1
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DeFranco JP, Bian J, Kim S, Crowell J, Barrio T, Webster BK, Atkinson ZN, Telling GC. Propagation of distinct CWD prion strains during peripheral and intracerebral challenges of gene-targeted mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2402726121. [PMID: 39083420 PMCID: PMC11317562 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402726121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Since prion diseases result from infection and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system (CNS), experimental characterizations of prion strain properties customarily rely on the outcomes of intracerebral challenges. However, natural transmission of certain prions, including those causing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in elk and deer, depends on propagation in peripheral host compartments prior to CNS infection. Using gene-targeted GtE and GtQ mice, which accurately control cellular elk or deer PrP expression, we assessed the impact that peripheral or intracerebral exposures play on CWD prion strain propagation and resulting CNS abnormalities. Whereas oral and intraperitoneal transmissions produced identical neuropathological outcomes in GtE and GtQ mice and preserved the naturally convergent conformations of elk and deer CWD prions, intracerebral transmissions generated CNS prion strains with divergent biochemical properties in GtE and GtQ mice that were changed compared to their native counterparts. While CWD replication kinetics remained constant during iterative peripheral transmissions and brain titers reflected those found in native hosts, serial intracerebral transmissions produced 10-fold higher prion titers and accelerated incubation times. Our demonstration that peripherally and intracerebrally challenged Gt mice develop dissimilar CNS diseases which result from the propagation of distinct CWD prion strains points to the involvement of tissue-specific cofactors during strain selection in different host compartments. Since peripheral transmissions preserved the natural features of elk and deer prions, whereas intracerebral propagation produced divergent strains, our findings illustrate the importance of experimental characterizations using hosts that not only abrogate species barriers but also accurately recapitulate natural transmission routes of native strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P. DeFranco
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Jifeng Bian
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Sehun Kim
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Jenna Crowell
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Tomás Barrio
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Bailey K. Webster
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Zoe N. Atkinson
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
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2
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Thackray AM, McNulty EE, Nalls AV, Smith A, Comoy E, Telling G, Benestad SL, Andréoletti O, Mathiason CK, Bujdoso R. Lack of prion transmission barrier in human PrP transgenic Drosophila. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107617. [PMID: 39089583 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
While animal prion diseases are a threat to human health, their zoonotic potential is generally inefficient because of interspecies prion transmission barriers. New animal models are required to provide an understanding of these prion transmission barriers and to assess the zoonotic potential of animal prion diseases. To address this goal, we generated Drosophila transgenic for human or nonhuman primate prion protein (PrP) and determined their susceptibility to known pathogenic prion diseases, namely varient Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and that with unknown pathogenic potential, namely chronic wasting disease (CWD). Adult Drosophila transgenic for M129 or V129 human PrP or nonhuman primate PrP developed a neurotoxic phenotype and showed an accelerated loss of survival after exposure to vCJD, classical BSE, or CWD prions at the larval stage. vCJD prion strain identity was retained after passage in both M129 and V129 human PrP Drosophila. All of the primate PrP fly lines accumulated prion seeding activity and concomitantly developed a neurotoxic phenotype, generally including accelerated loss of survival, after exposure to CWD prions derived from different cervid species, including North American white-tailed deer and muntjac, and European reindeer and moose. These novel studies show that primate PrP transgenic Drosophila lack known prion transmission barriers since, in mammalian hosts, V129 human PrP is associated with severe resistance to classical BSE prions, while both human and cynomolgus macaque PrP are associated with resistance to CWD prions. Significantly, our data suggest that interspecies differences in the amino acid sequence of PrP may not be a principal determinant of the prion transmission barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alana M Thackray
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erin E McNulty
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Amy V Nalls
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Andrew Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emmanuel Comoy
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, DRF/IBFJ/SEPIA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Glenn Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sylvie L Benestad
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for CWD (SLB), Department of Biohazard and Pathology, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRA ENVT 1225 -Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Prion Research Center (PRC) and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Raymond Bujdoso
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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3
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Zerr I, Ladogana A, Mead S, Hermann P, Forloni G, Appleby BS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion diseases. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:14. [PMID: 38424082 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases share common clinical and pathological characteristics such as spongiform neuronal degeneration and deposition of an abnormal form of a host-derived protein, termed prion protein. The characteristic features of prion diseases are long incubation times, short clinical courses, extreme resistance of the transmissible agent to degradation and lack of nucleic acid involvement. Sporadic and genetic forms of prion diseases occur worldwide, of which genetic forms are associated with mutations in PRNP. Human to human transmission of these diseases has occurred due to iatrogenic exposure, and zoonotic forms of prion diseases are linked to bovine disease. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis of these disorders. Clinical tools for diagnosis comprise brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Aggregation assays for detection of the abnormally folded prion protein have a clear potential to diagnose the disease in peripherally accessible biofluids. After decades of therapeutic nihilism, new treatment strategies and clinical trials are on the horizon. Although prion diseases are relatively rare disorders, understanding their pathogenesis and mechanisms of prion protein misfolding has significantly enhanced the field in research of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Brian S Appleby
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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4
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Bridges LR. RNA as a component of scrapie fibrils. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5011. [PMID: 38424114 PMCID: PMC10904389 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55278-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) maps of fibrils from the brains of mice and hamsters with five infectious scrapie strains have been published and deposited in the electron microscopy data bank (EMDB). As noted by the primary authors, the fibrils contain a second component other than protein. The aim of the present study was to identify the nature of this second component in the published maps using an in silico approach. Extra densities (EDs) containing this component were continuous, straight, axial, at right angles to protein rungs and within hydrogen-bonding distance of protein, consistent with a structural role. EDs co-located with strips of basic residues, notably lysines, and formed a conspicuous cladding over parts of the N-terminal lobe of the protein. A Y-shaped polymer consistent with RNA was found, in places forming a single chain and at one location forming a duplex, comprising two antiparallel chains, and raising the intriguing possibility of replicative behaviour. To reflect the monotonous nature of the protein interface, it is suggested that the RNA may be a short tandem repeat. Fibrils from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerations also contain EDs and may be of a similar aetiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie R Bridges
- Neuropathology, Cellular Pathology, South West London Pathology, St George's Hospital, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.
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5
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Eraña H, Díaz-Domínguez CM, Charco JM, Vidal E, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MA, Piñeiro P, López-Moreno R, Sampedro-Torres-Quevedo C, Fernández-Veiga L, Tasis-Galarza J, Lorenzo NL, Santini-Santiago A, Lázaro M, García-Martínez S, Gonçalves-Anjo N, San-Juan-Ansoleaga M, Galarza-Ahumada J, Fernández-Muñoz E, Giler S, Valle M, Telling GC, Geijó M, Requena JR, Castilla J. Understanding the key features of the spontaneous formation of bona fide prions through a novel methodology that enables their swift and consistent generation. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:145. [PMID: 37679832 PMCID: PMC10486007 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01640-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Among transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases affecting humans, sporadic forms such as sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are the vast majority. Unlike genetic or acquired forms of the disease, these idiopathic forms occur seemingly due to a random event of spontaneous misfolding of the cellular PrP (PrPC) into the pathogenic isoform (PrPSc). Currently, the molecular mechanisms that trigger and drive this event, which occurs in approximately one individual per million each year, remain completely unknown. Modelling this phenomenon in experimental settings is highly challenging due to its sporadic and rare occurrence. Previous attempts to model spontaneous prion misfolding in vitro have not been fully successful, as the spontaneous formation of prions is infrequent and stochastic, hindering the systematic study of the phenomenon. In this study, we present the first method that consistently induces spontaneous misfolding of recombinant PrP into bona fide prions within hours, providing unprecedented possibilities to investigate the mechanisms underlying sporadic prionopathies. By fine-tuning the Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification method, which was initially developed to propagate recombinant prions, we have created a methodology that consistently produces spontaneously misfolded recombinant prions in 100% of the cases. Furthermore, this method gives rise to distinct strains and reveals the critical influence of charged surfaces in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasier Eraña
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos M Díaz-Domínguez
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge M Charco
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Vidal
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ezequiel González-Miranda
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Miguel A Pérez-Castro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Patricia Piñeiro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Moreno
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Cristina Sampedro-Torres-Quevedo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Leire Fernández-Veiga
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Juan Tasis-Galarza
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Nuria L Lorenzo
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Aileen Santini-Santiago
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Melisa Lázaro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Sandra García-Martínez
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Nuno Gonçalves-Anjo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Maitena San-Juan-Ansoleaga
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Josu Galarza-Ahumada
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Eva Fernández-Muñoz
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Samanta Giler
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mikel Valle
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Glenn C Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Mariví Geijó
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Jesús R Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011, Bilbao, Spain.
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6
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Schwind AM, Walsh DJ, Burke CM, Supattapone S. Phospholipid cofactor solubilization inhibits formation of native prions. J Neurochem 2023; 166:875-884. [PMID: 37551010 PMCID: PMC10528465 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Cofactor molecules are required to generate infectious mammalian prions in vitro. Mouse and hamster prions appear to have different cofactor preferences: Whereas both mouse and hamster prions can use phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as a prion cofactor, only hamster prions can also use single-stranded RNA as an alternative cofactor. Here, we investigated the effect of detergent solubilization on rodent prion formation in vitro. We discovered that detergents that can solubilize PE (n-octylglucoside, n-octylgalactoside, and CHAPS) inhibit mouse prion formation in serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) reactions using bank vole brain homogenate substrate, whereas detergents that are unable to solubilize PE (Triton X-100 and IPEGAL) have no effect. For all three PE-solubilizing detergents, inhibition of RML mouse prion formation was only observed above the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Two other mouse prion strains, Me7 and 301C, were also inhibited by the three PE-solubilizing detergents but not by Triton X-100 or IPEGAL. In contrast, none of the detergents inhibited hamster prion formation in parallel sPMCA reactions using the same bank vole brain homogenate substrate. In reconstituted sPMCA reactions using purified substrates, n-octylglucoside inhibited hamster prion formation when immunopurified bank vole PrPC substrate was supplemented with brain phospholipid but not with RNA. Interestingly, phospholipid cofactor solubilization had no effect in sPMCA reactions using bacterially expressed recombinant PrP substrate, indicating that the inhibitory effect of solubilization requires PrPC post-translational modifications. Overall, these in vitro results show that the ability of PE to facilitate the formation of native but not recombinant prions requires phospholipid bilayer integrity, suggesting that membrane structure may play an important role in prion formation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M. Schwind
- Department of Biochemistry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
| | - Daniel J. Walsh
- Department of Biochemistry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
| | - Cassandra M. Burke
- Department of Biochemistry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- Department of Biochemistry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA
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7
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Bridges LR. Replicating RNA as a component of scrapie fibrils. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553578. [PMID: 37645951 PMCID: PMC10462133 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Recently, electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) maps of fibrils from the brains of mice and hamsters with five infectious scrapie strains have been published1-5 and deposited in the electron microscopy data bank (EMDB)6. This represents long-awaited near-atomic level structural evidence, widely expected to confirm the protein-only prion hypothesis7,8. Instead, the maps reveal a second component, other than protein. The aim of the present study was to identify the nature of this second component, in the published maps1-5, using an in silico approach. Extra densities (EDs) containing this component were continuous, straight, axial, at right angles to protein rungs and within hydrogen-bonding distance of protein, consistent with a role as guide and support in fibril construction. EDs co-located with strips of basic residues, notably lysines, and formed a conspicuous cladding over parts of the N-terminal lobe of the protein. In one ED, there was evidence of a Y-shaped polymer forming two antiparallel chains, consistent with replicating RNA. Although the protein-only prion hypothesis7 is still popular, convincing counter-evidence for an essential role of RNA as a cofactor has amassed in the last 20 years8. The present findings go beyond this in providing evidence for RNA as the genetic element of scrapie. To reflect the monotonous nature of the protein interface, it is suggested that the RNA may be a tandem repeat. This is against the protein-only prion hypothesis and in favour of a more orthodox agent, more akin to a virus. Fibrils from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerations also contain EDs9 and may be of a similar aetiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie R Bridges
- Neuropathology, Cellular Pathology, South West London Pathology, St George's Hospital, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK and Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
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8
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Cordeiro Y, Freire MHO, Wiecikowski AF, do Amaral MJ. (Dys)functional insights into nucleic acids and RNA-binding proteins modulation of the prion protein and α-synuclein phase separation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:577-589. [PMID: 37681103 PMCID: PMC10480379 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are prototype of infectious diseases transmitted by a protein, the prion protein (PrP), and are still not understandable at the molecular level. Heterogenous species of aggregated PrP can be generated from its monomer. α-synuclein (αSyn), related to Parkinson's disease, has also shown a prion-like pathogenic character, and likewise PrP interacts with nucleic acids (NAs), which in turn modulate their aggregation. Recently, our group and others have characterized that NAs and/or RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) modulate recombinant PrP and/or αSyn condensates formation, and uncontrolled condensation might precede pathological aggregation. Tackling abnormal phase separation of neurodegenerative disease-related proteins has been proposed as a promising therapeutic target. Therefore, understanding the mechanism by which polyanions, like NAs, modulate phase transitions intracellularly, is key to assess their role on toxicity promotion and neuronal death. Herein we discuss data on the nucleic acids binding properties and phase separation ability of PrP and αSyn with a special focus on their modulation by NAs and RBPs. Furthermore, we provide insights into condensation of PrP and/or αSyn in the light of non-trivial subcellular locations such as the nuclear and cytosolic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Maria Heloisa O. Freire
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Adalgisa Felippe Wiecikowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Mariana Juliani do Amaral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
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9
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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 PMCID: PMC11318079 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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So RWL, Watts JC. α-Synuclein Conformational Strains as Drivers of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Mol Biol 2023:168011. [PMID: 36792008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, are a class of human neurodegenerative disorders unified by the presence of α-synuclein aggregates in the brain. Considerable clinical and pathological heterogeneity exists within and among the individual synucleinopathies. A potential explanation for this variability is the existence of distinct conformational strains of α-synuclein aggregates that cause different disease manifestations. Like prion strains, α-synuclein strains can be delineated based on their structural architecture, with structural differences among α-synuclein aggregates leading to unique biochemical attributes and neuropathological properties in humans and animal models. Bolstered by recent high-resolution structural data from patient brain-derived material, it has now been firmly established that there are conformational differences among α-synuclein aggregates from different human synucleinopathies. Moreover, recombinant α-synuclein can be polymerized into several structurally distinct aggregates that exhibit unique pathological properties. In this review, we outline the evidence supporting the existence of α-synuclein strains and highlight how they can act as drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity in the human synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella W L So
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/xsakuraphie
| | - 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. https://twitter.com/JoelWattsLab
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11
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Functions and cellular signaling by ribosomal extracellular RNA (rexRNA): Facts and hypotheses on a non-typical DAMP. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119408. [PMID: 36503009 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Upon microbial infections with the subsequent host response of innate immunity, a variety of fragmented RNA- and DNA-based "Pathogen-associated molecular patterns" (PAMPs) are recognized mainly by endosomal or cytoplasmic host cell "Pattern recognition receptors" (PRRs), particularly "Toll-like receptors" (TLRs). Concomitantly, various self-extracellular RNA species (exRNAs) are present in extracellular body fluids where they contribute to diverse physiological and homeostatic processes. In principle, such exRNAs, including the most abundant one, ribosomal exRNA (rexRNA), are designated as "Danger-associated molecular patterns" (DAMPs) and are prevented by e.g. natural modifications from uncontrolled signaling via TLRs to avoid hyper-inflammatory responses or autoimmunity. Upon cellular stress or tissue damage/necrosis, the levels and composition of released self-exRNA species, either in free form, in complex with proteins or in association with extracellular vesicles (EVs), can change considerably. Among the self-exRNAs, rexRNA is considered as a non-typical DAMP, since it may induce inflammatory responses by cell membrane receptors, both in the absence or presence of PAMPs. Yet, its mode of receptor activation to mount inflammatory responses remains obscure. RexRNA also serves as a universal damaging factor in cardiovascular and other diseases independent of PRRs. In general, RNase1 provides a profound antagonist in these pathologies and in rexRNA-mediated inflammatory cell responses. Based on the extrapolation of the here described aspects of rexRNA-biology, further activities of this molecular entity are hypothesized that may stimulate additional research in this area.
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12
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Walsh DJ, Schwind AM, Noble GP, Supattapone S. Conformational diversity in purified prions produced in vitro. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011083. [PMID: 36626391 PMCID: PMC9870145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by misfolding of either wild-type or mutant forms of the prion protein (PrP) into self-propagating, pathogenic conformers, collectively termed PrPSc. Both wild-type and mutant PrPSc molecules exhibit conformational diversity in vivo, but purified prions generated by the serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) technique do not display this same diversity in vitro. This discrepancy has left a gap in our understanding of how conformational diversity arises at the molecular level in both types of prions. Here, we use continuous shaking instead of sPMCA to generate conformationally diverse purified prions in vitro. Using this approach, we show for the first time that wild type prions initially seeded by different native strains can propagate as metastable PrPSc conformers with distinguishable strain properties in purified reactions containing a single active cofactor. Propagation of these metastable PrPSc conformers requires appropriate shaking conditions, and changes in these conditions cause all the different PrPSc conformers to converge irreversibly into the same single conformer as that produced in sPMCA reactions. We also use continuous shaking to show that two mutant PrP molecules with different pathogenic point mutations (D177N and E199K) adopt distinguishable PrPSc conformations in reactions containing pure protein substrate without cofactors. Unlike wild-type prions, the conformations of mutant prions appear to be dictated by substrate sequence rather than seed conformation. Overall, our studies using purified substrates in shaking reactions show that wild-type and mutant prions use fundamentally different mechanisms to generate conformational diversity at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Walsh
- Department of Biochemistry Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Abigail M. Schwind
- Department of Biochemistry Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey P. Noble
- Department of Biochemistry Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- Department of Biochemistry Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
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13
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Hoyt F, Alam P, Artikis E, Schwartz CL, Hughson AG, Race B, Baune C, Raymond GJ, Baron GS, Kraus A, Caughey B. Cryo-EM of prion strains from the same genotype of host identifies conformational determinants. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010947. [PMID: 36342968 PMCID: PMC9671466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion strains in a given type of mammalian host are distinguished by differences in clinical presentation, neuropathological lesions, survival time, and characteristics of the infecting prion protein (PrP) assemblies. Near-atomic structures of prions from two host species with different PrP sequences have been determined but comparisons of distinct prion strains of the same amino acid sequence are needed to identify purely conformational determinants of prion strain characteristics. Here we report a 3.2 Å resolution cryogenic electron microscopy-based structure of the 22L prion strain purified from the brains of mice engineered to express only PrP lacking glycophosphatidylinositol anchors [anchorless (a) 22L]. Comparison of this near-atomic structure to our recently determined structure of the aRML strain propagated in the same inbred mouse reveals that these two mouse prion strains have distinct conformational templates for growth via incorporation of PrP molecules of the same sequence. Both a22L and aRML are assembled as stacks of PrP molecules forming parallel in-register intermolecular β-sheets and intervening loops, with single monomers spanning the ordered fibril core. Each monomer shares an N-terminal steric zipper, three major arches, and an overall V-shape, but the details of these and other conformational features differ markedly. Thus, variations in shared conformational motifs within a parallel in-register β-stack fibril architecture provide a structural basis for prion strain differentiation within a single host genotype. Prions are protein-based pathogens that can spread within and between hosts without carrying a pathogen-specific nucleic acid genome. Given this protein-based propagation mechanism, a long-standing mystery in the prion disease field has been the molecular basis of distinct, faithfully propagating strains in a single type of mammalian host. Here we provide a direct, high-resolution cryo-EM-based comparison of the structures of two highly infectious prion strains isolated from the brains of mice of a single genotype. We show in detail how these two prion strains are protein filaments of mouse PrP molecules that display distinct conformational templates for growth on their tips. Our results identify purely conformational, rather than sequence-based, underpinnings of infectious and deadly prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Hoyt
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Parvez Alam
- 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
| | - Efrosini Artikis
- 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
| | - Cindi L. Schwartz
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - Chase Baune
- 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
| | - Gregory J. Raymond
- 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
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - 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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14
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Stress and viral insults do not trigger E200K PrP conversion in human cerebral organoids. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277051. [PMID: 36301953 PMCID: PMC9612459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of rare, transmissible, and invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. The cause of these diseases is misfolding of the prion protein into pathological isoforms called prions. Of all human prion diseases, 10-15% of cases are genetic and the E200K mutation, which causes familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), is the most prevalent. For both sporadic and genetic disease, it remains uncertain as to how initial protein misfolding is triggered. Prior studies have linked protein misfolding with oxidative stress insults, deregulated interactions with cellular cofactors, and viral infections. Our previous work developed a cerebral organoid (CO) model using human induced pluripotent stem cells containing the E200K mutation. COs are three-dimensional human neural tissues that permit the study of host genetics and environmental factors that contribute to disease onset. Isogenically matched COs with and without the E200K mutation were used to investigate the propensity of E200K PrP to misfold following cellular insults associated with oxidative stress. Since viral infections have also been associated with oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases, we additionally investigated the influence of Herpes Simplex Type-1 virus (HSV1), a neurotropic virus that establishes life-long latent infection in its host, on E200K PrP misfolding. While COs proved to be highly infectable with HSV1, neither acute nor latent infection, or direct oxidative stress insult, resulted in evidence of E200K prion misfolding. We conclude that misfolding into seeding-active PrP species is not readily induced by oxidative stress or HSV1 in our organoid system.
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15
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Heumüller SE, Hornberger AC, Hebestreit AS, Hossinger A, Vorberg IM. Propagation and Dissemination Strategies of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents in Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062909. [PMID: 35328330 PMCID: PMC8949484 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion disorders are fatal infectious diseases that cause characteristic spongiform degeneration in the central nervous system. The causative agent, the so-called prion, is an unconventional infectious agent that propagates by converting the host-encoded cellular prion protein PrP into ordered protein aggregates with infectious properties. Prions are devoid of coding nucleic acid and thus rely on the host cell machinery for propagation. While it is now established that, in addition to PrP, other cellular factors or processes determine the susceptibility of cell lines to prion infection, exact factors and cellular processes remain broadly obscure. Still, cellular models have uncovered important aspects of prion propagation and revealed intercellular dissemination strategies shared with other intracellular pathogens. Here, we summarize what we learned about the processes of prion invasion, intracellular replication and subsequent dissemination from ex vivo cell models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie-Elisabeth Heumüller
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Annika C. Hornberger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Alina S. Hebestreit
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - André Hossinger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Ina M. Vorberg
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Siegmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence:
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16
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P B Gomes M, de Lima EV, G Q Barros-Aragão F, Passos YM, Lemos FS, Zamberlan DC, Ribeiro G, Macedo B, C Ferreira N, Silva JL, Figueiredo CP, Clarke JR, Cordeiro Y. Prion protein complexed to a DNA aptamer induce behavioral and synapse dysfunction in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 419:113680. [PMID: 34822947 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the scrapie form (PrPSc) is the leading step to the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), still incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Interaction of PrPC with cellular and synthetic ligands that induce formation of scrapie-like conformations has been deeply investigated in vitro. Different nucleic acid (NA) sequences bind PrP and convert it to β-sheet-rich or unfolded species; among such NAs, a 21-mer double-stranded DNA, D67, was shown to induce formation of PrP aggregates that were cytotoxic. However, in vivo effects of these PrP-DNA complexes were not explored. Herein, aggregates of recombinant full-length PrP (rPrP23-231) induced by interaction with the D67 aptamer were inoculated into the lateral ventricle of Swiss mice and acute effects were investigated. The aggregates had no influence on emotional, locomotor and motor behavior of mice. In contrast, mice developed cognitive impairment and hippocampal synapse loss, which was accompanied by intense activation of glial cells in this brain region. Our results suggest that the i.c.v. injection of rPrP:D67 aggregates is an interesting model to study the neurotoxicity of aggregated PrP in vivo, and that glial cell activation may be an important step for behavioral and cognitive dysfunction in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P B Gomes
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos, Bio-Manguinhos, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle V de Lima
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Fernanda G Q Barros-Aragão
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Yulli M Passos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Lemos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Zamberlan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Ribeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Bruno Macedo
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Natalia C Ferreira
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jerson L Silva
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo De Meis, National Institute of Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | | | - Julia R Clarke
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil.
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