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Medd MM, Cao Q. Perspectives on CRISPR Genome Editing to Prevent Prion Diseases in High-Risk Individuals. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1725. [PMID: 39200190 PMCID: PMC11352000 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12081725] [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: 07/01/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded prion proteins. Although rare, the said diseases are always fatal; they commonly cause death within months of developing clinical symptoms, and their diagnosis is exceptionally difficult pre-mortem. There are no known cures or treatments other than symptomatic care. Given the aggressiveness of prion diseases on onset, therapies after disease onset could be challenging. Prevention to reduce the incidence or to delay the disease onset has been suggested to be a more feasible approach. In this perspective article, we summarize our current understandings of the origin, risk factors, and clinical manifestations of prion diseases. We propose a PCR testing of the blood to identify PRNP gene polymorphisms at codons 129 and 127 in individuals with familial PRNP mutations to assess the risk. We further present the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing strategy as a perspective preventative approach for these high-risk individuals to induce a polymorphic change at codon 127 of the PRNP gene, granting immunity to prion diseases in selected high-risk individuals, in particular, in individuals with familial PRNP mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan M. Medd
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Qi Cao
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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2
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Truong DJJ, Geilenkeuser J, Wendel SV, Wilming JCH, Armbrust N, Binder EMH, Santl TH, Siebenhaar A, Gruber C, Phlairaharn T, Živanić M, Westmeyer GG. Exonuclease-enhanced prime editors. Nat Methods 2024; 21:455-464. [PMID: 38302659 PMCID: PMC10927552 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02162-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Prime editing (PE) is a powerful gene-editing technique based on targeted gRNA-templated reverse transcription and integration of the de novo synthesized single-stranded DNA. To circumvent one of the main bottlenecks of the method, the competition of the reverse-transcribed 3' flap with the original 5' flap DNA, we generated an enhanced fluorescence-activated cell sorting reporter cell line to develop an exonuclease-enhanced PE strategy ('Exo-PE') composed of an improved PE complex and an aptamer-recruited DNA-exonuclease to remove the 5' original DNA flap. Exo-PE achieved better overall editing efficacy than the reference PE2 strategy for insertions ≥30 base pairs in several endogenous loci and cell lines while maintaining the high editing precision of PE2. By enabling the precise incorporation of larger insertions, Exo-PE complements the growing palette of different PE tools and spurs additional refinements of the PE machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Jiunn Jeffery Truong
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julian Geilenkeuser
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephanie Victoria Wendel
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julius Clemens Heinrich Wilming
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Niklas Armbrust
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Maria Hildegard Binder
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Heinrich Santl
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Annika Siebenhaar
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Gruber
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Teeradon Phlairaharn
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Milica Živanić
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gil Gregor Westmeyer
- Institute for Synthetic Biomedicine, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Department of Bioscience, TUM School of Natural Sciences and TUM School of Medicine,Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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3
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Pasala C, Sharma S, Roychowdhury T, Moroni E, Colombo G, Chiosis G. N-Glycosylation as a Modulator of Protein Conformation and Assembly in Disease. Biomolecules 2024; 14:282. [PMID: 38540703 PMCID: PMC10968129 DOI: 10.3390/biom14030282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation, a prevalent post-translational modification, plays a pivotal role in regulating intricate cellular processes by covalently attaching glycans to macromolecules. Dysregulated glycosylation is linked to a spectrum of diseases, encompassing cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, congenital disorders, infections, and inflammation. This review delves into the intricate interplay between glycosylation and protein conformation, with a specific focus on the profound impact of N-glycans on the selection of distinct protein conformations characterized by distinct interactomes-namely, protein assemblies-under normal and pathological conditions across various diseases. We begin by examining the spike protein of the SARS virus, illustrating how N-glycans regulate the infectivity of pathogenic agents. Subsequently, we utilize the prion protein and the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 94 as examples, exploring instances where N-glycosylation transforms physiological protein structures into disease-associated forms. Unraveling these connections provides valuable insights into potential therapeutic avenues and a deeper comprehension of the molecular intricacies that underlie disease conditions. This exploration of glycosylation's influence on protein conformation effectively bridges the gap between the glycome and disease, offering a comprehensive perspective on the therapeutic implications of targeting conformational mutants and their pathologic assemblies in various diseases. The goal is to unravel the nuances of these post-translational modifications, shedding light on how they contribute to the intricate interplay between protein conformation, assembly, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjeevi Pasala
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Sahil Sharma
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Tanaya Roychowdhury
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
| | - Elisabetta Moroni
- The Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies (SCITEC), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20131 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Giorgio Colombo
- The Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies (SCITEC), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20131 Milano, Italy; (E.M.); (G.C.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Gabriela Chiosis
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; (C.P.); (S.S.); (T.R.)
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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4
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Andreotti G, Baur J, Ugrina M, Pfeiffer PB, Hartmann M, Wiese S, Miyahara H, Higuchi K, Schwierz N, Schmidt M, Fändrich M. Insights into the Structural Basis of Amyloid Resistance Provided by Cryo-EM Structures of AApoAII Amyloid Fibrils. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168441. [PMID: 38199491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid resistance is the inability or the reduced susceptibility of an organism to develop amyloidosis. In this study we have analysed the molecular basis of the resistance to systemic AApoAII amyloidosis, which arises from the formation of amyloid fibrils from apolipoprotein A-II (ApoA-II). The disease affects humans and animals, including SAMR1C mice that express the C allele of ApoA-II protein, whereas other mouse strains are resistant to development of amyloidosis due to the expression of other ApoA-II alleles, such as ApoA-IIF. Using cryo-electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and other methods, we have determined the structures of pathogenic AApoAII amyloid fibrils from SAMR1C mice and analysed the structural effects of ApoA-IIF-specific mutational changes. Our data show that these changes render ApoA-IIF incompatible with the specific fibril morphologies, with which ApoA-II protein can become pathogenic in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Andreotti
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Julian Baur
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Marijana Ugrina
- Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | | | - Max Hartmann
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wiese
- Core Unit Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Hiroki Miyahara
- Institute for Biomedical Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan
| | - Keiichi Higuchi
- Institute for Biomedical Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan; Faculty of Human Health Sciences, Meio University, Nago 905-8585, Japan
| | - Nadine Schwierz
- Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmidt
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Marcus Fändrich
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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5
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Manka SW, Wenborn A, Betts J, Joiner S, Saibil HR, Collinge J, Wadsworth JDF. A structural basis for prion strain diversity. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:607-613. [PMID: 36646960 PMCID: PMC10154210 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01229-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Recent cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of infectious, ex vivo, prion fibrils from hamster 263K and mouse RML prion strains revealed a similar, parallel in-register intermolecular β-sheet (PIRIBS) amyloid architecture. Rungs of the fibrils are composed of individual prion protein (PrP) monomers that fold to create distinct N-terminal and C-terminal lobes. However, disparity in the hamster/mouse PrP sequence precludes understanding of how divergent prion strains emerge from an identical PrP substrate. In this study, we determined the near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structure of infectious, ex vivo mouse prion fibrils from the ME7 prion strain and compared this with the RML fibril structure. This structural comparison of two biologically distinct mouse-adapted prion strains suggests defined folding subdomains of PrP rungs and the way in which they are interrelated, providing a structural definition of intra-species prion strain-specific conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon W Manka
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adam Wenborn
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jemma Betts
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Susan Joiner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Helen R Saibil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK.
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6
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Walters RO, Haigh CL. Organoids for modeling prion diseases. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:97-111. [PMID: 35088182 PMCID: PMC9329493 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03589-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human cerebral organoids are an exciting and novel model system emerging in the field of neurobiology. Cerebral organoids are spheres of self-organizing, neuronal lineage tissue that can be differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells and that present the possibility of on-demand human neuronal cultures that can be used for non-invasively investigating diseases affecting the brain. Compared with existing humanized cell models, they provide a more comprehensive replication of the human cerebral environment. The potential of the human cerebral organoid model is only just beginning to be elucidated, but initial studies have indicated that they could prove to be a valuable model for neurodegenerative diseases such as prion disease. The application of the cerebral organoid model to prion disease, what has been learned so far and the future potential of this model are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O Walters
- Prion Cell Biology Unit, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Cathryn L Haigh
- Prion Cell Biology Unit, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA.
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7
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Arshad H, Patel Z, Amano G, Li LY, Al-Azzawi ZAM, Supattapone S, Schmitt-Ulms G, Watts JC. A single protective polymorphism in the prion protein blocks cross-species prion replication in cultured cells. J Neurochem 2023; 165:230-245. [PMID: 36511154 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The bank vole (BV) prion protein (PrP) can function as a universal acceptor of prions. However, the molecular details of BVPrP's promiscuity for replicating a diverse range of prion strains remain obscure. To develop a cultured cell paradigm capable of interrogating the unique properties of BVPrP, we generated monoclonal lines of CAD5 cells lacking endogenous PrP but stably expressing either hamster (Ha), mouse (Mo), or BVPrP (M109 or I109 polymorphic variants) and then challenged them with various strains of mouse or hamster prions. Cells expressing BVPrP were susceptible to both mouse and hamster prions, whereas cells expressing MoPrP or HaPrP could only be infected with species-matched prions. Propagation of mouse and hamster prions in cells expressing BVPrP resulted in strain adaptation in several instances, as evidenced by alterations in conformational stability, glycosylation, susceptibility to anti-prion small molecules, and the inability of BVPrP-adapted mouse prion strains to infect cells expressing MoPrP. Interestingly, cells expressing BVPrP containing the G127V prion gene variant, identified in individuals resistant to kuru, were unable to become infected with prions. Moreover, the G127V polymorphic variant impeded the spontaneous aggregation of recombinant BVPrP. These results demonstrate that BVPrP can facilitate cross-species prion replication in cultured cells and that a single amino acid change can override the prion-permissive nature of BVPrP. This cellular paradigm will be useful for dissecting the molecular features of BVPrP that allow it to function as a universal prion acceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Arshad
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zeel Patel
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Genki Amano
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Le Yao Li
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zaid A M Al-Azzawi
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Surachai Supattapone
- Department of Biochemistry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Gerold Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Gharemirshamloo FR, Majumder R, Kumar S U, Doss C GP, Bamdad K, Frootan F, Un C. Effects of the pathological E200K mutation on human prion protein: A computational screening and molecular dynamics approach. J Cell Biochem 2023; 124:254-265. [PMID: 36565210 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30359] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The human prion protein gene (PRNP) is mapped to the short arm of chromosome 20 (20pter-12). Prion disease is associated with mutations in the prion protein-encoding gene sequence. Earlier studies found that the mutation G127V in the PRNP increases protein stability. In contrast, the mutation E200K, which has the highest mutation rate in the prion protein, causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans and induces protein aggregation. We aimed to identify the structural mechanisms of E200k and G127V mutations causing CJD. We used a variety of bioinformatic algorithms, including SIFT, PolyPhen, I-Mutant, PhD-SNP, and SNP& GO, to predict the association of the E200K mutation with prion disease. MD simulation is performed, and graphs for root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, DSSP, principal component analysis, porcupine, and free energy landscape are generated to confirm and prove the stability of the wild-type and mutant protein structures. The protein is analyzed for aggregation, and the results indicate more fluctuations in the protein structure during the simulation owing to the E200K mutation; however, the G127V mutation makes the protein structure stable against aggregation during the simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ranabir Majumder
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Udhaya Kumar S
- Department of Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - George Priya Doss C
- Department of Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kourosh Bamdad
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fateme Frootan
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Cemal Un
- Department of Biology, Division of Molecular Biology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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9
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Cortez LM, Morrison AJ, Garen CR, Patterson S, Uyesugi T, Petrosyan R, Sekar RV, Harms MJ, Woodside MT, Sim VL. Probing the origin of prion protein misfolding via reconstruction of ancestral proteins. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4477. [PMID: 36254680 PMCID: PMC9667828 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by pathogenic misfolding of the prion protein, PrP. They are transmissible between hosts, and sometimes between different species, as with transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans. Although PrP is found in a wide range of vertebrates, prion diseases are seen only in certain mammals, suggesting that infectious misfolding was a recent evolutionary development. To explore when PrP acquired the ability to misfold infectiously, we reconstructed the sequences of ancestral versions of PrP from the last common primate, primate-rodent, artiodactyl, placental, bird, and amniote. Recombinant ancestral PrPs were then tested for their ability to form β-sheet aggregates, either spontaneously or when seeded with infectious prion strains from human, cervid, or rodent species. The ability to aggregate developed after the oldest ancestor (last common amniote), and aggregation capabilities diverged along evolutionary pathways consistent with modern-day susceptibilities. Ancestral bird PrP could not be seeded with modern-day prions, just as modern-day birds are resistant to prion disease. Computational modeling of structures suggested that differences in helix 2 could account for the resistance of ancestral bird PrP to seeding. Interestingly, ancestral primate PrP could be converted by all prion seeds, including both human and cervid prions, raising the possibility that species descended from an ancestral primate have retained the susceptibility to conversion by cervid prions. More generally, the results suggest that susceptibility to prion disease emerged prior to ~100 million years ago, with placental mammals possibly being generally susceptible to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo M. Cortez
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding DiseasesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Division of Neurology, Department of MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health InstituteUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Anneliese J. Morrison
- Institute of Molecular BiologyUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Craig R. Garen
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Sawyer Patterson
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding DiseasesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Toshi Uyesugi
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Rafayel Petrosyan
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Present address:
Zaven & Sonia Akian College of Science and EngineeringAmerican University of ArmeniaYerevanArmenia
| | | | - Michael J. Harms
- Institute of Molecular BiologyUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Michael T. Woodside
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding DiseasesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of VirologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Valerie L. Sim
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding DiseasesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Division of Neurology, Department of MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health InstituteUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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10
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Igel A, Fornara B, Rezaei H, Béringue V. Prion assemblies: structural heterogeneity, mechanisms of formation, and role in species barrier. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:149-166. [PMID: 36399162 PMCID: PMC10113350 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03700-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPrions are proteinaceous pathogens responsible for a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases in animal and human. Prions are formed from misfolded, ß-sheet rich, and aggregated conformers (PrPSc) of the host-encoded prion protein (PrPC). Prion replication stems from the capacity of PrPSc to self-replicate by templating PrPC conversion and polymerization. The question then arises about the molecular mechanisms of prion replication, host invasion, and capacity to contaminate other species. Studying these mechanisms has gained in recent years further complexity with evidence that PrPSc is a pleiomorphic protein. There is indeed compelling evidence for PrPSc structural heterogeneity at different scales: (i) within prion susceptible host populations with the existence of different strains with specific biological features due to different PrPSc conformers, (ii) within a single infected host with the co-propagation of different strains, and (iii) within a single strain with evidence for co-propagation of PrPSc assemblies differing in their secondary to quaternary structure. This review summarizes current knowledge of prion assembly heterogeneity, potential mechanisms of formation during the replication process, and importance when crossing the species barrier.
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11
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Rahman A, Saikia B, Gogoi CR, Baruah A. Advances in the understanding of protein misfolding and aggregation through molecular dynamics simulation. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 175:31-48. [PMID: 36044970 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant protein folding known as protein misfolding is counted as one of the striking factors of neurodegenerative diseases. The extensive range of pathologies caused by protein misfolding, aggregation and subsequent accumulation are mainly classified into either gain of function diseases or loss of function diseases. In order to seek for novel strategies for treatment and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, insights into the mechanism of misfolding and aggregation is essential. A comprehensive knowledge on the factors influencing misfolding and aggregation is required as well. An extensive experimental study on protein aggregation is somewhat challenging due to the insoluble and noncrystalline nature of amyloid fibrils. Thus there has been a growing use of computational approaches including Monte Carlo simulation, docking simulation, molecular dynamics simulation in the study of protein misfolding and aggregation. The review presents a discussion on molecular dynamics simulation alone as to how it has emerged as a promising tool in the understanding of protein misfolding and aggregation in general, detailing upon three different aspects considering four misfold prone proteins in particular. It is noticeable that all four proteins considered in this review i.e prion, superoxide dismutase1, huntingtin and amyloid β are linked to chronic neurodegenerative diseases with debilitating effects. Initially the review elaborates on the factors influencing the misfolding and aggregation. Next, it addresses our current understanding of the amyloid structures and the associated aggregation mechanisms, finally, summarizing the contribution of this computational tool in the search for therapeutic strategies against the respective protein-deposition diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Bondeepa Saikia
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Chimi Rekha Gogoi
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India
| | - Anupaul Baruah
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786004, Assam, India.
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12
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Jackson GS, Linehan J, Brandner S, Asante EA, Wadsworth JDF, Collinge J. Overexpression of mouse prion protein in transgenic mice causes a non-transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17198. [PMID: 36229637 PMCID: PMC9562354 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic mice over-expressing human PRNP or murine Prnp transgenes on a mouse prion protein knockout background have made key contributions to the understanding of human prion diseases and have provided the basis for many of the fundamental advances in prion biology, including the first report of synthetic mammalian prions. In this regard, the prion paradigm is increasingly guiding the exploration of seeded protein misfolding in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report that a well-established and widely used line of such mice (Tg20 or tga20), which overexpress wild-type mouse prion protein, exhibit spontaneous aggregation and accumulation of misfolded prion protein in a strongly age-dependent manner, which is accompanied by focal spongiosis and occasional neuronal loss. In some cases a clinical syndrome developed with phenotypic features that closely resemble those seen in prion disease. However, passage of brain homogenate from affected, aged mice failed to transmit this syndrome when inoculated intracerebrally into further recipient animals. We conclude that overexpression of the wild-type mouse prion protein can cause an age-dependent protein misfolding disorder or proteinopathy that is not associated with the production of an infectious agent but can produce a phenotype closely similar to authentic prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham S Jackson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
| | - Jacqueline Linehan
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
- Division of Neuropathology, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Asante
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
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13
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Appleby BS, Shetty S, Elkasaby M. Genetic aspects of human prion diseases. Front Neurol 2022; 13:1003056. [PMID: 36277922 PMCID: PMC9579322 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1003056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases are rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative conditions caused by a disease-causing isoform of the native prion protein. The prion protein gene (PRNP) encodes for the cellular prion protein, which is the biological substrate for prion disease transmission and neurotoxicity. Human prion diseases have three etiologies: sporadic, genetic, and acquired. PRNP polymorphisms and pathogenic variants play a large role in the frequency, age at onset, and clinicopathologic phenotype of prion diseases. Genetic prion diseases will be covered in detail and information necessary for clinical care, predictive genetic testing, and genetic counseling will be reviewed. Because the prion protein is necessary for transmission and neurotoxicity, many experimental treatments targeting its production are being investigated and hold potential promise as a disease modifying treatment for all forms of prion disease, including asymptomatic mutation carriers. This article will review genetic aspects of human prion disease and their influence on epidemiology, clinicopathologic phenotype, diagnostics, clinical management, and potential treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Appleby
- Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Brian S. Appleby
| | - Shashirekha Shetty
- Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Pathology, Center for Human Genetics Laboratory, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Mohamed Elkasaby
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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14
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Corbie R, Campbell T, Darwent L, Rudge P, Collinge J, Mead S. Estimation of the number of inherited prion disease mutation carriers in the UK. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:1167-1170. [PMID: 35754056 PMCID: PMC9553982 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01132-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited prion diseases (IPD) are a set of rare neurodegenerative diseases that are always caused by mutation of the prion protein gene (PRNP). These are highly heterogeneous in clinical presentation and best described by the specific gene mutation, but traditionally include the canonical syndromes familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstamann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia. In the UK, care of IPD patients and clinical PRNP sequencing have been carried out almost exclusively by the National Prion Clinic and affiliated laboratories since the disease gene was discovered in 1989. Using data obtained over 30 years (1990-2019), this study aimed to provide a greater understanding of the genetic prevalence of IPD using multiple complementary methods. A key source of bias in rare disorders is ascertainment, so we included an analysis based on capture-recapture techniques that may help to minimise ascertainment bias. 225 patients, with 21 different IPD mutations were identified, varying in frequency (with 8/21 mutations comprising over 90% observed cases), derived from 116 kindreds and 151 3-generation families. We estimated a total of 303 UK families (95% CI = 222, 384) segregate IPD mutations, 1091 (95% CI = 720, 1461) UK mutation carriers and a lifetime risk of approximately 1 in 60,000. Simpler methods of measuring prevalence based on extrapolation from the annual incidence of disease, and large scale genomic studies, result in similar estimates of prevalence. These estimates may be of value for planning preventive trials of therapeutics in IPD mutation carriers, prevention of prion disease transmission and provision of specialist services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie Corbie
- grid.52996.310000 0000 8937 2257National Prion Clinic, University College London (UCL) Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tracy Campbell
- grid.421964.c0000 0004 0606 3301MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Lee Darwent
- grid.421964.c0000 0004 0606 3301MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Peter Rudge
- grid.52996.310000 0000 8937 2257National Prion Clinic, University College London (UCL) Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK ,grid.421964.c0000 0004 0606 3301MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - John Collinge
- grid.52996.310000 0000 8937 2257National Prion Clinic, University College London (UCL) Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK ,grid.421964.c0000 0004 0606 3301MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Simon Mead
- National Prion Clinic, University College London (UCL) Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. .,MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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15
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Wadsworth JDF, Joiner S, Linehan JM, Jack K, Al-Doujaily H, Costa H, Ingold T, Taema M, Zhang F, Sandberg MK, Brandner S, Tran L, Vikøren T, Våge J, Madslien K, Ytrehus B, Benestad SL, Asante EA, Collinge J. Humanized Transgenic Mice Are Resistant to Chronic Wasting Disease Prions From Norwegian Reindeer and Moose. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:933-937. [PMID: 33502474 PMCID: PMC9470110 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease affecting cervids. In 2016, the first cases of CWD were reported in Europe in Norwegian wild reindeer and moose. The origin and zoonotic potential of these new prion isolates remain unknown. In this study to investigate zoonotic potential we inoculated brain tissue from CWD-infected Norwegian reindeer and moose into transgenic mice overexpressing human prion protein. After prolonged postinoculation survival periods no evidence for prion transmission was seen, suggesting that the zoonotic potential of these isolates is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D F Wadsworth
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Joiner
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline M Linehan
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kezia Jack
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Huda Al-Doujaily
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Costa
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thea Ingold
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maged Taema
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fuquan Zhang
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Malin K Sandberg
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Division of Neuropathology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Linh Tran
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Jørn Våge
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Emmanuel A Asante
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
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16
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Otaki H, Taguchi Y, Nishida N. Conformation-Dependent Influences of Hydrophobic Amino Acids in Two In-Register Parallel β-Sheet Amyloids, an α-Synuclein Amyloid and a Local Structural Model of PrP Sc. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:31271-31288. [PMID: 36092583 PMCID: PMC9453792 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c03523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Prions are unconventional pathogens that encode the pathogenic information in conformations of the constituent abnormal isoform of prion protein (PrPSc), independently of the nucleotide genome. Therefore, conformational diversity of PrPSc underlies the existence of many prion strains and species barriers of prions, although the conformational information is extremely limited. Interestingly, differences between polymorphic or species-specific residues responsible for the species/strain barriers are often caused by conservative replacements between hydrophobic amino acids. This implies that subtle differences among hydrophobic amino acids are significant for PrPSc structures. Here we analyzed the influence of different hydrophobic residues on the structures of an in-register parallel β-sheet amyloid of α-synuclein (αSyn) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and applied the knowledge from the αSyn amyloid to modeling a local structure of human PrPSc encompassing residues 107-143. We found that mutations equivalent to polymorphisms that cause transmission barriers substantially affect the stabilities of the local structures; for example, the G127V mutation, which makes the host resistant to various human prion diseases, greatly destabilized the local structure of the model amyloid. Our study indicates that subtle differences among hydrophobic side chains can considerably affect the interaction network, including hydrogen bonds, and demonstrates specifically how and in what structures hydrophobic residues can exert unique effects on in-register parallel β-sheet amyloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Otaki
- Center
for Bioinformatics and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Yuzuru Taguchi
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Nishida
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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17
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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] [MESH Headings] [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, Montana, USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA.
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18
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Castle AR, Wohlgemuth S, Arce L, Westaway D. Investigating CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive for production of disease-preventing prion gene alleles. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269342. [PMID: 35671288 PMCID: PMC9173614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that includes chronic wasting disease, which affects cervids and is highly transmissible. Given that chronic wasting disease prevalence exceeds 30% in some endemic areas of North America, and that eventual transmission to other mammalian species, potentially including humans, cannot be ruled out, novel control strategies beyond population management via hunting and/or culling must be investigated. Prion diseases depend upon post-translational conversion of the cellular prion protein, encoded by the Prnp gene, into a disease-associated conformation; ablation of cellular prion protein expression, which is generally well-tolerated, eliminates prion disease susceptibility entirely. Inspired by demonstrations of gene drive in caged mosquito species, we aimed to test whether a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene drive mechanism could, in principle, promote the spread of a null Prnp allele among mammalian populations. First, we showed that transient co-expression of Cas9 and Prnp-directed guide RNAs in RK13 cells generates indels within the Prnp open-reading frame, indicating that repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks by non-homologous end-joining had taken place. Second, we integrated a ~1.2 kb donor DNA sequence into the Prnp open-reading frame in N2a cells by homology-directed repair following Cas9-induced cleavages and confirmed that integration occurred precisely in most cases. Third, we demonstrated that electroporation of Cas9/guide RNA ribonucleoprotein complexes into fertilised mouse oocytes resulted in pups with a variety of disruptions to the Prnp open reading frame, with a new coisogenic line of Prnp-null mice obtained as part of this work. However, a technical challenge in obtaining expression of Cas9 in the male germline prevented implementation of a complete gene drive mechanism in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Castle
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Serene Wohlgemuth
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Luis Arce
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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19
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Kroll F, Dimitriadis A, Campbell T, Darwent L, Collinge J, Mead S, Vire E. Prion protein gene mutation detection using long-read Nanopore sequencing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8284. [PMID: 35585119 PMCID: PMC9117325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12130-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative conditions that affect humans and animals. Rapid and accurate sequencing of the prion gene PRNP is paramount to human prion disease diagnosis and for animal surveillance programmes. Current methods for PRNP genotyping involve sequencing of small fragments within the protein-coding region. The contribution of variants in the non-coding regions of PRNP including large structural changes is poorly understood. Here, we used long-range PCR and Nanopore sequencing to sequence the full length of PRNP, including its regulatory region, in 25 samples from blood and brain of individuals with inherited or sporadic prion diseases. Nanopore sequencing detected the same variants as identified by Sanger sequencing, including repeat expansions/deletions. Nanopore identified additional single-nucleotide variants in the non-coding regions of PRNP, but no novel structural variants were discovered. Finally, we explored somatic mosaicism of PRNP's octapeptide repeat region, which is a hypothetical cause of sporadic prion disease. While we found changes consistent with somatic mutations, we demonstrate that they may have been generated by the PCR. Our study illustrates the accuracy of Nanopore sequencing for rapid and field prion disease diagnosis and highlights the need for single-molecule sequencing methods for the detection of somatic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Kroll
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Athanasios Dimitriadis
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Tracy Campbell
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Lee Darwent
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - John Collinge
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
| | - Emmanuelle Vire
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, UCL, London, W1W 7FF UK
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20
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Silva CJ. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Cervids and the Consequences of a Mutable Protein Conformation. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:12474-12492. [PMID: 35465121 PMCID: PMC9022204 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose, etc.). It spreads readily from CWD-contaminated environments and among wild cervids. As of 2022, North American CWD has been found in 29 states, four Canadian provinces and South Korea. The Scandinavian form of CWD originated independently. Prions propagate their pathology by inducing a natively expressed prion protein (PrPC) to adopt the prion conformation (PrPSc). PrPC and PrPSc differ solely in their conformation. Like other prion diseases, transmissible CWD prions can arise spontaneously. The CWD prions can respond to selection pressures resulting in the emergence of new strain phenotypes. Annually, 11.5 million Americans hunt and harvest nearly 6 million deer, indicating that CWD is a potential threat to an important American food source. No tested CWD strain has been shown to be zoonotic. However, this may not be true for emerging strains. Should a zoonotic CWD strain emerge, it could adversely impact the hunting economy and game meat consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Silva
- Produce Safety & Microbiology
Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research
Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, California 94710, United States of America
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21
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Park S, Wang X, Xi W, Richardson R, Laue TM, Denis CL. The non-prion SUP35 preexists in large chaperone-containing molecular complexes. Proteins 2022; 90:869-880. [PMID: 34791707 PMCID: PMC8816864 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Prions, misfolded proteins that aggregate, cause an array of progressively deteriorating conditions to which, currently, there are no effective treatments. The presently accepted model indicates that the soluble non-prion forms of prion-forming proteins, such as the well-studied SUP35, do not exist in large aggregated molecular complexes. Here, we show using analytical ultracentrifugation with fluorescent detection that the non-prion form of SUP35 exists in a range of discretely sized soluble complexes (19S, 28S, 39S, 57S, and 70S-200S). Similar to the [PSI+] aggregated complexes, each of these [psi-] complexes associates at stoichiometric levels with a large variety of molecular chaperones: HSP70 proteins comprise the major component. Another yeast prion-forming protein, RNQ1 (known to promote the production of the prion SUP35 state), is also present in SUP35 complexes. These results establish that the non-prion SUP35, like its prion form, is predisposed to form large molecular complexes containing chaperones and other prion-forming proteins. These results agree with our previous studies on the huntingtin protein. That the normal forms for aggregation-prone proteins may preexist in large molecular complexes has important ramifications for the progression of diseases involving protein aggregation.
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22
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Nelson JW, Randolph PB, Shen SP, Everette KA, Chen PJ, Anzalone AV, An M, Newby GA, Chen JC, Hsu A, Liu DR. Engineered pegRNAs improve prime editing efficiency. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:402-410. [PMID: 34608327 PMCID: PMC8930418 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-01039-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 151.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Prime editing enables the installation of virtually any combination of point mutations, small insertions or small deletions in the DNA of living cells. A prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) directs the prime editor protein to the targeted locus and also encodes the desired edit. Here we show that degradation of the 3' region of the pegRNA that contains the reverse transcriptase template and the primer binding site can poison the activity of prime editing systems, impeding editing efficiency. We incorporated structured RNA motifs to the 3' terminus of pegRNAs that enhance their stability and prevent degradation of the 3' extension. The resulting engineered pegRNAs (epegRNAs) improve prime editing efficiency 3-4-fold in HeLa, U2OS and K562 cells and in primary human fibroblasts without increasing off-target editing activity. We optimized the choice of 3' structural motif and developed pegLIT, a computational tool to identify non-interfering nucleotide linkers between pegRNAs and 3' motifs. Finally, we showed that epegRNAs enhance the efficiency of the installation or correction of disease-relevant mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Nelson
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peyton B Randolph
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Simon P Shen
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kelcee A Everette
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter J Chen
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew V Anzalone
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Meirui An
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gregory A Newby
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan C Chen
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alvin Hsu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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23
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Roh IS, Kim YC, Won SY, Park KJ, Park HC, Hwang JY, Kang HE, Sohn HJ, Jeong BH. Association Study of the M132L Single Nucleotide Polymorphism With Susceptibility to Chronic Wasting Disease in Korean Elk: A Meta-Analysis. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:804325. [PMID: 35097050 PMCID: PMC8795614 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.804325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a deleterious brain proteinopathy caused by a pathogenic form of prion protein (PrPSc), which is converted from a benign form of prion protein (PrPC) encoded by the prion protein gene (PRNP). In elk, the M132L single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the PRNP gene likely plays a pivotal role in susceptibility to CWD. However, the association of the M132L SNP with susceptibility to CWD has not been evaluated in Korean elk to date. To estimate the association of the M132L SNP with susceptibility to CWD in Korean elk, we investigated the genotype and allele frequencies of the M132L SNP by amplicon sequencing and performed association analysis between CWD-positive and CWD-negative elk. In addition, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between the M132L SNP and susceptibility to CWD in quantitatively synthesized elk populations. Furthermore, we estimated the effect of the M132L SNP on elk PrP using in silico programs, including PolyPhen-2, PROVEAN, AMYCO and Swiss-PdbViewer. We did not identify a significant association between the M132L SNP of PRNP and susceptibility to CWD in Korean elk. The meta-analysis also did not identify a strong association between the M132L SNP of PRNP and susceptibility to CWD in quantitatively synthesized elk populations. Furthermore, we did not observe significant changes in structure, amyloid propensity or electrostatic potential based on the M132L SNP in elk PrP. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report of an association analysis and meta-analysis in Korean elk and quantitatively synthesized elk populations, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Soon Roh
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, South Korea
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Sae-Young Won
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, South Korea
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Je Park
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
| | - Hoo-Chang Park
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
| | - Ji-Yong Hwang
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
| | - Hae-Eun Kang
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo Sohn
- Reference Laboratory for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, South Korea
- Hyun-Joo Sohn
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, South Korea
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Byung-Hoon Jeong
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24
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Prion Protein Biology Through the Lens of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167368. [PMID: 34808226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Conformational conversion of the α-helix-rich cellular prion protein into the misfolded, β-rich, aggregated, scrapie form underlies the molecular basis of prion diseases that represent a class of invariably fatal, untreatable, and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite the extensive and rigorous research, there is a significant gap in the understanding of molecular mechanisms that contribute to prion pathogenesis. In this review, we describe the historical perspective of the development of the prion concept and the current state of knowledge of prion biology including structural, molecular, and cellular aspects of the prion protein. We then summarize the putative functional role of the N-terminal intrinsically disordered segment of the prion protein. We next describe the ongoing efforts in elucidating the prion phase behavior and the emerging role of liquid-liquid phase separation that can have potential functional relevance and can offer an alternate non-canonical pathway involving conformational conversion into a disease-associated form. We also attempt to shed light on the evolutionary perspective of the prion protein highlighting the potential role of intrinsic disorder in prion protein biology and summarize a few important questions associated with the phase transitions of the prion protein. Delving deeper into these key aspects can pave the way for a detailed understanding of the critical molecular determinants of the prion phase transition and its relevance to physiology and neurodegenerative diseases.
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25
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Chen PJ, Hussmann JA, Yan J, Knipping F, Ravisankar P, Chen PF, Chen C, Nelson JW, Newby GA, Sahin M, Osborn MJ, Weissman JS, Adamson B, Liu DR. Enhanced prime editing systems by manipulating cellular determinants of editing outcomes. Cell 2021; 184:5635-5652.e29. [PMID: 34653350 PMCID: PMC8584034 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 335] [Impact Index Per Article: 111.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
While prime editing enables precise sequence changes in DNA, cellular determinants of prime editing remain poorly understood. Using pooled CRISPRi screens, we discovered that DNA mismatch repair (MMR) impedes prime editing and promotes undesired indel byproducts. We developed PE4 and PE5 prime editing systems in which transient expression of an engineered MMR-inhibiting protein enhances the efficiency of substitution, small insertion, and small deletion prime edits by an average 7.7-fold and 2.0-fold compared to PE2 and PE3 systems, respectively, while improving edit/indel ratios by 3.4-fold in MMR-proficient cell types. Strategic installation of silent mutations near the intended edit can enhance prime editing outcomes by evading MMR. Prime editor protein optimization resulted in a PEmax architecture that enhances editing efficacy by 2.8-fold on average in HeLa cells. These findings enrich our understanding of prime editing and establish prime editing systems that show substantial improvement across 191 edits in seven mammalian cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Chen
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Hussmann
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Friederike Knipping
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Purnima Ravisankar
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Pin-Fang Chen
- Human Neuron Core, Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cidi Chen
- Human Neuron Core, Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James W Nelson
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gregory A Newby
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Human Neuron Core, Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mark J Osborn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55108, USA; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Britt Adamson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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26
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Moazami-Goudarzi K, Andréoletti O, Vilotte JL, Béringue V. Review on PRNP genetics and susceptibility to chronic wasting disease of Cervidae. Vet Res 2021; 52:128. [PMID: 34620247 PMCID: PMC8499490 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00993-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most infectious form of prion disease affecting several captive, free ranging and wild cervid species. Responsible for marked population declines in North America, its geographical spread is now becoming a major concern in Europe. Polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP) are an important factor influencing the susceptibility to prions and their rate of propagation. All reported cervid PRNP genotypes are affected by CWD. However, in each species, some polymorphisms are associated with lower attack rates and slower progression of the disease. This has potential consequences in terms of genetic selection, CWD diffusion and strain evolution. CWD also presents a zoonotic risk due to prions capacity to cross species barriers. This review summarizes our current understanding of CWD control, focusing on PRNP genetic, strain diversity and capacity to infect other animal species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- UMR INRAE ENVT 1225 - IHAP, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- University Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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27
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Zhang Q, Zhang H, Zheng F, Liu R, Liao X, Guo C, Lin D. 1H, 13C, 15N backbone and side-chain resonance assignments of the pathogenic G131V mutant of human prion protein (91-231). BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS 2021; 15:311-316. [PMID: 33871829 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-021-10022-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Human prion disease, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSEs), is caused by the conformational conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the scrapie form (PrPSc). Pathogenic point mutations of prion proteins typically facilitate conformational conversion and lead to inherited prion diseases. A previous study has demonstrated that the pathogenic G131V mutation of human prion protein (HuPrP) brings in Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome. However, the three-dimensional structure and dynamic features of the HuPrP(G131V) mutant remain unclear. It is expected that the determination of these structural bases will be beneficial to the pathogenic mechanistic understanding of G131V-related prion diseases. Here, we performed 1H, 15N, 13C backbone and side-chain resonance assignments of the G131V mutant of HuPrP(91-231) by using heteronuclear multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, and predicted the secondary structural elements and order parameters of the protein based on the assigned backbone chemical shifts. Our work lays the necessary foundation for further structural determination, dynamics characterization, and intermolecular interaction assay for the G131V mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaodong Zhang
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Haoran Zhang
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Fengyu Zheng
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Rong Liu
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xinli Liao
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Chenyun Guo
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Donghai Lin
- High-field NMR center, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
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28
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Bhate SH, Udgaonkar JB, Das R. Destabilization of polar interactions in the prion protein triggers misfolding and oligomerization. Protein Sci 2021; 30:2258-2271. [PMID: 34558139 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP) misfolds and oligomerizes at pH 4 in the presence of physiological salt concentrations. Low pH and salt cause structural perturbations in the monomeric prion protein that lead to misfolding and oligomerization. However, the changes in stability within different regions of the PrP prior to oligomerization are poorly understood. In this study, we have characterized the local stability in PrP at high resolution using amide temperature coefficients (TC ) measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The local stability of PrP was investigated under native as well as oligomerizing conditions. We have also studied the rapidly oligomerizing PrP variant (Q216R) and the protective PrP variant (A6). We report that at low pH, salt destabilizes PrP at several polar residues, and the hydrogen bonds in helices α2 and α3 are weakened. In addition, salt changes the curvature of the α3 helix, which likely disrupts α2-α3 contacts and leads to oligomerization. These results are corroborated by the TC values of rapidly oligomerizing Q216R-PrP. The poly-alanine substitution in A6-PrP stabilizes α2, which prevents oligomerization. Altogether, these results highlight the importance of native polar interactions in determining the stability of PrP and reveal the structural disruptions in PrP that lead to misfolding and oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhas H Bhate
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
| | - Jayant B Udgaonkar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India.,Indian Institute for Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Ranabir Das
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India
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29
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Selective Breeding for Disease-Resistant PRNP Variants to Manage Chronic Wasting Disease in Farmed Whitetail Deer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091396. [PMID: 34573378 PMCID: PMC8471411 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of cervids caused by a misfolded variant of the normal cellular prion protein, and it is closely related to sheep scrapie. Variations in a host's prion gene, PRNP, and its primary protein structure dramatically affect susceptibility to specific prion disorders, and breeding for PRNP variants that prevent scrapie infection has led to steep declines in the disease in North American and European sheep. While resistant alleles have been identified in cervids, a PRNP variant that completely prevents CWD has not yet been identified. Thus, control of the disease in farmed herds traditionally relies on quarantine and depopulation. In CWD-endemic areas, depopulation of private herds becomes challenging to justify, leading to opportunities to manage the disease in situ. We developed a selective breeding program for farmed white-tailed deer in a high-prevalence CWD-endemic area which focused on reducing frequencies of highly susceptible PRNP variants and introducing animals with less susceptible variants. With the use of newly developed primers, we found that breeding followed predictable Mendelian inheritance, and early data support our project's utility in reducing CWD prevalence. This project represents a novel approach to CWD management, with future efforts building on these findings.
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30
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Kim YC, Park KJ, Hwang JY, Park HC, Kang HE, Sohn HJ, Jeong BH. In-depth examination of PrP Sc in Holstein cattle carrying the E211K somatic mutation of the bovine prion protein gene (PRNP). Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:e356-e361. [PMID: 34470082 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies caused by deleterious prion protein (PrPSc ) derived from normal prion protein (PrPC ), which is encoded by the prion protein gene (PRNP). We performed an in-depth examination to detect PrPSc by using enzyme immunoassay (EIA), real-time quaking-induced conversion reactions (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) in nine brain tissues derived from three Holstein cattle carrying the E211K somatic mutation of the bovine PRNP gene. The EIA, RT-QuIC and PMCA analyses were not able to detect the PrPSc band in any tested samples. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to describe an in-depth examination of PrPSc in cattle carrying the E211K somatic mutation of the bovine PRNP gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Je Park
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yong Hwang
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoo-Chang Park
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Eun Kang
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Joo Sohn
- Reference Laboratory for CWD, Foreign Animal Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
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31
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Aguilar-Calvo P, Fernández-Borges N, Pitarch JL, González L, Torres JM. Canine D 163-PrP polymorphic variant does not provide complete protection against prion infection in small ruminant PrP context. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14309. [PMID: 34253783 PMCID: PMC8275588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93594-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
E/D163 polymorphism of dog prion protein (PrP) has been recently proposed as the variant responsible for canid prion resistance. To further investigate the protective role of this variant against prion replication, the transgenic mouse model OvPrP-Tg532 expressing sheep/goat PrP carrying the substitution D162 (equivalent to D163 position of dog PrP) was generated and intracranially inoculated with a broad collection of small ruminant prion strains. OvPrP-Tg532 mice showed resistance to classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from sheep and some classical scrapie isolates from sheep and goat but were susceptible to ovine atypical L-BSE and numerous classical scrapie isolates. Strikingly, some of these classical scrapie isolates showed a shift in their prion strain properties. These results suggest that other PrP residues apart from E/D163 variant of dog PrP or factors distinct than PrP may participate in prion resistance of canids and that different factors may be required for D162 sheep PrP to provide effective protection to sheep against ruminant prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - José Luis Pitarch
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo González
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, CISA-INIA, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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32
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Carlson GA, Prusiner SB. How an Infection of Sheep Revealed Prion Mechanisms in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4861. [PMID: 34064393 PMCID: PMC8125442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it is not yet universally accepted that all neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are prion disorders, there is little disagreement that Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other NDs are a consequence of protein misfolding, aggregation, and spread. This widely accepted perspective arose from the prion hypothesis, which resulted from investigations on scrapie, a common transmissible disease of sheep and goats. The prion hypothesis argued that the causative infectious agent of scrapie was a novel proteinaceous pathogen devoid of functional nucleic acids and distinct from viruses, viroids, and bacteria. At the time, it seemed impossible that an infectious agent like the one causing scrapie could replicate and exist as diverse microbiological strains without nucleic acids. However, aggregates of a misfolded host-encoded protein, designated the prion protein (PrP), were shown to be the cause of scrapie as well as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), which are similar NDs in humans. This review discusses historical research on diseases caused by PrP misfolding, emphasizing principles of pathogenesis that were later found to be core features of other NDs. For example, the discovery that familial prion diseases can be caused by mutations in PrP was important for understanding prion replication and disease susceptibility not only for rare PrP diseases but also for far more common NDs involving other proteins. We compare diseases caused by misfolding and aggregation of APP-derived Aβ peptides, tau, and α-synuclein with PrP prion disorders and argue for the classification of NDs caused by misfolding of these proteins as prion diseases. Deciphering the molecular pathogenesis of NDs as prion-mediated has provided new approaches for finding therapies for these intractable, invariably fatal disorders and has revolutionized the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A. Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA;
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stanley B. Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA;
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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33
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Zuev VA, Kalnov SL, Kulikova NY, Grebennikova TV. [Prion diseases and the biosecurity problems.]. Vopr Virusol 2021; 65:71-76. [PMID: 32515562 DOI: 10.36233/0507-4088-2020-65-2-71-76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The review presents the current state of the problem of prions and prion diseases with an emphasis on theepidemiological and epizootological risks of pathogens that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. The results of molecular genetic studies of the conversion of normal PrPc prion protein molecules to infectious forms of PrPd, resistance to physical disinfection methods, in particular exceptional thermal stability, and their ability to overcome interspecific barriers, while increasing virulence, are described. The possibility of infection not only by nutrition, when eating even heat-treated meat of sick animals, but also due to surgical interventions, especially neurosurgical and ophthalmic, as well as the use of immunobiological preparations, are emphasized. Since there are currently no means for the effective treatment of prion diseases in the world, attention is drawn to the high degree of relevance for the biosafety of the country to develop domestic highly sensitive test systems that can effectively detect prion infectious protein in vivo at the preclinical stage of the disease. The latest methods of automatic protein amplification and identification of prion proteins are briefly described as the most promising areas of research in the field of diagnosis of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Zuev
- National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya, Moscow, 123098
| | - S L Kalnov
- National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya, Moscow, 123098
| | - N Y Kulikova
- National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya, Moscow, 123098
| | - T V Grebennikova
- National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya, Moscow, 123098
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He S, Wang F, Yung KKL, Zhang S, Qu S. Effects of α-Synuclein-Associated Post-Translational Modifications in Parkinson's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:1061-1071. [PMID: 33769791 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-syn), a small highly conserved presynaptic protein containing 140 amino acids, is thought to be the main pathological hallmark in related neurodegenerative disorders. Although the normal function of α-syn is closely involved in the regulation of vesicular neurotransmission in these diseases, the underlying mechanisms of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of α-syn in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) have not been fully characterized. The pathological accumulation of misfolded α-syn has a critical role in PD pathogenesis. Recent studies of factors contributing to α-syn-associated aggregation and misfolding have expanded our understanding of the PD disease process. In this Review, we summarize the structure and physiological function of α-syn, and we further highlight the major PTMs (namely phosphorylation, ubiquitination, nitration, acetylation, truncation, SUMOylation, and O-GlcNAcylation) of α-syn and the effects of these modifications on α-syn aggregation, which may elucidate mechanisms for PD pathogenesis and lay a theoretical foundation for clinical treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songzhe He
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Fushun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, 14643, United States
| | - Ken Kin Lam Yung
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Shiqing Zhang
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Shaogang Qu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
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Zink RM. Considering the use of the terms strain and adaptation in prion research. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06801. [PMID: 33898853 PMCID: PMC8060586 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary biologists and disease biologists use the terms strain and adaptation in Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) research in different ways. In evolutionary biology, a strain is a nascent genetic lineage that can be described by a genealogy, and a phylogenetic nomenclature constructed to reflect that genealogy. Prion strains are described as showing distinct host range, clinical presentation, disease progression, and neuropathological and PrP biochemical profiles, and lack information that would permit phylogenetic reconstruction of their history. Prion strains are alternative protein conformations, sometimes derived from the same genotype. I suggest referring to prion strains as ecotypes, because the variant phenotypic conformations ("strains") are a function of the interaction between PRNP amino acid genotype and the host environment. In the case of CWD, a prion ecotype in white-tailed deer would be described by its genotype and the host in which it occurs, such as the H95 + ecotype. However, an evolutionary nomenclature is difficult because not all individuals with the same PRNP genotype show signs of CWD, therefore creating a nomenclature reflecting and one-to-one relationship between PRNP genealogy and CWD presence is difficult. Furthermore, very little information exists on the phylogenetic distribution of CWD ecotypes in wild deer populations. Adaptation has a clear meaning in evolutionary biology, the differential survival and reproduction of individual genotypes. If a new prion ecotype arises in a particular host and kills more hosts or kills at an earlier age, it is the antithesis of the evolutionary definition of adaptation. However, prion strains might be transmitted across generations epigenetically, but whether this represents adaptation depends on the fitness consequences of the strain. Protein phenotypes of PRNP that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and CWD, are maladaptive and would not be propagated genetically or epigenetically via a process consistent with an evolutionary view of adaptation. I suggest terming the process of prion strain origination "phenotypic transformation", and only adaptation if evidence shows they are not maladaptive and persist over evolutionary time periods (e.g., thousands of generations) and across distinct species boundaries (via inheritance). Thus, prion biologists use strain and adaptation, historically evolutionary terms, in quite different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Zink
- School of Natural Resources, School of Biological Sciences, Nebraska State Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68503, USA
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36
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Overduin M, Wille H, Westaway D. Multisite interactions of prions with membranes and native nanodiscs. Chem Phys Lipids 2021; 236:105063. [PMID: 33600804 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2021.105063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Although prions are known as protein-only infectious particles, they exhibit lipid specificities, cofactor dependencies and membrane-dependent activities. Such membrane interactions play key roles in how prions are processed, presented and regulated, and hence have significant functional consequences. The expansive literature related to prion protein interactions with lipids and native nanodiscs is discussed, and provides a unique opportunity to re-evaluate the molecular composition and mechanisms of its infectious and cellular states. A family of crystal and solution structures of prions are analyzed here for the first time using the membrane optimal docking area (MODA) program, revealling the presence of structured binding elements that could mediate specific lipid recognition. A set of motifs centerred around W99, L125, Y169 and Y226 are consistently predicted as being membrane interactive and form an exposed surface which includes α helical, β strand and loop elements involving the prion protein (PrP) structural domain, while the scrapie form is radically different and doubles the size of the membrane interactive site into an extensible surface. These motifs are highly conserved throughout mammalian evolution, suggesting that prions have long been intrinsically attached to membranes at central and N- and C-terminal points, providing several opportunities for stable and specific bilayer interactions as well as multiple complexed orientations. Resistance or susceptibility to prion disease correlates with increased or decreased membrane binding propensity by mutant forms, respectively, indicating a protective role by lipids. The various prion states found in vivo are increasingly resolvable using native nanodiscs formed by styrene maleic acid (SMA) and stilbene maleic acid (STMA) copolymers rather than classical detergents, allowing the endogenous states to be tackled. These copolymers spontaneously fragment intact membranes into water-soluble discs holding a section of native bilayer, and can accommodate prion multimers and mini-fibrils. Such nanodiscs have also proven useful for understanding how β amyloid and α synuclein proteins contribute to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, providing further biomedical applications. Structural and functional insights of such proteins in styrene maleic acid lipid particles (SMALPs) can be resolved at high resolution by methods including cryo-electron microscopy (cEM), motivating continued progress in polymer design to resolve biological and pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Overduin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Holger Wille
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David Westaway
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Sangeetham SB, Engelke AD, Fodor E, Krausz SL, Tatzelt J, Welker E. The G127V variant of the prion protein interferes with dimer formation in vitro but not in cellulo. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3116. [PMID: 33542378 PMCID: PMC7862613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82647-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Scrapie prion, PrPSc, formation is the central event of all types of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), while the pathway with possible intermediates and their mechanism of formation from the normal isoform of prion (PrP), remains not fully understood. Recently, the G127V variant of the human PrP is reported to render the protein refractory to transmission of TSEs, via a yet unknown mechanism. Molecular dynamics studies suggested that this mutation interferes with the formation of PrP dimers. Here we analyze the dimerization of 127G and 127VPrP, in both in vitro and a mammalian cell culture system. Our results show that while molecular dynamics may capture the features affecting dimerization in vitro, G127V inhibiting dimer formation of PrP, these are not evidenced in a more complex cellular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudheer Babu Sangeetham
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 6726, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Sciences, University of Szeged, Dugonics square 13, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
| | - Anna Dorothee Engelke
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Elfrieda Fodor
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 6726, Hungary
| | - Sarah Laura Krausz
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- School of Ph.D. Studies, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
- Aktogen Hungary Ltd., Kecskemét, 6000, Hungary
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Ervin Welker
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, 6726, Hungary.
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
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Park KE, Frey JF, Waters J, Simpson SG, Coutu C, Plummer S, Campbell M, Donovan DM, Telugu BP. One-Step Homology Mediated CRISPR-Cas Editing in Zygotes for Generating Genome Edited Cattle. CRISPR J 2020; 3:523-534. [PMID: 33252243 PMCID: PMC7757693 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective breeding and genetic modification have been the cornerstone of animal agriculture. However, the current strategy of breeding animals over multiple generations to introgress novel alleles is not practical in addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and the predicted need to feed a population of 9 billion by 2050. Consequently, genome editing in zygotes to allow for seamless introgression of novel alleles is required, especially in cattle with long generation intervals. We report for the first time the use of CRISPR-Cas genome editors to introduce novel PRNP allelic variants that have been shown to provide resilience towards human prion pandemics. From one round of embryo injections, we have established six pregnancies and birth of seven edited offspring, with two founders showing >90% targeted homology-directed repair modifications. This study lays out the framework for in vitro optimization, unbiased deep-sequencing to identify editing outcomes, and generation of high frequency homology-directed repair–edited calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Eun Park
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Juli Foster Frey
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Jerel Waters
- RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Sean G Simpson
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | - Chris Coutu
- Thomas D. Morris Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - David M Donovan
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Bhanu P Telugu
- Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,RenOVAte Biosciences, Inc., Reisterstown, Maryland, USA
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Alyenbaawi H, Allison WT, Mok SA. Prion-Like Propagation Mechanisms in Tauopathies and Traumatic Brain Injury: Challenges and Prospects. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1487. [PMID: 33121065 PMCID: PMC7692808 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of tau protein in the form of filamentous aggregates is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). These dementias share traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a prominent risk factor. Tau aggregates can transfer between cells and tissues in a "prion-like" manner, where they initiate the templated misfolding of normal tau molecules. This enables the spread of tau pathology to distinct parts of the brain. The evidence that tauopathies spread via prion-like mechanisms is considerable, but work detailing the mechanisms of spread has mostly used in vitro platforms that cannot fully reveal the tissue-level vectors or etiology of progression. We review these issues and then briefly use TBI and CTE as a case study to illustrate aspects of tauopathy that warrant further attention in vivo. These include seizures and sleep/wake disturbances, emphasizing the urgent need for improved animal models. Dissecting these mechanisms of tauopathy progression continues to provide fresh inspiration for the design of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeel Alyenbaawi
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Laboratories, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - W. Ted Allison
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Disease, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada; (H.A.); (W.T.A.)
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
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40
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Marín-Moreno A, Espinosa JC, Torres JM. Transgenic mouse models for the study of prion diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:147-177. [PMID: 32958231 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Prions are unique agents that challenge the molecular biology dogma by transmitting information on the protein level. They cause neurodegenerative diseases that lack of any cure or treatment called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The function of the normal form of the prion protein, the exact mechanism of prion propagation between species as well as at the cellular level and neuron degeneration remains elusive. However, great amount of information known for all these aspects has been achieved thanks to the use of animal models and more precisely to transgenic mouse models. In this chapter, the main contributions of these powerful research tools in the prion field are revised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Marín-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain.
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41
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Hosszu LLP, Conners R, Sangar D, Batchelor M, Sawyer EB, Fisher S, Cliff MJ, Hounslow AM, McAuley K, Leo Brady R, Jackson GS, Bieschke J, Waltho JP, Collinge J. Structural effects of the highly protective V127 polymorphism on human prion protein. Commun Biol 2020; 3:402. [PMID: 32728168 PMCID: PMC7391680 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01126-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, a group of incurable, lethal neurodegenerative disorders of mammals including humans, are caused by prions, assemblies of misfolded host prion protein (PrP). A single point mutation (G127V) in human PrP prevents prion disease, however the structural basis for its protective effect remains unknown. Here we show that the mutation alters and constrains the PrP backbone conformation preceding the PrP β-sheet, stabilising PrP dimer interactions by increasing intermolecular hydrogen bonding. It also markedly changes the solution dynamics of the β2-α2 loop, a region of PrP structure implicated in prion transmission and cross-species susceptibility. Both of these structural changes may affect access to protein conformers susceptible to prion formation and explain its profound effect on prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laszlo L P Hosszu
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Rebecca Conners
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
- University of Bristol, School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Clifton, BS8 1TD, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Daljit Sangar
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Elizabeth B Sawyer
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Stuart Fisher
- Diamond Light Source, Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
- ESRF, 71, Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Matthew J Cliff
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Andrea M Hounslow
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Katherine McAuley
- Diamond Light Source, Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - R Leo Brady
- University of Bristol, School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Clifton, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Graham S Jackson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jan Bieschke
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jonathan P Waltho
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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42
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Zink RM. Genetic and evolutionary considerations of the Chronic Wasting Disease - Human species barrier. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 84:104484. [PMID: 32731042 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies can jump species barriers. In relatively few cases is the possible route of transmission thought to be known, mostly involving humans, cattle and sheep. It is thought that sheep might be the cause of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids, and that humans might have gotten prion disease (e.g., vCJD) from eating meat from BSE+ cows. A looming societal question is whether humans will acquire a prion disease from ingesting prions from CWD+ deer. On an evolutionary tree of the PRNP gene in mammals, deer, sheep and cow are relatively closely related, whereas these three species are relatively distant from humans. If a prion disease jumped the species barrier from cow to humans, the phylogenetic gap from deer to humans is no greater, and sheer evolutionary distance alone cannot explain a CWD species barrier in humans. Aspects of the PRNP gene were compared among these species to search for genetic differences that might influence the permeability of the species barrier. Human prion disease has been associated with having more than four copies of the octarepeat unit (PHGGGWG), whereas deer, sheep and cow all have three copies. Two amino acid positions in the metal-binding region (96 and 97) have been implicated in species barriers (Breydo and Uversky, 2011), whereas no variation was detected in white-tailed deer and mule deer with and without CWD, or in black-tailed deer, Key deer or Coues deer. Four out of 10 differences between deer and human in the β2-α2 loop might preclude CWD prions from converting human PrPC to PrPSc because of disruption of a steric zipper. The reasons for a CWD species barrier between deer and humans, if there is one, is still unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Zink
- School of Natural Resources, School of Biological Sciences, Nebraska State Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68503, United States of America.
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43
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Kang HE, Bian J, Kane SJ, Kim S, Selwyn V, Crowell J, Bartz JC, Telling GC. Incomplete glycosylation during prion infection unmasks a prion protein epitope that facilitates prion detection and strain discrimination. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10420-10433. [PMID: 32513872 PMCID: PMC7383396 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The causative factors underlying conformational conversion of cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its infectious counterpart (PrPSc) during prion infection remain undetermined, in part because of a lack of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that can distinguish these conformational isoforms. Here we show that the anti-PrP mAb PRC7 recognizes an epitope that is shielded from detection when glycans are attached to Asn-196. We observed that whereas PrPC is predisposed to full glycosylation and is therefore refractory to PRC7 detection, prion infection leads to diminished PrPSc glycosylation at Asn-196, resulting in an unshielded PRC7 epitope that is amenable to mAb recognition upon renaturation. Detection of PRC7-reactive PrPSc in experimental and natural infections with various mouse-adapted scrapie strains and with prions causing deer and elk chronic wasting disease and transmissible mink encephalopathy uncovered that incomplete PrPSc glycosylation is a consistent feature of prion pathogenesis. We also show that interrogating the conformational properties of the PRC7 epitope affords a direct means of distinguishing different prion strains. Because the specificity of our approach for prion detection and strain discrimination relies on the extent to which N-linked glycosylation shields or unshields PrP epitopes from antibody recognition, it dispenses with the requirement for additional standard manipulations to distinguish PrPSc from PrPC, including evaluation of protease resistance. Our findings not only highlight an innovative and facile strategy for prion detection and strain differentiation, but are also consistent with a mechanism of prion replication in which structural instability of incompletely glycosylated PrP contributes to the conformational conversion of PrPC to PrPSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Eun Kang
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jifeng Bian
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sarah J. Kane
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sehun Kim
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Vanessa Selwyn
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jenna Crowell
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC), the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado,For correspondence: Glenn C. Telling,
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44
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Jones E, Mead S. Genetic risk factors for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 142:104973. [PMID: 32565065 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders of mammals that share a central role for prion protein (PrP, gene PRNP) in their pathogenesis. Prions are infectious agents that account for the observed transmission of prion diseases between humans and animals in certain circumstances. The prion mechanism invokes a misfolded and multimeric assembly of PrP (a prion) that grows by templating of the normal protein and propagates by fission. Aside from the medical and public health notoriety of acquired prion diseases, the conditions have attracted interest as it has been realized that common neurodegenerative disorders share so-called prion-like mechanisms. In this article we will expand on recent evidence for new genetic loci that alter the risk of human prion disease. The most common human prion disease, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), is characterized by the seemingly spontaneous appearance of prions in the brain. Genetic variation within PRNP is associated with all types of prion diseases, in particular, heterozygous genotypes at codons 129 and 219 have long been known to be strong protective factors against sCJD. A large number of rare mutations have been described in PRNP that cause autosomal dominant inherited prion diseases. Two loci recently identified by genome-wide association study increase sCJD risk, including variants in or near to STX6 and GAL3ST1. STX6 encodes syntaxin-6, a component of SNARE complexes with cellular roles that include the fusion of intracellular vesicles with target membranes. GAL3ST1 encodes cerebroside sulfotransferase, the only enzyme that sulfates sphingolipids to make sulfatides, a major lipid component of myelin. We discuss how these roles may modify the pathogenesis of prion diseases and their relevance for other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Jones
- MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, W1W 7FF, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, 33 Cleveland Street, W1W 7FF, United Kingdom.
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Asante EA, Linehan JM, Tomlinson A, Jakubcova T, Hamdan S, Grimshaw A, Smidak M, Jeelani A, Nihat A, Mead S, Brandner S, Wadsworth JDF, Collinge J. Spontaneous generation of prions and transmissible PrP amyloid in a humanised transgenic mouse model of A117V GSS. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000725. [PMID: 32516343 PMCID: PMC7282622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited prion diseases are caused by autosomal dominant coding mutations in the human prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP) and account for about 15% of human prion disease cases worldwide. The proposed mechanism is that the mutation predisposes to conformational change in the expressed protein, leading to the generation of disease-related multichain PrP assemblies that propagate by seeded protein misfolding. Despite considerable experimental support for this hypothesis, to-date spontaneous formation of disease-relevant, transmissible PrP assemblies in transgenic models expressing only mutant human PrP has not been demonstrated. Here, we report findings from transgenic mice that express human PrP 117V on a mouse PrP null background (117VV Tg30 mice), which model the PRNP A117V mutation causing inherited prion disease (IPD) including Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease phenotypes in humans. By studying brain samples from uninoculated groups of mice, we discovered that some mice (≥475 days old) spontaneously generated abnormal PrP assemblies, which after inoculation into further groups of 117VV Tg30 mice, produced a molecular and neuropathological phenotype congruent with that seen after transmission of brain isolates from IPD A117V patients to the same mice. To the best of our knowledge, the 117VV Tg30 mouse line is the first transgenic model expressing only mutant human PrP to show spontaneous generation of transmissible PrP assemblies that directly mirror those generated in an inherited prion disease in humans. Transgenic mice expressing the human prion protein containing a mutation linked to the inherited prion disease Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease develop spontaneous neuropathology. This represents the first human prion protein transgenic model to show spontaneous generation of transmissible prion assemblies that directly mirror those generated in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel A. Asante
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
| | | | - Andrew Tomlinson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana Jakubcova
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shyma Hamdan
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Grimshaw
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Smidak
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Asif Jeelani
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Akin Nihat
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Division of Neuropathology, the National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D. F. Wadsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (EAA); (JDFW); (JC)
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46
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Matsoukas IG. Prime Editing: Genome Editing for Rare Genetic Diseases Without Double-Strand Breaks or Donor DNA. Front Genet 2020; 11:528. [PMID: 32582281 PMCID: PMC7296174 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ianis G Matsoukas
- School of Medicine, University of Bolton, Bolton, United Kingdom.,René Descartes College, Athens, Greece
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47
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Wu X, Cui Z, Guomin X, Wang H, Zhang X, Li Z, Sun Q, Qi F. Rare genetic E196A mutation in a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a case report and literature. Prion 2020; 14:143-148. [PMID: 32501129 PMCID: PMC7518748 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1769528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (gCJD) is characterized by mutations in the PRNP gene and represents approximately 10–15% of the human prion diseases. Here, we report a 42-year-old Chinese man who was diagnosed with gCJD. The patient had a rare mutation in codon 196 (E196A) of PRNP leading to an exchange of amino acid from glutamic acid (E) to alanine (A). The polymorphism of codon 129 in the patient was methionine homozygote. His mother and daughter are asymptomatic carriers of the same mutation. The clinical manifestations were similar to those of sporadic CJD. 14-3-3 protein was positive in cerebrospinal fluid, and there were sharp slow complex waves in electroencephalography and ribbon-like signals on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main complaints of patient changed from visual space and visual colour to psychotic symptoms with enhanced high signal intensity on the occipital and frontal cortices on MRI. We compared the clinical characteristics of the current patient with those of previously reported Chinese patients with other gCJD of E196A mutation to summarize the common features of E196A gCJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiping Wu
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Zhao Cui
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Xie Guomin
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Zhiguang Li
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Qi Sun
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
| | - Feiteng Qi
- Department of Neurology, Ningbo Medical Center Li-Huili Hospital , Ningbo, China
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48
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Glynn C, Sawaya MR, Ge P, Gallagher-Jones M, Short CW, Bowman R, Apostol M, Zhou ZH, Eisenberg DS, Rodriguez JA. Cryo-EM structure of a human prion fibril with a hydrophobic, protease-resistant core. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2020; 27:417-423. [PMID: 32284600 PMCID: PMC7338044 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Self-templating assemblies of the human prion protein are clinically associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of a denaturant- and protease-resistant fibril formed in vitro spontaneously by a 9.7-kDa unglycosylated fragment of the human prion protein. This human prion fibril contains two protofilaments intertwined with screw symmetry and linked by a tightly packed hydrophobic interface. Each protofilament consists of an extended beta arch formed by residues 106 to 145 of the prion protein, a hydrophobic and highly fibrillogenic disease-associated segment. Such structures of prion polymorphs serve as blueprints on which to evaluate the potential impact of sequence variants on prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calina Glynn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics; STROBE, NSF Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Sawaya
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peng Ge
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marcus Gallagher-Jones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics; STROBE, NSF Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Connor W Short
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics; STROBE, NSF Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ronquiajah Bowman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics; STROBE, NSF Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marcin Apostol
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- ADRx, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David S Eisenberg
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jose A Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics; STROBE, NSF Science and Technology Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Duque Velásquez C, Kim C, Haldiman T, Kim C, Herbst A, Aiken J, Safar JG, McKenzie D. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion strains evolve via adaptive diversification of conformers in hosts expressing prion protein polymorphisms. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:4985-5001. [PMID: 32111742 PMCID: PMC7152757 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is caused by an unknown spectrum of prions and has become enzootic in populations of cervid species that express cellular prion protein (PrPC) molecules varying in amino acid composition. These PrPC polymorphisms can affect prion transmission, disease progression, neuropathology, and emergence of new prion strains, but the mechanistic steps in prion evolution are not understood. Here, using conformation-dependent immunoassay, conformation stability assay, and protein-misfolding cyclic amplification, we monitored the conformational and phenotypic characteristics of CWD prions passaged through deer and transgenic mice expressing different cervid PrPC polymorphisms. We observed that transmission through hosts with distinct PrPC sequences diversifies the PrPCWD conformations and causes a shift toward oligomers with defined structural organization, replication rate, and host range. When passaged in host environments that restrict prion replication, distinct co-existing PrPCWD conformers underwent competitive selection, stabilizing a new prion strain. Nonadaptive conformers exhibited unstable replication and accumulated only to low levels. These results suggest a continuously evolving diversity of CWD conformers and imply a critical interplay between CWD prion plasticity and PrPC polymorphisms during prion strain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Chae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Chiye Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Allen Herbst
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M8, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M8, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M8, Canada
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50
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Huang JJ, Li XN, Liu WL, Yuan HY, Gao Y, Wang K, Tang B, Pang DW, Chen J, Liang Y. Neutralizing Mutations Significantly Inhibit Amyloid Formation by Human Prion Protein and Decrease Its Cytotoxicity. J Mol Biol 2019; 432:828-844. [PMID: 31821812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect many mammals including humans and are caused by the misfolding of prion protein (PrP). A naturally occurring protective polymorphism G127V in human PrP has recently been found to significantly attenuate prion diseases, but the mechanism has remained elusive. We herein report that the hydrophobic chain introduced in G127V significantly inhibits amyloid fibril formation by human PrP, highlighting the protective effect of the G127V polymorphism. We further introduce an amino acid with a different hydrophobic chain (Ile) at the same position and find that G127I has similar protective effects as G127V. Moreover, we show that these two neutralizing mutations, G127V and G127I, significantly decrease the human PrP cytotoxicity resulting from PrP fibril formation, mitochondrial damage, and elevated reactive oxygen species production enhanced by a strong prion-prone peptide PrP 106-126. These findings elucidate the molecular basis for a natural protective polymorphism in PrP and will enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies against prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiang-Ning Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wan-Li Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kan Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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