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Senesi M, Lewis V, Adlard PA, Finkelstein DI, Kim JH, Collins SJ. Tailored behavioural tests reveal early and progressive cognitive deficits in M1000 prion disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 180:106075. [PMID: 36914075 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106075] [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: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are pathogenically linked to the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) misfolding into abnormal conformers (PrPSc), with PrPSc accumulation underpinning both transmission and neurotoxicity. Despite achieving this canonical understanding, however fundamental questions remain incompletely resolved, including the level of pathophysiological overlap between neurotoxic and transmitting species of PrPSc and the temporal profiles of their propagation. To further investigate the likely time of occurrence of significant levels of neurotoxic species during prion disease development, the well characterised in vivo M1000 murine model was employed. Following intracerebral inoculation, detailed serial cognitive and ethological testing at specified time points suggested subtle transition to early symptomatic disease from ∼50% of the overall disease course. In addition to observing a chronological order for impaired behaviours, different behavioural tests also showed distinctive profiles of evolving cognitive impairments with the Barnes maze demonstrating a relatively simple linear worsening of spatial learning and memory over an extended period while in contrast a conditioned fear memory paradigm previously untested in murine prion disease demonstrated more complex alterations during disease progression. These observations support the likely production of neurotoxic PrPSc from at least just prior to the mid-point of murine M1000 prion disease and illustrate the likely need to tailor the types of behavioural testing across the time course of disease progression for optimal detection of cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Senesi
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Victoria Lewis
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul A Adlard
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David I Finkelstein
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia; The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Steven J Collins
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Ximelis T, Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Eraña H, Charco JM, Hernández I, Riveira C, Alcolea D, González-Roca E, Aldecoa I, Molina-Porcel L, Parchi P, Rossi M, Castilla J, Ruiz-García R, Gelpi E, Torres JM, Sánchez-Valle R. Homozygous R136S mutation in PRNP gene causes inherited early onset prion disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:176. [PMID: 34663460 PMCID: PMC8524886 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 40 pathogenic heterozygous PRNP mutations causing inherited prion diseases have been identified to date. Recessive inherited prion disease has not been described to date. METHODS We describe the clinical and neuropathological data of inherited early-onset prion disease caused by the rare PRNP homozygous mutation R136S. In vitro PrPSc propagation studies were performed using recombinant-adapted protein misfolding cyclic amplification technique. Brain material from two R136S homozygous patients was intracranially inoculated in TgMet129 and TgVal129 transgenic mice to assess the transmissibility of this rare inherited form of prion disease. RESULTS The index case presented symptoms of early-onset dementia beginning at the age of 49 and died at the age of 53. Neuropathological evaluation of the proband revealed abundant multicentric PrP plaques and Western blotting revealed a ~ 8 kDa protease-resistant, unglycosylated PrPSc fragment, consistent with a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker phenotype. Her youngest sibling suffered from progressive cognitive decline, motor impairment, and myoclonus with onset in her late 30s and died at the age of 48. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of the R136S mutation in homozygosis in the two affected subjects linked to homozygous methionine at codon 129. One sibling carrying the heterozygous R136S mutation, linked to homozygous methionine at codon 129, is still asymptomatic at the age of 74. The inoculation of human brain homogenates from our index case and an independent case from a Portuguese family with the same mutation in transgenic mice expressing human PrP and in vitro propagation of PrPSc studies failed to show disease transmissibility. CONCLUSION In conclusion, biallelic R136S substitution is a rare variant that produces inherited early-onset human prion disease with a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker neuropathological and molecular signature. Even if the R136S variant is predicted to be "probably damaging", heterozygous carriers are protected, at least from an early onset providing evidence for a potentially recessive pattern of inheritance in human prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Ximelis
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Jorge M Charco
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Isabel Hernández
- Fundació ACE, Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment and Research Center, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Daniel Alcolea
- Memory Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva González-Roca
- Immunology department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iban Aldecoa
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Pathology Department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Molina-Porcel
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- IKERBasque Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Raquel Ruiz-García
- Immunology department, Biomedical Diagnostic Center, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ellen Gelpi
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clinic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
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PrPSc Oligomerization Appears Dynamic, Quickly Engendering Inherent M1000 Acute Synaptotoxicity. Biophys J 2020; 119:128-141. [PMID: 32562618 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders pathogenically linked to cellular prion protein (PrPC) misfolding into abnormal conformers (PrPSc), with PrPSc underpinning both transmission and synaptotoxicity. Although the biophysical features of PrPSc required to induce acute synaptic dysfunction remain incompletely defined, we recently reported that acutely synaptotoxic PrPSc appeared to be oligomeric. We herein provide further insights into the kinetic and requisite biophysical characteristics of acutely synaptotoxic ex vivo PrPSc derived from the brains of mice dying from M1000 prion disease. Pooled fractions of M1000 PrPSc located within the molecular weight range approximating monomeric PrP (mM1000) generated through size exclusion chromatography were found to harbor acute synaptotoxicity equivalent to preformed oligomeric fractions (oM1000). Subsequent investigation showed mM1000 corresponded to PrPSc rapidly concatenating in physiological buffer to exist as predominantly, closely associated, small oligomers. The oligomerization of PrP in mM1000 could be substantially mitigated by treatment with the antiaggregation compound epigallocatechin gallate, thereby maintaining the PrPSc as primarily nonoligomeric with completely abrogated acute synaptotoxicity; moreover, despite epigallocatechin gallate treatment, pooled oM1000 remained oligomeric and acutely synaptotoxic. A similar tendency to rapid formation of oligomers was observed for PrPC when monomeric fractions derived from size exclusion chromatography of normal brain homogenates (mNBH) were pooled, but neither mNBH nor preformed higher-order NBH complexes (oNBH) were acutely synaptotoxic. Oligomers formed from mNBH could be reduced to mainly monomers (<100 kDa) after enzymatic digestion of nucleic acids, whereas higher-order PrP assemblies derived from pooled mM1000, oM1000, and oNBH resisted such treatment. Collectively, these findings support that oligomerization of PrPSc into small multimeric assemblies appears to be a critical biophysical feature for engendering inherent acute synaptotoxicity, with preformed oligomers found in oM1000 appearing to be stable, tightly self-associated ensembles that coexist in dynamic equilibrium with mM1000, with the latter appearing capable of rapid aggregation, albeit initially forming smaller, weakly self-associated, acutely synaptotoxic oligomers.
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Foliaki ST, Lewis V, Islam AMT, Ellett LJ, Senesi M, Finkelstein DI, Roberts B, Lawson VA, Adlard PA, Collins SJ. Early existence and biochemical evolution characterise acutely synaptotoxic PrPSc. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007712. [PMID: 30970042 PMCID: PMC6490942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although considerable evidence supports that misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) is the principal component of “prions”, underpinning both transmissibility and neurotoxicity, clear consensus around a number of fundamental aspects of pathogenesis has not been achieved, including the time of appearance of neurotoxic species during disease evolution. Utilizing a recently reported electrophysiology paradigm, we assessed the acute synaptotoxicity of ex vivo PrPSc prepared as crude homogenates from brains of M1000 infected wild-type mice (cM1000) harvested at time-points representing 30%, 50%, 70% and 100% of the terminal stage of disease (TSD). Acute synaptotoxicity was assessed by measuring the capacity of cM1000 to impair hippocampal CA1 region long-term potentiation (LTP) and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) in explant slices. Of particular note, cM1000 from 30% of the TSD was able to cause significant impairment of LTP and PTP, with the induced failure of LTP increasing over subsequent time-points while the capacity of cM1000 to induce PTP failure appeared maximal even at this early stage of disease progression. Evidence that the synaptotoxicity directly related to PrP species was demonstrated by the significant rescue of LTP dysfunction at each time-point through immuno-depletion of >50% of total PrP species from cM1000 preparations. Moreover, similar to our previous observations at the terminal stage of M1000 prion disease, size fractionation chromatography revealed that capacity for acute synpatotoxicity correlated with predominance of oligomeric PrP species in infected brains across all time points, with the profile appearing maximised by 50% of the TSD. Using enhanced sensitivity western blotting, modestly proteinase K (PK)-resistant PrPSc was detectable at very low levels in cM1000 at 30% of the TSD, becoming robustly detectable by 70% of the TSD at which time substantial levels of highly PK-resistant PrPSc was also evident. Further illustrating the biochemical evolution of acutely synaptotoxic species the synaptotoxicity of cM1000 from 30%, 50% and 70% of the TSD, but not at 100% TSD, was abolished by digestion of immuno-captured PrP species with mild PK treatment (5μg/ml for an hour at 37°C), demonstrating that the predominant synaptotoxic PrPSc species up to and including 70% of the TSD were proteinase-sensitive. Overall, these findings in combination with our previous assessments of transmitting prions support that synaptotoxic and infectious M1000 PrPSc species co-exist from at least 30% of the TSD, simultaneously increasing thereafter, albeit with eventual plateauing of transmitting conformers. Although evidence clearly supports that misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) is the principal component of “prions”, underpinning both transmissibility and neurotoxicity, consensus is lacking around the time of appearance and biochemical profile of neurotoxic species during disease evolution. Employing an electrophysiology model, measuring the capacity of brain homogenates derived from across the disease time-course to impair CA1 region long-term potentiation (LTP) and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) in hippocampal slices, we observed that synaptotoxic species were present from 30% of the terminal stage of disease (TSD). Evidence that synaptotoxicity directly related to PrP species was demonstrated by significant rescue of LTP dysfunction at each time-point through immuno-depleting >~50% of total PrP species from cM1000 preparations. Moreover, size fractionation chromatography revealed that acute synpatotoxicity correlated with predominance of oligomeric PrP species in infected brains across all time points, while additional characterisation of cM1000 demonstrated that the predominant synaptotoxic PrPSc species up to and including 70% of the TSD were quite proteinase-sensitive. These findings in combination with our previous assessments of transmitting prions support that synaptotoxic and infectious M1000 PrPSc species co-exist from at least 30% of the TSD, simultaneously increasing thereafter, with biochemical transformation of synaptotoxic conformers continuing until late in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simote Totauhelotu Foliaki
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Victoria Lewis
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Laura Jane Ellett
- Department of Pathology The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matteo Senesi
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Blaine Roberts
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Victoria A. Lawson
- Department of Pathology The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Anthony Adlard
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven John Collins
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Retrograde Transport by Clathrin-Coated Vesicles is Involved in Intracellular Transport of PrP Sc in Persistently Prion-Infected Cells. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12241. [PMID: 30115966 PMCID: PMC6095914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30775-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular dynamics of an abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc) are tightly associated with prion propagation. However, the machineries involved in the intracellular trafficking of PrPSc are not fully understood. Our previous study suggested that PrPSc in persistently prion-infected cells dynamically circulates between endocytic-recycling compartments (ERCs) and peripheral regions of the cells. To investigate these machineries, we focused on retrograde transport from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network, which is one of the pathways involved in recycling of molecules. PrPSc was co-localized with components of clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) as well as those of the retromer complex, which are known as machineries for retrograde transport. Fractionation of intracellular compartments by density gradient centrifugation showed the presence of PrPSc and the components of CCVs in the same fractions. Furthermore, PrPSc was detected in CCVs isolated from intracellular compartments of prion-infected cells. Knockdown of clathrin interactor 1, which is one of the clathrin adaptor proteins involved in retrograde transport, did not change the amount of PrPSc, but it altered the distribution of PrPSc from ERCs to peripheral regions, including late endosomes/lysosomes. These data demonstrated that some PrPSc is transported from endosomes to ERCs by CCVs, which might be involved in the recycling of PrPSc.
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Flow Cytometric Detection of PrP Sc in Neurons and Glial Cells from Prion-Infected Mouse Brains. J Virol 2017; 92:JVI.01457-17. [PMID: 29046463 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01457-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In prion diseases, an abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc) accumulates in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the brains of animals affected by prions. Detailed analyses of PrPSc-positive neurons and glial cells are required to clarify their pathophysiological roles in the disease. Here, we report a novel method for the detection of PrPSc in neurons and glial cells from the brains of prion-infected mice by flow cytometry using PrPSc-specific staining with monoclonal antibody (MAb) 132. The combination of PrPSc staining and immunolabeling of neural cell markers clearly distinguished neurons, astrocytes, and microglia that were positive for PrPSc from those that were PrPSc negative. The flow cytometric analysis of PrPSc revealed the appearance of PrPSc-positive neurons, astrocytes, and microglia at 60 days after intracerebral prion inoculation, suggesting the presence of PrPSc in the glial cells, as well as in neurons, from an early stage of infection. Moreover, the kinetic analysis of PrPSc revealed a continuous increase in the proportion of PrPSc-positive cells for all cell types with disease progression. Finally, we applied this method to isolate neurons, astrocytes, and microglia positive for PrPSc from a prion-infected mouse brain by florescence-activated cell sorting. The method described here enables comprehensive analyses specific to PrPSc-positive neurons, astrocytes, and microglia that will contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiological roles of neurons and glial cells in PrPSc-associated pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE Although formation of PrPSc in neurons is associated closely with neurodegeneration in prion diseases, the mechanism of neurodegeneration is not understood completely. On the other hand, recent studies proposed the important roles of glial cells in PrPSc-associated pathogenesis, such as the intracerebral spread of PrPSc and clearance of PrPSc from the brain. Despite the great need for detailed analyses of PrPSc-positive neurons and glial cells, methods available for cell type-specific analysis of PrPSc have been limited thus far to microscopic observations. Here, we have established a novel high-throughput method for flow cytometric detection of PrPSc in cells with more accurate quantitative performance. By applying this method, we succeeded in isolating PrPSc-positive cells from the prion-infected mouse brains via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This allows us to perform further detailed analysis specific to PrPSc-positive neurons and glial cells for the clarification of pathological changes in neurons and pathophysiological roles of glial cells.
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