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Omer N, Droby A, Silbak R, Trablus N, Bar David A, Shiner T, Alcalay Y, Alcalay R, Nathan T, Thaler A, Mirelman A, Gana Weisz M, Goldstein O, Glinka T, Orr-Urtreger A, Giladi N, Bregman N. White matter abnormalities in healthy E200K carriers may serve as an early biomarker for genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2024:jnnp-2024-333751. [PMID: 39084863 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2024-333751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MRI is an important tool for disease diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), yet its role in identifying preclinical stages of disease remains unclear. Here, we explored subtle white matter (WM) alterations in genetic CJD (gCJD) patients and in asymptomatic E200K mutation carriers using MRI, depending on total tau protein (t-tau) levels in CSF. METHODS Six symptomatic gCJD patients and N=60 healthy relatives of gCJD patients were included. Participants underwent genetic testing for the E200K mutation, MRI scans at 3T and a lumbar puncture (LP) for t-tau. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics were calculated along WM tracts. RESULTS gCJD patients demonstrated higher mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values compared with healthy relatives in several WM tracts (p<0.05). Out of the healthy relatives, 50% (N=30) were found to be carriers of the E200K mutation. T-tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were above the normal range (>290 pg/mL) in N=8 out of 23 carriers who underwent an LP. No significant differences in FA, MD, axial diffusivity (AD) and RD were detected between healthy mutation carriers (HMC) and healthy non-carriers within the WM tracts. Finally, significantly higher FA and lower MD, RD and AD along several WM tracts were found in HMC with elevated t-tau compared with HMC with normal t-tau (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS DTI abnormalities along WM tracts were found in healthy E200K mutation carriers with elevated t-tau in CSF. Longer follow-up is required to determine whether these subtle WM alterations are predictive of future conversion to symptomatic gCJD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05746715.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurit Omer
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Labratory for early markers of neurodegeneration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amgad Droby
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Labratory for early markers of neurodegeneration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rawan Silbak
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noa Trablus
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aya Bar David
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamara Shiner
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yifat Alcalay
- Encephalitis Center and Immunology Laboratory, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Roy Alcalay
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Genetic labratory for neurodegeration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Talya Nathan
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Avner Thaler
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Labratory for early markers of neurodegeneration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Mirelman
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Labratory for early markers of neurodegeneration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mali Gana Weisz
- Genetic labratory for neurodegeration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Orly Goldstein
- Genetic labratory for neurodegeration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Tal Glinka
- Genetic labratory for neurodegeration, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avi Orr-Urtreger
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Genetic Institute, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Giladi
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noa Bregman
- Neurology, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv Universty, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Cognitive Neurology Unit, Tel Aviv Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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2
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McDonough GA, Cheng Y, Morillo KS, Doan RN, Zhou Z, Kenny CJ, Foutz A, Kim C, Cohen ML, Appleby BS, Walsh CA, Safar JG, Huang AY, Miller MB. Neuropathologically directed profiling of PRNP somatic and germline variants in sporadic human prion disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:10. [PMID: 39048735 PMCID: PMC11328154 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02774-2] [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: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the most common human prion disease, is associated with pathologic misfolding of the prion protein (PrP), encoded by the PRNP gene. Of human prion disease cases, < 1% were transmitted by misfolded PrP, ~ 15% are inherited, and ~ 85% are sporadic (sCJD). While familial cases are inherited through germline mutations in PRNP, the cause of sCJD is unknown. Somatic mutations have been hypothesized as a cause of sCJD, and recent studies have revealed that somatic mutations accumulate in neurons during aging. To investigate the hypothesis that somatic mutations in PRNP may underlie sCJD, we performed deep DNA sequencing of PRNP in 205 sCJD cases and 170 age-matched non-disease controls. We included 5 cases of Heidenhain variant sporadic CJD (H-sCJD), where visual symptomatology and neuropathology implicate localized initiation of prion formation, and examined multiple regions across the brain including in the affected occipital cortex. We employed Multiple Independent Primer PCR Sequencing (MIPP-Seq) with a median depth of > 5000× across the PRNP coding region and analyzed for variants using MosaicHunter. An allele mixing experiment showed positive detection of variants in bulk DNA at a variant allele fraction (VAF) as low as 0.2%. We observed multiple polymorphic germline variants among individuals in our cohort. However, we did not identify bona fide somatic variants in sCJD, including across multiple affected regions in H-sCJD, nor in control individuals. Beyond our stringent variant-identification pipeline, we also analyzed VAFs from raw sequencing data, and observed no evidence of prion disease enrichment for the known germline pathogenic variants P102L, D178N, and E200K. The lack of PRNP pathogenic somatic mutations in H-sCJD or the broader cohort of sCJD suggests that clonal somatic mutations may not play a major role in sporadic prion disease. With H-sCJD representing a localized presentation of neurodegeneration, this serves as a test of the potential role of clonal somatic mutations in genes known to cause familial neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gannon A McDonough
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuchen Cheng
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine S Morillo
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan N Doan
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zinan Zhou
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Connor J Kenny
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Foutz
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mark L Cohen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Brian S Appleby
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - August Yue Huang
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael B Miller
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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McDonough GA, Cheng Y, Morillo K, Doan RN, Kenny CJ, Foutz A, Kim C, Cohen ML, Appleby BS, Walsh CA, Safar JG, Huang AY, Miller MB. Neuropathologically-directed profiling of PRNP somatic and germline variants in sporadic human prion disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.25.600668. [PMID: 38979287 PMCID: PMC11230391 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.25.600668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), the most common human prion disease, is associated with pathologic misfolding of the prion protein (PrP), encoded by the PRNP gene. Of human prion disease cases, ~1% were transmitted by misfolded PrP, ~15% are inherited, and ~85% are sporadic (sCJD). While familial cases are inherited through germline mutations in PRNP, the cause of sCJD is unknown. Somatic mutations have been hypothesized as a cause of sCJD, and recent studies have revealed that somatic mutations accumulate in neurons during aging. To investigate the hypothesis that somatic mutations in PRNP may underlie sCJD, we performed deep DNA sequencing of PRNP in 205 sCJD cases and 170 age-matched non-disease controls. We included 5 cases of Heidenhain variant sporadic CJD (H-sCJD), where visual symptomatology and neuropathology implicate focal initiation of prion formation, and examined multiple regions across the brain including in the affected occipital cortex. We employed Multiple Independent Primer PCR Sequencing (MIPP-Seq) with a median depth of >5,000X across the PRNP coding region and analyzed for variants using MosaicHunter. An allele mixing experiment showed positive detection of variants in bulk DNA at a variant allele fraction (VAF) as low as 0.2%. We observed multiple polymorphic germline variants among individuals in our cohort. However, we did not identify bona fide somatic variants in sCJD, including across multiple affected regions in H-sCJD, nor in control individuals. Beyond our stringent variant-identification pipeline, we also analyzed VAFs from raw sequencing data, and observed no evidence of prion disease enrichment for the known germline pathogenic variants P102L, D178N, and E200K. The lack of PRNP pathogenic somatic mutations in H-sCJD or the broader cohort of sCJD suggests that clonal somatic mutations may not play a major role in sporadic prion disease. With H-sCJD representing a focal presentation of neurodegeneration, this serves as a test of the potential role of clonal somatic mutations in genes known to cause familial neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gannon A. McDonough
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuchen Cheng
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Morillo
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan N. Doan
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Connor J. Kenny
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Foutz
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mark L. Cohen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Christopher A. Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiri G. Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - August Yue Huang
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael B. Miller
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Adeola AC, Bello SF, Abdussamad AM, Adedokun RAM, Olaogun SC, Abdullahi N, Mark AI, Onoja AB, Sanke OJ, Mangbon GF, Ibrahim J, Dawuda PM, Salako AE, Kdidi S, Yahyaoui MH. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the open reading frame (ORF) of prion protein gene (PRNP) in Nigerian livestock species. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:177. [PMID: 38355406 PMCID: PMC10865551 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10070-2] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) remain one of the deleterious disorders, which have affected several animal species. Polymorphism of the prion protein (PRNP) gene majorly determines the susceptibility of animals to TSEs. However, only limited studies have examined the variation in PRNP gene in different Nigerian livestock species. Thus, this study aimed to identify the polymorphism of PRNP gene in Nigerian livestock species (including camel, dog, horse, goat, and sheep). We sequenced the open reading frame (ORF) of 65 camels, 31 village dogs and 12 horses from Nigeria and compared with PRNP sequences of 886 individuals retrieved from public databases. RESULTS All the 994 individuals were assigned into 162 haplotypes. The sheep had the highest number of haplotypes (n = 54), and the camel had the lowest (n = 7). Phylogenetic tree further confirmed clustering of Nigerian individuals into their various species. We detected five non-synonymous SNPs of PRNP comprising of G9A, G10A, C11G, G12C, and T669C shared by all Nigerian livestock species and were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The amino acid changes in these five non-synonymous SNP were all "benign" via Polyphen-2 program. Three SNPs G34C, T699C, and C738G occurred only in Nigerian dogs while C16G, G502A, G503A, and C681A in Nigerian horse. In addition, C50T was detected only in goats and sheep. CONCLUSION Our study serves as the first to simultaneously investigate the polymorphism of PRNP gene in Nigerian livestock species and provides relevant information that could be adopted in programs targeted at breeding for prion diseases resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeniyi C Adeola
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
| | - Semiu F Bello
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China
| | - Abdussamad M Abdussamad
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Rahamon A M Adedokun
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Sunday C Olaogun
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Nasiru Abdullahi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Akanbi I Mark
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Secretariat, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Anyebe B Onoja
- Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oscar J Sanke
- Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jalingo, Nigeria
| | | | - Jebi Ibrahim
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture Makurdi, Makurdi, Nigeria
| | - Philip M Dawuda
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Lesotho, Maseru, South Africa
| | - Adebowale E Salako
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Samia Kdidi
- Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Institut des Régions Arides, Université de Gabes, Route El Djorf, Km 22.5, 4119, Medenine, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Habib Yahyaoui
- Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Institut des Régions Arides, Université de Gabes, Route El Djorf, Km 22.5, 4119, Medenine, Tunisia
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Hayah I, Talbi C, Chafai N, Houaga I, Botti S, Badaoui B. Genetic diversity and breed-informative SNPs identification in domestic pig populations using coding SNPs. Front Genet 2023; 14:1229741. [PMID: 38034497 PMCID: PMC10687199 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1229741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The use of breed-informative genetic markers, specifically coding Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), is crucial for breed traceability, authentication of meat and dairy products, and the preservation and improvement of pig breeds. By identifying breed informative markers, we aimed to gain insights into the genetic mechanisms that influence production traits, enabling informed decisions in animal management and promoting sustainable pig production to meet the growing demand for animal products. Methods: Our dataset consists of 300 coding SNPs genotyped from three Italian commercial pig populations: Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc. Firstly, we analyzed the genetic diversity among the populations. Then, we applied a discriminant analysis of principal components to identify the most informative SNPs for discriminating between these populations. Lastly, we conducted a functional enrichment analysis to identify the most enriched pathways related to the genetic variation observed in the pig populations. Results: The alpha diversity indexes revealed a high genetic diversity within the three breeds. The higher proportion of observed heterozygosity than expected revealed an excess of heterozygotes in the populations that was supported by negative values of the fixation index (FIS) and deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The Euclidean distance, the pairwise FST, and the pairwise Nei's GST genetic distances revealed that Yorkshire and Landrace breeds are genetically the closest, with distance values of 2.242, 0.029, and 0.033, respectively. Conversely, Landrace and Duroc breeds showed the highest genetic divergence, with distance values of 2.815, 0.048, and 0.052, respectively. We identified 28 significant SNPs that are related to phenotypic traits and these SNPs were able to differentiate between the pig breeds with high accuracy. The Functional Enrichment Analysis of the informative SNPs highlighted biological functions related to DNA packaging, chromatin integrity, and the preparation of DNA into higher-order structures. Conclusion: Our study sheds light on the genetic underpinnings of phenotypic variation among three Italian pig breeds, offering potential insights into the mechanisms driving breed differentiation. By prioritizing breed-specific coding SNPs, our approach enables a more focused analysis of specific genomic regions relevant to the research question compared to analyzing the entire genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichrak Hayah
- Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Genome, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Chouhra Talbi
- Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies, Biodiversity, and Environment (BioBio), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Narjice Chafai
- Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Genome, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Isidore Houaga
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Bouabid Badaoui
- Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Genome, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
- African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Laâyoune, Morocco
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Sagar R, Azoidis I, Zivko C, Xydia A, Oh ES, Rosenberg PB, Lyketsos CG, Mahairaki V, Avramopoulos D. Excitatory Neurons Derived from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Show Transcriptomic Differences in Alzheimer's Patients from Controls. Cells 2023; 12:1990. [PMID: 37566069 PMCID: PMC10417412 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151990] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent advances in creating pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells and differentiating them into a variety of cell types is allowing us to study them without the caveats associated with disease-related changes. We generated induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) from eight Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and six controls and used lentiviral delivery to differentiate them into excitatory glutamatergic neurons. We then performed RNA sequencing on these neurons and compared the Alzheimer's and control transcriptomes. We found that 621 genes show differences in expression levels at adjusted p < 0.05 between the case and control derived neurons. These genes show significant overlap and directional concordance with genes reported from a single-cell transcriptome study of AD patients; they include five genes implicated in AD from genome-wide association studies and they appear to be part of a larger functional network as indicated by an excess of interactions between them observed in the protein-protein interaction database STRING. Exploratory analysis with Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) suggests distinct clusters of patients, based on gene expression, who may be clinically different. Our research outcomes will enable the precise identification of distinct biological subtypes among individuals with Alzheimer's disease, facilitating the implementation of tailored precision medicine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Sagar
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ioannis Azoidis
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Cristina Zivko
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ariadni Xydia
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Esther S. Oh
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Paul B. Rosenberg
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Constantine G. Lyketsos
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Vasiliki Mahairaki
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Dimitrios Avramopoulos
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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7
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Gene Self-Expressive Networks as a Generalization-Aware Tool to Model Gene Regulatory Networks. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030526. [PMID: 36979461 PMCID: PMC10046116 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-expressiveness is a mathematical property that aims at characterizing the relationship between instances in a dataset. This property has been applied widely and successfully in computer-vision tasks, time-series analysis, and to infer underlying network structures in domains including protein signaling interactions and social-networks activity. Nevertheless, despite its potential, self-expressiveness has not been explicitly used to infer gene networks. In this article, we present Generalizable Gene Self-Expressive Networks, a new, interpretable, and generalization-aware formalism to model gene networks, and we propose two methods: GXN•EN and GXN•OMP, based respectively on ElasticNet and OMP (Orthogonal Matching Pursuit), to infer and assess Generalizable Gene Self-Expressive Networks. We evaluate these methods on four Microarray datasets from the DREAM5 benchmark, using both internal and external metrics. The results obtained by both methods are comparable to those obtained by state-of-the-art tools, but are fast to train and exhibit high levels of sparsity, which make them easier to interpret. Moreover we applied these methods to three complex datasets containing RNA-seq informations from different mammalian tissues/cell-types. Lastly, we applied our methodology to compare a normal vs. a disease condition (Alzheimer), which allowed us to detect differential expression of genes’ sub-networks between these two biological conditions. Globally, the gene networks obtained exhibit a sparse and modular structure, with inner communities of genes presenting statistically significant over/under-expression on specific cell types, as well as significant enrichment for some anatomical GO terms, suggesting that such communities may also drive important functional roles.
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8
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Nafe R, Arendt CT, Hattingen E. Human prion diseases and the prion protein - what is the current state of knowledge? Transl Neurosci 2023; 14:20220315. [PMID: 37854584 PMCID: PMC10579786 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases and the prion protein are only partially understood so far in many aspects. This explains the continued research on this topic, calling for an overview on the current state of knowledge. The main objective of the present review article is to provide a comprehensive up-to-date presentation of all major features of human prion diseases bridging the gap between basic research and clinical aspects. Starting with the prion protein, current insights concerning its physiological functions and the process of pathological conversion will be highlighted. Diagnostic, molecular, and clinical aspects of all human prion diseases will be discussed, including information concerning rare diseases like prion-associated amyloidoses and Huntington disease-like 1, as well as the question about a potential human threat due to the transmission of prions from prion diseases of other species such as chronic wasting disease. Finally, recent attempts to develop future therapeutic strategies will be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhold Nafe
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christophe T. Arendt
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elke Hattingen
- Department of Neuroradiology, Clinics of Johann Wolfgang-Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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9
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Avar M, Heinzer D, Thackray AM, Liu Y, Hruska‐Plochan M, Sellitto S, Schaper E, Pease DP, Yin J, Lakkaraju AKK, Emmenegger M, Losa M, Chincisan A, Hornemann S, Polymenidou M, Bujdoso R, Aguzzi A. An arrayed genome-wide perturbation screen identifies the ribonucleoprotein Hnrnpk as rate-limiting for prion propagation. EMBO J 2022; 41:e112338. [PMID: 36254605 PMCID: PMC9713719 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A defining characteristic of mammalian prions is their capacity for self-sustained propagation. Theoretical considerations and experimental evidence suggest that prion propagation is modulated by cell-autonomous and non-autonomous modifiers. Using a novel quantitative phospholipase protection assay (QUIPPER) for high-throughput prion measurements, we performed an arrayed genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen aimed at detecting cellular host-factors that can modify prion propagation. We exposed prion-infected cells in high-density microplates to 35,364 ternary pools of 52,746 siRNAs targeting 17,582 genes representing the majority of the mouse protein-coding transcriptome. We identified 1,191 modulators of prion propagation. While 1,151 modified the expression of both the pathological prion protein, PrPSc , and its cellular counterpart, PrPC , 40 genes selectively affected PrPSc . Of the latter 40 genes, 20 augmented prion production when suppressed. A prominent limiter of prion propagation was the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein Hnrnpk. Psammaplysene A (PSA), which binds Hnrnpk, reduced prion levels in cultured cells and protected them from cytotoxicity. PSA also reduced prion levels in infected cerebellar organotypic slices and alleviated locomotor deficits in prion-infected Drosophila melanogaster expressing ovine PrPC . Hence, genome-wide QUIPPER-based perturbations can discover actionable cellular pathways involved in prion propagation. Further, the unexpected identification of a prion-controlling ribonucleoprotein suggests a role for RNA in the generation of infectious prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Avar
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Daniel Heinzer
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Alana M Thackray
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Yingjun Liu
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Stefano Sellitto
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Elke Schaper
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Daniel P Pease
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jiang‐An Yin
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Marc Emmenegger
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Marco Losa
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Andra Chincisan
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Raymond Bujdoso
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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10
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Chen EHL, Kao HW, Lee CH, Huang JYC, Wu KP, Chen RPY. 2.2 Å Cryo-EM Tetra-Protofilament Structure of the Hamster Prion 108-144 Fibril Reveals an Ordered Water Channel in the Center. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:13888-13894. [PMID: 35857020 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c05479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fibrils of the hamster prion peptide (sHaPrP, sequence 108-144) were prepared in an acidic solution, and their structure was solved by cryogenic electron microscopy with a resolution of 2.23 Å based on the gold-standard Fourier shell correlation (FSC) curve. The fibril has a novel architecture that has never been found in other amyloid fibrils. Each fibril is assembled by four protofilaments (PFs) and has an ordered water channel in the center. Each protofilament contains three β-strands (125-130, 133-135, and 138-141) arranged in an "R"-shaped construct. The structural data indicate that these three β-strand segments are the most amyloidogenic region of the prion peptide/protein and might be the site of nucleation during fibrillization under conditions without denaturants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric H-L Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Wen Kao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Jessica Y C Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Kuen-Phon Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Rita P-Y Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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11
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Chen EHL, Lin KM, Sang JC, Ho MR, Lee CH, Shih O, Su CJ, Yeh YQ, Jeng US, Chen RPY. Condition-dependent structural collapse in the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of prion protein. IUBMB Life 2021; 74:780-793. [PMID: 34288372 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Prion protein is composed of a structure-unsolved N-terminal domain and a globular C-terminal domain. Under limited trypsin digestion, mouse recombinant prion protein can be cleaved into two parts at residue Lys105. Here, we termed these two fragments as the N-domain (sequence 23-105) and the C-domain (sequence 106-230). In this study, the structural properties of the N-domain, the C-domain, and the full-length protein were explored using small-angle X-ray scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and the 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid binding assay. The conformation and size of the prion protein were found to change sensitively under the solvent conditions. The positive residues in the sequence 23-99 of the N-domain were found to be responsible for the enhanced flexibility with the salt concentration reduced below 5 mM. The C-domain containing a hydrophobic patch tends to unfold and aggregate during a salt-induced structural collapse. The N-domain collapsed together with the C-domain at pH 5.2, whereas it collapsed independently at pH 4.2. The positively charged cluster (sequence 100-105) in the N-domain contributed to protecting the exposed hydrophobic surface of the C-domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric H-L Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuei-Ming Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jason C Sang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Ru Ho
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Orion Shih
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jen Su
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Qi Yeh
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - U-Ser Jeng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Rita P-Y Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Program of Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Teruya K, Oguma A, Arai K, Nishizawa K, Iwabuchi S, Watanabe-Matsui M, Sakasegawa Y, Schätzl H, Gilch S, Doh-Ura K. Polymorphisms in glia maturation factor β gene are markers of cellulose ether effectiveness in prion-infected mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 560:105-111. [PMID: 33984767 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.04.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Anti-prion effects of cellulose ether (CE) are reported in rodents, but the molecular mechanism is fully unknown. Here, we investigated the genetic background of CE effectiveness by proteomic and genetic analysis in mice. Proteomic analysis in the two mouse lines showing a dramatic difference in CE effectiveness revealed a distinct polymorphism in the glia maturation factor β gene. This polymorphism was significantly associated with the CE effectiveness in various prion-infected mouse lines. Sequencing of this gene and its vicinity genes also revealed several other polymorphisms that were significantly related to the CE effectiveness. These polymorphisms are useful as genetic markers for finding more suitable mouse lines and exploring the genetic factors of CE effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Teruya
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Ayumi Oguma
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Keita Arai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Keiko Nishizawa
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Sara Iwabuchi
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Miki Watanabe-Matsui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yuji Sakasegawa
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Hermann Schätzl
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
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13
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Figgie MP, Appleby BS. Clinical Use of Improved Diagnostic Testing for Detection of Prion Disease. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050789. [PMID: 33925126 PMCID: PMC8146465 DOI: 10.3390/v13050789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are difficult to recognize as many symptoms are shared among other neurologic pathologies and the full spectra of symptoms usually do not appear until late in the disease course. Additionally, many commonly used laboratory markers are non-specific to prion disease. The recent introduction of second-generation real time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has revolutionized pre-mortem diagnosis of prion disease due to its extremely high sensitivity and specificity. However, RT-QuIC does not provide prognostic data and has decreased diagnostic accuracy in some rarer, atypical prion diseases. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the current clinical utility of fluid-based biomarkers, neurodiagnostic testing, and brain imaging in the diagnosis of prion disease and to suggest guidelines for their clinical use, with a focus on rarer prion diseases with atypical features. Recent advancements in laboratory-based testing and imaging criteria have shown improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic potential in prion disease, but because these diagnostic tests are not sensitive in some prion disease subtypes and diagnostic test sensitivities are unknown in the event that CWD transmits to humans, it is important to continue investigations into the clinical utility of various testing modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Figgie
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Correspondence:
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14
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Marín-Moreno A, Huor A, Espinosa JC, Douet JY, Aguilar-Calvo P, Aron N, Píquer J, Lugan S, Lorenzo P, Tillier C, Cassard H, Andreoletti O, Torres JM. Radical Change in Zoonotic Abilities of Atypical BSE Prion Strains as Evidenced by Crossing of Sheep Species Barrier in Transgenic Mice. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:1130-1139. [PMID: 32441630 PMCID: PMC7258450 DOI: 10.3201/eid2606.181790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is the only zoonotic prion disease described to date. Although the zoonotic potential of atypical BSE prions have been partially studied, an extensive analysis is still needed. We conducted a systematic study by inoculating atypical BSE isolates from different countries in Europe into transgenic mice overexpressing human prion protein (PrP): TgMet129, TgMet/Val129, and TgVal129. L-type BSE showed a higher zoonotic potential in TgMet129 mice than classical BSE, whereas Val129-PrP variant was a strong molecular protector against L-type BSE prions, even in heterozygosis. H-type BSE could not be transmitted to any of the mice. We also adapted 1 H- and 1 L-type BSE isolate to sheep-PrP transgenic mice and inoculated them into human-PrP transgenic mice. Atypical BSE prions showed a modification in their zoonotic ability after adaptation to sheep-PrP producing agents able to infect TgMet129 and TgVal129, bearing features that make them indistinguishable of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions.
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15
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Abdulrahman BA, Tahir W, Doh-Ura K, Gilch S, Schatzl HM. Combining autophagy stimulators and cellulose ethers for therapy against prion disease. Prion 2020; 13:185-196. [PMID: 31578923 PMCID: PMC6779372 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2019.1670928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that affect animals and humans. Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles consisting of a misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein PrPC, termed PrPSc. PrPSc accumulates in infected neurons due to partial resistance to proteolytic digestion. Using compounds that interfere with the production of PrPSc or enhance its degradation cure prion infection in vitro, but most drugs failed when used to treat prion-infected rodents. In order to synergize the effect of anti-prion drugs, we combined drugs interfering with the generation of PrPSc with compounds inducing PrPSc degradation. Here, we tested autophagy stimulators (rapamycin or AR12) and cellulose ether compounds (TC-5RW or 60SH-50) either as single or combination treatment of mice infected with RML prions. Single drug treatments significantly extended the survival compared to the untreated group. As anticipated, also all the combination therapy groups showed extended survival compared to the untreated group, but no combination treatment showed superior effects to 60SH-50 or TC-5RW treatment alone. Unexpectedly, we later found that combining autophagy stimulator and cellulose ether treatment in cultured neuronal cells mitigated the pro-autophagic activity of AR12 and rapamycin, which can in part explain the in vivo results. Overall, we show that it is critical to exclude antagonizing drug effects when attempting combination therapy. In addition, we identified AR-12 as a pro-autophagic drug that significantly extends survival of prion-infected mice, has no adverse side effects on the animals used in this study, and can be useful in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basant A Abdulrahman
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University , Cairo , Egypt
| | - Waqas Tahir
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Sendai , Japan
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
| | - Hermann M Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada
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16
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Murugesan C, Manivannan P, Gangatharan M. Pros and cons in prion diseases abatement: Insights from nanomedicine and transmissibility patterns. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 145:21-27. [PMID: 31866542 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Ample research progress with nanotechnology applications in health and medicine implies precision and accuracy in the scenario of neurodegenerative disorders, for which impending research in ultimate and complete cure has been the vision worldwide. The complexity of prion disease has been unravelled by scientists and demarcated for efficient abatement protocols, but which are still under research and clinical trials. Drug delivery strategies combating prion diseases across the blood brain barrier, the efficacy of drugs and biocompatibility remain a serious question to be thoroughly studied for effective diagnosis and treatment. The present review compiles comprehensively the current treatment modalities against prion diseases and future prospects of nanotechnology addressing diagnosis and treatment of prion diseases with a special emphasis on transmissibility. Further, approaches for anti-prion technology, immunotherapy, and hindrances in vaccine development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrasekaran Murugesan
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
| | - Paramasivan Manivannan
- Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 24, Tamilnadu, India
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17
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Haley NJ, Merrett K, Buros Stein A, Simpson D, Carlson A, Mitchell G, Staskevicius A, Nichols T, Lehmkuhl AD, Thomsen BV. Estimating relative CWD susceptibility and disease progression in farmed white-tailed deer with rare PRNP alleles. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224342. [PMID: 31790424 PMCID: PMC6886763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease affecting both free-ranging and farmed cervids in North America and Scandinavia. A range of cervid species have been found to be susceptible, each with variations in the gene for the normal prion protein, PRNP, reportedly influencing both disease susceptibility and progression in the respective hosts. Despite the finding of several different PRNP alleles in white-tailed deer, the majority of past research has focused on two of the more common alleles identified-the 96G and 96S alleles. In the present study, we evaluate both infection status and disease stage in nearly 2100 farmed deer depopulated in the United States and Canada, including 714 CWD-positive deer and correlate our findings with PRNP genotype, including the more rare 95H, 116G, and 226K alleles. We found significant differences in either likelihood of being found infected or disease stage (and in many cases both) at the time of depopulation in all genotypes present, relative to the most common 96GG genotype. Despite high prevalence in many of the herds examined, infection was not found in several of the reported genotypes. These findings suggest that additional research is necessary to more properly define the role that these genotypes may play in managing CWD in both farmed and free-ranging white-tailed deer, with consideration for factors including relative fitness levels, incubation periods, and the kinetics of shedding in animals with these rare genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Kahla Merrett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Amy Buros Stein
- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
| | - Dennis Simpson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Andrew Carlson
- Simpson Whitetails Genetic Testing, Belleville, Michigan
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antanas Staskevicius
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracy Nichols
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Cervid Health Program, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Aaron D. Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Bruce V. Thomsen
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
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18
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Baral PK, Yin J, Aguzzi A, James MNG. Transition of the prion protein from a structured cellular form (PrP C ) to the infectious scrapie agent (PrP Sc ). Protein Sci 2019; 28:2055-2063. [PMID: 31583788 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases in mammals are caused by a conformational transition of the cellular prion protein from its native conformation (PrPC ) to a pathological isoform called "prion protein scrapie" (PrPSc ). A molecular level of understanding of this conformational transition will be helpful in unveiling the disease etiology. Experimental structural biological techniques (NMR and X-ray crystallography) have been used to unravel the atomic level structural information for the prion and its binding partners. More than one hundred three-dimensional structures of the mammalian prions have been deposited in the protein databank. Structural studies on the prion protein and its structural transitions will deepen our understanding of the molecular basis of prion pathogenesis and will provide valuable guidance for future structure-based drug discovery endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravas K Baral
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jiang Yin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael N G James
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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19
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Nahalka J. The role of the protein-RNA recognition code in neurodegeneration. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:2043-2058. [PMID: 30980111 PMCID: PMC11105320 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03096-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small endogenous RNAs that pair and bind to sites on mRNAs to direct post-transcriptional repression. However, there is a possibility that microRNAs directly influence protein structure and activity, and this influence can be termed post-translational riboregulation. This conceptual review explores the literature on neurodegenerative disorders. Research on the association between neurodegeneration and RNA-repeat toxicity provides data that support a protein-RNA recognition code. For example, this code explains why hnRNP H and SFPQ proteins, which are involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are sequestered by the (GGGGCC)n repeat sequence. Similarly, it explains why MNBL proteins and (CTG)n repeats in RNA, which are involved in myotonic dystrophy, are sequestered into RNA foci. Using this code, proteins involved in diseases can be identified. A simple protein BLAST search of the human genome for amino acid repeats that correspond to the nucleotide repeats reveals new proteins among already known proteins that are involved in diseases. For example, the (CAG)n repeat sequence, when transcribed into possible peptide sequences, leads to the identification of PTCD3, Rem2, MESP2, SYPL2, WDR33, COL23A1, and others. After confirming this approach on RNA repeats, in the next step, the code was used in the opposite manner. Proteins that are involved in diseases were compared with microRNAs involved in those diseases. For example, a reasonable correspondence of microRNA 9 and 107 with amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ42) was identified. In the last step, a miRBase search for micro-nucleotides, obtained by transcription of a prion amino acid sequence, revealed new microRNAs and microRNAs that have previously been identified as involved in prion diseases. This concept provides a useful key for designing RNA or peptide probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef Nahalka
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre for Glycomics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84538, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
- Institute of Chemistry, Centre of Excellence for White-green Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Trieda Andreja Hlinku 2, 94976, Nitra, Slovak Republic.
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20
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Wang J, Xiao K, Zhou W, Shi Q, Dong XP. Analysis of 12 Chinese Patients with Proline-to-Leucine Mutation at Codon 102-Associated Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Disease. J Clin Neurol 2019; 15:184-190. [PMID: 30877692 PMCID: PMC6444146 DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2019.15.2.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) with a proline-to-leucine mutation at codon 102 (P102L) in the PRNP gene is the most frequently reported GSS subtype worldwide. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological, clinical, genetic, and laboratory characteristics of 12 Chinese patients with P102L-associated GSS (henceforth P102L GSS). Methods The enrolled P102L GSS cases were analyzed according to the diagnostic criteria for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) issued by the China National Health Commission. Results The median onset age was 50 years (range 34 to 67 years) and sex ratio was 1:2 (males:females). Most patients displayed more than one foremost symptom. Movement symptoms were frequently reported (9 of the 12 cases), followed by rapidly progressing dementia (7 cases), mental problems (5 cases), and slowly progressing dementia (2 cases). Almost all cases displayed more sporadic CJD (sCJD)-associated neurological symptoms and signs as time progressed. Five (45.5%) of 11 cases were cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 positive, and 2 (25%) of 8 cases exhibited periodic sharp wave complexes in electroencephalograms. MRI abnormalities were detected in all 11 of the scanned patients. Methionine homozygous genotype at codon 129 (M129M) and glutamic acid homozygous at codon 219 (E219E) homozygosity was present in 11 cases, while 1 case was M129M homozygous and glutamic acid/lysine heterozygous at codon 219 (E219K) heterozygous. Ten of the 12 cases recalled a disease-related family history during the clinical interviews. The median survival from symptom onset of the seven dead cases was 16 months (range 10 to 44 months). Patients showing the sCJD phenotype (rapidly progressing dementia) appeared to be associated with a shorter survival time. Conclusions The indistinguishable clinical features of P102L GSS patients with sCJD, especially in the early stage, support the importance of PRNP testing for diagnosing GSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Ping Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.,Center of Global Public Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
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21
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Prediger RD, Schamne MG, Sampaio TB, Moreira ELG, Rial D. Animal models of olfactory dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 164:431-452. [PMID: 31604561 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63855-7.00024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction seems to occur earlier than classic motor and cognitive symptoms in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, the use of the olfactory system as a clinical marker for neurodegenerative diseases is helpful in the characterization of prodromal stages of these diseases, early diagnostic strategies, differential diagnosis, and, potentially, prediction of treatment success. The use of genetic and neurotoxin animal models has contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. In this chapter, we provide an overview of behavioral and neurochemical alterations observed in animal models of different neurodegenerative diseases (such as genetic and Aβ infusion models for AD and neurotoxins and genetic models of PD), in which olfactory dysfunction has been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui D Prediger
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
| | - Marissa G Schamne
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Tuane B Sampaio
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Eduardo L G Moreira
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences¸ Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Daniel Rial
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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22
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Villar-Piqué A, Schmitz M, Lachmann I, Karch A, Calero O, Stehmann C, Sarros S, Ladogana A, Poleggi A, Santana I, Ferrer I, Mitrova E, Žáková D, Pocchiari M, Baldeiras I, Calero M, Collins SJ, Geschwind MD, Sánchez-Valle R, Zerr I, Llorens F. Cerebrospinal Fluid Total Prion Protein in the Spectrum of Prion Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2811-2821. [PMID: 30062673 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1251-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total prion protein (t-PrP) is decreased in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). However, data on the comparative signatures of t-PrP across the spectrum of prion diseases, longitudinal changes during disease progression, and levels in pre-clinical cases are scarce. T-PrP was quantified in neurological diseases (ND, n = 147) and in prion diseases from different aetiologies including sporadic (sCJD, n = 193), iatrogenic (iCJD, n = 12) and genetic (n = 209) forms. T-PrP was also measured in serial lumbar punctures obtained from sCJD cases at different symptomatic disease stages, and in asymptomatic prion protein gene (PRNP) mutation carriers. Compared to ND, t-PrP concentrations were significantly decreased in sCJD, iCJD and in genetic prion diseases associated with the three most common mutations E200K, V210I (associated with genetic CJD) and D178N-129M (associated with fatal familial insomnia). In contrast, t-PrP concentrations in P102L mutants (associated with the Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome) remained unaltered. In serial lumbar punctures obtained at different disease stages of sCJD patients, t-PrP concentrations inversely correlated with disease progression. Decreased mean t-PrP values were detected in asymptomatic D178-129M mutant carriers, but not in E200K and P102L carriers. The presence of low CSF t-PrP is common to all types of prion diseases regardless of their aetiology albeit with mutation-specific exceptions in a minority of genetic cases. In some genetic prion disease, decreased levels are already detected at pre-clinical stages and diminish in parallel with disease progression. Our data indicate that CSF t-PrP concentrations may have a role as a pre-clinical or early symptomatic diagnostic biomarker in prion diseases as well as in the evaluation of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Villar-Piqué
- Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany. .,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | - André Karch
- Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Olga Calero
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center, Chronic Disease Programme Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christiane Stehmann
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shannon Sarros
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Poleggi
- Department of Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabel Santana
- Neurology Department, CHUC - Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hospitalet de Llobregat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Mitrova
- Department of Prion Diseases, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dana Žáková
- Department of Prion Diseases, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Inês Baldeiras
- Neurology Department, CHUC - Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Calero
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center, Chronic Disease Programme Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Steven J Collins
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine (RMH), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany. .,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain. .,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
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23
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Gao C, Shi Q, Wei J, Zhou W, Xiao K, Wang J, Shi Q, Dong XP. The associations of two SNPs in miRNA-146a and one SNP in ZBTB38-RASA2 with the disease susceptibility and the clinical features of the Chinese patients of sCJD and FFI. Prion 2018; 12:34-41. [PMID: 29216791 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2017.1405885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and animals. Besides of the pathological agent, prion, there are some elements that can influence or determine susceptibility to prion infection and the clinical phenotype of the diseases, e.g., the polymorphism in PRNP gene. Another polymorphism in ZBTB38-RASA2 has been observed to be associated with the susceptibility of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (sCJD) in UK. MicroRNAs are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression by targeting mRNAs and triggering either translation repression or RNA degradation. In this study, two polymorphic loci in miR-146a (rs2910164 and rs57095329) and one locus in ZBTB38-RASA2 (rs295301) of 561 Chinese patients of sCJD and 31 cases of fatal familial insomnia (FFI) were screened by PCR and sequencing. Our data did not figure out any association of those three SNPs with the susceptibility of sCJD. However, a significant association of the SNP of rs57095329 in miR-146a showed the association with the susceptibility of FFI. Additionally, the SNP of rs57095329 showed statistical significances with the appearances of mutism and the positive of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein 14-3-3 in sCJD patients, while the SNP of ZBTB38-RASA2 was significantly related with the appearance of myoclonus in sCJD patients. It indicates that the SNPs of ZBTB38-RASA2 and miR-146a are not associated with the susceptibility of the Chinese sCJD patients, but may influence the appearances of clinical manifestations somehow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Gao
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Shi
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wei
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhou
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Kang Xiao
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Shi
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ping Dong
- a State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control , Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University), National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing , People's Republic of China
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24
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Abstract
Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is associated with mutations in the human PrP gene (PRNP) on chromosome 20p12-pter. Pathogenic mutations have been identified in 10-15% of all CJD patients, who often have a family history of autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance and variable penetrance. However, the use of genetic tests implemented by surveillance networks all over the world increasingly identifies unexpectedly PRNP mutations in persons apparently presenting with a sporadic form of CJD. A high phenotypic variability was reported in genetic prion diseases, which partly overlap with the features of sporadic CJD. Here we review recent advances on the epidemiologic, clinical, and neuropathologic features of cases that phenotypically resemble CJD linked to point and insert mutations of the PRNP gene. Multidisciplinary studies are still required to understand the phenotypic spectrum, penetrance, and significance of PRNP mutations.
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25
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Haley NJ, Rielinger R, Davenport KA, O'Rourke K, Mitchell G, Richt JA. Estimating chronic wasting disease susceptibility in cervids using real-time quaking-induced conversion. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:2882-2892. [PMID: 29058651 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, susceptibility to prion infection is primarily modulated by the host's cellular prion protein (PrPC) sequence. In the sheep scrapie model, a graded scale of susceptibility has been established both in vivo and in vitro based on PrPC amino acids 136, 154 and 171, leading to global breeding programmes to reduce the prevalence of scrapie in sheep. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) resistance in cervids is often characterized as decreased prevalence and/or protracted disease progression in individuals with specific alleles; at present, no PrPC allele conferring absolute resistance in cervids has been identified. To model the susceptibility of various naturally occurring and hypothetical cervid PrPC alleles in vitro, we compared the amplification rates and amyloid extension efficiencies of eight distinct CWD isolates in recombinant cervid PrPC substrates using real-time quaking-induced conversion. We hypothesized that the in vitro conversion characteristics of these isolates in cervid substrates would correlate to in vivo susceptibility - permitting susceptibility prediction for the rare alleles found in nature. We also predicted that hypothetical alleles with multiple resistance-associated codons would be more resistant to in vitro conversion than natural alleles with a single resistant codon. Our studies demonstrate that in vitro conversion metrics align with in vivo susceptibility, and that alleles with multiple amino acid substitutions, each influencing resistance independently, do not necessarily contribute additively to conversion resistance. Importantly, we found that the naturally occurring whitetail deer QGAK substrate exhibited the slowest amplification rate among those evaluated, suggesting that further investigation of this allele and its resistance in vivo is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Rachel Rielinger
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kristen A Davenport
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Katherine O'Rourke
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gordon Mitchell
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Scrapie and CWD, Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University (KSU), Manhattan, KS, USA
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27
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Abstract
Prion diseases are unique neurodegenerative pathologies that can occur with sporadic, genetic, and acquired etiologies. Human and animal prion diseases can be recapitulated in laboratory animals with good reproducibility providing highly controlled models for studying molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration. In this chapter the overall area of omics research in prion diseases is described. The term omics includes all fields of studies that employ a comprehensive, unbiased, and high-throughput approach to areas of research such as functional genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. These kind of approaches can be extremely helpful in identifying disease susceptibility factors and pathways that are dysregulated upon the onset and the progression of the disease. Herein, the most important research about the various forms of prion pathologies in human and in models of prion diseases in animals is presented and discussed.
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28
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Melanin or a Melanin-Like Substance Interacts with the N-Terminal Portion of Prion Protein and Inhibits Abnormal Prion Protein Formation in Prion-Infected Cells. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01862-16. [PMID: 28077650 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01862-16] [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: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive fatal neurodegenerative illnesses caused by the accumulation of transmissible abnormal prion protein (PrP). To find treatments for prion diseases, we searched for substances from natural resources that inhibit abnormal PrP formation in prion-infected cells. We found that high-molecular-weight components from insect cuticle extracts reduced abnormal PrP levels. The chemical nature of these components was consistent with that of melanin. In fact, synthetic melanin produced from tyrosine or 3-hydroxy-l-tyrosine inhibited abnormal PrP formation. Melanin did not modify cellular or cell surface PrP levels, nor did it modify lipid raft or cellular cholesterol levels. Neither did it enhance autophagy or lysosomal function. Melanin was capable of interacting with PrP at two N-terminal domains. Specifically, it strongly interacted with the PrP region of amino acids 23 to 50 including a positively charged amino acid cluster and weakly interacted with the PrP octarepeat peptide region of residues 51 to 90. However, the in vitro and in vivo data were inconsistent with those of prion-infected cells. Abnormal PrP formation in protein misfolding cyclic amplification was not inhibited by melanin. Survival after prion infection was not significantly altered in albino mice or exogenously melanin-injected mice compared with that of control mice. These data suggest that melanin, a main determinant of skin color, is not likely to modify prion disease pathogenesis, even though racial differences in the incidence of human prion diseases have been reported. Thus, the findings identify an interaction between melanin and the N terminus of PrP, but the pathophysiological roles of the PrP-melanin interaction remain unclear.IMPORTANCE The N-terminal region of PrP is reportedly important for neuroprotection, neurotoxicity, and abnormal PrP formation, as this region is bound by many factors, such as metal ions, lipids, nucleic acids, antiprion compounds, and several proteins, including abnormal PrP in prion disease and the Aβ oligomer in Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, melanin, a main determinant of skin color, was newly found to interact with this N-terminal region and inhibits abnormal PrP formation in prion-infected cells. However, the data for prion infection in mice lacking melanin production suggest that melanin is not associated with the prion disease mechanism, although the incidence of prion disease is reportedly much higher in white people than in black people. Thus, the roles of the PrP-melanin interaction remain to be further elucidated, but melanin might be a useful competitive tool for evaluating the functions of other ligands at the N-terminal region.
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29
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Wadsworth JDF, Adamson G, Joiner S, Brock L, Powell C, Linehan JM, Beck JA, Brandner S, Mead S, Collinge J. Methods for Molecular Diagnosis of Human Prion Disease. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1658:311-346. [PMID: 28861799 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7244-9_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human prion diseases are associated with a range of clinical presentations, and they are classified by both clinicopathological syndrome and etiology, with subclassification according to molecular criteria. Here, we describe updated procedures that are currently used within the MRC Prion Unit at UCL to determine a molecular diagnosis of human prion disease. Sequencing of the PRNP open reading frame to establish the presence of pathogenic mutations is described, together with detailed methods for immunoblot or immunohistochemical determination of the presence of abnormal prion protein in the brain or peripheral tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Gary Adamson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Susan Joiner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lara Brock
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Caroline Powell
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jacqueline M Linehan
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jonathan A Beck
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
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30
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Franko E, Wehner T, Joly O, Lowe J, Porter MC, Kenny J, Thompson A, Rudge P, Collinge J, Mead S. Quantitative EEG parameters correlate with the progression of human prion diseases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2016; 87:1061-7. [PMID: 27413165 PMCID: PMC5036210 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2016-313501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prion diseases are universally fatal and often rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases. EEG has long been used in the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; however, the characteristic waveforms do not occur in all types of prion diseases. Here, we re-evaluate the utility of EEG by focusing on the development of biomarkers. We test whether abnormal quantitative EEG parameters can be used to measure disease progression in prion diseases or predict disease onset in healthy individuals at risk of disease. METHODS In the National Prion Monitoring Cohort study, we did quantitative encephalography on 301 occasions in 29 healthy controls and 67 patients with prion disease. The patients had either inherited prion disease or sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We computed the main background frequency, the α and θ power and the α/θ power ratio, then averaged these within 5 electrode groups. These measurements were then compared among participant groups and correlated with functional and cognitive scores cross-sectionally and longitudinally. RESULTS We found lower main background frequency, α power and α/θ power ratio and higher θ power in patients compared to control participants. The main background frequency, the power in the α band and the α/θ power ratio also differed in a consistent way among the patient groups. Moreover, the main background frequency and the α/θ power ratio correlated significantly with functional and cognitive scores. Longitudinally, change in these parameters also showed significant correlation with the change in clinical and cognitive scores. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the use of quantitative EEG to follow the progression of prion disease, with potential to help evaluate the treatment effects in future clinical-trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edit Franko
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK MRC Prion Unit, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Tim Wehner
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Olivier Joly
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jessica Lowe
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Marie-Claire Porter
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Joanna Kenny
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Andrew Thompson
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Peter Rudge
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK MRC Prion Unit, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - John Collinge
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK MRC Prion Unit, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK MRC Prion Unit, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
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Abstract
Within the mammalian prion field, the existence of recombinant prion protein (PrP) conformers with self-replicating (ie. autocatalytic) activity in vitro but little to no infectious activity in vivo challenges a key prediction of the protein-only hypothesis of prion replication--that autocatalytic PrP conformers should be infectious. To understand this dissociation of autocatalysis from infectivity, we recently performed a structural and functional comparison between a highly infectious and non-infectious pair of autocatalytic recombinant PrP conformers derived from the same initial prion strain. (1) We identified restricted, C-terminal structural differences between these 2 conformers and provided evidence that these relatively subtle differences prevent the non-infectious conformer from templating the conversion of native PrP(C) substrates containing a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. (1) In this article we discuss a model, consistent with these findings, in which recombinant PrP, lacking post-translational modifications and associated folding constraints, is capable of adopting a wide variety of autocatalytic conformations. Only a subset of these recombinant conformers can be adopted by post-translationally modified native PrP(C), and this subset represents the recombinant conformers with high specific infectivity. We examine this model's implications for the generation of highly infectious recombinant prions and the protein-only hypothesis of prion replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey P Noble
- a Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine ; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College ; Hanover , NH USA
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- a Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine ; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College ; Hanover , NH USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article presents an update on the clinical aspects of human prion disease, including the wide spectrum of their presentations. RECENT FINDINGS Prion diseases, a group of disorders caused by abnormally shaped proteins called prions, occur in sporadic (Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease), genetic (genetic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia), and acquired (kuru, variant Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, and iatrogenic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease) forms. This article presents updated information on the clinical features and diagnostic methods for human prion diseases. New antemortem potential diagnostic tests based on amplifying prions in order to detect them are showing very high specificity. Understanding of the diversity of possible presentations of human prion diseases continues to evolve, with some genetic forms progressing slowly over decades, beginning with dysautonomia and neuropathy and progressing to a frontal-executive dementia with pathology of combined prionopathy and tauopathy. Unfortunately, to date, all human prion disease clinical trials have failed to show survival benefit. A very rare polymorphism in the prion protein gene recently has been identified that appears to protect against prion disease; this finding, in addition to providing greater understanding of the prionlike mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, might lead to potential treatments. SUMMARY Sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease is the most common form of human prion disease. Genetic prion diseases, resulting from mutations in the prion-related protein gene (PRNP), are classified based on the mutation, clinical phenotype, and neuropathologic features and can be difficult to diagnose because of their varied presentations. Perhaps most relevant to this Continuum issue on neuroinfectious diseases, acquired prion diseases are caused by accidental transmission to humans, but fortunately, they are the least common form and are becoming rarer as awareness of transmission risk has led to implementation of measures to prevent such occurrences.
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Walsh DM, Selkoe DJ. A critical appraisal of the pathogenic protein spread hypothesis of neurodegeneration. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:251-60. [PMID: 26988744 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There has been an explosion in the number of papers discussing the hypothesis of 'pathogenic spread' in neurodegenerative disease - the idea that abnormal forms of disease-associated proteins, such as tau or α-synuclein, physically move from neuron to neuron to induce disease progression. However, whether inter-neuronal spread of protein aggregates actually occurs in humans and, if so, whether it causes symptom onset remain uncertain. Even if pathogenic spread is proven in humans, it is unclear how much this would alter the specific therapeutic approaches that are in development. A critical appraisal of this increasingly popular hypothesis thus seems both important and timely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic M Walsh
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Genetic diversity of the prion protein gene (PRNP) coding sequence in Czech sheep and evaluation of the national breeding programme for resistance to scrapie in the Czech Republic. J Appl Genet 2016; 58:111-121. [DOI: 10.1007/s13353-016-0354-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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35
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Do prion protein gene polymorphisms induce apoptosis in non-mammals? J Biosci 2016; 41:97-107. [PMID: 26949092 DOI: 10.1007/s12038-015-9584-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in prion protein coding gene, Prnp, greatly affect susceptibility to prion diseases in mammals. Here, the coding region of Prnp was screened for polymorphisms in redeared turtle, Trachemys scripta. Four polymorphisms, L203V, N205I, V225A and M237V, were common in 15 out of 30 turtles; in one sample, three SNPs, L203V, N205I and M237V, and in the remaining 14 samples, only L203V and N205I polymorphisms, were investigated. Besides, C658T, C664T, C670A and C823A SNPs were silent mutations. To elucidate the relationship between the SNPs and apoptosis, TUNEL assays and active caspase-3 immunodetection techniques in brain sections of the polymorphic samples were performed. The results revealed that TUNEL-positive cells and active caspase-3-positive cells in the turtles with four polymorphisms were significantly increased compared with those of the turtles with two polymorphisms (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, this study provides preliminary information about the possible relationship between SNPs within the Prnp locus and apoptosis in a non-mammalian species, Trachemys scripta, in which prion disease has never been reported.
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Park SM, Kim HJ, Jeong BH. WITHDRAWN: Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism may increase susceptibility to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a Korean population. Neurobiol Aging 2015:S0197-4580(15)00592-8. [PMID: 26724961 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seon-Mi Park
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Jung Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea; Department of Bioactive Material Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea
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Steinert JR. Prion protein as a mediator of synaptic transmission. Commun Integr Biol 2015; 8:e1063753. [PMID: 26478992 PMCID: PMC4594542 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2015.1063753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by synaptic and neuronal dysfunction which precedes general neuronal loss and subsequent cognitive or behavioral anomalies. Although the exact early cellular signaling mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases are largely unknown, a view is emerging that compromised synaptic function may underlie the initial steps in disease progression. Much recent research has been aimed at understanding these early underlying processes leading to dysfunctional synaptic signaling, as this knowledge could identify putative sites of interventions, which could potentially slow progression and delay onset of disease. We have recently reported that synaptic function in a Drosophila melanogaster model can be modulated by the presence of native mouse prion protein and this modulation is negatively affected by a mutation within the protein which is associated with the Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, a human form of prion disease. Indeed, wild-type prion protein facilitates synaptic release, whereas the mutated form induced diminished phenotypes. It is believed that together with the gain-of-function of neurotoxic misfolded prion signaling, the lack of prion protein contributes to the pathology in prion diseases. Therefore, our study investigated a potential endogenous role of prion protein in synaptic signaling, the lack of which could resemble a lack-of-function phenotype in prion disease.
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Brain-Specific Superoxide Dismutase 2 Deficiency Causes Perinatal Death with Spongiform Encephalopathy in Mice. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2015; 2015:238914. [PMID: 26301039 PMCID: PMC4537744 DOI: 10.1155/2015/238914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is believed to greatly contribute to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including neurodegeneration. Impairment of mitochondrial energy production and increased mitochondrial oxidative damage are considered early pathological events that lead to neurodegeneration. Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD, SOD2) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme that converts toxic superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. To investigate the pathological role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the central nervous system, we generated brain-specific SOD2-deficient mice (B-Sod2−/−) using nestin-Cre-loxp system. B-Sod2−/− showed perinatal death, along with severe growth retardation. Interestingly, these mice exhibited spongiform neurodegeneration in motor cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem, accompanied by gliosis. In addition, the mutant mice had markedly decreased mitochondrial complex II activity, but not complex I or IV, in the brain based on enzyme histochemistry. Furthermore, brain lipid peroxidation was significantly increased in the B-Sod2−/−, without any compensatory alterations of the activities of other antioxidative enzymes, such as catalase or glutathione peroxidase. These results suggest that SOD2 protects the neural system from oxidative stress in the perinatal stage and is essential for infant survival and central neural function in mice.
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39
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Abstract
A prion is an infectious protein horizontally transmitting a disease or trait without a required nucleic acid. Yeast and fungal prions are nonchromosomal genes composed of protein, generally an altered form of a protein that catalyzes the same alteration of the protein. Yeast prions are thus transmitted both vertically (as genes composed of protein) and horizontally (as infectious proteins, or prions). Formation of amyloids (linear ordered β-sheet-rich protein aggregates with β-strands perpendicular to the long axis of the filament) underlies most yeast and fungal prions, and a single prion protein can have any of several distinct self-propagating amyloid forms with different biological properties (prion variants). Here we review the mechanism of faithful templating of protein conformation, the biological roles of these prions, and their interactions with cellular chaperones, the Btn2 and Cur1 aggregate-handling systems, and other cellular factors governing prion generation and propagation. Human amyloidoses include the PrP-based prion conditions and many other, more common amyloid-based diseases, several of which show prion-like features. Yeast prions increasingly are serving as models for the understanding and treatment of many mammalian amyloidoses. Patients with different clinical pictures of the same amyloidosis may be the equivalent of yeasts with different prion variants.
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40
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Race B, Phillips K, Meade-White K, Striebel J, Chesebro B. Increased infectivity of anchorless mouse scrapie prions in transgenic mice overexpressing human prion protein. J Virol 2015; 89:6022-32. [PMID: 25810548 PMCID: PMC4442444 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00362-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Prion protein (PrP) is found in all mammals, mostly as a glycoprotein anchored to the plasma membrane by a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) linkage. Following prion infection, host protease-sensitive prion protein (PrPsen or PrPC) is converted into an abnormal, disease-associated, protease-resistant form (PrPres). Biochemical characteristics, such as the PrP amino acid sequence, and posttranslational modifications, such as glycosylation and GPI anchoring, can affect the transmissibility of prions as well as the biochemical properties of the PrPres generated. Previous in vivo studies on the effects of GPI anchoring on prion infectivity have not examined cross-species transmission. In this study, we tested the effect of lack of GPI anchoring on a species barrier model using mice expressing human PrP. In this model, anchorless 22L prions derived from tg44 mice were more infectious than 22L prions derived from C57BL/10 mice when tested in tg66 transgenic mice, which expressed wild-type anchored human PrP at 8- to 16-fold above normal. Thus, the lack of the GPI anchor on the PrPres from tg44 mice appeared to reduce the effect of the mouse-human PrP species barrier. In contrast, neither source of prions induced disease in tgRM transgenic mice, which expressed human PrP at 2- to 4-fold above normal. IMPORTANCE Prion protein (PrP) is found in all mammals, usually attached to cells by an anchor molecule called GPI. Following prion infection, PrP is converted into a disease-associated form (PrPres). While most prion diseases are species specific, this finding is not consistent, and species barriers differ in strength. The amino acid sequence of PrP varies among species, and this variability affects prion species barriers. However, other PrP modifications, including glycosylation and GPI anchoring, may also influence cross-species infectivity. We studied the effect of PrP GPI anchoring using a mouse-to-human species barrier model. Experiments showed that prions produced by mice expressing only anchorless PrP were more infectious than prions produced in mice expressing anchored PrP. Thus, the lack of the GPI anchor on prions reduced the effect of the mouse-human species barrier. Our results suggest that prion diseases that produce higher levels of anchorless PrP may pose an increased risk for cross-species infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Katie Phillips
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Kimberly Meade-White
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - James Striebel
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Bruce Chesebro
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
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Sanchez-Juan P, Bishop MT, Kovacs GG, Calero M, Aulchenko YS, Ladogana A, Boyd A, Lewis V, Ponto C, Calero O, Poleggi A, Carracedo Á, van der Lee SJ, Ströbel T, Rivadeneira F, Hofman A, Haïk S, Combarros O, Berciano J, Uitterlinden AG, Collins SJ, Budka H, Brandel JP, Laplanche JL, Pocchiari M, Zerr I, Knight RSG, Will RG, van Duijn CM. A genome wide association study links glutamate receptor pathway to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123654. [PMID: 25918841 PMCID: PMC4412535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We performed a genome-wide association (GWA) study in 434 sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) patients and 1939 controls from the United Kingdom, Germany and The Netherlands. The findings were replicated in an independent sample of 1109 sCJD and 2264 controls provided by a multinational consortium. From the initial GWA analysis we selected 23 SNPs for further genotyping in 1109 sCJD cases from seven different countries. Five SNPs were significantly associated with sCJD after correction for multiple testing. Subsequently these five SNPs were genotyped in 2264 controls. The pooled analysis, including 1543 sCJD cases and 4203 controls, yielded two genome wide significant results: rs6107516 (p-value=7.62x10-9) a variant tagging the prion protein gene (PRNP); and rs6951643 (p-value=1.66x10-8) tagging the Glutamate Receptor Metabotropic 8 gene (GRM8). Next we analysed the data stratifying by country of origin combining samples from the pooled analysis with genotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project and imputed genotypes from the Rotterdam Study (Total n=12967). The meta-analysis of the results showed that rs6107516 (p-value=3.00x10-8) and rs6951643 (p-value=3.91x10-5) remained as the two most significantly associated SNPs. Rs6951643 is located in an intronic region of GRM8, a gene that was additionally tagged by a cluster of 12 SNPs within our top100 ranked results. GRM8 encodes for mGluR8, a protein which belongs to the metabotropic glutamate receptor family, recently shown to be involved in the transduction of cellular signals triggered by the prion protein. Pathway enrichment analyses performed with both Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and ALIGATOR postulates glutamate receptor signalling as one of the main pathways associated with sCJD. In summary, we have detected GRM8 as a novel, non-PRNP, genome-wide significant marker associated with heightened disease risk, providing additional evidence supporting a role of glutamate receptors in sCJD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual Sanchez-Juan
- Neurology Department, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla”. Instituto de Investigación “Marqués de Valdecilla” IDIVAL and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Santander, Spain
| | - Matthew T. Bishop
- The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Research and Surveillance Unit, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Gabor G. Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miguel Calero
- Chronic Disease Programme and CIBERNED. Carlos III Institute of Health. Madrid. Spain
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Carlos III Institute of Health, Alzheimer Center Reina Sofia Foundation, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yurii S. Aulchenko
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences Instituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
| | - Alison Boyd
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Victoria Lewis
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Claudia Ponto
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Centre, University Medical Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)—site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Olga Calero
- Chronic Disease Programme and CIBERNED. Carlos III Institute of Health. Madrid. Spain
| | - Anna Poleggi
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences Instituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
| | - Ángel Carracedo
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, CIBERER, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica-Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA
| | - Sven J. van der Lee
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Ströbel
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando Rivadeneira
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert Hofman
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stéphane Haïk
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, and Inserm, U 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, F-75013, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Onofre Combarros
- Neurology Department, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla”. Instituto de Investigación “Marqués de Valdecilla” IDIVAL and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Santander, Spain
| | - José Berciano
- Neurology Department, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla”. Instituto de Investigación “Marqués de Valdecilla” IDIVAL and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Santander, Spain
| | - Andre G. Uitterlinden
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven J. Collins
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Herbert Budka
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, and Inserm, U 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, F-75013, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Jean Louis Laplanche
- Service de biochimie et biologie moleculaire, Laboratoire associé au CNR "ATNC", Hôpital Lariboisiére, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Pocchiari
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences Instituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Centre, University Medical Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)—site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Richard S. G. Knight
- The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Research and Surveillance Unit, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert G. Will
- The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Research and Surveillance Unit, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Cheng CJ, Daggett V. Different misfolding mechanisms converge on common conformational changes: human prion protein pathogenic mutants Y218N and E196K. Prion 2015; 8:125-35. [PMID: 24509603 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by misfolding and aggregation of the prion protein (PrP). Pathogenic mutations such as Y218N and E196K are known to cause Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, respectively. Here we describe molecular dynamics simulations of these mutant proteins to better characterize the detailed conformational effects of these sequence substitutions. Our results indicate that the mutations disrupt the wild-type native PrP(C) structure and cause misfolding. Y218N reduced hydrophobic packing around the X-loop (residues 165-171), and E196K abolished an important wild-type salt bridge. While differences in the mutation site led PrP mutants to misfold along different pathways, we observed multiple traits of misfolding that were common to both mutants. Common traits of misfolding included: 1) detachment of the short helix (HA) from the PrP core; 2) exposure of side chain F198; and 3) formation of a nonnative strand at the N-terminus. The effect of the E196K mutation directly abolished the wild-type salt bridge E196-R156, which further destabilized the F198 hydrophobic pocket and HA. The Y218N mutation propagated its effect by increasing the HB-HC interhelical angle, which in turn disrupted the packing around F198. Furthermore, a nonnative contact formed between E221 and S132 on the S1-HA loop, which offered a direct mechanism for disrupting the hydrophobic packing between the S1-HA loop and HC. While there were common misfolding features shared between Y218N and E196K, the differences in the orientation of HB and HC and the X-loop conformation might provide a structural basis for identifying different prion strains.
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43
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Abstract
A prion is an infectious protein horizontally transmitting a disease or trait without a required nucleic acid. Yeast and fungal prions are nonchromosomal genes composed of protein, generally an altered form of a protein that catalyzes the same alteration of the protein. Yeast prions are thus transmitted both vertically (as genes composed of protein) and horizontally (as infectious proteins, or prions). Formation of amyloids (linear ordered β-sheet-rich protein aggregates with β-strands perpendicular to the long axis of the filament) underlies most yeast and fungal prions, and a single prion protein can have any of several distinct self-propagating amyloid forms with different biological properties (prion variants). Here we review the mechanism of faithful templating of protein conformation, the biological roles of these prions, and their interactions with cellular chaperones, the Btn2 and Cur1 aggregate-handling systems, and other cellular factors governing prion generation and propagation. Human amyloidoses include the PrP-based prion conditions and many other, more common amyloid-based diseases, several of which show prion-like features. Yeast prions increasingly are serving as models for the understanding and treatment of many mammalian amyloidoses. Patients with different clinical pictures of the same amyloidosis may be the equivalent of yeasts with different prion variants.
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44
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Lukic A, Uphill J, Brown CA, Beck J, Poulter M, Campbell T, Adamson G, Hummerich H, Whitfield J, Ponto C, Zerr I, Lloyd SE, Collinge J, Mead S. Rare structural genetic variation in human prion diseases. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:2004.e1-8. [PMID: 25726360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a diverse group of neurodegenerative conditions, caused by the templated misfolding of prion protein. Aside from the strong genetic risk conferred by multiple variants of the prion protein gene (PRNP), several other variants have been suggested to confer risk in the most common type, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) or in the acquired prion diseases. Large and rare copy number variants (CNVs) are known to confer risk in several related disorders including Alzheimer's disease (at APP), schizophrenia, epilepsy, mental retardation, and autism. Here, we report the first genome-wide analysis for CNV-associated risk using data derived from a recent international collaborative association study in sCJD (n = 1147 after quality control) and publicly available controls (n = 5427). We also investigated UK patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (n = 114) and elderly women from the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea who proved highly resistant to the epidemic prion disease kuru, who were compared with healthy young Fore population controls (n = 395). There were no statistically significant alterations in the burden of CNVs >100, >500, or >1000 kb, duplications, or deletions in any disease group or geographic region. After correction for multiple testing, no statistically significant associations were found. A UK blood service control sample showed a duplication CNV that overlapped PRNP, but these were not found in prion disease. Heterozygous deletions of a 3' region of the PARK2 gene were found in 3 sCJD patients and no controls (p = 0.001, uncorrected). A cell-based prion infection assay did not provide supportive evidence for a role for PARK2 in prion disease susceptibility. These data are consistent with a modest impact of CNVs on risk of late-onset neurologic conditions and suggest that, unlike APP, PRNP duplication is not a causal high-risk mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lukic
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - James Uphill
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Craig A Brown
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - John Beck
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mark Poulter
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Tracy Campbell
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Gary Adamson
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Holger Hummerich
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jerome Whitfield
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Claudia Ponto
- Department of Neurology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenrative Diseases (DZNE), Gottingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenrative Diseases (DZNE), Gottingen, Germany
| | - Sarah E Lloyd
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
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Imberdis T, Harris DA. Prion permissive pathways: extracellular matrix genes control susceptibility to prion infection. EMBO J 2014; 33:1506-8. [PMID: 24952893 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201489071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Imberdis
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Haïk S, Brandel JP. Infectious prion diseases in humans: cannibalism, iatrogenicity and zoonoses. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 26:303-12. [PMID: 24956437 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In contrast with other neurodegenerative disorders associated to protein misfolding, human prion diseases include infectious forms (also called transmitted forms) such as kuru, iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The transmissible agent is thought to be solely composed of the abnormal isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the host-encoded prion protein that accumulated in the central nervous system of affected individuals. Compared to its normal counterpart, PrP(Sc) is β-sheet enriched and aggregated and its propagation is based on an autocatalytic conversion process. Increasing evidence supports the view that conformational variations of PrP(Sc) encoded the biological properties of the various prion strains that have been isolated by transmission studies in experimental models. Infectious forms of human prion diseases played a pivotal role in the emergence of the prion concept and in the characterization of the very unconventional properties of prions. They provide a unique model to understand how prion strains are selected and propagate in humans. Here, we review and discuss how genetic factors interplay with strain properties and route of transmission to influence disease susceptibility, incubation period and phenotypic expression in the light of the kuru epidemics due to ritual endocannibalism, the various series iatrogenic diseases secondary to extractive growth hormone treatment or dura mater graft and the epidemics of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease linked to dietary exposure to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Haïk
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France
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Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative illnesses due to the accumulation of small infectious pathogens containing protein but apparently lacking nucleic acid, which have long incubation periods and progress inexorably once clinical symptoms appear. Prions are uniquely resistant to a number of normal decontaminating procedures. The prionopathies [Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and its variants, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome and fatal familial insomnia (FFI)] result from accumulation of abnormal isoforms of the prion protein in the brains of normal animals on both neuronal and non-neuronal cells. The accumulation of this protein or fragments of it in neurons leads to apoptosis and cell death. There is a strong link between mutations in the gene encoding the normal prion protein in humans (PRNP) - located on the short arm of chromosome 20 - and forms of prion disease with a familial predisposition (familial CJD, GSS, FFI). Clinically a prionopathy should be suspected in any case of a fast progressing dementia with ataxia, myoclonus, or in individuals with pathological insomnia associated with dysautonomia. Magnetic resonance imaging, identification of the 14-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid, tonsil biopsy and genetic studies have been used for in vivo diagnosis circumventing the need of brain biopsy. Histopathology, however, remains the only conclusive method to reach a confident diagnosis. Unfortunately, despite numerous treatment efforts, prionopathies remain short-lasting and fatal diseases.
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Roy M, Kim N, Kim K, Chung WH, Achawanantakun R, Sun Y, Wayne R. Analysis of the canine brain transcriptome with an emphasis on the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. Mamm Genome 2013; 24:484-99. [DOI: 10.1007/s00335-013-9480-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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