and rendering it susceptible to proteolysis. This ability is not dependent on any particular charge of dendrimer, but does require a high density of reactive surface groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M McCarthy
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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30
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Vascellari S, Orrù CD, Hughson AG, King D, Barron R, Wilham JM, Baron GS, Race B, Pani A, Caughey B. Prion seeding activities of mouse scrapie strains with divergent PrPSc protease sensitivities and amyloid plaque content using RT-QuIC and eQuIC. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48969. [PMID: 23139828 PMCID: PMC3489776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Different transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)-associated forms of prion protein (e.g. PrPSc) can vary markedly in ultrastructure and biochemical characteristics, but each is propagated in the host. PrPSc propagation involves conversion from its normal isoform, PrPC, by a seeded or templated polymerization mechanism. Such a mechanism is also the basis of the RT-QuIC and eQuIC prion assays which use recombinant PrP (rPrPSen) as a substrate. These ultrasensitive detection assays have been developed for TSE prions of several host species and sample tissues, but not for murine models which are central to TSE pathogenesis research. Here we have adapted RT-QuIC and eQuIC to various murine prions and evaluated how seeding activity depends on glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring and the abundance of amyloid plaques and protease-resistant PrPSc (PrPRes). Scrapie brain dilutions up to 10−8 and 10−13 were detected by RT-QuIC and eQuIC, respectively. Comparisons of scrapie-affected wild-type mice and transgenic mice expressing GPI anchorless PrP showed that, although similar concentrations of seeding activity accumulated in brain, the heavily amyloid-laden anchorless mouse tissue seeded more rapid reactions. Next we compared seeding activities in the brains of mice with similar infectivity titers, but widely divergent PrPRes levels. For this purpose we compared the 263K and 139A scrapie strains in transgenic mice expressing P101L PrPC. Although the brains of 263K-affected mice had little immunoblot-detectable PrPRes, RT-QuIC indicated that seeding activity was comparable to that associated with a high-PrPRes strain, 139A. Thus, in this comparison, RT-QuIC seeding activity correlated more closely with infectivity than with PrPRes levels. We also found that eQuIC, which incorporates a PrPSc immunoprecipitation step, detected seeding activity in plasma from wild-type and anchorless PrP transgenic mice inoculated with 22L, 79A and/or RML scrapie strains. Overall, we conclude that these new mouse-adapted prion seeding assays detect diverse types of PrPSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Vascellari
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Christina D. Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Andrew G. Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Declan King
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Rona Barron
- Division of Neurobiology, The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Jason M. Wilham
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Gerald S. Baron
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Alessandra Pani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Vrentas CE, Greenlee JJ, Tatum TL, Nicholson EM. Relationships between PrPSc stability and incubation time for United States scrapie isolates in a natural host system. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43060. [PMID: 22916207 PMCID: PMC3419241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), including scrapie in sheep (Ovis aries), are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a â-rich conformer (PrPSc) that accumulates into higher-order structures in the brain and other tissues. Distinct strains of TSEs exist, characterized by different pathologic profiles upon passage into rodents and representing distinct conformations of PrPSc. One biochemical method of distinguishing strains is the stability of PrPSc as determined by unfolding in guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl), which is tightly and positively correlated with the incubation time of disease upon passage into mice. Here, we utilize a rapid, protease-free version of the stability assay to characterize naturally occurring scrapie samples, including a fast-acting scrapie inoculum for which incubation time is highly dependent on the amino acid at codon 136 of the prion protein. We utilize the stability methodology to identify the presence of two distinct isolates in the inoculum, and compare isolate properties to those of a host-stabilized reference scrapie isolate (NADC 13-7) in order to assess the stability/incubation time correlation in a natural host system. We demonstrate the utility of the stability methodology in characterizing TSE isolates throughout serial passage in livestock, which is applicable to a range of natural host systems, including strains of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and chronic wasting disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E. Vrentas
- National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Justin J. Greenlee
- National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Trudy L. Tatum
- National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Eric M. Nicholson
- National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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32
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Mahal SP, Jablonski J, Suponitsky-Kroyter I, Oelschlegel AM, Herva ME, Oldstone M, Weissmann C. Propagation of RML prions in mice expressing PrP devoid of GPI anchor leads to formation of a novel, stable prion strain. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002746. [PMID: 22685404 PMCID: PMC3369955 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
PrP(C), a host protein which in prion-infected animals is converted to PrP(Sc), is linked to the cell membrane by a GPI anchor. Mice expressing PrP(C) without GPI anchor (tgGPI⁻ mice), are susceptible to prion infection but accumulate anchorless PrP(Sc) extra-, rather than intracellularly. We investigated whether tgGPI⁻ mice could faithfully propagate prion strains despite the deviant structure and location of anchorless PrP(Sc). We found that RML and ME7, but not 22L prions propagated in tgGPI⁻ brain developed novel cell tropisms, as determined by the Cell Panel Assay (CPA). Surprisingly, the levels of proteinase K-resistant PrP(Sc) (PrP(res)) in RML- or ME7-infected tgGPI⁻ brain were 25-50 times higher than in wild-type brain. When returned to wild-type brain, ME7 prions recovered their original properties, however RML prions had given rise to a novel prion strain, designated SFL, which remained unchanged even after three passages in wild-type mice. Because both RML PrP(Sc) and SFL PrP(Sc) are stably propagated in wild-type mice we propose that the two conformations are separated by a high activation energy barrier which is abrogated in tgGPI⁻ mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhvir Paul Mahal
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Joseph Jablonski
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | | | | | - Maria Eugenia Herva
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Michael Oldstone
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Charles Weissmann
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
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33
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Herva ME, Weissman C. Cell-specific susceptibility to prion strains is a property of the intact cell. Prion 2012; 6:371-4. [PMID: 22561192 DOI: 10.4161/pri.20198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions consist of PrP (Sc), a misfolded version of the cellular protein PrP (C). They occur in a variety of strains that share the amino acid sequence of PrP but differ in phenotypic properties, such as cell tropism and pathogenicity; strain-ness is attributed to the conformation of PrP (Sc). To gain insight as to how susceptibility of cells to a given prion strain comes about, we compared amplification of RML prions by PMCA, using cell lysates from related, RML-resistant and RML-susceptible cell lines as substrate. We found that both lysates supported amplification of RML PrP (Sc) equally well, despite a 280-fold difference in the susceptibility of the cells from which they were derived. Thus, susceptibility is an attribute of the intact cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Herva
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, FL, USA
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34
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Biochemical properties of highly neuroinvasive prion strains. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002522. [PMID: 22319450 PMCID: PMC3271082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious prions propagate from peripheral entry sites into the central nervous system (CNS), where they cause progressive neurodegeneration that ultimately leads to death. Yet the pathogenesis of prion disease can vary dramatically depending on the strain, or conformational variant of the aberrantly folded and aggregated protein, PrPSc. Although most prion strains invade the CNS, some prion strains cannot gain entry and do not cause clinical signs of disease. The conformational basis for this remarkable variation in the pathogenesis among strains is unclear. Using mouse-adapted prion strains, here we show that highly neuroinvasive prion strains primarily form diffuse aggregates in brain and are noncongophilic, conformationally unstable in denaturing conditions, and lead to rapidly lethal disease. These neuroinvasive strains efficiently generate PrPSc over short incubation periods. In contrast, the weakly neuroinvasive prion strains form large fibrillary plaques and are stable, congophilic, and inefficiently generate PrPSc over long incubation periods. Overall, these results indicate that the most neuroinvasive prion strains are also the least stable, and support the concept that the efficient replication and unstable nature of the most rapidly converting prions may be a feature linked to their efficient spread into the CNS. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that are also infectious. Prions are composed of a misfolded, aggregated form of a normal cellular protein that is highly expressed in neurons. Prion- infected individuals show variability in the clinical signs and brain regions that selectively accumulate prions, even within the same species expressing the same prion protein sequence. The basis of these divergent disease phenotypes is unclear, but is thought to be due to different conformations of the misfolded prion protein, known as strains. Here we characterized the neuropathology and biochemical properties of prion strains that efficiently or poorly invade the CNS from their peripheral entry site. We show that prion strains that efficiently invade the CNS also cause a rapidly terminal disease after an intracerebral exposure. These rapidly lethal strains were unstable when exposed to denaturants or high temperatures, and efficiently accumulated misfolded prion protein over a short incubation period in vivo. Our findings indicate that the most invasive, rapidly spreading strains are also the least conformationally stable.
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35
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Hasebe R, Raymond GJ, Horiuchi M, Caughey B. Reaction of complement factors varies with prion strains in vitro and in vivo. Virology 2012; 423:205-13. [PMID: 22222213 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2011] [Revised: 09/21/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Roles of complement factors in prion infection of the central nervous system remain unclear. In this study, we assessed the strain-dependent reactivity of complement factors in prion infections of Neuro2a (N2a) cells and mouse brains. N2a cells persistently infected with either Chandler or 22L scrapie strains were cultured in the presence of normal mouse serum (NMS), followed by staining with phosphatidylserine binding protein and early apoptosis marker Annexin V. The proportion of Annexin V positive cells was increased both in Chandler- and 22L-infected cells. Preincubation of NMS with anti-C1q, C3 and/or C9 antibodies reduced Annexin V positive cells in Chandler-infected cells, while only anti-C3 antibodies were effective on 22L-infected cells. The immunohistochemistry showed that deposition of C1q and C3 was different between Chandler- and 22L-infected mouse brains. These results indicate that the reactivity of complement factors differs between prion strains both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Hasebe
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
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36
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Abstract
Prions are infectious, self-propagating protein conformations. [PSI+], [RNQ+] and [URE3] are well characterized prions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and represent the aggregated states of the translation termination factor Sup35, a functionally unknown protein Rnq1, and a regulator of nitrogen metabolism Ure2, respectively. Overproduction of Sup35 induces the de novo appearance of the [PSI+] prion in [RNQ+] or [URE3] strain, but not in non-prion strain. However, [RNQ+] and [URE3] prions themselves, as well as overexpression of a mutant Rnq1 protein, Rnq1Δ100, and Lsm4, hamper the maintenance of [PSI+]. These findings point to a bipolar activity of [RNQ+], [URE3], Rnq1Δ100, and Lsm4, and probably other yeast prion proteins as well, for the fate of [PSI+] prion. Possible mechanisms underlying the apparent bipolar activity of yeast prions will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kurahashi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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37
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Seelig DM, Mason GL, Telling GC, Hoover EA. Chronic wasting disease prion trafficking via the autonomic nervous system. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 179:1319-28. [PMID: 21777560 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Revised: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal spongiform encephalopathy that is efficiently transmitted among members of the mammalian family Cervidae, including deer, elk, and moose. Typical of prion diseases, CWD is characterized by the conversion of the native protease-sensitive protein PrP(C) to a protease-resistant isoform, denoted PrP(RES). In native species, spread of the disease likely results from the ingestion of prion-containing excreta, including urine, saliva, or feces. Although cervid prion protein-expressing transgenic [Tg(CerPrP)] mice have been shown to be effective surrogates of natural CWD, uncertainties remain regarding the mechanisms by which CWD prions traffic in vivo, including the manner by which CWD prions traffic from the gastrointestinal tract to the central nervous system. We used elk prion protein-expressing transgenic [Tg(CerPrP-E)] mice, infected by three different routes of inoculation, and tissue-based IHC to elucidate that centripetal and centrifugal CWD prion transit pathways involve cells and fibers of the autonomic nervous systems, including the enteric nervous system and central autonomic network. Moreover, we identified CWD PrP(RES) associated with the cell bodies and processes of enteric glial cells within the enteric nervous system of CWD-infected Tg(CerPrP-E) mice. The present findings demonstrate the importance of the peripheral and central autonomic networks in CWD neuroinvasion and neuropathogenesis and suggest that enteroglial cells may facilitate the shedding of prions via the intestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davis M Seelig
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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38
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Abstract
Here we review the known strain profiles of various prion diseases of animals and humans, and how transgenic mouse models are being used to elucidate basic molecular mechanisms of prion propagation and strain variation and for assessing the zoonotic potential of various animal prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn C Telling
- Sanders Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.
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39
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Abstract
Prions are infectious, self-propagating protein conformations. [PSI+], [RNQ+] and [URE3] are well characterized prions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and represent the aggregated states of the translation termination factor Sup35, a functionally unknown protein Rnq1, and a regulator of nitrogen metabolism Ure2, respectively. Overproduction of Sup35 induces the de novo appearance of the [PSI+] prion in [RNQ+] or [URE3] strain, but not in non-prion strain. However, [RNQ+] and [URE3] prions themselves, as well as overexpression of a mutant Rnq1 protein, Rnq1Δ100, and Lsm4, hamper the maintenance of [PSI+]. These findings point to a bipolar activity of [RNQ+], [URE3], Rnq1Δ100, and Lsm4, and probably other yeast prion proteins as well, for the fate of [PSI+] prion. Possible mechanisms underlying the apparent bipolar activity of yeast prions will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kurahashi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences; Institute of Medical Science; University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan,Department of Neurochemistry; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine; Sendai, Japan
| | - Keita Oishi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences; Institute of Medical Science; University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Nakamura
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences; Institute of Medical Science; University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan
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40
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Jeffrey M, McGovern G, Sisó S, González L. Cellular and sub-cellular pathology of animal prion diseases: relationship between morphological changes, accumulation of abnormal prion protein and clinical disease. Acta Neuropathol 2011; 121:113-34. [PMID: 20532540 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0700-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2010] [Revised: 05/04/2010] [Accepted: 05/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases of animals are characterised by CNS spongiform change, gliosis and the accumulation of disease-associated forms of prion protein (PrP(d)). Particularly in ruminant prion diseases, a wide range of morphological types of PrP(d) depositions are found in association with neurons and glia. When light microscopic patterns of PrP(d) accumulations are correlated with sub-cellular structure, intracellular PrP(d) co-localises with lysosomes while non-intracellular PrP(d) accumulation co-localises with cell membranes and the extracellular space. Intracellular lysosomal PrP(d) is N-terminally truncated, but the site at which the PrP(d) molecule is cleaved depends on strain and cell type. Different PrP(d) cleavage sites are found for different cells infected with the same agent indicating that not all PrP(d) conformers code for different prion strains. Non-intracellular PrP(d) is full-length and is mainly found on plasma-lemmas of neuronal perikarya and dendrites and glia where it may be associated with scrapie-specific membrane pathology. These membrane changes appear to involve a redirection of the predominant axonal trafficking of normal cellular PrP and an altered endocytosis of PrP(d). PrP(d) is poorly excised from membranes, probably due to increased stabilisation on the membrane of PrP(d) complexed with other membrane ligands. PrP(d) on plasma-lemmas may also be transferred to other cells or released to the extracellular space. It is widely assumed that PrP(d) accumulations cause neurodegenerative changes that lead to clinical disease. However, when different animal prion diseases are considered, neurological deficits do not correlate well with any morphological type of PrP(d) accumulation or perturbation of PrP(d) trafficking. Non-PrP(d)-associated neurodegenerative changes in TSEs include vacuolation, tubulovesicular bodies and terminal axonal degeneration. The last of these correlates well with early neurological disease in mice, but such changes are absent from large animal prion disease. Thus, the proximate cause of clinical disease in animal prion disease is uncertain, but may not involve PrP(d).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Jeffrey
- Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Lasswade Laboratory, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK.
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41
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Simmons MM, Spiropoulos J, Webb PR, Spencer YI, Czub S, Mueller R, Davis A, Arnold ME, Marsh S, Hawkins SAC, Cooper JA, Konold T, Wells GAH. Experimental classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy: definition and progression of neural PrP immunolabeling in relation to diagnosis and disease controls. Vet Pathol 2010; 48:948-63. [PMID: 21078883 DOI: 10.1177/0300985810387072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tissues from sequential-kill time course studies of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were examined to define PrP immunohistochemical labeling forms and map disease-specific labeling over the disease course after oral exposure to the BSE agent at two dose levels. Study was confined to brainstem, spinal cord, and certain peripheral nervous system ganglia-tissues implicated in pathogenesis and diagnosis or disease control strategies. Disease-specific labeling in the brainstem in 39 of 220 test animals showed the forms and patterns observed in natural disease and invariably preceded spongiform changes. A precise temporal pattern of increase in labeling was not apparent, but labeling was generally most widespread in clinical cases, and it always involved neuroanatomic locations in the medulla oblongata. In two cases, sparse labeling was confined to one or more neuroanatomic nuclei of the medulla oblongata. When involved, the spinal cord was affected at all levels, providing no indication of temporal spread within the cord axis or relative to the brainstem. Where minimal PrP labeling occurred in the thoracic spinal cord, it was consistent with initial involvement of general visceral efferent neurons. Labeling of ganglia involved only sensory ganglia and only when PrP was present in the brainstem and spinal cord. These experimental transmissions mimicked the neuropathologic findings in BSE-C field cases, independent of dose of agent or stage of disease. The model supports current diagnostic sampling approaches and control measures for the removal and destruction of nervous system tissues in slaughtered cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Simmons
- Department of Pathology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
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42
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Abstract
While prions share the ability to propagate strain information with nucleic acid-based pathogens, it is unclear how they mutate and acquire fitness in the absence of this informational component. Because prion diseases occur as epidemics, understanding this mechanism is of paramount importance for implementing control strategies to limit their spread and for evaluating their zoonotic potential. Here we review emerging evidence indicating how prion protein primary structures, in concert with PrP(Sc) conformational compatibility, determine prion strain mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn C Telling
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Sanders Brown Center on Aging, Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA.
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43
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Abstract
Various misfolded and aggregated neuronal proteins commonly coexist in neurodegenerative disease, but whether the proteins coaggregate and alter the disease pathogenesis is unclear. Here, we used mixtures of distinct prion strains, which are believed to differ in conformation, to test the hypothesis that two different aggregates interact and change the disease in vivo. We tracked two prion strains in mice histopathologically and biochemically, as well as by spectral analysis of plaque-bound PTAA (polythiophene acetic acid), a conformation-sensitive fluorescent amyloid ligand. We found that prion strains interacted in a highly selective and strain-specific manner, with (1) no interaction, (2) hybrid plaque formation, or (3) blockage of one strain by a second (interference). The hybrid plaques were maintained on additional passage in vivo and each strain seemed to maintain its original conformational properties, suggesting that one strain served only as a scaffold for aggregation of the second strain. These findings not only further our understanding of prion strain interactions but also directly demonstrate interactions that may occur in other protein aggregate mixtures.
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44
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Sigurdson CJ, Nilsson KPR, Hornemann S, Manco G, Fernández-Borges N, Schwarz P, Castilla J, Wüthrich K, Aguzzi A. A molecular switch controls interspecies prion disease transmission in mice. J Clin Invest 2010; 120:2590-9. [PMID: 20551516 DOI: 10.1172/jci42051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are lethal neurodegenerative disorders that present with aggregated forms of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), which are known as PrPSc. Prions from different species vary considerably in their transmissibility to xenogeneic hosts. The variable transmission barriers depend on sequence differences between incoming PrPSc and host PrPC and additionally, on strain-dependent conformational properties of PrPSc. The beta2-alpha2 loop region within PrPC varies substantially between species, with its structure being influenced by the residue types in the 2 amino acid sequence positions 170 (most commonly S or N) and 174 (N or T). In this study, we inoculated prions from 5 different species into transgenic mice expressing either disordered-loop or rigid-loop PrPC variants. Similar beta2-alpha2 loop structures correlated with efficient transmission, whereas dissimilar loops correlated with strong transmission barriers. We then classified literature data on cross-species transmission according to the 170S/N polymorphism. Transmission barriers were generally low between species with the same amino acid residue in position 170 and high between those with different residues. These findings point to a triggering role of the local beta2-alpha2 loop structure for prion transmissibility between different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
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45
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Stanker LH, Serban AV, Cleveland E, Hnasko R, Lemus A, Safar J, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB. Conformation-dependent high-affinity monoclonal antibodies to prion proteins. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 185:729-37. [PMID: 20530267 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0902930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal, neurodegenerative illnesses caused by the accumulation of PrP(Sc), an aberrantly folded isoform of the normal, cellular prion protein. Detection of PrP(Sc) commonly relies on immunochemical methods, a strategy hampered by the lack of Abs specific for this disease-causing isoform. In this article, we report the generation of eight mAbs against prion protein (PrP) following immunization of Prnp-null mice with rPrP. The eight mAbs exhibited distinct differential binding to cellular prion protein and PrP(Sc) from different species as well as PrP-derived synthetic peptides. Five of the eight mAbs exhibited binding to discontinuous PrP epitopes, all of which were disrupted by the addition of 2-ME or DTT, which reduced the single disulfide bond found in PrP. One mAb F20-29 reacted only with human PrP, whereas the F4-31 mAb bound bovine PrP; the K(D) values for mAbs F4-31 and F20-29 were ~500 pM. Binding of all five conformation-dependent mAbs to PrP was inhibited by 2-ME in ELISA, Western blots, and histoblots. One conformation-dependent mAb F4-31 increased the sensitivity of an ELISA-based test by nearly 500-fold when it was used as the capture Ab. These new conformation-dependent mAbs were found to be particularly useful in histoblotting studies, in which the low backgrounds after treatment with 2-ME created unusually high signal-to-noise ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry H Stanker
- Foodborne Contaminants Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA 94710, USA
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46
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Angers RC, Kang HE, Napier D, Browning S, Seward T, Mathiason C, Balachandran A, McKenzie D, Castilla J, Soto C, Jewell J, Graham C, Hoover EA, Telling GC. Prion strain mutation determined by prion protein conformational compatibility and primary structure. Science 2010; 328:1154-8. [PMID: 20466881 DOI: 10.1126/science.1187107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Prions are infectious proteins composed of the abnormal disease-causing isoform PrPSc, which induces conformational conversion of the host-encoded normal cellular prion protein PrPC to additional PrPSc. The mechanism underlying prion strain mutation in the absence of nucleic acids remains unresolved. Additionally, the frequency of strains causing chronic wasting disease (CWD), a burgeoning prion epidemic of cervids, is unknown. Using susceptible transgenic mice, we identified two prevalent CWD strains with divergent biological properties but composed of PrPSc with indistinguishable biochemical characteristics. Although CWD transmissions indicated stable, independent strain propagation by elk PrPC, strain coexistence in the brains of deer and transgenic mice demonstrated unstable strain propagation by deer PrPC. The primary structures of deer and elk prion proteins differ at residue 226, which, in concert with PrPSc conformational compatibility, determines prion strain mutation in these cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Angers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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47
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Dorban G, Defaweux V, Heinen E, Antoine N. Spreading of prions from the immune to the peripheral nervous system: a potential implication of dendritic cells. Histochem Cell Biol 2010; 133:493-504. [PMID: 20238136 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-010-0687-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The implication of dendritic cells (DCs) in the peripheral spreading of prions has increased in the last few years. It has been recently described that DCs can transmit prions to primary neurons from the central nervous system. In order to improve the understanding of the earliest steps of prion peripheral neuroinvasion, we studied, using an in vitro model, the effect of exposing primary peripheral neurons to scrapie-infected lymphoid cells. Thanks to this system, there is evidence that bone marrow dendritic cells (BMDCs) are in connection with neurites of peripheral neurons via cytoplasmic extensions. BMDCs are competent to internalize prions independently from the expression of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) and have the capacity to transmit detergent-insoluble, relatively proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrP(Sc)) to peripheral neurons after 96 h of coculture. Furthermore, we confirmed the special status of the peripheral nervous system in front of prion diseases. Contrary to central neurons, PrP(Sc) infection does not disturb survival and neurite outgrowth. Our model demonstrates that PrP(Sc)-loaded dendritic cells and peripheral nerve fibers that are included in neuroimmune interfaces can initiate and spread prion neuroinvasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier Dorban
- Human Histology, Immunology Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Liège, C.H.U., Avenue de l'hôpital, Tour de pharmacie +4, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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48
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Characterization of strains of ovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy with a short PrPd profiling method. J Comp Pathol 2010; 142:300-10. [PMID: 20153480 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2009.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 12/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Scrapie is the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that naturally affects sheep and goats; these species are also susceptible to experimental infection with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. Discrimination between different strains of sheep scrapie and ovine BSE has been achieved by descriptive and quantitative profiling of deposits of the disease-associated prion protein (PrPd) in different areas of the brain, but this process is time-consuming and difficult to standardize between laboratories. The present paper describes an alternative PrPd profiling method that is less demanding and addresses these difficulties. It is based on the scoring of similar 14 PrPd types in 11 precisely defined areas of the telencephalon. When applied to 48 archived cases of experimental sheep BSE, SSBP/1, CH1641 and natural scrapie, it gave comparable results to the original profiling method, previously conducted on the same brains, and allowed differentiation between the different infectious sources. This new 'short PrPd profiling' method has the advantages of being less time-consuming and easier to standardize, so that it can be readily adopted by different laboratories to provide comparable results.
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49
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Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are inevitably lethal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and a large variety of animals. The infectious agent responsible for TSEs is the prion, an abnormally folded and aggregated protein that propagates itself by imposing its conformation onto the cellular prion protein (PrPC) of the host. PrPCis necessary for prion replication and for prion-induced neurodegeneration, yet the proximal causes of neuronal injury and death are still poorly understood. Prion toxicity may arise from the interference with the normal function of PrPC, and therefore, understanding the physiological role of PrPCmay help to clarify the mechanism underlying prion diseases. Here we discuss the evolution of the prion concept and how prion-like mechanisms may apply to other protein aggregation diseases. We describe the clinical and the pathological features of the prion diseases in human and animals, the events occurring during neuroinvasion, and the possible scenarios underlying brain damage. Finally, we discuss potential antiprion therapies and current developments in the realm of prion diagnostics.
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50
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Brown KL, Wathne GJ, Sales J, Bruce ME, Mabbott NA. The effects of host age on follicular dendritic cell status dramatically impair scrapie agent neuroinvasion in aged mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 183:5199-207. [PMID: 19786551 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0802695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Following peripheral exposure, many transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents accumulate first in lymphoid tissues before spreading to the CNS (termed neuroinvasion) where they cause neurodegeneration. Early TSE agent accumulation upon follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) in lymphoid follicles appears critical for efficient neuroinvasion. Most clinical cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have occurred in young adults, although the reasons behind this apparent age-related susceptibility are uncertain. Host age has a significant influence on immune function. As FDC status and immune complex trapping is reduced in aged mice (600 days old), we hypothesized that this aging-related decline in FDC function might impair TSE pathogenesis. We show that coincident with the effects of host age on FDC status, the early TSE agent accumulation in the spleens of aged mice was significantly impaired. Furthermore, following peripheral exposure, none of the aged mice developed clinical TSE disease during their lifespans, although most mice displayed histopathological signs of TSE disease in their brains. Our data imply that the reduced status of FDCs in aged mice significantly impairs the early TSE agent accumulation in lymphoid tissues and subsequent neuroinvasion. Furthermore, the inefficient neuroinvasion in aged individuals may lead to significant levels of subclinical TSE disease in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Brown
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, United Kingdom
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