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Le NT, Chu N, Joshi G, Higgins NR, Nebie O, Adelakun N, Butts M, Monteiro MJ. Prion protein pathology in Ubiquilin 2 models of ALS. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 201:106674. [PMID: 39299489 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106674] [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: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in UBQLN2 cause ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The pathological signature in UBQLN2 cases is deposition of highly unusual types of inclusions in the brain and spinal cord that stain positive for UBQLN2. However, what role these inclusions play in pathogenesis remains unclear. Here we show cellular prion protein (PrPC) is found in UBQLN2 inclusions in both mouse and human neuronal induced pluripotent (IPSC) models of UBQLN2 mutations, evidenced by the presence of aggregated forms of PrPC with UBQLN2 inclusions. Turnover studies indicated that the P497H UBQLN2 mutation slows PrPC protein degradation and leads to mislocalization of PrPC in the cytoplasm. Immunoprecipitation studies indicated UBQLN2 and PrPC bind together in a complex. The abnormalities in PrPC caused by UBQLN2 mutations may be relevant in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhat T Le
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Nam Chu
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Gunjan Joshi
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Nicole R Higgins
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Ouada Nebie
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Niyi Adelakun
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Marie Butts
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Mervyn J Monteiro
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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2
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Alves Conceição C, Assis de Lemos G, Barros CA, Vieira TCRG. What is the role of lipids in prion conversion and disease? Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1032541. [PMID: 36704327 PMCID: PMC9871914 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1032541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular cause of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) involves the conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its pathogenic form, called prion scrapie (PrPSc), which is prone to the formation of amorphous and amyloid aggregates found in TSE patients. Although the mechanisms of conversion of PrPC into PrPSc are not entirely understood, two key points are currently accepted: (i) PrPSc acts as a seed for the recruitment of native PrPC, inducing the latter's conversion to PrPSc; and (ii) other biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, or lipids, can act as cofactors, mediating the conversion from PrPC to PrPSc. Interestingly, PrPC is anchored by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol molecule in the outer cell membrane. Therefore, interactions with lipid membranes or alterations in the membranes themselves have been widely investigated as possible factors for conversion. Alone or in combination with RNA molecules, lipids can induce the formation of PrP in vitro-produced aggregates capable of infecting animal models. Here, we discuss the role of lipids in prion conversion and infectivity, highlighting the structural and cytotoxic aspects of lipid-prion interactions. Strikingly, disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease also seem to be caused by changes in protein structure and share pathogenic mechanisms with TSEs. Thus, we posit that comprehending the process of PrP conversion is relevant to understanding critical events involved in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders and will contribute to developing future therapeutic strategies for these devastating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyntia Alves Conceição
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Assis de Lemos
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caroline Augusto Barros
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tuane C. R. G. Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,*Correspondence: Tuane C. R. G. Vieira, ✉
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3
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Loss of small GTPase Rab7 activation in prion infection negatively affects a feedback loop regulating neuronal cholesterol metabolism. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102883. [PMID: 36623732 PMCID: PMC9926124 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal and infectious neurodegenerative diseases that occur in humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein PrPc into the infectious isoform PrPSc. PrPSc accumulates mostly in endolysosomal vesicles of prion-infected cells, eventually causing neurodegeneration. In response to prion infection, elevated cholesterol levels and a reduction in membrane-attached small GTPase Rab7 have been observed in neuronal cells. Here, we investigated the molecular events causing an impaired Rab7 membrane attachment and the potential mechanistic link with elevated cholesterol levels in prion infection. We demonstrate that prion infection is associated with reduced levels of active Rab7 (Rab7.GTP) in persistently prion-infected neuronal cell lines, primary cerebellar granular neurons, and neurons in the brain of mice with terminal prion disease. In primary cerebellar granular neurons, levels of active Rab7 were increased during the very early stages of the prion infection prior to a significant decrease concomitant with PrPSc accumulation. The reduced activation of Rab7 in prion-infected neuronal cell lines is also associated with its reduced ubiquitination status, decreased interaction with its effector RILP, and altered lysosomal positioning. Consequently, the Rab7-mediated trafficking of low-density lipoprotein to lysosomes is delayed. This results in an impaired feedback regulation of cholesterol synthesis leading to an increase in cholesterol levels. Notably, transient overexpression of the constitutively active mutant of Rab7 rescues the delay in the low-density lipoprotein trafficking, hence reducing cholesterol levels and attenuating PrPSc propagation, demonstrating a mechanistic link between the loss of Rab7.GTP and elevated cholesterol levels.
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Celauro L, Zattoni M, Legname G. Prion receptors, prion internalization, intra- and inter-cellular transport. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 196:15-41. [PMID: 36813357 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2022.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Celauro
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco Zattoni
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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5
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Cholesterol and its reciprocal association with prion infection. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:235-246. [PMID: 35821439 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03669-y] [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: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are incurable, infectious and fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. The pathogenesis of prion disease involves the misfolding of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, to a disease-causing conformation, PrPSc, in the brain. The exact mechanism of conversion of PrPC to PrPSc is not clear; however, there are numerous studies supporting that this process of misfolding requires the association of PrPC with lipid raft domains of the plasma membrane. An increase in the cellular cholesterol content with prion infection has been observed in both in vivo and in vitro studies. As cholesterol is critical for the formation of lipid rafts, on the one hand, this increase may be related to, or aiding in, the process of prion conversion. On the other hand, increased cholesterol levels may affect neuronal viability. Here, we discuss current literature on the underlying mechanisms and potential consequences of elevated neuronal cholesterol in prion infection and advancements in prion disease therapeutics targeting brain cholesterol homeostasis.
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Sakaguchi S. Prion Pathogenesis Revealed in a Series of the Special Issues "Prions and Prion Diseases". Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6490. [PMID: 35742934 PMCID: PMC9224285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of devastating neurodegenerative disorders, which include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, and scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in animals [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Suehiro Sakaguchi
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, The Institute for Enzyme Research (KOSOKEN), Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Chassefeyre R, Chaiamarit T, Verhelle A, Novak SW, Andrade LR, Leitão ADG, Manor U, Encalada SE. Endosomal sorting drives the formation of axonal prion protein endoggresomes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg3693. [PMID: 34936461 PMCID: PMC8694590 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenic aggregation of misfolded prion protein (PrP) in axons underlies prion disease pathologies. The molecular mechanisms driving axonal misfolded PrP aggregate formation leading to neurotoxicity are unknown. We found that the small endolysosomal guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Arl8b recruits kinesin-1 and Vps41 (HOPS) onto endosomes carrying misfolded mutant PrP to promote their axonal entry and homotypic fusion toward aggregation inside enlarged endomembranes that we call endoggresomes. This axonal rapid endosomal sorting and transport-dependent aggregation (ARESTA) mechanism forms pathologic PrP endoggresomes that impair calcium dynamics and reduce neuronal viability. Inhibiting ARESTA diminishes endoggresome formation, rescues calcium influx, and prevents neuronal death. Our results identify ARESTA as a key pathway for the regulation of endoggresome formation and a new actionable antiaggregation target to ameliorate neuronal dysfunction in the prionopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Chassefeyre
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tai Chaiamarit
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Adriaan Verhelle
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sammy Weiser Novak
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Leonardo R. Andrade
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - André D. G. Leitão
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Uri Manor
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sandra E. Encalada
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Dorris Neuroscience Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Pathak BK, Dey S, Mozumder S, Sengupta J. The role of membranes in function and dysfunction of intrinsically disordered amyloidogenic proteins. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:397-434. [PMID: 35034725 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-protein interactions play a major role in human physiology as well as in diseases pathology. Interaction of a protein with the membrane was previously thought to be dependent on well-defined three-dimensional structure of the protein. In recent decades, however, it has become evident that a large fraction of the proteome, particularly in eukaryotes, stays disordered in solution and these proteins are termed as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Also, a vast majority of human proteomes have been reported to contain substantially long disordered regions, called intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), in addition to the structurally ordered regions. IDPs exist in an ensemble of conformations and the conformational flexibility enables IDPs to achieve functional diversity. IDPs (and IDRs) are found to be important players in cell signaling, where biological membranes act as anchors for signaling cascades. Therefore, IDPs modulate the membrane architectures, at the same time membrane composition also affects the binding of IDPs. Because of intrinsic disorders, misfolding of IDPs often leads to formation of oligomers, protofibrils and mature fibrils through progressive self-association. Accumulation of amyloid-like aggregates of some of the IDPs is a known causative agent for numerous diseases. In this chapter we highlight recent advances in understanding membrane interactions of some of the intrinsically disordered proteins involved in the pathogenesis of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bani Kumar Pathak
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Sandip Dey
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India
| | - Sukanya Mozumder
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Jayati Sengupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India.
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Feng Z, Inaba JI, Nagy PD. Tombusviruses Target a Major Crossroad in the Endocytic and Recycling Pathways via Co-opting Rab7 Small GTPase. J Virol 2021; 95:e0107621. [PMID: 34406861 PMCID: PMC8513485 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01076-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive-strand RNA viruses induce the biogenesis of unique membranous organelles called viral replication organelles (VROs), which perform virus replication in infected cells. Tombusviruses have been shown to rewire cellular trafficking and metabolic pathways, remodel host membranes, and recruit multiple host factors to support viral replication. In this work, we demonstrate that tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and the closely related carnation Italian ringspot virus (CIRV) usurp Rab7 small GTPase to facilitate building VROs in the surrogate host yeast and in plants. Depletion of Rab7 small GTPase, which is needed for late endosome and retromer biogenesis, strongly inhibits TBSV and CIRV replication in yeast and in planta. The viral p33 replication protein interacts with Rab7 small GTPase, which results in the relocalization of Rab7 into the large VROs. Similar to the depletion of Rab7, the deletion of either MON1 or CCZ1 heterodimeric GEFs (guanine nucleotide exchange factors) of Rab7 inhibited TBSV RNA replication in yeast. This suggests that the activated Rab7 has proviral functions. We show that the proviral function of Rab7 is to facilitate the recruitment of the retromer complex and the endosomal sorting nexin-BAR proteins into VROs. We demonstrate that TBSV p33-driven retargeting of Rab7 into VROs results in the delivery of several retromer cargos with proviral functions. These proteins include lipid enzymes, such as Vps34 PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), PI4Kα-like Stt4 phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, and Psd2 phosphatidylserine decarboxylase. In summary, based on these and previous findings, we propose that subversion of Rab7 into VROs allows tombusviruses to reroute endocytic and recycling trafficking to support virus replication. IMPORTANCE The replication of positive-strand RNA viruses depends on the biogenesis of viral replication organelles (VROs). However, the formation of membranous VROs is not well understood yet. Using tombusviruses and the model host yeast, we discovered that the endosomal Rab7 small GTPase is critical for the formation of VROs. Interaction between Rab7 and the TBSV p33 replication protein leads to the recruitment of Rab7 into VROs. TBSV-driven usurping of Rab7 has proviral functions through facilitating the delivery of the co-opted retromer complex, sorting nexin-BAR proteins, and lipid enzymes into VROs to create an optimal milieu for virus replication. These results open up the possibility that controlling cellular Rab7 activities in infected cells could be a target for new antiviral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhike Feng
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jun-ichi Inaba
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Peter D. Nagy
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Lakkaraju AKK, Frontzek K, Lemes E, Herrmann U, Losa M, Marpakwar R, Aguzzi A. Loss of PIKfyve drives the spongiform degeneration in prion diseases. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e14714. [PMID: 34291577 PMCID: PMC8518562 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain‐matter vacuolation is a defining trait of all prion diseases, yet its cause is unknown. Here, we report that prion infection and prion‐mimetic antibodies deplete the phosphoinositide kinase PIKfyve—which controls endolysosomal maturation—from mouse brains, cultured cells, organotypic brain slices, and brains of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease victims. We found that PIKfyve is acylated by the acyltransferases zDHHC9 and zDHHC21, whose juxtavesicular topology is disturbed by prion infection, resulting in PIKfyve deacylation and rapid degradation, as well as endolysosomal hypertrophy and activation of TFEB‐dependent lysosomal enzymes. A protracted unfolded protein response (UPR), typical of prion diseases, also induced PIKfyve deacylation and degradation. Conversely, UPR antagonists restored PIKfyve levels in prion‐infected cells. Overexpression of zDHHC9 and zDHHC21, administration of the antiprion polythiophene LIN5044, or supplementation with the PIKfyve reaction product PI(3,5)P2 suppressed prion‐induced vacuolation and restored lysosomal homeostasis. Thus, PIKfyve emerges as a central mediator of vacuolation and neurotoxicity in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karl Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emina Lemes
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Uli Herrmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Losa
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Oral administration of repurposed drug targeting Cyp46A1 increases survival times of prion infected mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:58. [PMID: 33795005 PMCID: PMC8017635 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01162-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal, infectious, and incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the infectious isoform (PrPSc). In humans, there are sporadic, genetic and infectious etiologies, with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) being the most common form. Currently, no treatment is available for prion diseases. Cellular cholesterol is known to impact prion conversion, which in turn results in an accumulation of cholesterol in prion-infected neurons. The major elimination of brain cholesterol is achieved by the brain specific enzyme, cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1). Cyp46A1 converts cholesterol into 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol, a membrane-permeable molecule that exits the brain. We have demonstrated for the first time that Cyp46A1 levels are reduced in the brains of prion-infected mice at advanced disease stage, in prion-infected neuronal cells and in post-mortem brains of sCJD patients. We have employed the Cyp46A1 activator efavirenz (EFV) for treatment of prion-infected neuronal cells and mice. EFV is an FDA approved anti-HIV medication effectively crossing the blood brain barrier and has been used for decades to chronically treat HIV patients. EFV significantly mitigated PrPSc propagation in prion-infected cells while preserving physiological PrPC and lipid raft integrity. Notably, oral administration of EFV treatment chronically at very low dosage starting weeks to months after intracerebral prion inoculation of mice significantly prolonged the lifespan of animals. In summary, our results suggest that Cyp46A1 as a novel therapeutic target and that its activation through repurposing the anti-retroviral medication EFV might be valuable treatment approach for prion diseases.
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Shoup D, Priola SA. The Size and Stability of Infectious Prion Aggregates Fluctuate Dynamically during Cellular Uptake and Disaggregation. Biochemistry 2021; 60:398-411. [PMID: 33497187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases arise when PrPSc, an aggregated, infectious, and insoluble conformer of the normally soluble mammalian prion protein, PrPC, catalyzes the conversion of PrPC into more PrPSc, which then accumulates in the brain leading to disease. PrPSc is the primary, if not sole, component of the infectious prion. Despite the stability and protease insensitivity of PrPSc aggregates, they can be degraded after cellular uptake. However, how cells disassemble and degrade PrPSc is poorly understood. In this work, we analyzed how the protease sensitivity and size distribution of PrPSc aggregates from two different mouse-adapted prion strains, 22L, that can persistently infect cells and 87V, that cannot, changed during cellular uptake. We show that within the first 4 h following uptake large PrPSc aggregates from both prion strains become less resistant to digestion by proteinase K (PK) through a mechanism that is dependent upon the acidic environment of endocytic vesicles. We further show that during disassembly, PrPSc aggregates from both strains become more resistant to PK digestion through the apparent removal of protease-sensitive PrPSc, with PrPSc from the 87V strain disassembled more readily than PrPSc from the 22L strain. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the sizes and stabilities of PrPSc from different prion strains change during cellular uptake and degradation, thereby potentially impacting the ability of prions to infect cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shoup
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, United States
| | - Suzette A Priola
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, United States
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Pedrioli G, Paganetti P. Hijacking Endocytosis and Autophagy in Extracellular Vesicle Communication: Where the Inside Meets the Outside. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:595515. [PMID: 33490063 PMCID: PMC7817780 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.595515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles, phospholipid bilayer-membrane vesicles of cellular origin, are emerging as nanocarriers of biological information between cells. Extracellular vesicles transport virtually all biologically active macromolecules (e.g., nucleotides, lipids, and proteins), thus eliciting phenotypic changes in recipient cells. However, we only partially understand the cellular mechanisms driving the encounter of a soluble ligand transported in the lumen of extracellular vesicles with its cytosolic receptor: a step required to evoke a biologically relevant response. In this context, we review herein current evidence supporting the role of two well-described cellular transport pathways: the endocytic pathway as the main entry route for extracellular vesicles and the autophagic pathway driving lysosomal degradation of cytosolic proteins. The interplay between these pathways may result in the target engagement between an extracellular vesicle cargo protein and its cytosolic target within the acidic compartments of the cell. This mechanism of cell-to-cell communication may well own possible implications in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giona Pedrioli
- Neurodegeneration Research Group, Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland
- Member of the International Ph.D. Program of the Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Neurodegeneration Research Group, Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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14
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A New Take on Prion Protein Dynamics in Cellular Trafficking. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207763. [PMID: 33092231 PMCID: PMC7589859 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mobility of cellular prion protein (PrPC) in specific cell membrane domains and among distinct cell compartments dictates its molecular interactions and directs its cell function. PrPC works in concert with several partners to organize signaling platforms implicated in various cellular processes. The scaffold property of PrPC is able to gather a molecular repertoire to create heterogeneous membrane domains that favor endocytic events. Dynamic trafficking of PrPC through multiple pathways, in a well-orchestrated mechanism of intra and extracellular vesicular transport, defines its functional plasticity, and also assists the conversion and spreading of its infectious isoform associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight how PrPC traffics across intra- and extracellular compartments and the consequences of this dynamic transport in governing cell functions and contributing to prion disease pathogenesis.
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Cellular Prion Protein (PrPc): Putative Interacting Partners and Consequences of the Interaction. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197058. [PMID: 32992764 PMCID: PMC7583789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPc) is a small glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored protein most abundantly found in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) in the central nervous system (CNS). PrPc misfolding causes neurodegenerative prion diseases in the CNS. PrPc interacts with a wide range of protein partners because of the intrinsically disordered nature of the protein’s N-terminus. Numerous studies have attempted to decipher the physiological role of the prion protein by searching for proteins which interact with PrPc. Biochemical characteristics and biological functions both appear to be affected by interacting protein partners. The key challenge in identifying a potential interacting partner is to demonstrate that binding to a specific ligand is necessary for cellular physiological function or malfunction. In this review, we have summarized the intracellular and extracellular interacting partners of PrPc and potential consequences of their binding. We also briefly describe prion disease-related mutations at the end of this review.
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The Role of Vesicle Trafficking Defects in the Pathogenesis of Prion and Prion-Like Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197016. [PMID: 32977678 PMCID: PMC7582986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197016] [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: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in which the cellular form of the prion protein ‘PrPc’, misfolds into an infectious and aggregation prone isoform termed PrPSc, which is the primary component of prions. Many neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and polyglutamine diseases, such as Huntington’s disease, are considered prion-like disorders because of the common characteristics in the propagation and spreading of misfolded proteins that they share with the prion diseases. Unlike prion diseases, these are non-infectious outside experimental settings. Many vesicular trafficking impairments, which are observed in prion and prion-like disorders, favor the accumulation of the pathogenic amyloid aggregates. In addition, many of the vesicular trafficking impairments that arise in these diseases, turn out to be further aggravating factors. This review offers an insight into the currently known vesicular trafficking defects in these neurodegenerative diseases and their implications on disease progression. These findings suggest that these impaired trafficking pathways may represent similar therapeutic targets in these classes of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Global analysis of protein degradation in prion infected cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10800. [PMID: 32612191 PMCID: PMC7329860 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67505-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rare, neurological disorders caused by the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into cytotoxic fibrils (PrPSc). Intracellular PrPSc aggregates primarily accumulate within late endosomes and lysosomes, organelles that participate in the degradation and turnover of a large subset of the proteome. Thus, intracellular accumulation of PrPSc aggregates has the potential to globally influence protein degradation kinetics within an infected cell. We analyzed the proteome-wide effect of prion infection on protein degradation rates in N2a neuroblastoma cells by dynamic stable isotopic labeling with amino acids in cell culture (dSILAC) and bottom-up proteomics. The analysis quantified the degradation rates of more than 4,700 proteins in prion infected and uninfected cells. As expected, the degradation rate of the prion protein is significantly decreased upon aggregation in infected cells. In contrast, the degradation kinetics of the remainder of the N2a proteome generally increases upon prion infection. This effect occurs concurrently with increases in the cellular activities of autophagy and some lysosomal hydrolases. The resulting enhancement in proteome flux may play a role in the survival of N2a cells upon prion infection.
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Kim HN, Seo BR, Kim H, Koh JY. Cilostazol restores autophagy flux in bafilomycin A1-treated, cultured cortical astrocytes through lysosomal reacidification: roles of PKA, zinc and metallothionein 3. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9175. [PMID: 32514052 PMCID: PMC7280249 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66292-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, reduces the amyloid-beta (Aβ) burden in mouse models of Alzheimer disease by as yet unidentified mechanisms. In the present study, we examined the possibility that cilostazol ameliorates lysosomal dysfunction. Astrocytes treated with bafilomycin A1 (BafA1) exhibited markedly reduced DND-189 and acridine orange (AO) fluorescence, indicating reduced lysosomal acidity. In both cases, BafA1-induced alkalization was reversed by addition of cilostazol, dibutyryl cAMP or forskolin. All three agents significantly increased free zinc levels in lysosomes, and addition of the zinc chelator TPEN abrogated lysosomal reacidification. These treatments did not raise free zinc levels or reverse BafA1-mediated lysosomal alkalization in metallothionein 3 (Mt3)-null astrocytes, indicating that the increases in zinc in astrocytes were derived mainly from Mt3. Lastly, in FITC-Aβ-treated astrocytes, cilostazol reversed lysosomal alkalization, increased cathepsin D activity, and reduced Aβ accumulation in astrocytes. Cilostazol also reduced mHtt aggregate formation in GFP-mHttQ74–expressing astrocytes. Collectively, our results present the novel finding that cAMP/PKA can overcome the v-ATPase blocking effect of BafA1 in a zinc- and Mt3-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Na Kim
- Neural Injury Lab, Biomedical Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bo-Ra Seo
- Neural Injury Lab, Biomedical Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyunjin Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Young Koh
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. .,Neural Injury Lab, Biomedical Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by rapidly progressive dementia. Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) is the most prevalent. We report that, specific gene-expression alterations utilizing a reliable in vivo mouse model (tg340-PRNP129MM) with sCJD MM1 subtype, correlate with human disease manifestations in the brain cortex related to disease progression. RNA-editing functions mediated by the APOBEC and ADAR deaminases possibly affecting protein expression necessary for normal brain function, are altered in disease stages. Our data provide powerful evidence, derived from a humanized sCJD mouse model and human autopsy material, discerning the critical role of gene expression and RNA-editing signatures, introducing disease-associated targets that can be extrapolated in other neurodegenerative disorders with common clinical and molecular features. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolding of the normal prion protein into an infectious cellular pathogen. Clinically characterized by rapidly progressive dementia and accounting for 85% of human prion disease cases, sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) is the prevalent human prion disease. Although sCJD neuropathological hallmarks are well-known, associated molecular alterations are elusive due to rapid progression and absence of preclinical stages. To investigate transcriptome alterations during disease progression, we utilized tg340-PRNP129MM mice infected with postmortem material from sCJD patients of the most susceptible genotype (MM1 subtype), a sCJD model that faithfully recapitulates the molecular and pathological alterations of the human disease. Here we report that transcriptomic analyses from brain cortex in the context of disease progression, reveal epitranscriptomic alterations (specifically altered RNA edited pathway profiles, eg., ER stress, lysosome) that are characteristic and possibly protective mainly for preclinical and clinical disease stages. Our results implicate regulatory epitranscriptomic mechanisms in prion disease neuropathogenesis, whereby RNA-editing targets in a humanized sCJD mouse model were confirmed in pathological human autopsy material.
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Lee D, Lee S, Shin Y, Song Y, Kang SW. Thiol-disulfide status regulates quality control of prion protein at the plasma membrane. FASEB J 2019; 33:11567-11578. [PMID: 31331210 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901052r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Rapid endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced export (RESET) is undoubtedly beneficial in that it eliminates misfolded prion protein (PrP) from a stressed ER. Considering that RESET induces rapid endocytosis of misfolded PrP for degradation, it is questionable whether RESET is beneficial when its product amount overwhelms the capacity of subsequent clearance pathways. We require a strategy to monitor the endocytic flux rate of misfolded PrPs. Here, we stabilized misfolded PrPs by inserting red fluorescent protein (RFP) and indirectly determined this rate by monitoring the lysosomal free RFP. We discovered a surveillance mechanism that limits endocytosis of misfolded PrPs through plasma membrane quality control (pmQC). pmQC was regulated by the thiol-disulfide status of misfolded PrPs and consequently accumulates nonpathogenic PrP variants at the plasma membrane. This variant alleviated prion proteotoxicity induced by persistent RESET. Thus, PrP endocytosis is regulated by pmQC to ensure the safety of endolysosomal pathway from persistent internalization of misfolded PrP.-Lee, D., Lee, S., Shin, Y., Song, Y., Kang, S.-W. Thiol-disulfide status regulates quality control of prion protein at the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duri Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sohee Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yejin Shin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngsup Song
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang-Wook Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
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Bartoletti-Stella A, Corrado P, Mometto N, Baiardi S, Durrenberger PF, Arzberger T, Reynolds R, Kretzschmar H, Capellari S, Parchi P. Analysis of RNA Expression Profiles Identifies Dysregulated Vesicle Trafficking Pathways in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:5009-5024. [PMID: 30446946 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Functional genomics applied to the study of RNA expression profiles identified several abnormal molecular processes in experimental prion disease. However, only a few similar studies have been carried out to date in a naturally occurring human prion disease. To better characterize the transcriptional cascades associated with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), the most common human prion disease, we investigated the global gene expression profile in samples from the frontal cortex of 10 patients with sCJD and 10 non-neurological controls by microarray analysis. The comparison identified 333 highly differentially expressed genes (hDEGs) in sCJD. Functional enrichment Gene Ontology analysis revealed that hDEGs were mainly associated with synaptic transmission, including GABA (q value = 0.049) and glutamate (q value = 0.005) signaling, and the immune/inflammatory response. Furthermore, the analysis of cellular components performed on hDEGs showed a compromised regulation of vesicle-mediated transport with mainly up-regulated genes related to the endosome (q value = 0.01), lysosome (q value = 0.04), and extracellular exosome (q value < 0.01). A targeted analysis of the retromer core component VPS35 (vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 35) showed a down-regulation of gene expression (p value= 0.006) and reduced brain protein levels (p value= 0.002). Taken together, these results confirm and expand previous microarray expression profile data in sCJD. Most significantly, they also demonstrate the involvement of the endosomal-lysosomal system. Since the latter is a common pathogenic pathway linking together diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, it might be the focus of future studies aimed to identify new therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bartoletti-Stella
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, 40139, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Corrado
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, DIBINEM, University of Bologna, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Mometto
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, DIBINEM, University of Bologna, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, DIBINEM, University of Bologna, 40123, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pascal F Durrenberger
- Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair, UCL Respiratory, University College London, Rayne Building, London, UK
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Hans Kretzschmar
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, 40139, Bologna, Italy. .,Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, DIBINEM, University of Bologna, 40123, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, 40139, Bologna, Italy. .,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, DIMES, University of Bologna, 40138, Bologna, Italy.
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Muskelin Coordinates PrP C Lysosome versus Exosome Targeting and Impacts Prion Disease Progression. Neuron 2018; 99:1155-1169.e9. [PMID: 30174115 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) modulates cell adhesion and signaling in the brain. Conversion to its infectious isoform causes neurodegeneration, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. PrPC undergoes rapid plasma membrane turnover and extracellular release via exosomes. However, the intracellular transport of PrPC and its potential impact on prion disease progression is barely understood. Here we identify critical components of PrPC trafficking that also link intracellular and extracellular PrPC turnover. PrPC associates with muskelin, dynein, and KIF5C at transport vesicles. Notably, muskelin coordinates bidirectional PrPC transport and facilitates lysosomal degradation over exosomal PrPC release. Muskelin gene knockout consequently causes PrPC accumulation at the neuronal surface and on secreted exosomes. Moreover, prion disease onset is accelerated following injection of pathogenic prions into muskelin knockout mice. Our data identify an essential checkpoint in PrPC turnover. They propose a novel connection between neuronal intracellular lysosome targeting and extracellular exosome trafficking, relevant to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative conditions.
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The Prion Protein Regulates Synaptic Transmission by Controlling the Expression of Proteins Key to Synaptic Vesicle Recycling and Exocytosis. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3420-3436. [PMID: 30128651 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC), whose misfolded conformers are implicated in prion diseases, localizes to both the presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density. To explore possible molecular contributions of PrPC to synaptic transmission, we utilized a mass spectrometry approach to quantify the release of glutamate from primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) expressing, or deprived of (PrP-KO), PrPC, following a depolarizing stimulus. Under the same conditions, we also tracked recycling of synaptic vesicles (SVs) in the two neuronal populations. We found that in PrP-KO CGN these processes decreased by 40 and 60%, respectively, compared to PrPC-expressing neurons. Unbiased quantitative mass spectrometry was then employed to compare the whole proteome of CGN with the two PrP genotypes. This approach allowed us to assess that, relative to the PrPC-expressing counterpart, the absence of PrPC modified the protein expression profile, including diminution of some components of SV recycling and fusion machinery. Subsequent quantitative RT-PCR closely reproduced proteomic data, indicating that PrPC is committed to ensuring optimal synaptic transmission by regulating genes involved in SV dynamics and neurotransmitter release. These novel molecular and cellular aspects of PrPC add insight into the underlying mechanisms for synaptic dysfunctions occurring in neurodegenerative disorders in which a compromised PrPC is likely to intervene.
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Interaction of Peptide Aptamers with Prion Protein Central Domain Promotes α-Cleavage of PrP C. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:7758-7774. [PMID: 29460268 PMCID: PMC6132731 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious and fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. Transmission is possible within and between species with zoonotic potential. Currently, no prophylaxis or treatment exists. Prions are composed of the misfolded isoform PrPSc of the cellular prion protein PrPC. Expression of PrPC is a prerequisite for prion infection, and conformational conversion of PrPC is induced upon its direct interaction with PrPSc. Inhibition of this interaction can abrogate prion propagation, and we have previously established peptide aptamers (PAs) binding to PrPC as new anti-prion compounds. Here, we mapped the interaction site of PA8 in PrP and modeled the complex in silico to design targeted mutations in PA8 which presumably enhance binding properties. Using these PA8 variants, we could improve PA-mediated inhibition of PrPSc replication and de novo infection of neuronal cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that binding of PA8 and its variants increases PrPC α-cleavage and interferes with its internalization. This gives rise to high levels of the membrane-anchored PrP-C1 fragment, a transdominant negative inhibitor of prion replication. PA8 and its variants interact with PrPC at its central and most highly conserved domain, a region which is crucial for prion conversion and facilitates toxic signaling of Aβ oligomers characteristic for Alzheimer's disease. Our strategy allows for the first time to induce α-cleavage, which occurs within this central domain, independent of targeting the responsible protease. Therefore, interaction of PAs with PrPC and enhancement of α-cleavage represent mechanisms that can be beneficial for the treatment of prion and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Abstract
Three decades after the discovery of prions as the cause of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, we are still nowhere close to finding an effective therapy. Numerous pharmacological interventions have attempted to target various stages of disease progression, yet none has significantly ameliorated the course of disease. We still lack a mechanistic understanding of how the prions damage the brain, and this situation results in a dearth of validated pharmacological targets. In this review, we discuss the attempts to interfere with the replication of prions and to enhance their clearance. We also trace some of the possibilities to identify novel targets that may arise with increasing insights into prion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Asvin K K Lakkaraju
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Karl Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
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Sarnataro D, Pepe A, Zurzolo C. Cell Biology of Prion Protein. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:57-82. [PMID: 28838675 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a mammalian glycoprotein which is usually found anchored to the plasma membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The precise function of PrPC remains elusive but may depend upon its cellular localization. PrPC misfolds to a pathogenic isoform PrPSc, the causative agent of neurodegenerative prion diseases. Nonetheless some forms of prion disease develop in the apparent absence of infectious PrPSc, suggesting that molecular species of PrP distinct from PrPSc may represent the primary neurotoxic culprits. Indeed, in some inherited cases of human prion disease, the predominant form of PrP detectable in the brain is not PrPSc but rather CtmPrP, a transmembrane form of the protein. The relationship between the neurodegeneration occurring in prion diseases involving PrPSc and that associated with CtmPrP remains unclear. However, the different membrane topology of the PrP mutants, as well as the presence of the GPI anchor, could influence both the function and the intracellular localization and trafficking of the protein, all being potentially very important in the pathophysiological mechanism that ultimately causes the disease. Here, we review the latest findings on the fundamental aspects of prions biology, from the PrPC biosynthesis, function, and structure up to its intracellular traffic and analyze the possible roles of the different topological isoforms of the protein, as well as the GPI anchor, in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Sarnataro
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Ceinge-Biotecnologie avanzate, s.c.a r.l., Naples, Italy.
| | - Anna Pepe
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Unité de Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenese, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Zurzolo
- University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy; Unité de Trafic Membranaire et Pathogenese, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Majumder P, Chakrabarti O. Lysosomal Quality Control in Prion Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:2631-2644. [PMID: 28421536 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0512-8] [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: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are transmissible, familial or sporadic. The prion protein (PrP), a normal cell surface glycoprotein, is ubiquitously expressed throughout the body. While loss of function of PrP does not elicit apparent phenotypes, generation of misfolded forms of the protein or its aberrant metabolic isoforms has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders such as scrapie, kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. These diseases are all phenotypically characterised by spongiform vacuolation of the adult brain, hence collectively termed as late-onset spongiform neurodegeneration. Misfolded form of PrP (PrPSc) and one of its abnormal metabolic isoforms (the transmembrane CtmPrP) are known to be disease-causing agents that lead to progressive loss of structure or function of neurons culminating in neuronal death. The aberrant forms of PrP utilise and manipulate the various intracellular quality control mechanisms during pathogenesis of these diseases. Amongst these, the lysosomal quality control machinery emerges as one of the primary targets exploited by the disease-causing isoforms of PrP. The autophagosomal-lysosomal degradation pathway is adversely affected in multiple ways in prion diseases and may hence be regarded as an important modulator of neurodegeneration. Some of the ESCRT pathway proteins have also been shown to be involved in the manifestation of disease phenotype. This review discusses the significance of the lysosomal quality control pathway in affecting transmissible and familial types of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Majumder
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Sector-1, Block-AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700064, India
| | - Oishee Chakrabarti
- Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Sector-1, Block-AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700064, India.
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Melanin or a Melanin-Like Substance Interacts with the N-Terminal Portion of Prion Protein and Inhibits Abnormal Prion Protein Formation in Prion-Infected Cells. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01862-16. [PMID: 28077650 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01862-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive fatal neurodegenerative illnesses caused by the accumulation of transmissible abnormal prion protein (PrP). To find treatments for prion diseases, we searched for substances from natural resources that inhibit abnormal PrP formation in prion-infected cells. We found that high-molecular-weight components from insect cuticle extracts reduced abnormal PrP levels. The chemical nature of these components was consistent with that of melanin. In fact, synthetic melanin produced from tyrosine or 3-hydroxy-l-tyrosine inhibited abnormal PrP formation. Melanin did not modify cellular or cell surface PrP levels, nor did it modify lipid raft or cellular cholesterol levels. Neither did it enhance autophagy or lysosomal function. Melanin was capable of interacting with PrP at two N-terminal domains. Specifically, it strongly interacted with the PrP region of amino acids 23 to 50 including a positively charged amino acid cluster and weakly interacted with the PrP octarepeat peptide region of residues 51 to 90. However, the in vitro and in vivo data were inconsistent with those of prion-infected cells. Abnormal PrP formation in protein misfolding cyclic amplification was not inhibited by melanin. Survival after prion infection was not significantly altered in albino mice or exogenously melanin-injected mice compared with that of control mice. These data suggest that melanin, a main determinant of skin color, is not likely to modify prion disease pathogenesis, even though racial differences in the incidence of human prion diseases have been reported. Thus, the findings identify an interaction between melanin and the N terminus of PrP, but the pathophysiological roles of the PrP-melanin interaction remain unclear.IMPORTANCE The N-terminal region of PrP is reportedly important for neuroprotection, neurotoxicity, and abnormal PrP formation, as this region is bound by many factors, such as metal ions, lipids, nucleic acids, antiprion compounds, and several proteins, including abnormal PrP in prion disease and the Aβ oligomer in Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, melanin, a main determinant of skin color, was newly found to interact with this N-terminal region and inhibits abnormal PrP formation in prion-infected cells. However, the data for prion infection in mice lacking melanin production suggest that melanin is not associated with the prion disease mechanism, although the incidence of prion disease is reportedly much higher in white people than in black people. Thus, the roles of the PrP-melanin interaction remain to be further elucidated, but melanin might be a useful competitive tool for evaluating the functions of other ligands at the N-terminal region.
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