1
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Sulatsky MI, Stepanenko OV, Stepanenko OV, Povarova OI, Kuznetsova IM, Turoverov KK, Sulatskaya AI. Broken but not beaten: Challenge of reducing the amyloids pathogenicity by degradation. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00161-9. [PMID: 38642804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation of ordered protein aggregates, amyloid fibrils, accompanies various neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's, etc.) and causes a wide range of systemic and local amyloidoses (such as insulin, hemodialysis amyloidosis, etc.). Such pathologies are usually diagnosed when the disease is already irreversible and a large amount of amyloid plaques have accumulated. In recent years, new drugs aimed at reducing amyloid levels have been actively developed. However, although clinical trials have demonstrated a reduction in amyloid plaque size with these drugs, their effect on disease progression has been controversial and associated with significant side effects, the reasons of which are not fully understood. AIM OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to summarize extensive array of data on the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors (physico-mechanical effects, chemical effects of low molecular weight compounds, macromolecules and their complexes) on the structure and pathogenicity of mature amyloids for proposing future directions of the development of effective and safe anti-amyloid therapeutics. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW Our analysis show that destruction of amyloids is in most cases incomplete and degradation products often retain the properties of amyloids (including high and sometimes higher than fibrils, cytotoxicity), accelerate amyloidogenesis and promote the propagation of amyloids between cells. Probably, the appearance of protein aggregates, polymorphic in structure and properties (such as amorphous aggregates, fibril fragments, amyloid oligomers, etc.), formed because of uncontrolled degradation of amyloids, may be one of the reasons for the ambiguous effectiveness and serious side effects of the anti-amyloid drugs. This means that all medications that are supposed to be used both for degradation and slow down the fibrillogenesis must first be tested on mature fibrils: the mechanism of drug action and cytotoxic, seeding, and infectious activity of the degradation products must be analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksim I Sulatsky
- Laboratory of Cell Morphology, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga V Stepanenko
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olesya V Stepanenko
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga I Povarova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina M Kuznetsova
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Konstantin K Turoverov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna I Sulatskaya
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Tikhoretsky ave., 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia.
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2
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Hoyt F, Alam P, Artikis E, Schwartz CL, Hughson AG, Race B, Baune C, Raymond GJ, Baron GS, Kraus A, Caughey B. Cryo-EM of prion strains from the same genotype of host identifies conformational determinants. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010947. [PMID: 36342968 PMCID: PMC9671466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion strains in a given type of mammalian host are distinguished by differences in clinical presentation, neuropathological lesions, survival time, and characteristics of the infecting prion protein (PrP) assemblies. Near-atomic structures of prions from two host species with different PrP sequences have been determined but comparisons of distinct prion strains of the same amino acid sequence are needed to identify purely conformational determinants of prion strain characteristics. Here we report a 3.2 Å resolution cryogenic electron microscopy-based structure of the 22L prion strain purified from the brains of mice engineered to express only PrP lacking glycophosphatidylinositol anchors [anchorless (a) 22L]. Comparison of this near-atomic structure to our recently determined structure of the aRML strain propagated in the same inbred mouse reveals that these two mouse prion strains have distinct conformational templates for growth via incorporation of PrP molecules of the same sequence. Both a22L and aRML are assembled as stacks of PrP molecules forming parallel in-register intermolecular β-sheets and intervening loops, with single monomers spanning the ordered fibril core. Each monomer shares an N-terminal steric zipper, three major arches, and an overall V-shape, but the details of these and other conformational features differ markedly. Thus, variations in shared conformational motifs within a parallel in-register β-stack fibril architecture provide a structural basis for prion strain differentiation within a single host genotype. Prions are protein-based pathogens that can spread within and between hosts without carrying a pathogen-specific nucleic acid genome. Given this protein-based propagation mechanism, a long-standing mystery in the prion disease field has been the molecular basis of distinct, faithfully propagating strains in a single type of mammalian host. Here we provide a direct, high-resolution cryo-EM-based comparison of the structures of two highly infectious prion strains isolated from the brains of mice of a single genotype. We show in detail how these two prion strains are protein filaments of mouse PrP molecules that display distinct conformational templates for growth on their tips. Our results identify purely conformational, rather than sequence-based, underpinnings of infectious and deadly prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Hoyt
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Parvez Alam
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Efrosini Artikis
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Cindi L. Schwartz
- Research Technologies Branch, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Andrew G. Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Chase Baune
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Gregory J. Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Gerald S. Baron
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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3
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The current state of amyloidosis therapeutics and the potential role of fluorine in their treatment. Biochimie 2022; 202:123-135. [PMID: 35963462 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amyloidosis, commonly known as amyloid-associated diseases, is characterized by improperly folded proteins accumulating in tissues and eventually causing organ damage, which is linked to several disorders ranging from neurodegenerative to peripheral diseases. It has an enormous societal and financial impact on the global health sector. Due to the complexity of protein misfolding and intertwined aggregation, there are no effective disease-modifying medications at present, and the condition is likely mis/non-diagnosed half of the time. Nonetheless, over the last two decades, substantial research into aggregation processes has revealed the possibilities of new intervention approaches. On the other hand, fluorine has been a rising star in therapeutic development for numerous neurodegenerative illnesses and other peripheral diseases. In this study, we revised and emphasized the possible significance of fluorine-modified therapeutic molecules and fluorine-modified nanoparticles (NPs) in the modulation of amyloidogenic proteins, including insulin, amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), prion protein (PrP), transthyretin (TTR) and Huntingtin (htt).
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4
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Artikis E, Kraus A, Caughey B. Structural biology of ex vivo mammalian prions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102181. [PMID: 35752366 PMCID: PMC9293645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The structures of prion protein (PrP)–based mammalian prions have long been elusive. However, cryo-EM has begun to reveal the near-atomic resolution structures of fully infectious ex vivo mammalian prion fibrils as well as relatively innocuous synthetic PrP amyloids. Comparisons of these various types of PrP fibrils are now providing initial clues to structural features that correlate with pathogenicity. As first indicated by electron paramagnetic resonance and solid-state NMR studies of synthetic amyloids, all sufficiently resolved PrP fibrils of any sort (n > 10) have parallel in-register intermolecular β-stack architectures. Cryo-EM has shown that infectious brain-derived prion fibrils of the rodent-adapted 263K and RML scrapie strains have much larger ordered cores than the synthetic fibrils. These bona fide prion strains share major structural motifs, but the conformational details and the overall shape of the fibril cross sections differ markedly. Such motif variations, as well as differences in sequence within the ordered polypeptide cores, likely contribute to strain-dependent templating. When present, N-linked glycans and glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors project outward from the fibril surface. For the mouse RML strain, these posttranslational modifications have little effect on the core structure. In the GPI-anchored prion structures, a linear array of GPI anchors along the twisting fibril axis appears likely to bind membranes in vivo, and as such, may account for pathognomonic membrane distortions seen in prion diseases. In this review, we focus on these infectious prion structures and their implications regarding prion replication mechanisms, strains, transmission barriers, and molecular pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrosini Artikis
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA.
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5
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Kim C, Haldiman T, Kang SG, Hromadkova L, Han ZZ, Chen W, Lissemore F, Lerner A, de Silva R, Cohen ML, Westaway D, Safar JG. Distinct populations of highly potent TAU seed conformers in rapidly progressing Alzheimer's disease. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabg0253. [PMID: 34985969 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Sang-Gyun Kang
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhuang Zhuang Han
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Frances Lissemore
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Alan Lerner
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies and Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Mark L Cohen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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6
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Esmaili M, Tancowny BP, Wang X, Moses A, Cortez LM, Sim VL, Wille H, Overduin M. Native nanodiscs formed by styrene maleic acid copolymer derivatives help recover infectious prion multimers bound to brain-derived lipids. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8460-8469. [PMID: 32358064 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.012348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are lipidated proteins that interact with endogenous lipids and metal ions. They also assemble into multimers and propagate into the infectious scrapie form known as PrPSc The high-resolution structure of the infectious PrPSc state remains unknown, and its analysis largely relies on detergent-based preparations devoid of endogenous ligands. Here we designed polymers that allow isolation of endogenous membrane:protein assemblies in native nanodiscs without exposure to conventional detergents that destabilize protein structures and induce fibrillization. A set of styrene-maleic acid (SMA) polymers including a methylamine derivative facilitated gentle release of the infectious complexes for resolution of multimers, and a thiol-containing version promoted crystallization. Polymer extraction from brain homogenates from Syrian hamsters infected with Hyper prions and WT mice infected with Rocky Mountain Laboratories prions yielded infectious prion nanoparticles including oligomers and microfilaments bound to lipid vesicles. Lipid analysis revealed the brain phospholipids that associate with prion protofilaments, as well as those that are specifically enriched in prion assemblies captured by the methylamine-modified copolymer. A comparison of the infectivity of PrPSc attached to SMA lipid particles in mice and hamsters indicated that these amphipathic polymers offer a valuable tool for high-yield production of intact, detergent-free prions that retain in vivo activity. This native prion isolation method provides an avenue for producing relevant prion:lipid targets and potentially other proteins that form multimeric assemblies and fibrils on membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoore Esmaili
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brian P Tancowny
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiongyao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Audric Moses
- Lipidomics Core Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Leonardo M Cortez
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Valerie L Sim
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada .,Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael Overduin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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7
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Co NT, Lan PD, Quoc Huy PD, Li MS. Heat-induced degradation of fibrils: Exponential vs logistic kinetics. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:115101. [PMID: 32199422 DOI: 10.1063/1.5144305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The degradation of fibrils under the influence of thermal fluctuations was studied experimentally by various groups around the world. In the first set of experiments, it was shown that the decay of fibril content, which can be measured by the ThT fluorescence assay, obeys a bi-exponential function. In the second series of experiments, it was demonstrated that when the monomers separated from the aggregate are not recyclable, the time dependence of the number of monomers belonging to the dominant cluster is described by a single-exponential function if the fraction of bound chains becomes less than a certain threshold. Note that the time dependence of the fraction of bound chains can be measured by tryptophan fluorescence. To understand these interesting experimental results, we developed a phenomenological theory and performed molecular simulation. According to our theory and simulations using the lattice and all-atom models, the time dependence of bound chains is described by a logistic function, which slowly decreases at short time scales but becomes a single exponential function at large time scales. The results, obtained by using lattice and all-atom simulations, ascertained that the time dependence of the fibril content can be described by a bi-exponential function that decays faster than the logistic function on short time scales. We have uncovered the molecular mechanism for the distinction between the logistic and bi-exponential behavior. Since the dissociation of the chain from the fibrils requires the breaking of a greater number of inter-chain contacts as compared to the breaking of the beta sheet structure, the decrease in the number of connected chains is slower than the fibril content. Therefore, the time dependence of the aggregate size is logistic, while the two-exponential behavior is preserved for the content of fibrils. Our results are in agreement with the results obtained in both sets of experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Truong Co
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Pham Dang Lan
- Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Pham Dinh Quoc Huy
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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The Structure of Mammalian Prions and Their Aggregates. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 329:277-301. [PMID: 28109330 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2016.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, chronic wasting disease in cervids (i.e., deer, elk, moose, and reindeer), and sheep scrapie, are caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a disease-causing conformer (PrPSc). PrPC is a normal, GPI-anchored protein that is expressed on the surface of neurons and other cell types. The structure of PrPC is well understood, based on studies of recombinant PrP, which closely mimics the structure of native PrPC. In contrast, PrPSc is prone to aggregate into a variety of quaternary structures, such as oligomers, amorphous aggregates, and amyloid fibrils. The propensity of PrPSc to assemble into these diverse forms of aggregates is also responsible for our limited knowledge about its structure. Then again, the repeating nature of certain regular PrPSc aggregates has allowed (lower resolution) insights into the structure of the infectious conformer, establishing a four-rung β-solenoid structure as a key element of its architecture.
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9
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Levine DJ, Stöhr J, Falese LE, Ollesch J, Wille H, Prusiner SB, Long JR. Mechanism of scrapie prion precipitation with phosphotungstate anions. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1269-77. [PMID: 25695325 PMCID: PMC4437617 DOI: 10.1021/cb5006239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The phosphotungstate anion (PTA)
is widely used to facilitate the
precipitation of disease-causing prion protein (PrPSc)
from infected tissue for applications in structural studies and diagnostic
approaches. However, the mechanism of this precipitation is not understood.
In order to elucidate the nature of the PTA interaction with PrPSc under physiological conditions, solutions of PTA were characterized
by NMR spectroscopy at varying pH. At neutral pH, the parent [PW12O40]3– ion decomposes to give
a lacunary [PW11O39]7– (PW11) complex and a single orthotungstate anion [WO4]2– (WO4). To measure the efficacy of
each component of PTA, increasing concentrations of PW11, WO4, and mixtures thereof were used to precipitate PrPSc from brain homogenates of scrapie prion-infected mice. The
amount of PrPSc isolated, quantified by ELISA and immunoblotting,
revealed that both PW11 and WO4 contribute to
PrPSc precipitation. Incubation with sarkosyl, PTA, or
individual components of PTA resulted in separation of higher-density
PrP aggregates from the neuronal lipid monosialotetrahexosylganglioside
(GM1), as observed by sucrose gradient centrifugation. These experiments
revealed that yield and purity of PrPSc were greater with
polyoxometalates (POMs), which substantially supported the separation
of lipids from PrPSc in the samples. Interaction of POMs
and sarkosyl with brain homogenates promoted the formation of fibrillar
PrPSc aggregates prior to centrifugation, likely through
the separation of lipids like GM1 from PrPSc. We propose
that this separation of lipids from PrP is a major factor governing
the facile precipitation of PrPSc by PTA from tissue and
might be optimized further for the detection of prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana J. Levine
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 211 Lewis Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Jan Stöhr
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson
Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Lillian E. Falese
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Julian Ollesch
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Holger Wille
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson
Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Stanley B. Prusiner
- Institute
for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson
Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Jeffrey R. Long
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 211 Lewis Hall, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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10
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Cohen ML, Kim C, Haldiman T, ElHag M, Mehndiratta P, Pichet T, Lissemore F, Shea M, Cohen Y, Chen W, Blevins J, Appleby BS, Surewicz K, Surewicz WK, Sajatovic M, Tatsuoka C, Zhang S, Mayo P, Butkiewicz M, Haines JL, Lerner AJ, Safar JG. Rapidly progressive Alzheimer's disease features distinct structures of amyloid-β. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 138:1009-22. [PMID: 25688081 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetic and environmental factors that increase the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease are now well recognized but the cause of variable progression rates and phenotypes of sporadic Alzheimer's disease is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between diverse structural assemblies of amyloid-β and rates of clinical decline in Alzheimer's disease. Using novel biophysical methods, we analysed levels, particle size, and conformational characteristics of amyloid-β in the posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of 48 cases of Alzheimer's disease with distinctly different disease durations, and correlated the data with APOE gene polymorphism. In both hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex we identified an extensive array of distinct amyloid-β42 particles that differ in size, display of N-terminal and C-terminal domains, and conformational stability. In contrast, amyloid-β40 present at low levels did not form a major particle with discernible size, and both N-terminal and C- terminal domains were largely exposed. Rapidly progressive Alzheimer's disease that is associated with a low frequency of APOE e4 allele demonstrates considerably expanded conformational heterogeneity of amyloid-β42, with higher levels of distinctly structured amyloid-β42 particles composed of 30-100 monomers, and fewer particles composed of < 30 monomers. The link between rapid clinical decline and levels of amyloid-β42 with distinct structural characteristics suggests that different conformers may play an important role in the pathogenesis of distinct Alzheimer's disease phenotypes. These findings indicate that Alzheimer's disease exhibits a wide spectrum of amyloid-β42 structural states and imply the existence of prion-like conformational strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Cohen
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 2 National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Centre, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Mohamed ElHag
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Prachi Mehndiratta
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Termsarasab Pichet
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Frances Lissemore
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michelle Shea
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Yvonne Cohen
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 2 National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Centre, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 2 National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Centre, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Janis Blevins
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 2 National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Centre, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Brian S Appleby
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 4 Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Krystyna Surewicz
- 5 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Witold K Surewicz
- 5 Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Martha Sajatovic
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 4 Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Curtis Tatsuoka
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shulin Zhang
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ping Mayo
- 6 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Mariusz Butkiewicz
- 6 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- 6 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Alan J Lerner
- 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jiri G Safar
- 1 Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 2 National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Centre, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 3 Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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11
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Godsave SF, Wille H, Pierson J, Prusiner SB, Peters PJ. Plasma membrane invaginations containing clusters of full-length PrPSc are an early form of prion-associated neuropathology in vivo. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:1621-31. [PMID: 23481568 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
During prion disease, cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is refolded into a pathogenic isoform (PrP(Sc)) that accumulates in the central nervous system and causes neurodegeneration and death. We used immunofluorescence, quantitative cryo-immunogold EM, and tomography to detect nascent, full-length PrP(Sc) in the hippocampus of prion-infected mice from early preclinical disease stages onward. Comparison of uninfected and infected brains showed that sites containing full-length PrP(Sc) could be recognized in the neuropil by bright spots and streaks of immunofluorescence on semi-thin (200-nm) sections, and by clusters of cryo-immunogold EM labeling. PrP(Sc) was found mainly on neuronal plasma membranes, most strikingly on membrane invaginations and sites of cell-to-cell contact, and was evident by 65 days postinoculation, or 54% of the incubation period to terminal disease. Both axons and dendrites in the neuropil were affected. We hypothesize that closely apposed plasma membranes provide a favorable environment for prion conversion and intercellular prion transfer. Only a small proportion of clustered PrP immunogold labeling was found at synapses, indicating that synapses are not targeted specifically in prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan F Godsave
- Department of Cell Biology II, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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12
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Cai K, Gröner A, Dichtelmüller HO, Fabbrizzi F, Flechsig E, Gajardo R, von Hoegen I, Jorquera JI, Kempf C, Kreil TR, Lee DC, Moscardini M, Pölsler G, Roth NJ. Prion removal capacity of plasma protein manufacturing processes. Transfusion 2012; 53:1894-905. [DOI: 10.1111/trf.12050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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13
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Kim C, Haldiman T, Surewicz K, Cohen Y, Chen W, Blevins J, Sy MS, Cohen M, Kong Q, Telling GC, Surewicz WK, Safar JG. Small protease sensitive oligomers of PrPSc in distinct human prions determine conversion rate of PrP(C). PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002835. [PMID: 22876179 PMCID: PMC3410855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian prions replicate by converting cellular prion protein (PrPC) into pathogenic conformational isoform (PrPSc). Variations in prions, which cause different disease phenotypes, are referred to as strains. The mechanism of high-fidelity replication of prion strains in the absence of nucleic acid remains unsolved. We investigated the impact of different conformational characteristics of PrPSc on conversion of PrPC in vitro using PrPSc seeds from the most frequent human prion disease worldwide, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). The conversion potency of a broad spectrum of distinct sCJD prions was governed by the level, conformation, and stability of small oligomers of the protease-sensitive (s) PrPSc. The smallest most potent prions present in sCJD brains were composed only of∼20 monomers of PrPSc. The tight correlation between conversion potency of small oligomers of human sPrPSc observed in vitro and duration of the disease suggests that sPrPSc conformers are an important determinant of prion strain characteristics that control the progression rate of the disease. Mammalian prion diseases were originally characterized by accumulation of protease-resistant prion protein (PrPSc), often forming large amyloid deposits and fibrils. However, the apparent absence of protease-resistant PrPSc or amyloid fibrils in growing number of prion diseases raised several fundamental questions; specifically, whether presumably protease-sensitive forms of PrPSc exist as distinct conformers; and whether they comprise the initial steps in prion replication or are related to the alternative misfolding pathway generating noninfectious aggregates. We investigated the conformational characteristics of protease sensitive conformers of PrPSc and their role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Using two different in vitro prion protein (PrPC) conversion techniques in tandem with biophysical methods, we identified small oligomers of protease sensitive PrPSc present in sCJD brains as the most potent initiators of PrPC conversion. Their concentration and conformational stability determine the distinctly different replication potency of PrPSc in individual isolates of sCJD and each of these characteristics correlates tightly with duration of the disease. These features argue for a broad range of distinct prion strains causing the sCJD and imply that small oligomers of protease sensitive conformers of pathogenic prion protein are encoding incubation time and progression rate of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Kim
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Krystyna Surewicz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Yvonne Cohen
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Wei Chen
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Janis Blevins
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Man-Sun Sy
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Mark Cohen
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Qingzhong Kong
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Witold K. Surewicz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jiri G. Safar
- National Prion Disease Surveillance Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Kato M, Han TW, Xie S, Shi K, Du X, Wu LC, Mirzaei H, Goldsmith EJ, Longgood J, Pei J, Grishin NV, Frantz DE, Schneider JW, Chen S, Li L, Sawaya MR, Eisenberg D, Tycko R, McKnight SL. Cell-free formation of RNA granules: low complexity sequence domains form dynamic fibers within hydrogels. Cell 2012; 149:753-67. [PMID: 22579281 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1457] [Impact Index Per Article: 121.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells contain assemblies of RNAs and proteins termed RNA granules. Many proteins within these bodies contain KH or RRM RNA-binding domains as well as low complexity (LC) sequences of unknown function. We discovered that exposure of cell or tissue lysates to a biotinylated isoxazole (b-isox) chemical precipitated hundreds of RNA-binding proteins with significant overlap to the constituents of RNA granules. The LC sequences within these proteins are both necessary and sufficient for b-isox-mediated aggregation, and these domains can undergo a concentration-dependent phase transition to a hydrogel-like state in the absence of the chemical. X-ray diffraction and EM studies revealed the hydrogels to be composed of uniformly polymerized amyloid-like fibers. Unlike pathogenic fibers, the LC sequence-based polymers described here are dynamic and accommodate heterotypic polymerization. These observations offer a framework for understanding the function of LC sequences as well as an organizing principle for cellular structures that are not membrane bound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Kato
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390-9152, USA
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15
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Vincent M, Gallay J. Water gradient in the membrane-water interface: a time-resolved study of the series of n-(9-anthroyloxy) stearic acids incorporated in AOT/water/iso-octane reverse micelles. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:1687-99. [PMID: 22233168 DOI: 10.1021/jp209419y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The water radial distribution in AOT/iso-octane/water reverse micelles (RM), used to mimic the membrane-water interface, was examined by excited-state lifetime and transient spectral measurements of the series of n-(9-anthroyloxy) stearic acids (n-AS), with n = 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12. A water gradient in the RM extended from the polar head group region up to the middle of the surfactant carbon chains. A fast intramolecular excited-state relaxation, involving the rotation of the carboxylic group of the ester bond with respect to the anthracene ring, gave rise to a nanosecond time-dependent fluorescence Stokes shifts (TDFSS). In water-filled RMs, we only observed a water-induced TDFSS occurring over subnano- and nanosecond time scales with decreasing amplitudes and rates as a function of depth, according to the decreasing water gradient and the slowing down of the anthroyloxy moiety rotational motion. This water-induced TDFSS is most likely the result of both H-bond formation and general dipolar relaxation, as indirectly showed by measurements with DMF (a nonprotic polar solvent) instead of water in RMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Vincent
- Institut de Biochimie et de Biophysique Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8619-CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France.
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16
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Kardos J, Micsonai A, Pál-Gábor H, Petrik É, Gráf L, Kovács J, Lee YH, Naiki H, Goto Y. Reversible heat-induced dissociation of β2-microglobulin amyloid fibrils. Biochemistry 2011; 50:3211-20. [PMID: 21388222 DOI: 10.1021/bi2000017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in the field of amyloid research indicates that the classical view of amyloid fibrils, being irreversibly formed highly stable structures resistant to perturbating conditions and proteolytic digestion, is getting more complex. We studied the thermal stability and heat-induced depolymerization of amyloid fibrils of β(2)-microglobulin (β2m), a protein responsible for dialysis-related amyloidosis. We found that freshly polymerized β2m fibrils at 0.1-0.3 mg/mL concentration completely dissociated to monomers upon 10 min incubation at 99 °C. Fibril depolymerization was followed by thioflavin-T fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy at various temperatures. Dissociation of β2m fibrils was found to be a reversible and dynamic process reaching equilibrium between fibrils and monomers within minutes. Repolymerization experiments revealed that the number of extendable fibril ends increased significantly upon incubation at elevated temperatures suggesting that the mechanism of fibril unfolding involves two distinct processes: (1) dissociation of monomers from the fibril ends and (2) the breakage of fibrils. The breakage of fibrils may be an important in vivo factor multiplying the number of fibril nuclei and thus affecting the onset and progress of disease. We investigated the effects of some additives and different factors on the stability of amyloid fibrils. Sample aging increased the thermal stability of β2m fibril solution. 0.5 mM SDS completely prevented β2m fibrils from dissociation up to the applied highest temperature of 99 °C. The generality of our findings was proved on fibrils of K3 peptide and α-synuclein. Our simple method may also be beneficial for screening and developing amyloid-active compounds for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Kardos
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest H-1117, Hungary.
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17
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Lingenheil M, Denschlag R, Tavan P. Highly polar environments catalyze the unfolding of PrP C helix 1. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2010; 39:1177-1192. [PMID: 20049591 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-009-0570-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2009] [Revised: 10/21/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The first alpha-helix (H1) likely plays an important role in the conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into its pathogenic isoform (PrP(Sc)). In this conversion, H1 may either have to unfold or may represent a site of intermolecular contact. A recent molecular dynamics simulation suggested that H1 can unfold if it is detached from the protein core (Hirschberger et al. in Biophys J 90:3908, 2006). It has been hypothesized that the high dielectric constant epsilon (S) of the bulk water environment facilitates the unfolding of H1. To check this hypothesis, we performed a number of replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of an H1 peptide in solvents of different epsilon (S). We found that the equilibrium helix fraction in water is less than 40%, in agreement with previous experimental findings, and that the helix unfolds much faster in water than in less polar solvents. The kinetically stabilizing effect of the organic solvents is largely unspecific and correlates well with their dielectric constant epsilon (S).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Lingenheil
- Department für Physik, LMU München, Oettingenstrasse 67, 80538, Munich, Germany
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18
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Lathe R, Harris A. Differential display detects host nucleic acid motifs altered in scrapie-infected brain. J Mol Biol 2009; 392:813-22. [PMID: 19631225 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2009] [Revised: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 07/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) including scrapie have been attributed to an infectious protein or prion. Infectivity is allied to conversion of the endogenous nucleic-acid-binding protein PrP to an infectious modified form known as PrP(sc). The protein-only theory does not easily explain the enigmatic properties of the agent including strain variation. It was previously suggested that a short nucleic acid, perhaps host-encoded, might contribute to the pathoetiology of the TSEs. No candidate host molecules that might explain transmission of strain differences have yet been put forward. Differential display is a robust technique for detecting nucleic acid differences between two populations. We applied this technique to total nucleic acid preparations from scrapie-infected and control brain. Independent RNA preparations from eight normal and eight scrapie-infected (strain 263K) hamster brains were randomly amplified and visualized in parallel. Though the nucleic acid patterns were generally identical in scrapie-infected versus control brain, some rare bands were differentially displayed. Molecular species consistently overrepresented (or underrepresented) in all eight infected brain samples versus all eight controls were excised from the display, sequenced, and assembled into contigs. Only seven ros contigs (RNAs over- or underrepresented in scrapie) emerged, representing <4 kb from the transcriptome. All contained highly stable regions of secondary structure. The most abundant scrapie-only ros sequence was homologous to a repetitive transposable element (LINE; long interspersed nuclear element). Other ros sequences identified cellular RNA 7SL, clathrin heavy chain, visinin-like protein-1, and three highly specific subregions of ribosomal RNA (ros1-3). The ribosomal ros sequences accurately corresponded to LINE; retrotransposon insertion sites in ribosomal DNA (p<0.01). These differential motifs implicate specific host RNAs in the pathoetiology of the TSEs.
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19
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Surface charge of polyoxometalates modulates polymerization of the scrapie prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:3740-5. [PMID: 19223590 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0812770106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are composed solely of an alternatively folded isoform of the prion protein (PrP), designated PrP(Sc). N-terminally truncated PrP(Sc), denoted PrP 27-30, retains infectivity and polymerizes into rods with the ultrastructural and tinctorial properties of amyloid. We report here that some polyoxometalates (POMs) favor polymerization of PrP 27-30 into prion rods, whereas other POMs promote assembly of the protein into 2D crystals. Antibodies reacting with epitopes in denatured PrP 27-30 also bound to 2D crystals treated with 3 M urea. These same antibodies did not bind to either native PrP(Sc) or untreated 2D crystals. By using small, spherical POMs with Keggin-type structures, the central heteroatom was found to determine whether prion rods or 2D crystals were preferentially formed. An example of a Keggin-type POM with a phosphorous heteroatom is the phosphotungstate anion (PTA). Both PTA and a Keggin-type POM with a silicon heteratom have low-charge densities and favor formation of prion rods. In contrast, POMs with boron or hydrogen heteroatoms exhibiting higher negative charges encouraged 2D crystal formation. The 2D crystals of PrP 27-30 produced by selective precipitation with POMs were larger and more well ordered than those obtained by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Our findings argue that the negative charge of Keggin-type POMs determines the quaternary structure adopted by PrP 27-30. The mechanism by which POMs function in competing prion polymerization pathways--one favoring 2D crystals and the other, amyloid fibrils--remains to be established.
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20
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Gayrard V, Picard-Hagen N, Viguié C, Jeunesse E, Tabouret G, Rezaei H, Toutain PL. Blood clearance of the prion protein introduced by intravenous route in sheep is influenced by host genetic and physiopathologic factors. Transfusion 2008; 48:609-19. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2007.01628.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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21
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Electron crystallography of the scrapie prion protein complexed with heavy metals. Arch Biochem Biophys 2007; 467:239-48. [PMID: 17935686 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2007.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 08/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The insolubility of the disease-causing isoform of the prion protein (PrP(Sc)) has prevented studies of its three-dimensional structure at atomic resolution. Electron crystallography of two-dimensional crystals of N-terminally truncated PrP(Sc) (PrP 27-30) and a miniprion (PrP(Sc)106) provided the first insights at intermediate resolution on the molecular architecture of the prion. Here, we report on the structure of PrP 27-30 and PrP(Sc)106 negatively stained with heavy metals. The interactions of the heavy metals with the crystal lattice were governed by tertiary and quaternary structural elements of the protein as well as the charge and size of the heavy metal salts. Staining with molybdate anions revealed three prominent densities near the center of the trimer that forms the unit cell, coinciding with the location of the beta-helix that was proposed for the structure of PrP(Sc). Differential staining also confirmed the location of the internal deletion of PrP(Sc)106 at or near these densities.
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22
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Abstract
Among the diseases caused by protein misfolding is the family associated with the prion protein (PrP). This is a small extracellular membrane-anchored molecule of yet unknown function. Understanding how PrP folds both into its cellular and pathological forms is thought to be crucial for explaining protein misfolding in general and the specific role of PrP in disease. Since the first structure determination, an increasing number of structural studies of PrP have become available, showing that the protein is formed by a flexible N-terminal region and a highly conserved globular C-terminal domain. We review here the current knowledge on PrP structure. We focus on vertebrate PrPs and analyse in detail the similarities and the differences among the coordinates of the C-terminal domain of PrP from different species, in search for understanding the mechanism of disease-causing mutations and the molecular bases of species barrier.
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23
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Safar JG, Wille H, Geschwind MD, Deering C, Latawiec D, Serban A, King DJ, Legname G, Weisgraber KH, Mahley RW, Miller BL, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB. Human prions and plasma lipoproteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:11312-7. [PMID: 16849426 PMCID: PMC1544083 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0604021103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are composed solely of an alternatively folded isoform of the prion protein (PrP), designated PrP(Sc). The polyoxometalate phosphotungstic acid has been used to separate PrP(Sc) from its precursor PrP(C) by selective precipitation; notably, native PrP(Sc) has not been solubilized by using nondenaturing detergents. Because of the similarities between PrP(Sc) and lipoproteins with respect to hydrophobicity and formation of phosphotungstic acid complexes, we asked whether these molecules are bound to each other in blood. Here we report that prions from the brains of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) bind to very low-density (VLDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoproteins but not to high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or other plasma components, as demonstrated both by affinity assay and electron microscopy. Immunoassays demonstrated that apolipoprotein B (apoB), which is the major protein component of VLDL and LDL, bound PrP(Sc) through a highly cooperative process. Approximately 50% of the PrP(Sc) bound to LDL particles was released after exposure to 4 M guanidine hydrochloride at 80 degrees C for 20 min. The apparent binding constants of native human (Hu) PrP(Sc) or denatured recombinant HuPrP(90-231) for apoB and LDL ranged from 28 to 212 pM. Whether detection of PrP(Sc) in VLDL and LDL particles can be adapted into an antemortem diagnostic test for prions in the blood of humans, livestock, and free-ranging cervids remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri G. Safar
- *Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology
| | - Holger Wille
- *Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology
| | - Michael D. Geschwind
- Departments of Neurology
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143; and
| | | | | | - Ana Serban
- *Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
| | | | - Giuseppe Legname
- *Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology
| | | | - Robert W. Mahley
- Gladstone Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Departments of Neurology
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143; and
| | | | - Stanley B. Prusiner
- *Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology
- Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
- **To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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24
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Meersman F, Dobson CM. Probing the pressure-temperature stability of amyloid fibrils provides new insights into their molecular properties. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2005; 1764:452-60. [PMID: 16337233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2005.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2005] [Accepted: 10/27/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A number of medical disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes, is characterised by the deposition of amyloid fibrils in tissue. The insolubility and size of the fibrils has largely precluded the determination of their structures at high resolution. Studies probing the stability of amyloid fibrils can reveal which non-covalent interactions are important in the formation and maintenance of the fibril structure. In particular, we review here the use of high hydrostatic pressure and high temperature as perturbation techniques. In general, small aggregates formed early in the assembly process can be dissociated by high pressure, but mature amyloid fibrils are highly pressure stable. This finding suggests that a temporal transition occurs during which side chain packing and hydrogen bond formation are optimised, whereas the hydrophobic effect and electrostatic interactions play a dominant role in the early stages of the aggregation. High temperatures, however, can disrupt most aggregates. Though the observed stability of amyloid fibrils is not unique to these structures, the notion that amyloid fibrils can represent the global minimum in free energy is supported by this type of investigations. Some implications regarding the nature of toxic species, associated with at least many of the amyloid disorders, and recently proposed structural models are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Meersman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
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25
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Tanaka M, Chien P, Yonekura K, Weissman JS. Mechanism of Cross-Species Prion Transmission. Cell 2005; 121:49-62. [PMID: 15820678 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2004] [Revised: 02/22/2005] [Accepted: 03/10/2005] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Efficiency of interspecies prion transmission decreases as the primary structures of the infectious proteins diverge. Yet, a single prion protein can misfold into multiple infectious conformations, and such differences in "strain conformation" also alter infection specificity. Here, we explored the relationship between prion strains and species barriers by creating distinct synthetic prion forms of the yeast prion protein Sup35. We identified a strain conformation of Sup35 that allows transmission from the S. cerevisiae (Sc) Sup35 to the highly divergent C. albicans (Ca) Sup35 both in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, cross-species transmission leads to a novel Ca strain that in turn can infect the Sc protein. Structural studies reveal strain-specific conformational differences in regions of the prion domain that are involved in intermolecular contacts. Our findings support a model whereby strain conformation is the critical determinant of cross-species prion transmission while primary structure affects transmission specificity by altering the spectrum of preferred amyloid conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motomasa Tanaka
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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26
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Vincent M, de Foresta B, Gallay J. Nanosecond dynamics of a mimicked membrane-water interface observed by time-resolved stokes shift of LAURDAN. Biophys J 2005; 88:4337-50. [PMID: 15778437 PMCID: PMC1305662 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.104.057497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the dipolar relaxation of the surfactant-water interface in reverse micelles of AOT-water in isooctane in the nanosecond and subnanosecond time ranges by incorporating the amphipathic solvatochromic fluorescent probes LAURDAN and TOE. A negative component was observed in the fluorescence decays in the red edge of the emission spectrum-the signature of an excited state reaction-with LAURDAN but not for TOE. The deconvolution of the transient reconstructed spectra of LAURDAN based on a model constructed by adding together three log-normal Gaussian equations made it possible to separate the specific dynamic solvent response from the intramolecular excited state reactions of the probe. The deconvoluted spectrum of lowest energy displayed the largest Stokes shift. This spectral shift was described by unimodal kinetics on the nanosecond timescale, whereas the relaxation kinetics of water-soluble probes have been reported to be biphasic (on the subnanosecond and nanosecond timescales) due to the heterogeneous distribution of these probes in the water pool. Most of this spectral shift probably resulted from water relaxation as it was highly sensitive to the water to surfactant molar ratio (w(0)) (60-65 nm at w(0) = 20-30). A small part of this spectral shift (9 nm at w(0) = 0) probably resulted from dipolar interaction with the AOT polar headgroup. The measured relaxation time values were in the range of the rotational motion of the AOT polar headgroup region as assessed by LAURDAN and TOE fluorescence anisotropy decays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Vincent
- LURE Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation du Rayonnement Electromagnétique, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 209D, Orsay, France
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27
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Otzen DE, Oliveberg M. Transient formation of nano-crystalline structures during fibrillation of an Abeta-like peptide. Protein Sci 2004; 13:1417-21. [PMID: 15096642 PMCID: PMC2286749 DOI: 10.1110/ps.03538904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
During the first few minutes of fibrillation of a 14-residue peptide homologous to the hydrophobic C-terminal part of the Abeta-peptide, EM micrographs reveal small crystalline areas (100 to 150 nm, repeating unit 47 A) scattered in more amorphous material. On a longer time scale, these crystalline areas disappear and are replaced by tangled clusters resembling protofilaments (hours), and eventually by more regular amyloid fibrils of 60 A to 120 A diameter (days). The transient population of the crystalline areas indicates the presence of ordered substructures in the early fibrillation process, the diameter of which matches the length of the 14-mer peptide in an extended beta-strand conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Otzen
- Department of Life Sciences, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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28
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Legname G, Baskakov IV, Nguyen HOB, Riesner D, Cohen FE, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB. Synthetic mammalian prions. Science 2004; 305:673-6. [PMID: 15286374 DOI: 10.1126/science.1100195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 839] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant mouse prion protein (recMoPrP) produced in Escherichia coli was polymerized into amyloid fibrils that represent a subset of beta sheet-rich structures. Fibrils consisting of recMoPrP(89-230) were inoculated intracerebrally into transgenic (Tg) mice expressing MoPrP(89-231). The mice developed neurologic dysfunction between 380 and 660 days after inoculation. Brain extracts showed protease-resistant PrP by Western blotting; these extracts transmitted disease to wild-type FVB mice and Tg mice overexpressing PrP, with incubation times of 150 and 90 days, respectively. Neuropathological findings suggest that a novel prion strain was created. Our results provide compelling evidence that prions are infectious proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Legname
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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29
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Vaiana SM, Emanuele A, Palma-Vittorelli MB, Palma MU. Irreversible formation of intermediate BSA oligomers requires and induces conformational changes. Proteins 2004; 55:1053-62. [PMID: 15146502 DOI: 10.1002/prot.20074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relation between protein conformational changes and aggregation, and the physical mechanisms leading to such processes, is of primary importance, due to its direct relation to a vast class of severe pathologies. Growing evidence also suggests that oligomeric intermediates, which may occur early in the aggregation pathway, can be themselves pathogenic. The possible cytotoxicity of oligomers of non-disease-associated proteins adds generality to such suggestion and to the interest of studies of oligomer formation. Here we study the early stages of aggregation of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), a non pathogenic protein which has proved to be a useful model system. Dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism measurements in kinetic experiments following step-wise temperature rises, show that the "intermediate" form, which initiates large-scale aggregation, is the result of structural and conformational changes and concurrent formation of oligomers, of average size in the range of 100-200 A. Two distinct thresholds are observed. Beyond the first one oligomerization starts and causes partial irreversibility of conformational changes. Beyond the second threshold, additional secondary structural changes occurring in proteins being recruited progress on the same time scale of oligomerization. The concurrent behavior causes a mutual stabilization of oligomerization, and of structural and conformational changes, evidenced by a progressive increase of their irreversibility. This process interaction appears to be pivotal in producing irreversible oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Vaiana
- INFM and Department of Physical and Astronomical Sciences, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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30
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Silveira JR, Caughey B, Baron GS. Prion protein and the molecular features of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy agents. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2004; 284:1-50. [PMID: 15148986 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-08441-0_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) diseases, or prion diseases, are neurodegenerative diseases found in a number of mammals, including man. Although they are generally rare, TSEs are always fatal, and as of yet there are no practical therapeutic avenues to slow the course of disease. The epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the UK greatly increased the awareness of TSE diseases. Although it appears that BSE has not spread to North America, chronic wasting disease (CWD), a TSE found in cervids, is causing significant concern. Despite decades of investigation, the exact nature of the infectious agent of the TSEs is still controversial. Although many questions remain, substantial efforts have been made to understand the molecular features of TSE agents, with the hope of enhancing diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as understanding the fundamental nature of the infectious agent itself. This review summarizes the current understanding of these molecular features, focusing on the role of the prion protein (PrP(c)) and its relationship to the disease-associated isoform (PrP(Sc)).
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Silveira
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, 903 S. 4th St., Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
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31
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Abstract
Prions are proteins that cause a number of invariably fatal neuro-degenerative diseases, which can be classified into two groups: genetic or sporadic diseases (GSD) and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). Both types of disease require the development of both normal prion (PrP) and abnormal prion (PrP(sc)) which differs from PrP in having a tertiary structure rich in beta-sheets. In fact, PrP(sc) is a totally dehydrated protein with an anhydrous environment, probably a thin carbon dioxide gas gap, that is why it appears highly resistant to proteases, to chemical disinfectants in water phase except in certain conditions to sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite, to heat and to radiation. GSD and TSE diseases differ in incubation time, primary symptoms, and nature of CNS lesions. This paper argues that diseases of the GSD type as inherited or hereditary metabolic disorders and diseases of the TSE type could be regarded as chemical poisonings. TSE is caused by a deficiency in the chemo-defense system (CDS), which is unable to destroy or eliminate PrP(sc). As a result, the immune defense system (IDS) accommodates PrP(sc) as an inert particle if not a virus lure and routes it through to the nervous central system and the brain via the body's lymphoreticular system. In TSE PrP(sc) acts inside the cells as a toxic disruptor of post-translational phase of PrP biosynthesis. Unfortunately, CDS and IDS appear unable to neutralize PrP(sc).
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Affiliation(s)
- André Rico
- Veterinary School of Toulouse, Paris, France.
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32
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Wille H, Michelitsch MD, Guenebaut V, Supattapone S, Serban A, Cohen FE, Agard DA, Prusiner SB. Structural studies of the scrapie prion protein by electron crystallography. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:3563-8. [PMID: 11891310 PMCID: PMC122563 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.052703499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Because the insolubility of the scrapie prion protein (PrP(Sc)) has frustrated structural studies by x-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy, we used electron crystallography to characterize the structure of two infectious variants of the prion protein. Isomorphous two-dimensional crystals of the N-terminally truncated PrP(Sc) (PrP 27-30) and a miniprion (PrP(Sc)106) were identified by negative stain electron microscopy. Image processing allowed the extraction of limited structural information to 7 A resolution. By comparing projection maps of PrP 27-30 and PrP(Sc)106, we visualized the 36-residue internal deletion of the miniprion and localized the N-linked sugars. The dimensions of the monomer and the locations of the deleted segment and sugars were used as constraints in the construction of models for PrP(Sc). Only models featuring parallel beta-helices as the key element could satisfy the constraints. These low-resolution projection maps and models have implications for understanding prion propagation and the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Wille
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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33
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Caughey B, Chesebro B. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and prion protein interconversions. Adv Virus Res 2002; 56:277-311. [PMID: 11450303 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3527(01)56031-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA
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34
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Caughey B, Raymond GJ, Callahan MA, Wong C, Baron GS, Xiong LW. Interactions and conversions of prion protein isoforms. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY 2002; 57:139-69. [PMID: 11447689 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3233(01)57021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA
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35
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Rudd PM, Wormald MR, Wing DR, Prusiner SB, Dwek RA. Prion glycoprotein: structure, dynamics, and roles for the sugars. Biochemistry 2001; 40:3759-66. [PMID: 11300755 DOI: 10.1021/bi002625f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The prion protein contains two N-linked glycosylation sites and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The large size of the N-linked sugars, together with their dynamic properties, enables them to shield two orthogonal faces of the protein almost completely. Thus, the sugars can protect large regions of the protein surface from proteases and from nonspecific protein-protein interactions. Immunoprecipitation of prion protein with calnexin suggests that in the ER the oligosaccharides may provide a route for protein folding via the calnexin pathway. Major questions relate to the relevance of the glycoform distribution (as defined by glycan site occupancy) to strain type and disease transmission. Glycan analysis has shown that prion protein contains at least 52 different sugars, that these consist of a subset of brain sugars, and that there is site specific glycan processing. PrP(Sc) from the brains of Syrian hamsters contains the same set of glycans as PrP(C), but a higher proportion of tri- and tetra-antennary sugars. This may be attributed to a decrease in the activity of GnTIII. The GPI anchor, which is modified with sialic acid, may allow the prion protein to be mobile in the lipid bilayer. Potentially, this provides a possible means for translocating the prions from one cell to another.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Rudd
- Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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36
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Dear DV, Fitzmaurice TJ, Garton S, Richards SJ. Pilot study to determine the feasibility of producing protease-resistant prion protein fragments by random PCR mutagenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001; 281:929-35. [PMID: 11237750 DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.2001.4450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We report the results of a pilot study to determine the feasibility of using PCR random mutagenesis and in vitro transcription/translation to produce protease resistant full-length or truncated ovine prion proteins (PrP). Using this approach, we show the novel production of protease resistant recombinant ovine prion protein fragments isolated from a panel of seventy randomly mutated ovine PrP protein molecules. Protease resistance of the proteinase K (PK) digested fragments was present de novo within physiological conditions without the need for template-assisted conversion to protease resistance or the requirement of reductants, denaturants or acid pH reported to date. Four of the mutant proteins were truncated at their C-termini and all of these gave rise to digestion products which were protease resistant at significant PK concentrations and exposure times. All other mutant proteins translated as full length molecules and gave rise to PK-resistant products which showed a variability in their proteinase digestion profiles. We discuss the relevance of these finding to current research.
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Affiliation(s)
- D V Dear
- Alzheimer's Disease and Prion Research Group, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, United Kingdom
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37
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Wille H, Prusiner SB, Cohen FE. Scrapie infectivity is independent of amyloid staining properties of the N-terminally truncated prion protein. J Struct Biol 2000; 130:323-38. [PMID: 10940236 DOI: 10.1006/jsbi.2000.4242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The prion protein undergoes a profound conformational change when the cellular isoform (PrP(C)) is converted into the disease-causing form (PrP(Sc)). Limited proteolysis of PrP(Sc) produces PrP 27-30, which readily polymerizes into amyloid. To study the relationship between PrP amyloid and infectivity, we employed organic solvents that perturb protein conformation. Hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), which promotes alpha-helix formation, modified the ultrastructure of PrP amyloid and decreased the beta-sheet content as well as prion infectivity. HFIP reversibly decreased the binding of Congo red dye to the PrP amyloid rods while inactivation of prion infectivity was irreversible. In contrast, 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanol (TFIP) did not inactivate prion infectivity but like HFIP, TFIP did alter the morphology of the rods and abolished Congo red binding. Solubilization using various solvents and detergents produced monomeric and dimeric PrP that lacked infectivity. Proteinase K resistance of detergent-treated PrP 27-30 showed no correlation with scrapie infectivity. Our results separate prion infectivity from the amyloid properties of PrP 27-30 and underscore the dependence of prion infectivity on PrP(Sc) conformation. These findings also demonstrate that the specific beta-sheet-rich structures required for prion infectivity can be differentiated from those required for amyloid formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Wille
- Departments of Neurology, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, California, 94143, USA
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38
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Amararene A, Gindre M, Urbach W, Valdez D, Waks M. Adiabatic compressibility of AOT. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL PHYSICS, PLASMAS, FLUIDS, AND RELATED INTERDISCIPLINARY TOPICS 2000; 61:682-9. [PMID: 11046311 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.61.682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/1999] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules into supramolecular aggregates involves a number of complex phenomena and forces. Recent developments of highly sensitive, densimetric and acoustic methods on small volume samples have provided novel sensitive probes to explore the physical properties of these complex fluids. We have investigated, by high precision densimetry and ultrasound velocimetry, reverse micelles of [sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate] in oil (isooctane and decane), at increasing water concentration and at variable micellar volume fractions. The size of these spherical micelles has been determined by small angle x-ray scattering. Using these results, in the framework of the effective medium theory, we have developed a simple model of micellar compressibility, allowing the calculation of physical parameters (aggregation number, volume, and compressibility) of the surfactant monomolecular film as well as that of the micellar waters. In particular, we show that the central aqueous core designated as "free" water, located at a distance from the oil-water interacting interface, is twice as compressible as "bulk" water. One notable feature of this work is the influence of the nature of the oil on the above parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Amararene
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie Parametrique, CNRS UMR 7623, 15 rue de l'Ecole de Medecine, F-75006 Paris, France
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39
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Abstract
Autocatalytic changes in the conformation and aggregation state of prion protein appear to be fundamental to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. Here we review the considerable progress that has been made in describing the normal properties of prion protein and the changes that occur during these devastating neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Horiuchi
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA
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40
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Supattapone S, Bosque P, Muramoto T, Wille H, Aagaard C, Peretz D, Nguyen HO, Heinrich C, Torchia M, Safar J, Cohen FE, DeArmond SJ, Prusiner SB, Scott M. Prion protein of 106 residues creates an artifical transmission barrier for prion replication in transgenic mice. Cell 1999; 96:869-78. [PMID: 10102274 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80596-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A redacted prion protein (PrP) of 106 amino acids with two large deletions was expressed in transgenic (Tg) mice deficient for wild-type (wt) PrP (Prnp0/0) and supported prion propagation. RML prions containing full-length PrP(Sc)produced disease in Tg(PrP106)Prnp0/0 mice after approximately 300 days, while transmission of RML106 prions containing PrP(Sc)106 created disease in Tg(PrP106) Prnp0/0 mice after only approximately 66 days on repeated passage. This artificial transmission barrier for the passage of RML prions was diminished by the coexpression of wt MoPrPc in Tg(PrP106)Prnp+/0 mice that developed scrapie in approximately 165 days, suggesting that wt MoPrP acts in trans to accelerate replication of RML106 prions. Purified PrP(Sc)106 was protease resistant, formed filaments, and was insoluble in nondenaturing detergents. The unique features of RML106 prions offer insights into the mechanism of prion replication, and the small size of PrP(Sc)106 should facilitate structural analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Supattapone
- Department of Neurology and Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0518, USA
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