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Güvendi M, Can H, Köseoğlu AE, Erkunt Alak S, Ün C. First report of a novel 108 bp deletion and five novel SNPs in PRNP gene of stray cats and in silico analysis of their possible relation with feline spongiform encephalopathy. Top Companion Anim Med 2024; 59:100859. [PMID: 38508487 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcam.2024.100859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. A relationship between variations in the prion gene of some species and susceptibility to prion diseases has been detected. However, variations in the prion protein of cats that have close contact with humans and their effect on prion protein are not well-known. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the variations of prion protein-encoding gene (PRNP gene) in stray cats and to evaluate variants detected in terms of genetic factors associated with susceptibility or resistance to feline spongiform encephalopathy using bioinformatics tools. For this, cat DNA samples were amplified by a PCR targeting PRNP gene and then sequenced to reveal the variations. Finally, the effects of variants on prion protein were predicted by bioinformatics tools. According to the obtained results, a novel 108 bp deletion and nine SNPs were detected. Among SNPs, five (c314A>G, c.454T>A, c.579G>C, c.642G>C and c.672G>C) were detected for the first time in this study. Bioinformatics findings showed that c.579G>C (Q193H), c.454T>A (Y152N) and c.457G>A (E153K) variants have deleterious effects on prion protein and c.579G>C (Q193H) has high amyloid propensities. This study demonstrates prion protein variants of stray cats and their deleterious effects on prion protein for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mervenur Güvendi
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Hüseyin Can
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Efe Köseoğlu
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, İstanbul, Türkiye
| | - Sedef Erkunt Alak
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Cemal Ün
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye.
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Aydoğdu S, Eken E. Calculation of cerebral hemispheres volume values (grey matter, white matter and lateral ventricle) of sheep and goat: A stereological study. Anat Histol Embryol 2024; 53:e12983. [PMID: 37822137 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12983] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Stereology is a discipline that allows us to obtain quantitative information about the geometric structure of three-dimensional objects. In this study, the volume of grey matter (GM), white matter (WM), and lateral ventricle (LV) of the cerebral hemispheres (CH) in sheep and goats were calculated. For this purpose, six healthy male sheep and goat brains (1-2 years old) without any anomaly were used. Brains were fixed with 10% formaldehyde in the skull. The skull was opened using standard anatomical dissection methods, and the brains were carefully removed. Brain weight and volume were measured (using Archimedes' principle) after the meninges were removed. The cerebral hemispheres were separated from the other parts of the brain by a section made in front of the rostral colliculus. In the same way, the weight and volume of the cerebral hemispheres were measured. Afterward, the cerebral hemispheres were blocked with agar, and transversal cross sections (from rostral to caudal) with an average thickness of 3.42 mm were taken from the cerebral hemispheres. Grey matter was stained with Berlin blue macroscopic staining method. The stained cross sections were scanned at 600 dpi resolution, and a point counting grid was placed on the images with the ImageJ software. Cavalieri's principle calculated the surface area and volume measurements of the grey matter, white matter, and lateral ventricle. GM, WM, and LV volumes in sheep and goat cerebral hemispheres were calculated as 54.94, 21.48 and 3.06 mL in sheep, 57.46, 24.13 and 3.12 mL in goats, respectively. The percentages of these structures in the total hemisphere volume were 71.83%, 28.17% and 4.00% in sheep, 70.42%, 29.58% and 3.82% in goats, respectively. Asymmetry was not observed in cerebral hemispheres in both species. A difference was found in the WM, LV and LV: CH ratios in the right/left comparison of the goat (p < 0.05). In comparing sheep and goats, a significant difference was observed in WM right, WM left, WM total, CH left and CH total (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the cerebral hemispheres' grey matter and white matter ratio are frequently used to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, the increase in neurodegenerative disease models in farm animals has been enormous. It is thought that these values obtained from healthy animals in the current study will be important for such experimental studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sedat Aydoğdu
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Emrullah Eken
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey
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Ray A, Bonorden MJL, Pandit R, Nkhata KJ, Bishayee A. Infections and immunity: associations with obesity and related metabolic disorders. J Pathol Transl Med 2023; 57:28-42. [PMID: 36647284 PMCID: PMC9846011 DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2022.11.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
About one-fourth of the global population is either overweight or obese, both of which increase the risk of insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, and infections. In obesity, both immune cells and adipocytes produce an excess of pro-inflammatory cytokines that may play a significant role in disease progression. In the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, important pathological characteristics such as involvement of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, endothelial injury, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release have been shown to be connected with obesity and associated sequelae such as insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This pathological connection may explain the severity of COVID-19 in patients with metabolic disorders. Many studies have also reported an association between type 2 diabetes and persistent viral infections. Similarly, diabetes favors the growth of various microorganisms including protozoal pathogens as well as opportunistic bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, diabetes is a risk factor for a number of prion-like diseases. There is also an interesting relationship between helminths and type 2 diabetes; helminthiasis may reduce the pro-inflammatory state, but is also associated with type 2 diabetes or even neoplastic processes. Several studies have also documented altered circulating levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes in obesity, which likely modifies vaccine effectiveness. Timely monitoring of inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein) and energy homeostasis markers (e.g., leptin) could be helpful in preventing many obesity-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitabha Ray
- College of Medical Science, Alderson Broaddus University, Philippi, WV, USA,Corresponding Author: Amitabha Ray, MD, PhD, College of Medical Science, Alderson Broaddus University, 101 College Hill Drive, Philippi, WV 26416, USA Tel: +1-304-457-6587, Fax: +1-304-457-6308, E-mail:
| | | | - Rajashree Pandit
- Division of Medical & Behavioral Health, Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, CO, USA
| | | | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL, USA
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Poboinev VV, Khrustalev VV, Khrustaleva TA, Kasko TE, Popkov VD. The PentUnFOLD algorithm as a tool to distinguish the dark and the light sides of the structural instability of proteins. Amino Acids 2022; 54:1155-1171. [PMID: 35294674 PMCID: PMC8924573 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins are frequently involved in important regulatory processes in the cell thanks to their ability to bind several different targets performing sometimes even opposite functions. The PentUnFOLD algorithm is a physicochemical method that is based on new propensity scales for disordered, nonstable and stable elements of secondary structure and on the counting of stabilizing and destabilizing intraprotein contacts. Unlike other methods, it works with a PDB file, and it can determine not only those fragments of alpha helices, beta strands, and random coils that can turn into disordered state (the “dark” side of the disorder), but also nonstable regions of alpha helices and beta strands which are able to turn into random coils (the “light” side), and vice versa (H ↔ C, E ↔ C). The scales have been obtained from structural data on disordered regions from the middle parts of amino acid sequences only, and not on their expectedly disordered N- and C-termini. Among other tendencies we have found that regions of both alpha helices and beta strands that can turn into the disordered state are relatively enriched in residues of Ala, Met, Asp, and Lys, while regions of both alpha helices and beta strands that can turn into random coil are relatively enriched in hydrophilic residues, and Cys, Pro, and Gly. Moreover, PentUnFOLD has the option to determine the effect of secondary structure transitions on the stability of a given region of a protein. The PentUnFOLD algorithm is freely available at http://3.17.12.213/pent-un-fold and http://chemres.bsmu.by/PentUnFOLD.htm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tatyana Aleksandrovna Khrustaleva
- Biochemical Group of the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Tihon Evgenyevich Kasko
- Department of General Chemistry, Belarusian State Medical University, Dzerzinskogo 83, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Vadim Dmitrievich Popkov
- Department of General Chemistry, Belarusian State Medical University, Dzerzinskogo 83, Minsk, Belarus
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Esteves A, Vieira-Pinto M, Quintas H, Orge L, Gama A, Alves A, Seixas F, Pires I, Pinto MDL, Mendonça AP, Lima C, Machado CN, Silva JC, Tavares P, Silva F, Bastos E, Pereira J, Gonçalves-Anjo N, Carvalho P, Sargo R, Matos A, Figueira L, Pires MDA. Scrapie at Abattoir: Monitoring, Control, and Differential Diagnosis of Wasting Conditions during Meat Inspection. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3028. [PMID: 34827761 PMCID: PMC8614523 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Wasting disease in small ruminants is frequently detected at slaughterhouses. The wasting disorder is manifested by the deterioration of the nutritional and physiological state of the animal indicated by thinness, emaciation, and cachexia. Evidence of emaciation and cachexia, alone, are pathological conditions leading to carcass condemnation during an inspection. Several diseases are associated with a wasting condition, including scrapie, pseudotuberculosis, tuberculosis, paratuberculosis, Maedi Visna, and tumor diseases. On the other hand, parasitic diseases, nutrition disorders, exposure or ingestion of toxins, metabolic conditions, inadequate nutrition due to poor teeth, or poor alimentary diet are conditions contributing to poor body condition. Classical and atypical scrapie is naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in small ruminants. The etiological agent for each one is prions. However, each of these scrapie types is epidemiologically, pathologically, and biochemically different. Though atypical scrapie occurs at low incidence, it is consistently prevalent in the small ruminant population. Hence, it is advisable to include differential diagnosis of this disease, from other possibilities, as a cause of wasting conditions detected during meat inspection at the abattoir. This manuscript is a review of the measures in force at the abattoir for scrapie control, focusing on the differential diagnosis of gross lesions related to wasting conditions detected in small ruminants during meat inspection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Esteves
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Hélder Quintas
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal;
| | - Leonor Orge
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.P.M.); (C.N.M.); (J.C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Adelina Gama
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Anabela Alves
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Isabel Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Maria de Lurdes Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Ana Paula Mendonça
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.P.M.); (C.N.M.); (J.C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Carla Lima
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 4485-655 Vila do Conde, Portugal; (C.L.); (P.T.)
| | - Carla Neves Machado
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.P.M.); (C.N.M.); (J.C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - João Carlos Silva
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.P.M.); (C.N.M.); (J.C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Paula Tavares
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 4485-655 Vila do Conde, Portugal; (C.L.); (P.T.)
| | - Filipe Silva
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Estela Bastos
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal;
- Genetic Department, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal;
| | - Jorge Pereira
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Nuno Gonçalves-Anjo
- Genetic Department, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal;
| | - Paulo Carvalho
- Pathology Laboratory, UEISPSA, National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), I.P., 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.P.M.); (C.N.M.); (J.C.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Roberto Sargo
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Ana Matos
- Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal;
- Quality of Life in the Rural World (Q-Rural), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal;
| | - Luís Figueira
- Quality of Life in the Rural World (Q-Rural), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB), 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal;
| | - Maria dos Anjos Pires
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (M.V.-P.); (L.O.); (A.G.); (A.A.); (F.S.); (I.P.); (M.d.L.P.); (F.S.); (J.P.); (R.S.)
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Pankiewicz JE, Lizińczyk AM, Franco LA, Diaz JR, Martá-Ariza M, Sadowski MJ. Absence of Apolipoprotein E is associated with exacerbation of prion pathology and promotes microglial neurodegenerative phenotype. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:157. [PMID: 34565486 PMCID: PMC8474943 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01261-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases or prionoses are a group of rapidly progressing and invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases. The pathogenesis of prionoses is associated with self-replication and connectomal spread of PrPSc, a disease specific conformer of the prion protein. Microglia undergo activation early in the course of prion pathogenesis and exert opposing roles in PrPSc mediated neurodegeneration. While clearance of PrPSc and apoptotic neurons have disease-limiting effect, microglia-driven neuroinflammation bears deleterious consequences to neuronal networks. Apolipoprotein (apo) E is a lipid transporting protein with pleiotropic functions, which include controlling of the phagocytic and inflammatory characteristics of activated microglia in neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the significance of microglia in prion pathogenesis, the role of apoE in prionoses has not been established. We showed here that infection of wild type mice with 22L mouse adapted scrapie strain is associated with significant increase in the total brain apoE protein and mRNA levels and also with a conspicuous cell-type shift in the apoE expression. There is reduced expression of apoE in activated astrocytes and marked upregulation of apoE expression by activated microglia. We also showed apoE ablation exaggerates PrPSc mediated neurodegeneration. Apoe−/− mice have shorter disease incubation period, increased load of spongiform lesion, pronounced neuronal loss, and exaggerated astro and microgliosis. Astrocytes of Apoe−/− mice display salient upregulation of transcriptomic markers defining A1 neurotoxic astrocytes while microglia show upregulation of transcriptomic markers characteristic for microglial neurodegenerative phenotype. There is impaired clearance of PrPSc and dying neurons by microglia in Apoe−/− mice along with increased level of proinflammatory cytokines. Our work indicates that apoE absence renders clearance of PrPSc and dying neurons by microglia inefficient, while the excess of neuronal debris promotes microglial neurodegenerative phenotype aggravating the vicious cycle of neuronal death and neuroinflammation.
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Evolution of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and the Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) in Mammals. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Aguilar-Calvo P, Fernández-Borges N, Pitarch JL, González L, Torres JM. Canine D 163-PrP polymorphic variant does not provide complete protection against prion infection in small ruminant PrP context. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14309. [PMID: 34253783 PMCID: PMC8275588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93594-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
E/D163 polymorphism of dog prion protein (PrP) has been recently proposed as the variant responsible for canid prion resistance. To further investigate the protective role of this variant against prion replication, the transgenic mouse model OvPrP-Tg532 expressing sheep/goat PrP carrying the substitution D162 (equivalent to D163 position of dog PrP) was generated and intracranially inoculated with a broad collection of small ruminant prion strains. OvPrP-Tg532 mice showed resistance to classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from sheep and some classical scrapie isolates from sheep and goat but were susceptible to ovine atypical L-BSE and numerous classical scrapie isolates. Strikingly, some of these classical scrapie isolates showed a shift in their prion strain properties. These results suggest that other PrP residues apart from E/D163 variant of dog PrP or factors distinct than PrP may participate in prion resistance of canids and that different factors may be required for D162 sheep PrP to provide effective protection to sheep against ruminant prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo González
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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Marín-Moreno A, Aguilar-Calvo P, Espinosa JC, Zamora-Ceballos M, Pitarch JL, González L, Fernández-Borges N, Orge L, Andréoletti O, Nonno R, Torres JM. Classical scrapie in small ruminants is caused by at least four different prion strains. Vet Res 2021; 52:57. [PMID: 33858518 PMCID: PMC8048364 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of goat scrapie strains in Europe has recently been studied using bioassays in a wide collection of rodent models, resulting in the classification of classical scrapie into four different categories. However, the sole use of the first passage does not lead to isolate adaptation and identification of the strains involved and might therefore lead to misclassification of some scrapie isolates. Therefore, this work reports the complete transmission study of a wide collection of goat transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) isolates by intracranial inoculation in two transgenic mouse lines overexpressing either small ruminant (TgGoat-ARQ) or bovine (TgBov) PrPC. To compare scrapie strains in sheep and goats, sheep scrapie isolates from different European countries were also included in the study. Once the species barrier phenomenon was overcome, an accurate classification of the isolates was attained. Thus, the use of just two rodent models allowed us to fully differentiate at least four different classical scrapie strains in small ruminants and to identify isolates containing mixtures of strains. This work reinforces the idea that classical scrapie in small ruminants is a prion disease caused by multiple different prion strains and not by a single strain, as is the case for epidemic classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE-C). In addition, the clear dissimilarity between the different scrapie strains and BSE-C does not support the idea that classical scrapie is the origin of epidemic BSE-C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Aguilar-Calvo
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.,Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Leonor Orge
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRAE ENVT 1225-IHAP, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Rome, Italy
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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Neuropathology of Animal Prion Diseases. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030466. [PMID: 33801117 PMCID: PMC8004141 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are a fatal group of infectious, inherited and spontaneous neurodegenerative diseases affecting human and animals. They are caused by the conversion of cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a misfolded pathological isoform (PrPSc or prion- proteinaceous infectious particle) that self-propagates by conformational conversion of PrPC. Yet by an unknown mechanism, PrPC can fold into different PrPSc conformers that may result in different prion strains that display specific disease phenotype (incubation time, clinical signs and lesion profile). Although the pathways for neurodegeneration as well as the involvement of brain inflammation in these diseases are not well understood, the spongiform changes, neuronal loss, gliosis and accumulation of PrPSc are the characteristic neuropathological lesions. Scrapie affecting small ruminants was the first identified TSE and has been considered the archetype of prion diseases, though atypical and new animal prion diseases continue to emerge highlighting the importance to investigate the lesion profile in naturally affected animals. In this report, we review the neuropathology and the neuroinflammation of animal prion diseases in natural hosts from scrapie, going through the zoonotic bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the chronic wasting disease (CWD) to the newly identified camel prion disease (CPD).
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Kim HH, Kim YC, Kim K, Kim AD, Jeong BH. Novel Polymorphisms and Genetic Features of the Prion Protein Gene ( PRNP) in Cats, Hosts of Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy. Genes (Basel) 2020; 12:genes12010013. [PMID: 33374431 PMCID: PMC7824082 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by vacuolation and gliosis in the brain. Prion diseases have been reported in several mammals, and genetic polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) play an essential role in the vulnerability of prion diseases. However, to date, investigations of PRNP polymorphisms are rare in cats, which are the major host of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE). Thus, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of the cat PRNP gene and analyzed the structural characteristics of the PrP of cats compared to those of dog, prion disease-resistant animal. To investigate the genetic variations of the cat PRNP gene in 208 cats, we performed amplicon sequencing and examined the genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of cat PRNP polymorphisms. We evaluated the influence of cat PRNP polymorphisms using PolyPhen-2, PANTHER, PROVEAN and AMYCO. In addition, we carried out structural analysis of cat PrP according to the allele of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (c.457G > A, Glu153Lys) using Swiss-PdbViewer. Finally, we compared the structural differences between cat and canine PrPs for SNPs associated with prion disease resistance in dogs. We identified a total of 15 polymorphisms, including 14 novel SNPs and one insertion/deletion polymorphism (InDel). Among them, Glu153Lys was predicted to affect the structural stability and amyloid propensity of cat PrP. In addition, asparagine at codon 166 of cat PrP was predicted to have longer hydrogen bond than aspartic acid at codon 163 of canine PrP. Furthermore, substitution to dog-specific amino acids in cat PrP showed an increase in structural stability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study regarding the structural characteristics of cat PRNP gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Ho Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Kiwon Kim
- Haemalken Animal Hospital, Yangju, Gyeonggi 11492, Korea;
| | - An-Dang Kim
- Cool-Pet Animal Hospital, Anyang, Gyeonggi 14066, Korea;
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-63-900-4040; Fax: +82-63-900-4012
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Espinosa JC, Marín-Moreno A, Aguilar-Calvo P, Torres JM. Met 166 -Glu 168 residues in human PrP β2-α2 loop account for evolutionary resistance to prion infection. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 47:506-518. [PMID: 33253417 PMCID: PMC8247420 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aims The amino acid sequence of prion protein (PrP) is a key determinant in the transmissibility of prion diseases. While PrP sequence is highly conserved among mammalian species, minor changes in the PrP amino acid sequence may confer alterations in the transmissibility of prion diseases. Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C‐BSE) is the only zoonotic prion strain reported to date causing variant Creutzfeldt‐Jacob disease (vCJD) in humans, although experimental transmission points to atypical L‐BSE and some classical scrapie isolates as also zoonotic. The precise molecular elements in the human PrP sequence that limit the transmissibility of prion strains such as sheep/goat scrapie or cervid chronic wasting disease (CWD) are not well known. Methods The transmissibility of a panel of diverse prions from different species was compared in transgenic mice expressing either wild‐type human PrPC (MDE‐HuTg340) or a mutated human PrPC harbouring Val166‐Gln168 amino acid changes (VDQ‐HuTg372) in the β2‐α2 loop instead of Met166‐Glu168 wild‐type variants. Results VDQ‐HuTg372 mice were more susceptible to prions than MDE‐HuTg340 mice in a strain‐dependent manner. Conclusions Met166‐Glu168 amino acid residues present in wild‐type human PrPC are molecular determinants that limit the propagation of most prion strains assayed in the human PrP context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (INIA-CISA), Madrid, Spain
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Fuchigami T, Kawasaki M, Watanabe H, Nakagaki T, Nishi K, Sano K, Atarashi R, Nakaie M, Yoshida S, Ono M, Nishida N, Nakayama M. Feasibility studies of radioiodinated pyridyl benzofuran derivatives as potential SPECT imaging agents for prion deposits in the brain. Nucl Med Biol 2020; 90-91:41-48. [PMID: 32979726 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2020.09.003] [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: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the deposition of abnormal prion protein aggregates (PrPSc) in the central nervous system. This study aimed to evaluate the use of iodinated pyridyl benzofuran (IPBF) derivatives as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) probes for the detection of cerebral PrPSc deposits. METHODS In vitro binding assays of IPBF derivatives were carried out in the recombinant mouse prion protein (rMoPrP) and brain sections of mouse-adapted bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mBSE)-infected mice. SPECT imaging of 5-(5-[123I]iodobenzofuran-2-yl)-N-methylpyridin-2-amine ([123I]IPBF-NHMe) was performed on mBSE-infected and mock-infected mice. RESULTS Fluorescence microscopy results showed that fluorescence signals of IPBF derivatives corresponded to the thioflavin-T positive amyloid deposits of PrPSc in the brain sections of mouse-adapted bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mBSE)-infected mice. Among the IPBF derivatives, 5-(5-iodobenzofuran-2-yl)-N-methylpyridin-2-amine (IPBF-NHMe) exhibited the highest binding affinity to the recombinant mouse prion protein (rMoPrP) aggregates with a Ki of 14.3 nM. SPECT/computed tomography (CT) imaging and ex vivo autoradiography demonstrated that the [123I]IPBF-NHMe distribution in brain tissues of mBSE-infected mice co-localized with PrPSc deposits. CONCLUSION [123I]IPBF-NHMe appears to be a prospective SPECT tracer for monitoring prion deposits in living brain tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Fuchigami
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan.
| | - Masao Kawasaki
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takehiro Nakagaki
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kodai Nishi
- Department of Radioisotope Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kazunori Sano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, 814-0180 Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Atarashi
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan
| | - Mari Nakaie
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Sakura Yoshida
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Nishida
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Morio Nakayama
- Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan.
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Abstract
Nine cases of amyloidosis in caracals (Caracal caracal) from three different institutions in Europe were reviewed and evaluated histopathologically. The six males and three females died between 2008 and 2018 at an age of 6 yr ± 2.5 mo (median ± interquartile range). In two out of nine (2/9) animals, amyloidosis was an incidental postmortem finding; the animals died of bronchopneumonia and gastric ulceration due to Helicobacter spp., respectively. Seven (7/9) animals suffered from acute renal failure due to amyloidosis, one of them additionally of cardiac decompensation. The predominant clinical signs were weight loss, lethargy, dys- or anorexia, dehydration, increased BUN and creatinine, and azotemia. The main gross lesion was a pale renal cortex on cut surface; in two animals, the kidneys appeared enlarged. Histologically, glomerular amyloid was present in every animal (9/9), and was the predominant renal manifestation of amyloidosis. Additional findings included splenic amyloid (8/8), amyloid in the lamina propria of the intestine (5/5), and amyloid in the lingual submucosa (4/4). Gastric mineralization was present in four animals suffering from renal failure. In the animal dying from bronchopneumonia, severe pancreatic amyloid deposits mainly affecting the exocrine pancreas (1/5) were identified. Immunohistochemistry was employed to identify amyloid AA in eight cases; only in the caracal dying from bronchopneumonia AA was amyloid confirmed. In several organs, especially in those where only small amyloid deposits were detected, a Congo red stain was often necessary to confirm the deposition. The etiology of the amyloidosis remains unknown. Three caracals were related within two generations, another three within four generations, so one might hypothesize a familial trait. In conclusion, amyloidosis should be considered as a significant disease in the caracal. Particularly in cases with renal disease, it should be included as a major differential diagnosis.
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Kim YC, Won SY, Do K, Jeong BH. Identification of the novel polymorphisms and potential genetic features of the prion protein gene (PRNP) in horses, a prion disease-resistant animal. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8926. [PMID: 32488112 PMCID: PMC7265282 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65731-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, a protein misfolded disorder (PMD) caused by misfolded prion protein (PrPSc), present in a wide variety of hosts, ranging from ungulates to humans. To date, prion infections have not been reported in horses, which are well-known as prion disease-resistant animals. Several studies have attempted to identify distinctive features in the prion protein of horses compared to prion disease-susceptible animals, without the study on polymorphisms of the horse prion protein gene (PRNP). Since single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PRNP in prion disease-susceptible animals are major susceptibility factors, the investigation of SNPs in the horse PRNP gene is important; however, only one study investigated a single horse breed, Thoroughbred. Thus, we investigated genetic polymorphisms and potential characteristics of the PRNP gene in 2 additional horse breeds. To this end, we performed amplicon sequencing of the horse PRNP gene and investigated SNPs in Jeju and Halla horses. We compared genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies among three horse breeds, namely, Thoroughbred, Jeju and Halla horses. In addition, we evaluated the potential influence of the identified nonsynonymous SNPs on the prion protein using PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, and PANTHER. Furthermore, we measured the aggregation propensity of prion proteins using AMYCO and analyzed linkage disequilibrium (LD) between PRNP and prion-like protein gene (PRND) SNPs. A total of 4 SNPs were found, including two nonsynonymous SNPs (c.301 T > A, c.525 C > A) and three novel SNPs (c.-3A > G, c.301 T > A and c.570 G > A). There were significant differences in genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies among the three horse breeds. The nonsynonymous SNP, c.301 T > A (W101R), was predicted to be benign, deleterious, and possibly damaging by PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN and PANTHER, respectively. In addition, the amyloid propensity of horse prion protein according to 4 haplotypes of nonsynonymous SNPs was predicted to be benign by AMYCO. Finally, we identified weak LD between PRNP and PRND SNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 54531, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae-Young Won
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 54531, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoungtag Do
- Lab of Equine Science, Department of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 54531, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, 54896, Republic of Korea.
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Won SY, Kim YC, Do K, Jeong BH. Absence of Strong Genetic Linkage Disequilibrium between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Prion Protein Gene ( PRNP) and the Prion-Like Protein Gene ( PRND) in the Horse, a Prion-Resistant Species. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11050518. [PMID: 32392732 PMCID: PMC7290373 DOI: 10.3390/genes11050518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a deleterious prion protein (PrPSc). However, prion disease has not been reported in horses during outbreaks of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in various animals in the UK. In previous studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been significantly associated with susceptibility to prion disease, and strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) between PRNP and prion-like protein gene (PRND) SNPs has been identified in prion disease-susceptible species. On the other hand, weak LD values have been reported in dogs, a prion disease-resistant species. In this study, we investigated SNPs in the PRND gene and measured the LD values between the PRNP and PRND SNPs and the impact of a nonsynonymous SNP found in the horse PRND gene. To identify SNPs in the PRND gene, we performed direct sequencing of the PRND gene. In addition, to assess whether the weak LD value between the PRNP and PRND SNPs is a characteristic of prion disease-resistant animals, we measured the LD value between the PRNP and PRND SNPs using D’ and r2 values. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of a nonsynonymous SNP in the Doppel protein with PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, and PANTHER. We observed two novel SNPs, c.331G > A (A111T) and c.411G > C. The genotype and allele frequencies of the c.331G > A (A111T) and c.411G > C SNPs were significantly different between Jeju, Halla, and Thoroughbred horses. In addition, we found a total of three haplotypes: GG, AG, and GC. The GG haplotype was the most frequently observed in Jeju and Halla horses. Furthermore, the impact of A111T on the Doppel protein was predicted to be benign by PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, and PANTHER. Interestingly, a weak LD value between the PRNP and PRND SNPs was found in the horse, a prion disease-resistant animal. To the best of our knowledge, these results suggest that a weak LD value could be one feature of prion disease-resistant animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sae-Young Won
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Kyoungtag Do
- Lab of Equine Science, Department of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea;
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-63-900-4040; Fax: +82-63-900-4012
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Espinosa JC, Marín-Moreno A, Aguilar-Calvo P, Benestad SL, Andreoletti O, Torres JM. Porcine Prion Protein as a Paradigm of Limited Susceptibility to Prion Strain Propagation. J Infect Dis 2020; 223:1103-1112. [PMID: 31919511 PMCID: PMC8006416 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although experimental transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to pigs and transgenic mice expressing pig cellular prion protein (PrPC) (porcine PrP [PoPrP]-Tg001) has been described, no natural cases of prion diseases in pig were reported. This study analyzed pig-PrPC susceptibility to different prion strains using PoPrP-Tg001 mice either as animal bioassay or as substrate for protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). A panel of isolates representatives of different prion strains was selected, including classic and atypical/Nor98 scrapie, atypical-BSE, rodent scrapie, human Creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease and classic BSE from different species. Bioassay proved that PoPrP-Tg001-mice were susceptible only to the classic BSE agent, and PMCA results indicate that only classic BSE can convert pig-PrPC into scrapie-type PrP (PrPSc), independently of the species origin. Therefore, conformational flexibility constraints associated with pig-PrP would limit the number of permissible PrPSc conformations compatible with pig-PrPC, thus suggesting that pig-PrPC may constitute a paradigm of low conformational flexibility that could confer high resistance to the diversity of prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Olivier Andreoletti
- UMR Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)/École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) 1225, Interactions Hôtes Agents Pathogènes, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
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Won SY, Kim YC, Kim SK, Jeong BH. The First Report of Genetic and Structural Diversities in the SPRN Gene in the Horse, an Animal Resistant to Prion Disease. Genes (Basel) 2019; 11:genes11010039. [PMID: 31905681 PMCID: PMC7016944 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases and are characterized by the accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) in the brain. During the outbreak of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom, prion diseases in several species were reported; however, horse prion disease has not been reported thus far. In previous studies, the shadow of prion protein (Sho) has contributed to an acceleration of conversion from normal prion protein (PrPC) to PrPSc, and the shadow of prion protein gene (SPRN) polymorphisms have been significantly associated with the susceptibility of prion diseases. We investigated the genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of the SPRN gene using direct sequencing. In addition, we analyzed linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotypes among polymorphisms. We also investigated LD between PRNP and SPRN single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We compared the amino acid sequences of Sho protein between the horse and several prion disease-susceptible species using ClustalW2. To perform Sho protein modeling, we utilized SWISS-MODEL and Swiss-PdbViewer programs. We found a total of four polymorphisms in the equine SPRN gene; however, we did not observe an in/del polymorphism, which is correlated with the susceptibility of prion disease in prion disease-susceptible animals. The SPRN SNPs showed weak LD value with PRNP SNP. In addition, we found 12 horse-specific amino acids of Sho protein that can induce significantly distributional differences in the secondary structure and hydrogen bonds between the horse and several prion disease-susceptible species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the genetic and structural characteristics of the equine SPRN gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sae-Young Won
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.); (S.-K.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.); (S.-K.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Seon-Kwan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.); (S.-K.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (S.-Y.W.); (Y.-C.K.); (S.-K.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-63-900-4040; Fax: +82-63-900-4012
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Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by the conversion of physiological PrPC into the pathogenic misfolded protein PrPSc, conferring new properties to PrPSc that vary upon prion strains. In this work, we analyze the thermostability of three prion strains (BSE, RML and 22L) that were heated at 98 °C for 2 hours. PrPSc resistance to proteinase K (PrPres), residual infectivity by mouse bioassay and in vitro templating activity by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) were studied. Heated strains showed a huge loss of PrPres and a radically different infectivity loss: RML was the most thermolabile strain (6 to 7 log10 infectivity loss), followed by 22L (5 log10) while BSE was the most thermostable strain with low or null infectivity reduction showing a clear dissociation between PrPres and infectivity. These results indicate that thermostability is a strain-specific feature, measurable by PMCA and mouse bioassay, and a great tool to distinguish prion strains.
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McNulty E, Nalls AV, Mellentine S, Hughes E, Pulscher L, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK. Comparison of conventional, amplification and bio-assay detection methods for a chronic wasting disease inoculum pool. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216621. [PMID: 31071138 PMCID: PMC6508678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the native host have provided considerable understanding of how this prion disease continues to efficiently spread among cervid species. These studies entail great cost in animal, time and financial support. A variety of methods have emerged including transgenic mouse bioassay, western blot, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) and real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), that deepen our understanding of this and other protein misfolding disorders. To further characterize an inoculum source used for ongoing CWD studies and to determine how the readouts from each of these assays compare, we assayed a CWD-positive brain pool homogenate (CBP6) and a mouse dilutional bioassay of this homogenate using the above detection methods. We demonstrate that: (i) amplification assays enhanced detection of amyloid seeding activity in the CWD+ cervid brain pool to levels beyond mouse LD50, (ii) conventional detection methods (IHC and western blot) performed well in identifying the presence of PrPSc in terminal brain tissue yet lack sufficient detection sensitivity to identify all CWD-infected mice, and (iii) the incorporation of amplification assays enhanced detection of CWD-infected mice near the LD50. This cross-platform analysis provides a basis to calibrate the relative sensitivities of CWD detection assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Amy V. Nalls
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Samuel Mellentine
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Erin Hughes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Laura Pulscher
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Brandt AL, Green ML, Ishida Y, Roca AL, Novakofski J, Mateus-Pinilla NE. Influence of the geographic distribution of prion protein gene sequence variation on patterns of chronic wasting disease spread in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2018; 12:204-215. [PMID: 30041562 PMCID: PMC6277178 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1474671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing and controlling the spread of diseases in wild animal populations is challenging, especially for social and mobile species. Effective management benefits from information about disease susceptibility, allowing limited resources to be focused on areas or populations with a higher risk of infection. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects cervids, was detected in Colorado in the late 1960s. CWD was detected in Illinois and Wisconsin in 2002 and has since spread through many counties. Specific nucleotide variations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) sequence have been associated with reduced susceptibility to CWD in white-tailed deer. Though genetic resistance is incomplete, the frequency of deer possessing these mutations in a population is an important factor in disease spread (i.e. herd immunity). In this study we sequenced 625 bp of the PRNP gene from a sampling of 2433 deer from Illinois and Wisconsin. In north-central Illinois where CWD was first detected, counties had a low frequency of protective haplotypes (frequency <0.20); whereas in northwestern Illinois counties, where CWD cases have only more recently been detected, the frequency of protective haplotypes (frequency >0.30) was much higher (p < 0.05). Protective haplotype frequencies varied significantly among infected and uninfected geographic areas. The frequency of protective PRNP haplotypes may contribute to population level susceptibility and may shape the way CWD has spread through Illinois. Analysis of PRNP haplotype distribution could be a useful tool to assess CWD risk and allocate resources to contain and reduce the spread of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Brandt
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,b Division of Natural Sciences , St. Norbert College , De Pere , Wisconsin , USA
| | - Michelle L Green
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Yasuko Ishida
- c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Alfred L Roca
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Jan Novakofski
- c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- a Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.,c Department of Animal Sciences , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA
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22
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Pankiewicz JE, Sanchez S, Kirshenbaum K, Kascsak RB, Kascsak RJ, Sadowski MJ. Anti-prion Protein Antibody 6D11 Restores Cellular Proteostasis of Prion Protein Through Disrupting Recycling Propagation of PrP Sc and Targeting PrP Sc for Lysosomal Degradation. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2073-2091. [PMID: 29987703 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1208-4] [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] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
PrPSc is an infectious and disease-specific conformer of the prion protein, which accumulation in the CNS underlies the pathology of prion diseases. PrPSc replicates by binding to the cellular conformer of the prion protein (PrPC) expressed by host cells and rendering its secondary structure a likeness of itself. PrPC is a plasma membrane anchored protein, which constitutively recirculates between the cell surface and the endocytic compartment. Since PrPSc engages PrPC along this trafficking pathway, its replication process is often referred to as "recycling propagation." Certain monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against prion protein can abrogate the presence of PrPSc from prion-infected cells. However, the precise mechanism(s) underlying their therapeutic propensities remains obscure. Using N2A murine neuroblastoma cell line stably infected with 22L mouse-adapted scrapie strain (N2A/22L), we investigated here the modus operandi of the 6D11 clone, which was raised against the PrPSc conformer and has been shown to permanently clear prion-infected cells from PrPSc presence. We determined that 6D11 mAb engages and sequesters PrPC and PrPSc at the cell surface. PrPC/6D11 and PrPSc/6D11 complexes are then endocytosed from the plasma membrane and are directed to lysosomes, therefore precluding recirculation of nascent PrPSc back to the cell surface. Targeting PrPSc by 6D11 mAb to the lysosomal compartment facilitates its proteolysis and eventually shifts the balance between PrPSc formation and degradation. Ongoing translation of PrPC allows maintaining the steady-state level of prion protein within the cells, which was not depleted under 6D11 mAb treatment. Our findings demonstrate that through disrupting recycling propagation of PrPSc and promoting its degradation, 6D11 mAb restores cellular proteostasis of prion protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E Pankiewicz
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, Science Building, Room 1007, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Sandrine Sanchez
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, Science Building, Room 1007, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Kent Kirshenbaum
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Regina B Kascsak
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Richard J Kascsak
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Martin J Sadowski
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, Science Building, Room 1007, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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23
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Abstract
Currently all prion diseases are without effective treatment and are universally fatal. It is increasingly being recognized that the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), includes "prion-like" properties. Hence, any effective therapeutic intervention for prion disease could have significant implications for other neurodegenerative diseases. Conversely, therapies that are effective in AD might also be therapeutically beneficial for prion disease. AD-like prion disease has no effective therapy. However, various vaccine and immunomodulatory approaches have shown great success in animal models of AD, with numerous ongoing clinical trials of these potential immunotherapies. More limited evidence suggests that immunotherapies may be effective in prion models and in naturally occurring prion disease. In particular, experimental data suggest that mucosal vaccination against prions can be effective for protection against orally acquired prion infection. Many prion diseases, including natural sheep scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are thought to be acquired peripherally, mainly by oral exposure. Mucosal vaccination would be most applicable to this form of transmission. In this chapter we review various immunologically based strategies which are under development for prion infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wisniewski
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Fernando Goñi
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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24
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Pfankuche VM, Jo WK, van der Vries E, Jungwirth N, Lorenzen S, Osterhaus ADME, Baumgärtner W, Puff C. Neuronal Vacuolization in Feline Panleukopenia Virus Infection. Vet Pathol 2017; 55:294-297. [PMID: 29157191 DOI: 10.1177/0300985817738096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) infections are typically associated with anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, neutropenia, and lymphopenia. In cases of late prenatal or early neonatal infections, cerebellar hypoplasia is reported in kittens. In addition, single cases of encephalitis are described. FPV replication was recently identified in neurons, although it is mainly found in cells with high mitotic activity. A female cat, 2 months old, was submitted to necropsy after it died with neurologic deficits. Besides typical FPV intestinal tract changes, multifocal, randomly distributed intracytoplasmic vacuoles within neurons of the thoracic spinal cord were found histologically. Next-generation sequencing identified FPV-specific sequences within the central nervous system. FPV antigen was detected within central nervous system cells, including the vacuolated neurons, via immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization confirmed the presence of FPV DNA within the vacuolated neurons. Thus, FPV should be considered a cause for neuronal vacuolization in cats presenting with ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M Pfankuche
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.,2 Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.,Both of these authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Wendy K Jo
- 2 Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.,3 Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), Hannover, Germany.,Both of these authors contributed equally to this work
| | | | - Nicole Jungwirth
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.,2 Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Lorenzen
- 4 Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Albert D M E Osterhaus
- 2 Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.,3 Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), Hannover, Germany.,5 Artemis One Health, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.,2 Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christina Puff
- 1 Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
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25
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Marín-Moreno A, Fernández-Borges N, Espinosa JC, Andréoletti O, Torres JM. Transmission and Replication of Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:181-201. [PMID: 28838661 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of progressive, invariably fatal diseases that affect the nervous system of many mammals including humans. The key molecular event in the pathogenesis of TSEs is the conversion of the cellular prion protein PrPC into a disease-associated isoform PrPSc. The "protein-only hypothesis" argues that PrPSc itself is the infectious agent. In effect, PrPSc can adopt several structures that represent different prion strains. The interspecies transmission of TSEs is difficult because of differences between the host and donor primary PrP sequence. However, transmission is not impossible as this occurred when bovine spongiform encephalopathy spread to humans causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). This event determined a need for a thorough understanding of prion replication and transmission so that we could be one step ahead of further threats for human health. This chapter focuses on these concepts and on new insights gained into prion propagation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan C Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRA-ENVT 1225, Interactions Hôte Agent Pathogène, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Juan M Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Madrid, Spain.
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26
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Infectious Prions in the Pregnancy Microenvironment of Chronic Wasting Disease-Infected Reeves' Muntjac Deer. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00501-17. [PMID: 28539446 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00501-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample evidence exists for the presence of infectious agents at the maternal-fetal interface, often with grave outcomes to the developing fetus (i.e., Zika virus, brucella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasma). While less studied, pregnancy-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) have been implicated in several species, including humans. Our previous work has shown that prions can be transferred from mother to offspring, resulting in the development of clinical TSE disease in offspring born to muntjac dams infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) (1). We further demonstrated protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA)-competent prions within the female reproductive tract and in fetal tissues harvested from CWD experimentally and naturally exposed cervids (1, 2). To assess whether the PMCA-competent prions residing at the maternal-fetal interface were infectious and to determine if the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) methodology may enhance our ability to detect amyloid fibrils within the pregnancy microenvironment, we employed a mouse bioassay and RT-QuIC. In this study, we have demonstrated RT-QuIC seeding activity in uterus, placentome, ovary, and amniotic fluid but not in allantoic fluids harvested from CWD-infected Reeves' muntjac dams showing clinical signs of infection (clinically CWD-infected) and in some placentomes from pre-clinically CWD-infected dams. Prion infectivity was confirmed within the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placentome, the semipermeable interface that sustains the developing fetus, of CWD-infected dams. This is the first report of prion infectivity within the cervid pregnancy microenvironment, revealing a source of fetal CWD exposure prior to the birthing process, maternal grooming, or encounters with contaminated environments.IMPORTANCE The facile dissemination of chronic wasting disease within captive and free-range cervid populations has led to questions regarding the transmission dynamics of this disease. Direct contact with infected animals and indirect contact with infectious prions in bodily fluids and contaminated environments are suspected to explain the majority of this transmission. A third mode of transmission, from mother to offspring, may be underappreciated. The presence of pregnancy-related prion infectivity within the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placental structure reveals that the developing fetus is exposed to a source of prions long before exposure to the infectious agent during and after the birthing process or via contact with contaminated environments. These findings have impact on our current concept of CWD disease transmission.
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27
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Batlle C, Iglesias V, Navarro S, Ventura S. Prion-like proteins and their computational identification in proteomes. Expert Rev Proteomics 2017; 14:335-350. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2017.1304214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Batlle
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentin Iglesias
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susanna Navarro
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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28
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Hayles J. S. pombe placed on the prion map. MICROBIAL CELL 2017; 4:35-37. [PMID: 28357387 PMCID: PMC5349120 DOI: 10.15698/mic2017.02.555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been used extensively as a model organism, however it is only recently that the first prion in this organism, a copper transporter protein encoded by ctr4, has been conclusively demonstrated. Prions are found in a wide range of organisms and have been implicated in a number of human neurodegenerative diseases. Research into the biology of prions has been carried out mainly in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however there are many questions still to be addressed. Now, with the identification of the Ctr4 prion in S. pombe, further work in the two yeasts and comparisons of prion biology in these organisms should lead to a greater understanding of prions and their role in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Hayles
- Cell Cycle Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, I, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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29
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Sideri T, Yashiroda Y, Ellis DA, Rodríguez-López M, Yoshida M, Tuite MF, Bähler J. The copper transport-associated protein Ctr4 can form prion-like epigenetic determinants in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. MICROBIAL CELL 2017; 4:16-28. [PMID: 28191457 PMCID: PMC5302157 DOI: 10.15698/mic2017.01.552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prions are protein-based infectious entities associated with fatal brain diseases
in animals, but also modify a range of host-cell phenotypes in the budding
yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many questions remain about
the evolution and biology of prions. Although several functionally distinct
prion-forming proteins exist in S. cerevisiae, [HET-s] of
Podospora anserina is the only other known fungal prion.
Here we investigated prion-like, protein-based epigenetic transmission in the
fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We show that
S. pombe cells can support the formation and maintenance of
the prion form of the S. cerevisiae Sup35 translation factor
[PSI+], and that the formation and propagation
of these Sup35 aggregates is inhibited by guanidine hydrochloride, indicating
commonalities in prion propagation machineries in these evolutionary diverged
yeasts. A proteome-wide screen identified the Ctr4 copper transporter subunit as
a putative prion with a predicted prion-like domain. Overexpression of
the ctr4 gene resulted in large Ctr4 protein aggregates
that were both detergent and proteinase-K resistant. Cells carrying such
[CTR+] aggregates showed increased sensitivity
to oxidative stress, and this phenotype could be transmitted to aggregate-free
[ctr-] cells by transformation with
[CTR+] cell extracts. Moreover, this
[CTR+] phenotype was inherited in a
non-Mendelian manner following mating with naïve
[ctr-] cells, but intriguingly the
[CTR+] phenotype was not eliminated by
guanidine-hydrochloride treatment. Thus, Ctr4 exhibits multiple features
diagnostic of other fungal prions and is the first example of a prion in fission
yeast. These findings suggest that transmissible protein-based determinants of
traits may be more widespread among fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Sideri
- University College London, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment and Institute of Healthy Ageing, London, U.K
| | - Yoko Yashiroda
- Chemical Genetics Laboratory, RIKEN and Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN CSRS, Saitama, Japan
| | - David A Ellis
- University College London, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment and Institute of Healthy Ageing, London, U.K
| | - María Rodríguez-López
- University College London, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment and Institute of Healthy Ageing, London, U.K
| | - Minoru Yoshida
- Chemical Genetics Laboratory, RIKEN and Chemical Genomics Research Group, RIKEN CSRS, Saitama, Japan
| | - Mick F Tuite
- Kent Fungal Group, University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Canterbury, Kent, U.K
| | - Jürg Bähler
- University College London, Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment and Institute of Healthy Ageing, London, U.K
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30
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Fernández-Borges N, Píquer J, Girones R, Andreoletti O, Torres JM. An assessment of the long-term persistence of prion infectivity in aquatic environments. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 151:587-594. [PMID: 27591838 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The environment plays a key role in horizontal transmission of prion diseases, since prions are extremely resistant to classical inactivation procedures. In prior work, we observed the high stability of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infectivity when these prions were incubated in aqueous media such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or wastewater for nearly nine months. As a continuation of this experiment, the same samples were maintained in PBS or wastewater for five additional years and residual BSE infectivity was assessed in bovine PrPC transgenic mice. Over this long time period (more than six years), BSE infectivity was reduced by three and one orders of magnitude in wastewater and PBS respectively. To rule out a possible agent specific effect, sheep scrapie prions were subjected to the same experimental protocol, using eight years as the experimental end-point. No significant reduction in scrapie infectivity was observed over the first nine months of wastewater incubation while PBS incubation for eight years only produced a two logarithmic unit reduction in infectivity. By contrast, the dynamics of PrPRes persistence was different, disappearing progressively over the first year. The long persistence of prion infectivity observed in this study for two different agents provides supporting evidence of the assumed high stability of these agents in aquatic environments and that environmental processes or conventional wastewater treatments with low retention times would have little impact on prion infectivity. These results could have great repercussions in terms of risk assessment and safety for animals and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar S/n, Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan-Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar S/n, Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Fernández-Borges
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar S/n, Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Píquer
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar S/n, Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosina Girones
- Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivier Andreoletti
- UMR INRA-ENVT 1225, Interactions Hôte Agent Pathogène, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Juan-María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar S/n, Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Inactivation of Prions and Amyloid Seeds with Hypochlorous Acid. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005914. [PMID: 27685252 PMCID: PMC5042475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is produced naturally by neutrophils and other cells to kill conventional microbes in vivo. Synthetic preparations containing HOCl can also be effective as microbial disinfectants. Here we have tested whether HOCl can also inactivate prions and other self-propagating protein amyloid seeds. Prions are deadly pathogens that are notoriously difficult to inactivate, and standard microbial disinfection protocols are often inadequate. Recommended treatments for prion decontamination include strongly basic (pH ≥~12) sodium hypochlorite bleach, ≥1 N sodium hydroxide, and/or prolonged autoclaving. These treatments are damaging and/or unsuitable for many clinical, agricultural and environmental applications. We have tested the anti-prion activity of a weakly acidic aqueous formulation of HOCl (BrioHOCl) that poses no apparent hazard to either users or many surfaces. For example, BrioHOCl can be applied directly to skin and mucous membranes and has been aerosolized to treat entire rooms without apparent deleterious effects. Here, we demonstrate that immersion in BrioHOCl can inactivate not only a range of target microbes, including spores of Bacillus subtilis, but also prions in tissue suspensions and on stainless steel. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays showed that BrioHOCl treatments eliminated all detectable prion seeding activity of human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cervine chronic wasting disease, sheep scrapie and hamster scrapie; these findings indicated reductions of ≥103- to 106-fold. Transgenic mouse bioassays showed that all detectable hamster-adapted scrapie infectivity in brain homogenates or on steel wires was eliminated, representing reductions of ≥~105.75-fold and >104-fold, respectively. Inactivation of RT-QuIC seeding activity correlated with free chlorine concentration and higher order aggregation or destruction of proteins generally, including prion protein. BrioHOCl treatments had similar effects on amyloids composed of human α-synuclein and a fragment of human tau. These results indicate that HOCl can block the self-propagating activity of prions and other amyloids. Many serious diseases have been linked to pathogenic states of various proteins. These naturally occurring proteins can be corrupted to form aggregates such as prions and amyloids that propagate in and between tissues by acting as seeds that convert the normal form of the protein into more of the pathological form. For example, corrupted prion protein can cause fatal transmissible neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, chronic wasting disease in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Other amyloid-forming protein aggregates are pathogenic in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. The fact that prions and amyloids are composed predominantly of tough, tightly packed proteins makes them unusually resistant to conventional microbial disinfection procedures. Infectious prions can persist indefinitely in, or on, a variety of materials such as tissues, fluids, tools, instruments, and environmental surfaces, making it important to identify decontaminants that are effective without being dangerous or damaging. Here we show that hypochlorous acid, a disinfectant that is produced naturally by certain cells within the body, has strong anti-prion and anti-amyloid activity. We find that a non-irritating and broadly applicable hypochlorous acid preparation can disinfect prions in tissue homogenates and on stainless steel wires serving as surrogates for surgical instruments.
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32
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Abstract
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the aggregation and deposition of the misfolded prion protein in the brain. α-synuclein (α-syn)-associated multiple system atrophy has been recently shown to be caused by a bona fide α-syn prion strain. Several other misfolded native proteins such as β-amyloid, tau and TDP-43 share some aspects of prions although none of them is shown to be transmissible in nature or in experimental animals. However, these prion-like "prionoids" are causal to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The remarkable recent discovery of at least two new α-syn prion strains and their transmissibility in transgenic mice and in vitro cell models raises a distinct question as to whether some specific strain of other prionoids could have the capability of disease transmission in a manner similar to prions. In this overview, we briefly describe human and other mammalian prion diseases and comment on certain similarities between prion and prionoid and the possibility of prion-like transmissibility of some prionoid strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Verma
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
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33
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Dual role of ribosome-associated chaperones in prion formation and propagation. Curr Genet 2016; 62:677-685. [PMID: 26968706 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-016-0586-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Chaperones of the diverse ubiquitous Hsp70 family are involved in the regulation of ordered self-perpetuating protein aggregates (amyloids and prions), implicated in both devastating diseases and protein-based inheritance. Yeast ribosome-associated chaperone complex (RAC), composed of the Hsp40 protein Zuo1 and non-canonical Hsp70 protein Ssz1, mediates association of the Hsp70 chaperone Ssb with translating ribosomes. Ssb participates in co-translational protein folding, regulation of premature translation termination, and ribosome biogenesis. The loss of Ssb or disruption of RAC results in the increased formation of [PSI +], a prion form of the translation termination factor Sup35 (eRF3). This implicates co-translational protein misfolding in de novo prion formation. However, RAC disruption also destabilizes pre-existing [PSI +] prions, as Ssb, released from ribosomes to the cytosol in the absence of RAC, antagonizes the function of the major cytosolic chaperone, Ssa, in prion propagation. The mechanism of the Ssa/Ssb antagonism is currently under investigation and may include a competition for substrates and/or co-chaperones. Notably, yeast cells with wild-type RAC also release Ssb to the cytosol in certain unfavorable growth conditions, and Ssb contributes to increased prion loss in these conditions. This indicates that the circulation of Ssb between the ribosome and cytosol may serve as a physiological regulator of the formation and propagation of self-perpetuating protein aggregates. Indeed, RAC and Ssb modulate toxicity of some aggregating proteins in yeast. Mammalian cells lack the Ssb ortholog but contain a RAC counterpart, apparently recruiting other Hsp70 protein(s). Thus, amyloid modulation by ribosome-associated chaperones could be applicable beyond yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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