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Zerr I, Ladogana A, Mead S, Hermann P, Forloni G, Appleby BS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion diseases. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:14. [PMID: 38424082 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases share common clinical and pathological characteristics such as spongiform neuronal degeneration and deposition of an abnormal form of a host-derived protein, termed prion protein. The characteristic features of prion diseases are long incubation times, short clinical courses, extreme resistance of the transmissible agent to degradation and lack of nucleic acid involvement. Sporadic and genetic forms of prion diseases occur worldwide, of which genetic forms are associated with mutations in PRNP. Human to human transmission of these diseases has occurred due to iatrogenic exposure, and zoonotic forms of prion diseases are linked to bovine disease. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis of these disorders. Clinical tools for diagnosis comprise brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Aggregation assays for detection of the abnormally folded prion protein have a clear potential to diagnose the disease in peripherally accessible biofluids. After decades of therapeutic nihilism, new treatment strategies and clinical trials are on the horizon. Although prion diseases are relatively rare disorders, understanding their pathogenesis and mechanisms of prion protein misfolding has significantly enhanced the field in research of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Brian S Appleby
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Albert-Gasco H, Smith HL, Alvarez-Castelao B, Swinden D, Halliday M, Janaki-Raman S, Butcher AJ, Mallucci GR. Trazodone rescues dysregulated synaptic and mitochondrial nascent proteomes in prion neurodegeneration. Brain 2024; 147:649-664. [PMID: 37703312 PMCID: PMC10834243 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is rapidly gaining momentum as a therapeutic target for protein misfolding neurodegenerative diseases, in which its overactivation results in sustained translational repression leading to synapse loss and neurodegeneration. In mouse models of these disorders, from Alzheimer's to prion disease, modulation of the pathway-including by the licensed drug, trazodone-restores global protein synthesis rates with profound neuroprotective effects. However, the precise nature of the translational impairment, in particular the specific proteins affected in disease, and their response to therapeutic UPR modulation are poorly understood. We used non-canonical amino acid tagging (NCAT) to measure de novo protein synthesis in the brains of prion-diseased mice with and without trazodone treatment, in both whole hippocampus and cell-specifically. During disease the predominant nascent proteome changes occur in synaptic, cytoskeletal and mitochondrial proteins in both hippocampal neurons and astrocytes. Remarkably, trazodone treatment for just 2 weeks largely restored the whole disease nascent proteome in the hippocampus to that of healthy, uninfected mice, predominantly with recovery of proteins involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function. In parallel, trazodone treatment restored the disease-associated decline in synapses and mitochondria and their function to wild-type levels. In conclusion, this study increases our understanding of how translational repression contributes to neurodegeneration through synaptic and mitochondrial toxicity via depletion of key proteins essential for their function. Further, it provides new insights into the neuroprotective mechanisms of trazodone through reversal of this toxicity, relevant for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases via translational modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Albert-Gasco
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Heather L Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Beatriz Alvarez-Castelao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- The San Carlos Hospital Health Research Institute, IdISSC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Dean Swinden
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Mark Halliday
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
| | | | - Adrian J Butcher
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
| | - Giovanna R Mallucci
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Science, Altos Labs, Great Abington CB21 6GP, UK
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Preußner M, Smith HL, Hughes D, Zhang M, Emmerichs AK, Scalzitti S, Peretti D, Swinden D, Neumann A, Haltenhof T, Mallucci GR, Heyd F. ASO targeting RBM3 temperature-controlled poison exon splicing prevents neurodegeneration in vivo. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17157. [PMID: 36946385 PMCID: PMC10165353 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly prevalent in the aging population, yet no disease-modifying treatments are currently available. Increasing the expression of the cold-shock protein RBM3 through therapeutic hypothermia is remarkably neuroprotective. However, systemic cooling poses a health risk, strongly limiting its clinical application. Selective upregulation of RBM3 at normothermia thus holds immense therapeutic potential. Here we identify a poison exon within the RBM3 gene that is solely responsible for its cold-induced expression. Genetic removal or antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated manipulation of this exon yields high RBM3 levels independent of cooling. Notably, a single administration of ASO to exclude the poison exon, using FDA-approved chemistry, results in long-lasting increased RBM3 expression in mouse brains. In prion-diseased mice, this treatment leads to remarkable neuroprotection, with prevention of neuronal loss and spongiosis despite high levels of disease-associated prion protein. Our promising results in mice support the possibility that RBM3-inducing ASOs might also deliver neuroprotection in humans in conditions ranging from acute brain injury to Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Preußner
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heather L Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel Hughes
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Min Zhang
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Emmerichs
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silvia Scalzitti
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diego Peretti
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dean Swinden
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander Neumann
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Omiqa Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Haltenhof
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Omiqa Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Giovanna R Mallucci
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Florian Heyd
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, RNA Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Dwomoh L, Rossi M, Scarpa M, Khajehali E, Molloy C, Herzyk P, Mistry SN, Bottrill AR, Sexton PM, Christopoulos A, Conn J, Lindsley CW, Bradley SJ, Tobin AB. M 1 muscarinic receptor activation reduces the molecular pathology and slows the progression of prion-mediated neurodegenerative disease. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabm3720. [PMID: 36378750 PMCID: PMC7616172 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abm3720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Many dementias are propagated through the spread of "prion-like" misfolded proteins. This includes prion diseases themselves (such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), for which no treatments are available to slow or stop progression. The M1 acetylcholine muscarinic receptor (M1 receptor) is abundant in the brain, and its activity promotes cognitive function in preclinical models and in patients with AD. Here, we investigated whether activation of the M1 receptor might slow the progression of neurodegeneration associated with prion-like misfolded protein in a mouse model of prion disease. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of the hippocampus revealed that this model had a molecular profile that was similar to that of human neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. Chronic enhancement of the activity of the M1 receptor with the positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0486846 reduced the abundance of prion-induced molecular markers of neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysregulation in the hippocampus and normalized the abundance of those associated with neurotransmission, including synaptic and postsynaptic signaling components. PAM treatment of prion-infected mice prolonged survival and maintained cognitive function. Thus, allosteric activation of M1 receptors may reduce the severity of neurodegenerative diseases caused by the prion-like propagation of misfolded protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Dwomoh
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Mario Rossi
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Miriam Scarpa
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Elham Khajehali
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Colin Molloy
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pawel Herzyk
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Shailesh N Mistry
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Andrew R Bottrill
- Research Technology Platforms, University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Patrick M Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Conn
- Warren Centre for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Warren Centre for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Sophie J Bradley
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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5
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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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6
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Grimaldi I, Leser FS, Janeiro JM, da Rosa BG, Campanelli AC, Romão L, Lima FRS. The multiple functions of PrP C in physiological, cancer, and neurodegenerative contexts. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:1405-1425. [PMID: 36056255 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-022-02245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a highly conserved glycoprotein, present both anchored in the cell membrane and soluble in the extracellular medium. It has a diversity of ligands and is variably expressed in numerous tissues and cell subtypes, most notably in the central nervous system (CNS). Its importance has been brought to light over the years both under physiological conditions, such as embryogenesis and immune system homeostasis, and in pathologies, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. During development, PrPC plays an important role in CNS, participating in axonal growth and guidance and differentiation of glial cells, but also in other organs such as the heart, lung, and digestive system. In diseases, PrPC has been related to several types of tumors, modulating cancer stem cells, enhancing malignant properties, and inducing drug resistance. Also, in non-neoplastic diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, PrPC seems to alter the dynamics of neurotoxic aggregate formation and, consequently, the progression of the disease. In this review, we explore in detail the multiple functions of this protein, which proved to be relevant for understanding the dynamics of organism homeostasis, as well as a promising target in the treatment of both neoplastic and degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabella Grimaldi
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Felipe Saceanu Leser
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José Marcos Janeiro
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Gomes da Rosa
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara Campanelli
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luciana Romão
- Cell Morphogenesis Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Flavia Regina Souza Lima
- Glial Cell Biology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Betancor M, Pérez-Lázaro S, Otero A, Marín B, Martín-Burriel I, Blennow K, Badiola JJ, Zetterberg H, Bolea R. Neurogranin and Neurofilament Light Chain as Preclinical Biomarkers in Scrapie. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7182. [PMID: 35806183 PMCID: PMC9266981 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are diagnosed in the symptomatic stage, when the neuronal damage is spread throughout the central nervous system (CNS). The assessment of biological features that allow the detection of asymptomatic cases is needed, and, in this context, scrapie, where pre-symptomatic infected animals can be detected through rectal biopsy, becomes a good study model. Neurogranin (Ng) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are proteins that reflect synaptic and axonal damage and have been studied as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in different neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we evaluated Ng and NfL both at the protein and transcript levels in the CNS of preclinical and clinical scrapie-affected sheep compared with healthy controls and assessed their levels in ovine CSF. The correlation between these proteins and the main neuropathological events in prion diseases, PrPSc deposition and spongiosis, was also assessed. The results show a decrease in Ng and NfL at the protein and gene expression levels as the disease progresses, and significant changes between the control and preclinical animals. On the contrary, the CSF levels of NfL increased throughout the progression of the disease. Negative correlations between neuropathological markers of prion disease and the concentration of the studied proteins were also found. Although further research is needed, these results suggest that Ng and NfL could act as biomarkers for neurodegeneration onset and intensity in preclinical cases of scrapie.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Betancor
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
| | - Sonia Pérez-Lázaro
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
| | - Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
| | - Belén Marín
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
| | - Inmaculada Martín-Burriel
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics (LAGENBIO), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Juan José Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College LondonInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza, IA2, IIS Aragon, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.B.); (S.P.-L.); (B.M.); (I.M.-B.); (J.J.B.); (R.B.)
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8
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Mead S, Khalili-Shirazi A, Potter C, Mok T, Nihat A, Hyare H, Canning S, Schmidt C, Campbell T, Darwent L, Muirhead N, Ebsworth N, Hextall P, Wakeling M, Linehan J, Libri V, Williams B, Jaunmuktane Z, Brandner S, Rudge P, Collinge J. Prion protein monoclonal antibody (PRN100) therapy for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: evaluation of a first-in-human treatment programme. Lancet Neurol 2022; 21:342-354. [PMID: 35305340 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(22)00082-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human prion diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), are rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurodegenerative conditions with no effective therapies. Their pathogenesis involves the obligate recruitment of cellular prion protein (PrPC) into self-propagating multimeric assemblies or prions. Preclinical studies have firmly validated the targeting of PrPC as a therapeutic strategy. We aimed to evaluate a first-in-human treatment programme using an anti-PrPC monoclonal antibody under a Specials Licence. METHODS We generated a fully humanised anti-PrPC monoclonal antibody (an IgG4κ isotype; PRN100) for human use. We offered treatment with PRN100 to six patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable CJD who were not in the terminal disease stages at the point of first assessment and who were able to readily travel to the University College London Hospital (UCLH) Clinical Research Facility, London, UK, for treatment. After titration (1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg at 48-h intervals), patients were treated with 80-120 mg/kg of intravenous PRN100 every 2 weeks until death or withdrawal from the programme, or until the supply of PRN100 was exhausted, and closely monitored for evidence of adverse effects. Disease progression was assessed by use of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Prion Disease Rating Scale, Motor Scale, and Cognitive Scale, and compared with that of untreated natural history controls (matched for disease severity, subtype, and PRNP codon 129 genotype) recruited between Oct 1, 2008, and July 31, 2018, from the National Prion Monitoring Cohort study. Autopsies were done in two patients and findings were compared with those from untreated natural history controls. FINDINGS We treated six patients (two men; four women) with CJD for 7-260 days at UCLH between Oct 9, 2018, and July 31, 2019. Repeated intravenous dosing of PRN100 was well tolerated and reached the target CSF drug concentration (50 nM) in four patients after 22-70 days; no clinically significant adverse reactions were seen. All patients showed progressive neurological decline on serial assessments with the MRC Scales. Neuropathological examination was done in two patients (patients 2 and 3) and showed no evidence of cytotoxicity. Patient 2, who was treated for 140 days, had the longest clinical duration we have yet documented for iatrogenic CJD and showed patterns of disease-associated PrP that differed from untreated patients with CJD, consistent with drug effects. Patient 3, who had sporadic CJD and only received one therapeutic dose of 80 mg/kg, had weak PrP synaptic labelling in the periventricular regions, which was not a feature of untreated patients with sporadic CJD. Brain tissue-bound drug concentrations across multiple regions in patient 2 ranged from 9·9 μg per g of tissue (SD 0·3) in the thalamus to 27·4 μg per g of tissue (1·5) in the basal ganglia (equivalent to 66-182 nM). INTERPRETATION Our academic-led programme delivered what is, to our knowledge, the first rationally designed experimental treatment for human prion disease to a small number of patients with CJD. The treatment appeared to be safe and reached encouraging CSF and brain tissue concentrations. These findings justify the need for formal efficacy trials in patients with CJD at the earliest possible clinical stages and as prophylaxis in those at risk of prion disease due to PRNP mutations or prion exposure. FUNDING The Cure CJD Campaign, the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, the Jon Moulton Charitable Trust, and the UK MRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Azadeh Khalili-Shirazi
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Caroline Potter
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tzehow Mok
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Akin Nihat
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Harpreet Hyare
- Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Stephanie Canning
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christian Schmidt
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tracy Campbell
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lee Darwent
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicola Muirhead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolette Ebsworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick Hextall
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Madeleine Wakeling
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline Linehan
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vincenzo Libri
- NIHR, Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK; Clinical Research Facility, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Bryan Williams
- NIHR, Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Division of Neuropathology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Division of Neuropathology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Peter Rudge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK.
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9
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Gene expression and epigenetic markers of prion diseases. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:285-294. [PMID: 35307791 PMCID: PMC10113299 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03603-2] [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: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics, meaning the variety of mechanisms underpinning gene regulation and chromatin states, plays a key role in normal development as well as in disease initiation and progression. Epigenetic mechanisms like alteration of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, have been proposed as biomarkers for diagnosis, classification, or monitoring of responsiveness to treatment in many diseases. In prion diseases, the profound associations with human aging, the effects of cell type and differentiation on in vitro susceptibility, and recently identified human risk factors, all implicate causal epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we review the current state of the art of epigenetics in prion diseases and its interaction with genetic determinants. In particular, we will review recent advances made by several groups in the field profiling DNA methylation and microRNA expression in mammalian prion diseases and the potential for these discoveries to be exploited as biomarkers.
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10
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Hassan MN, Nabi F, Khan AN, Hussain M, Siddiqui WA, Uversky VN, Khan RH. The amyloid state of proteins: A boon or bane? Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 200:593-617. [PMID: 35074333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.115] [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: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Proteins and their aggregation is significant field of research due to their association with various conformational maladies including well-known neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's (HD) diseases. Amyloids despite being given negative role for decades are also believed to play a functional role in bacteria to humans. In this review, we discuss both facets of amyloid. We have shed light on AD, which is one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease caused by accumulation of Aβ fibrils as extracellular senile plagues. We also discuss PD caused by the aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein in form of Lewy bodies and neurites. Other amyloid-associated diseases such as HD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are also discussed. We have also reviewed functional amyloids that have various biological roles in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes that includes formation of biofilm and cell attachment in bacteria to hormone storage in humans, We discuss in detail the role of Curli fibrils' in biofilm formation, chaplins in cell attachment to peptide hormones, and Pre-Melansomal Protein (PMEL) roles. The disease-related and functional amyloids are compared with regard to their structural integrity, variation in regulation, and speed of forming aggregates and elucidate how amyloids have turned from foe to friend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nadir Hassan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Faisal Nabi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Asra Nasir Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Murtaza Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Waseem A Siddiqui
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Protein Research Group, Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 10 Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy 11 of Sciences", Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College 13 of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India.
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11
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Kovač V, Čurin Šerbec V. Prion Protein: The Molecule of Many Forms and Faces. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031232. [PMID: 35163156 PMCID: PMC8835406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein most abundantly found in the outer membrane of neurons. Due to structural characteristics (a flexible tail and structured core), PrPC interacts with a wide range of partners. Although PrPC has been proposed to be involved in many physiological functions, only peripheral nerve myelination homeostasis has been confirmed as a bona fide function thus far. PrPC misfolding causes prion diseases and PrPC has been shown to mediate β-rich oligomer-induced neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as neuroprotection in ischemia. Upon proteolytic cleavage, PrPC is transformed into released and attached forms of PrP that can, depending on the contained structural characteristics of PrPC, display protective or toxic properties. In this review, we will outline prion protein and prion protein fragment properties as well as overview their involvement with interacting partners and signal pathways in myelination, neuroprotection and neurodegenerative diseases.
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12
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Panes JD, Saavedra P, Pineda B, Escobar K, Cuevas ME, Moraga-Cid G, Fuentealba J, Rivas CI, Rezaei H, Muñoz-Montesino C. PrP C as a Transducer of Physiological and Pathological Signals. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:762918. [PMID: 34880726 PMCID: PMC8648500 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.762918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
After the discovery of prion phenomenon, the physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) remained elusive. In the past decades, molecular and cellular analysis has shed some light regarding interactions and functions of PrP C in health and disease. PrP C , which is located mainly at the plasma membrane of neuronal cells attached by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, can act as a receptor or transducer from external signaling. Although the precise role of PrP C remains elusive, a variety of functions have been proposed for this protein, namely, neuronal excitability and viability. Although many issues must be solved to clearly define the role of PrP C , its connection to the central nervous system (CNS) and to several misfolding-associated diseases makes PrP C an interesting pharmacological target. In a physiological context, several reports have proposed that PrP C modulates synaptic transmission, interacting with various proteins, namely, ion pumps, channels, and metabotropic receptors. PrP C has also been implicated in the pathophysiological cell signaling induced by β-amyloid peptide that leads to synaptic dysfunction in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as a mediator of Aβ-induced cell toxicity. Additionally, it has been implicated in other proteinopathies as well. In this review, we aimed to analyze the role of PrP C as a transducer of physiological and pathological signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Panes
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Paulina Saavedra
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Benjamin Pineda
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Kathleen Escobar
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Magdalena E Cuevas
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Gustavo Moraga-Cid
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Jorge Fuentealba
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Coralia I Rivas
- Departamento de Fisiopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Human Rezaei
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires (VIM), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Versailles, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Carola Muñoz-Montesino
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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13
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Puchkova LV, Kiseleva IV, Polishchuk EV, Broggini M, Ilyechova EY. The Crossroads between Host Copper Metabolism and Influenza Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115498. [PMID: 34071094 PMCID: PMC8197124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Three main approaches are used to combat severe viral respiratory infections. The first is preemptive vaccination that blocks infection. Weakened or dead viral particles, as well as genetic constructs carrying viral proteins or information about them, are used as an antigen. However, the viral genome is very evolutionary labile and changes continuously. Second, chemical agents are used during infection and inhibit the function of a number of viral proteins. However, these drugs lose their effectiveness because the virus can rapidly acquire resistance to them. The third is the search for points in the host metabolism the effect on which would suppress the replication of the virus but would not have a significant effect on the metabolism of the host. Here, we consider the possibility of using the copper metabolic system as a target to reduce the severity of influenza infection. This is facilitated by the fact that, in mammals, copper status can be rapidly reduced by silver nanoparticles and restored after their cancellation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila V. Puchkova
- International Research Laboratory of Trace Elements Metabolism, ADTS Institute, RC AFMLCS, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Irina V. Kiseleva
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | | | - Massimo Broggini
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy;
| | - Ekaterina Yu. Ilyechova
- International Research Laboratory of Trace Elements Metabolism, ADTS Institute, RC AFMLCS, ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russia;
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-921-760-5274
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14
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Peretti D, Smith HL, Verity N, Humoud I, de Weerd L, Swinden DP, Hayes J, Mallucci GR. TrkB signaling regulates the cold-shock protein RBM3-mediated neuroprotection. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:4/4/e202000884. [PMID: 33563652 PMCID: PMC7893816 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing levels of the cold-shock protein, RNA-binding motif 3 (RBM3), either through cooling or by ectopic over-expression, prevents synapse and neuronal loss in mouse models of neurodegeneration. To exploit this process therapeutically requires an understanding of mechanisms controlling cold-induced RBM3 expression. Here, we show that cooling increases RBM3 through activation of TrkB via PLCγ1 and pCREB signaling. RBM3, in turn, has a hitherto unrecognized negative feedback on TrkB-induced ERK activation through induction of its specific phosphatase, DUSP6. Thus, RBM3 mediates structural plasticity through a distinct, non-canonical activation of TrkB signaling, which is abolished in RBM3-null neurons. Both genetic reduction and pharmacological antagonism of TrkB and its downstream mediators abrogate cooling-induced RBM3 induction and prevent structural plasticity, whereas TrkB inhibition similarly prevents RBM3 induction and the neuroprotective effects of cooling in prion-diseased mice. Conversely, TrkB agonism induces RBM3 without cooling, preventing synapse loss and neurodegeneration. TrkB signaling is, therefore, necessary for the induction of RBM3 and related neuroprotective effects and provides a target by which RBM3-mediated synapse-regenerative therapies in neurodegenerative disorders can be used therapeutically without the need for inducing hypothermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Peretti
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Heather L Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicholas Verity
- MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Cambridge, Leicester, UK
| | - Ibrahim Humoud
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lis de Weerd
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dean P Swinden
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joseph Hayes
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Giovanna R Mallucci
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Kushwaha R, Sinha A, Makarava N, Molesworth K, Baskakov IV. Non-cell autonomous astrocyte-mediated neuronal toxicity in prion diseases. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:22. [PMID: 33546775 PMCID: PMC7866439 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01123-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions, astrocytes perform a number of important physiological functions centered around neuronal support and synapse maintenance. In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire reactive phenotypes, which are sustained throughout the disease progression. It is not known whether in the reactive states associated with prion diseases, astrocytes lose their ability to perform physiological functions and whether the reactive states are neurotoxic or, on the contrary, neuroprotective. The current work addresses these questions by testing the effects of reactive astrocytes isolated from prion-infected C57BL/6J mice on primary neuronal cultures. We found that astrocytes isolated at the clinical stage of the disease exhibited reactive, pro-inflammatory phenotype, which also showed downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In astrocyte-neuron co-cultures, astrocytes from prion-infected animals impaired neuronal growth, dendritic spine development and synapse maturation. Toward examining the role of factors secreted by reactive astrocytes, astrocyte-conditioned media was found to have detrimental effects on neuronal viability and synaptogenic functions via impairing synapse integrity, and by reducing spine size and density. Reactive microglia isolated from prion-infected animals were found to induce phenotypic changes in primary astrocytes reminiscent to those observed in prion-infected mice. In particular, astrocytes cultured with reactive microglia-conditioned media displayed hypertrophic morphology and a downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In summary, the current study provided experimental support toward the non-cell autonomous mechanisms behind neurotoxicity in prion diseases and demonstrated that the astrocyte reactive phenotype associated with prion diseases is synaptotoxic.
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16
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Microglia in Prion Diseases: Angels or Demons? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207765. [PMID: 33092220 PMCID: PMC7589037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rare transmissible neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of a misfolded isoform (PrPSc) of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in the central nervous system (CNS). Neuropathological hallmarks of prion diseases are neuronal loss, astrogliosis, and enhanced microglial proliferation and activation. As immune cells of the CNS, microglia participate both in the maintenance of the normal brain physiology and in driving the neuroinflammatory response to acute or chronic (e.g., neurodegenerative disorders) insults. Microglia involvement in prion diseases, however, is far from being clearly understood. During this review, we summarize and discuss controversial findings, both in patient and animal models, suggesting a neuroprotective role of microglia in prion disease pathogenesis and progression, or—conversely—a microglia-mediated exacerbation of neurotoxicity in later stages of disease. We also will consider the active participation of PrPC in microglial functions, by discussing previous reports, but also by presenting unpublished results that support a role for PrPC in cytokine secretion by activated primary microglia.
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17
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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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18
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Hughes DT, Halliday M, Smith HL, Verity NC, Molloy C, Radford H, Butcher AJ, Mallucci GR. Targeting the kinase insert loop of PERK selectively modulates PERK signaling without systemic toxicity in mice. Sci Signal 2020; 13:13/644/eabb4749. [PMID: 32788341 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abb4749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chronic activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), notably the branch comprising the kinase PERK and the translation initiation factor eIF2α, is a pathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding. Partial reduction of UPR signaling at the level of phosphorylated eIF2α is neuroprotective and avoids the pancreatic toxicity caused by full inhibition of PERK kinase activity. However, other stress pathways besides the UPR converge on phosphorylated eIF2α in the integrated stress response (ISR), which is critical to normal cellular function. We explored whether partial inhibition of PERK signaling may be a better therapeutic option. PERK-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2α requires its binding to the insert loop within PERK's kinase domain, which is, itself, phosphorylated at multiple sites. We found that, as expected, Akt mediates the phosphorylation of Thr799 in PERK. This phosphorylation event reduced eIF2α binding to PERK and selectively attenuated downstream signaling independently of PERK activity and the broader ISR. Induction of Thr799 phosphorylation with a small-molecule activator of Akt similarly reduced PERK signaling and increased both neuronal and animal survival without measurable pancreatic toxicity in a mouse model of prion disease. Thus, promoting PERK phosphorylation at Thr799 to partially down-regulate PERK-eIF2α signaling while avoiding widespread ISR inhibition may be a safe therapeutic approach in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Hughes
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Mark Halliday
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Heather L Smith
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Nicholas C Verity
- MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Leicester LE1 7HB, UK
| | - Colin Molloy
- MRC Toxicology Unit at the University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Leicester LE1 7HB, UK
| | - Helois Radford
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Adrian J Butcher
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Giovanna R Mallucci
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK.
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19
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Schilling KM, Tao L, Wu B, Kiblen JTM, Ubilla-Rodriguez NC, Pushie MJ, Britt RD, Roseman GP, Harris DA, Millhauser GL. Both N-Terminal and C-Terminal Histidine Residues of the Prion Protein Are Essential for Copper Coordination and Neuroprotective Self-Regulation. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4408-4425. [PMID: 32473880 PMCID: PMC7387163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) comprises two domains: a globular C-terminal domain and an unstructured N-terminal domain. Recently, copper has been observed to drive tertiary contact in PrPC, inducing a neuroprotective cis interaction that structurally links the protein's two domains. The location of this interaction on the C terminus overlaps with the sites of human pathogenic mutations and toxic antibody docking. Combined with recent evidence that the N terminus is a toxic effector regulated by the C terminus, there is an emerging consensus that this cis interaction serves a protective role, and that the disruption of this interaction by misfolded PrP oligomers may be a cause of toxicity in prion disease. We demonstrate here that two highly conserved histidines in the C-terminal domain of PrPC are essential for the protein's cis interaction, which helps to protect against neurotoxicity carried out by its N terminus. We show that simultaneous mutation of these histidines drastically weakens the cis interaction and enhances spontaneous cationic currents in cultured cells, the first C-terminal mutant to do so. Whereas previous studies suggested that Cu2+ coordination was localized solely to the protein's N-terminal domain, we find that both domains contribute equatorially coordinated histidine residue side-chains, resulting in a novel bridging interaction. We also find that extra N-terminal histidines in pathological familial mutations involving octarepeat expansions inhibit this interaction by sequestering copper from the C terminus. Our findings further establish a structural basis for PrPC's C-terminal regulation of its otherwise toxic N terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Schilling
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Lizhi Tao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bei Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord St Silvio Conte., Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Joseph T M Kiblen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Natalia C Ubilla-Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - M Jake Pushie
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Rd B419, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - R David Britt
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Graham P Roseman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord St Silvio Conte., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - Glenn L Millhauser
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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20
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Colini Baldeschi A, Vanni S, Zattoni M, Legname G. Novel regulators of PrP C expression as potential therapeutic targets in prion diseases. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:759-776. [PMID: 32631090 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1782384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prion diseases are rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorders. The key molecular event in these disorders is the misfolding of the physiological form of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, leading to the accumulation of a pathological isoform, PrPSc, with unique features. Both isoforms share the same primary sequence, lacking detectable differences in posttranslational modification, a major hurdle for their biochemical or biophysical independent characterization. The mechanism underlying the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc is not completely understood, so finding an effective therapy to cure prion disorders is extremely challenging. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the strategies for decreasing prion replication and throws a spotlight on the relevance of PrPC in the prion accumulation process. EXPERT OPINION PrPC is the key substrate for prion pathology; hence, the most promising therapeutic approach appears to be the targeting of PrPC to block the production of the infectious isoform. The use of RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotide technologies may offer opportunities for treatment because of their success in clinical trials for other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Colini Baldeschi
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Vanni
- Osteoncology and Rare Tumors Center, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per Lo Studio E La Cura Dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS , Meldola, 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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21
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Puig B, Yang D, Brenna S, Altmeppen HC, Magnus T. Show Me Your Friends and I Tell You Who You Are: The Many Facets of Prion Protein in Stroke. Cells 2020; 9:E1609. [PMID: 32630841 PMCID: PMC7407975 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke belongs to the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Although treatments for the acute phase of stroke are available, not all patients are eligible. There is a need to search for therapeutic options to promote neurological recovery after stroke. The cellular prion protein (PrPC) has been consistently linked to a neuroprotective role after ischemic damage: it is upregulated in the penumbra area following stroke in humans, and animal models of stroke have shown that lack of PrPC aggravates the ischemic damage and lessens the functional outcome. Mechanistically, these effects can be linked to numerous functions attributed to PrPC: (1) as a signaling partner of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways, (2) as a regulator of glutamate receptors, and (3) promoting stem cell homing mechanisms, leading to angio- and neurogenesis. PrPC can be cleaved at different sites and the proteolytic fragments can account for the manifold functions. Moreover, PrPC is present on extracellular vesicles (EVs), released membrane particles originating from all types of cells that have drawn attention as potential therapeutic tools in stroke and many other diseases. Thus, identification of the many mechanisms underlying PrPC-induced neuroprotection will not only provide further understanding of the physiological functions of PrPC but also new ideas for possible treatment options after ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta Puig
- Neurology Department, Experimental Research in Stroke and Inflammation (ERSI), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (D.Y.); (S.B.); (T.M.)
| | - Denise Yang
- Neurology Department, Experimental Research in Stroke and Inflammation (ERSI), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (D.Y.); (S.B.); (T.M.)
| | - Santra Brenna
- Neurology Department, Experimental Research in Stroke and Inflammation (ERSI), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (D.Y.); (S.B.); (T.M.)
| | | | - Tim Magnus
- Neurology Department, Experimental Research in Stroke and Inflammation (ERSI), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; (D.Y.); (S.B.); (T.M.)
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22
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Murugesan C, Manivannan P, Gangatharan M. Pros and cons in prion diseases abatement: Insights from nanomedicine and transmissibility patterns. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 145:21-27. [PMID: 31866542 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Ample research progress with nanotechnology applications in health and medicine implies precision and accuracy in the scenario of neurodegenerative disorders, for which impending research in ultimate and complete cure has been the vision worldwide. The complexity of prion disease has been unravelled by scientists and demarcated for efficient abatement protocols, but which are still under research and clinical trials. Drug delivery strategies combating prion diseases across the blood brain barrier, the efficacy of drugs and biocompatibility remain a serious question to be thoroughly studied for effective diagnosis and treatment. The present review compiles comprehensively the current treatment modalities against prion diseases and future prospects of nanotechnology addressing diagnosis and treatment of prion diseases with a special emphasis on transmissibility. Further, approaches for anti-prion technology, immunotherapy, and hindrances in vaccine development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrasekaran Murugesan
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
| | - Paramasivan Manivannan
- Department of Microbiology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 24, Tamilnadu, India
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23
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Astrocyte Unfolded Protein Response Induces a Specific Reactivity State that Causes Non-Cell-Autonomous Neuronal Degeneration. Neuron 2020; 105:855-866.e5. [PMID: 31924446 PMCID: PMC7054837 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent interest in astrocyte activation states has raised the fundamental question of how these cells, normally essential for synapse and neuronal maintenance, become pathogenic. Here, we show that activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), specifically phosphorylated protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK-P) signaling-a pathway that is widely dysregulated in neurodegenerative diseases-generates a distinct reactivity state in astrocytes that alters the astrocytic secretome, leading to loss of synaptogenic function in vitro. Further, we establish that the same PERK-P-dependent astrocyte reactivity state is harmful to neurons in vivo in mice with prion neurodegeneration. Critically, targeting this signaling exclusively in astrocytes during prion disease is alone sufficient to prevent neuronal loss and significantly prolongs survival. Thus, the astrocyte reactivity state resulting from UPR over-activation is a distinct pathogenic mechanism that can by itself be effectively targeted for neuroprotection.
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24
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Abstract
Mammalian prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative conditions caused by infection of the central nervous system with proteinaceous agents called prions, including sporadic, variant, and iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; kuru; inherited prion disease; sheep scrapie; bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and chronic wasting disease. Prions are composed of misfolded and multimeric forms of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases require host expression of the prion protein gene (PRNP) and a range of other cellular functions to support their propagation and toxicity. Inherited forms of prion disease are caused by mutation of PRNP, whereas acquired and sporadically occurring mammalian prion diseases are controlled by powerful genetic risk and modifying factors. Whereas some PrP amino acid variants cause the disease, others confer protection, dramatically altered incubation times, or changes in the clinical phenotype. Multiple mechanisms, including interference with homotypic protein interactions and the selection of the permissible prion strains in a host, play a role. Several non-PRNP factors have now been uncovered that provide insights into pathways of disease susceptibility or neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Mead
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London W1W 7FF, United Kingdom;
| | - Sarah Lloyd
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London W1W 7FF, United Kingdom;
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London W1W 7FF, United Kingdom;
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25
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De Mario A, Peggion C, Massimino ML, Norante RP, Zulian A, Bertoli A, Sorgato MC. The Link of the Prion Protein with Ca 2+ Metabolism and ROS Production, and the Possible Implication in Aβ Toxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184640. [PMID: 31546771 PMCID: PMC6770541 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is an ubiquitous cell surface protein mostly expressed in neurons, where it localizes to both pre- and post-synaptic membranes. PrPC aberrant conformers are the major components of mammalian prions, the infectious agents responsible for incurable neurodegenerative disorders. PrPC was also proposed to bind aggregated misfolded proteins/peptides, and to mediate their neurotoxic signal. In spite of long-lasting research, a general consensus on the precise pathophysiologic mechanisms of PrPC has not yet been reached. Here we review our recent data, obtained by comparing primary neurons from PrP-expressing and PrP-knockout mice, indicating a central role of PrPC in synaptic transmission and Ca2+ homeostasis. Indeed, by controlling gene expression and signaling cascades, PrPC is able to optimize glutamate secretion and regulate Ca2+ entry via store-operated channels and ionotropic glutamate receptors, thereby protecting neurons from threatening Ca2+ overloads and excitotoxicity. We will also illustrate and discuss past and unpublished results demonstrating that Aβ oligomers perturb Ca2+ homeostasis and cause abnormal mitochondrial accumulation of reactive oxygen species by possibly affecting the PrP-dependent downregulation of Fyn kinase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Lina Massimino
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Rosa Pia Norante
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Zulian
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Catia Sorgato
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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26
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A Role for Cellular Prion Protein in Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence from Preclinical Studies. J Neurosci 2019; 38:2146-2148. [PMID: 29491138 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3307-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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27
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Prions Strongly Reduce NMDA Receptor S-Nitrosylation Levels at Pre-symptomatic and Terminal Stages of Prion Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6035-6045. [PMID: 30710214 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1505-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the cellular prion protein (PrPC) conversion into a misfolded and infectious isoform termed prion or PrPSc. The neuropathological mechanism underlying prion toxicity is still unclear, and the debate on prion protein gain- or loss-of-function is still open. PrPC participates to a plethora of physiological mechanisms. For instance, PrPC and copper cooperatively modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity by mediating S-nitrosylation, an inhibitory post-translational modification, hence protecting neurons from excitotoxicity. Here, NMDAR S-nitrosylation levels were biochemically investigated at pre- and post-symptomatic stages of mice intracerebrally inoculated with RML, 139A, and ME7 prion strains. Neuropathological aspects of prion disease were studied by histological analysis and proteinase K digestion. We report that hippocampal NMDAR S-nitrosylation is greatly reduced in all three prion strain infections in both pre-symptomatic and terminal stages of mouse disease. Indeed, we show that NMDAR S-nitrosylation dysregulation affecting prion-inoculated animals precedes the appearance of clinical signs of disease and visible neuropathological changes, such as PrPSc accumulation and deposition. The pre-symptomatic reduction of NMDAR S-nitrosylation in prion-infected mice may be a possible cause of neuronal death in prion pathology, and it might contribute to the pathology progression opening new therapeutic strategies against prion disorders.
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Abstract
Prion diseases are rapidly progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded, aggregated proteins known as prions, which are uniquely infectious. Remarkably, these infectious proteins have been responsible for widespread disease epidemics, including kuru in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in cervids, the latter of which has spread across North America and recently appeared in Norway and Finland. The hallmark histopathological features include widespread spongiform encephalopathy, neuronal loss, gliosis, and deposits of variably sized aggregated prion protein, ranging from small, soluble oligomers to long, thin, unbranched fibrils, depending on the disease. Here, we explore recent advances in prion disease research, from the function of the cellular prion protein to the dysfunction triggering neurotoxicity, as well as mechanisms underlying prion spread between cells. We also highlight key findings that have revealed new therapeutic targets and consider unanswered questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Sigurdson
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
| | - Jason C Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, USA
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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29
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Lamoureux L, Simon SLR, Waitt B, Knox JD. Proteomic Screen of Brain Glycoproteome Reveals Prion Specific Marker of Pathogenesis. Proteomics 2019; 18. [PMID: 29087046 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative disorders caused by the presence of an infectious prion protein. The primary site of pathology is the brain characterized by neuroinflammation, astrogliosis, prion fibrils, and vacuolation. The events preceding the observed pathology remain in question. We sought to identify biomarkers in the brain of TSE-infected and aged-matched control mice using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Since the brain proteome is too complex to resolve all proteins using 2D-DIGE, protein samples are initially filtered through either concanavalin A (ConA) or wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) columns. Four differentially abundant proteins are identified through screening of the two different glycoproteomes: Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1), calponin-3 (CNN3), peroxiredoxin-6 (Prdx6), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Confirmatory Western blots are performed with samples from TSE-infected and comparative Alzheimer's disease (AD) affected brains and their respective controls from time points throughout the disease courses. The abundance of three of the four proteins increases significantly during later stages of prion disease whereas NEGR1 decreases in abundance. Comparatively, no significant changes are observed in later stages of AD. Our lab is the first to associate the glycosylated NEGR1 protein with prion disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Lamoureux
- Prion Laboratory Services, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Sharon L R Simon
- Prion Laboratory Services, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Brooks Waitt
- Prion Laboratory Services, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - J David Knox
- Prion Laboratory Services, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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30
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Pease D, Scheckel C, Schaper E, Eckhardt V, Emmenegger M, Xenarios I, Aguzzi A. Genome-wide identification of microRNAs regulating the human prion protein. Brain Pathol 2018; 29:232-244. [PMID: 30451334 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC ) is best known for its misfolded disease-causing conformer, PrPSc . Because the availability of PrPC is often limiting for prion propagation, understanding its regulation may point to possible therapeutic targets. We sought to determine to what extent the human microRNAome is involved in modulating PrPC levels through direct or indirect pathways. We probed PrPC protein levels in cells subjected to a genome-wide library encompassing 2019 miRNA mimics using a robust time-resolved fluorescence-resonance screening assay. Screening was performed in three human neuroectodermal cell lines: U-251 MG, CHP-212 and SH-SY5Y. The three screens yielded 17 overlapping high-confidence miRNA mimic hits, 13 of which were found to regulate PrPC biosynthesis directly via binding to the PRNP 3'UTR, thereby inducing transcript degradation. The four remaining hits (miR-124-3p, 192-3p, 299-5p and 376b-3p) did not bind either the 3'UTR or CDS of PRNP, and were therefore deemed indirect regulators of PrPC . Our results show that multiple miRNAs regulate PrPC levels both directly and indirectly. These findings may have profound implications for prion disease pathogenesis and potentially also for their therapy. Furthermore, the possible role of PrPC as a mediator of Aβ toxicity suggests that its regulation by miRNAs may also impinge on Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pease
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Scheckel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Elke Schaper
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Center of Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Eckhardt
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marc Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis Xenarios
- Center of Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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31
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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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32
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Salvesen Ø, Tatzelt J, Tranulis MA. The prion protein in neuroimmune crosstalk. Neurochem Int 2018; 130:104335. [PMID: 30448564 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2018.11.010] [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: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a medium-sized glycoprotein, attached to the cell surface by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. PrPC is encoded by a single-copy gene, PRNP, which is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system and at lower levels in non-neuronal cells, including those of the immune system. Evidence from experimental knockout of PRNP in rodents, goats, and cattle and the occurrence of a nonsense mutation in goat that prevents synthesis of PrPC, have shown that the molecule is non-essential for life. Indeed, no easily recognizable phenotypes are associate with a lack of PrPC, except the potentially advantageous trait that animals without PrPC cannot develop prion disease. This is because, in prion diseases, PrPC converts to a pathogenic "scrapie" conformer, PrPSc, which aggregates and eventually induces neurodegeneration. In addition, endogenous neuronal PrPC serves as a toxic receptor to mediate prion-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, PrPC is an interesting target for treatment of prion diseases. Although loss of PrPC has no discernable effect, alteration of its normal physiological function can have very harmful consequences. It is therefore important to understand cellular processes involving PrPC, and research of this topic has advanced considerably in the past decade. Here, we summarize data that indicate the role of PrPC in modulating immune signaling, with emphasis on neuroimmune crosstalk both under basal conditions and during inflammatory stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øyvind Salvesen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Sandnes, Norway.
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
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33
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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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34
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Prion acute synaptotoxicity is largely driven by protease-resistant PrPSc species. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007214. [PMID: 30089152 PMCID: PMC6101418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although misfolding of normal prion protein (PrPC) into abnormal conformers (PrPSc) is critical for prion disease pathogenesis our current understanding of the underlying molecular pathophysiology is rudimentary. Exploiting an electrophysiology paradigm, herein we report that at least modestly proteinase K (PK)-resistant PrPSc (PrPres) species are acutely synaptotoxic. Brief exposure to ex vivo PrPSc from two mouse-adapted prion strains (M1000 and MU02) prepared as crude brain homogenates (cM1000 and cMU02) and cell lysates from chronically M1000-infected RK13 cells (MoRK13-Inf) caused significant impairment of hippocampal CA1 region long-term potentiation (LTP), with the LTP disruption approximating that reported during the evolution of murine prion disease. Proof of PrPSc (especially PrPres) species as the synaptotoxic agent was demonstrated by: significant rescue of LTP following selective immuno-depletion of total PrP from cM1000 (dM1000); modestly PK-treated cM1000 (PK+M1000) retaining full synaptotoxicity; and restoration of the LTP impairment when employing reconstituted, PK-eluted, immuno-precipitated M1000 preparations (PK+IP-M1000). Additional detailed electrophysiological analyses exemplified by impairment of post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) suggest possible heightened pre-synaptic vulnerability to the acute synaptotoxicity. This dysfunction correlated with cumulative insufficiency of replenishment of the readily releasable pool (RRP) of vesicles during repeated high-frequency stimulation utilised for induction of LTP. Broadly comparable results with LTP and PTP impairment were obtained utilizing hippocampal slices from PrPC knockout (PrPo/o) mice, with cM1000 serial dilution assessments revealing similar sensitivity of PrPo/o and wild type (WT) slices. Size fractionation chromatography demonstrated that synaptotoxic PrP correlated with PK-resistant species >100kDa, consistent with multimeric PrPSc, with levels of these species >6 ng/ml appearing sufficient to induce synaptic dysfunction. Biochemical analyses of hippocampal slices manifesting acute synaptotoxicity demonstrated reduced levels of multiple key synaptic proteins, albeit with noteworthy differences in PrPo/o slices, while such changes were absent in hippocampi demonstrating rescued LTP through treatment with dM1000. Our findings offer important new mechanistic insights into the synaptic impairment underlying prion disease, enhancing prospects for development of targeted effective therapies. Misfolding of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into disease-associated conformations (PrPSc) is the critical initiating step for prion diseases. Similar to other neurodegenerative disorders, progressive failure of brain synapses is considered a primary deleterious event underpinning prion disease evolution. Our current understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with synaptic failure is rudimentary contributing to difficulties in developing effective treatments. Herein we report the use of an electrophysiology paradigm that allowed us to demonstrate that at least modestly proteinase K (PK)-resistant PrPSc species from two mouse-adapted prion strains (M1000 and MU02) are directly synaptotoxic causing significant acute impairment of hippocampal CA1 region long-term potentiation (LTP). Of note, the LTP disruption approximated that reported in prion animal models. Additional detailed analyses provided novel pathophysiological insights suggesting possible heightened pre-synaptic vulnerability to the acute synaptotoxicity through impairment of replenishment of the readily releasable pool of neurotransmitter vesicles, while biochemical analyses demonstrated reduced levels of multiple key pre-and post-synaptic proteins. Broadly similar acute synaptic dysfunction and dose-response susceptibility were observed in slices from mice not expressing PrPC albeit with minor but noteworthy differences in electrophysiological and biochemical findings. Our study offers important new mechanistic insights into the synaptic impairment underlying prion disease, enhancing prospects for development effective therapies.
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Ding NZ, Wang XM, Jiao XW, Li R, Zeng C, Li SN, Guo HS, Wang ZY, Huang Z, He CQ. Cellular prion protein is involved in decidualization of mouse uterus†. Biol Reprod 2018; 99:319-325. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Zheng Ding
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xing-Ming Wang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University, Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang-Wen Jiao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Ran Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Chao Zeng
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Shan-Ni Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University, Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Hong-Shan Guo
- School of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University, Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Ze-You Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhu Huang
- The Province Key Laboratory of the Biodiversity Study and Ecology Conservation in Southwest Anhui, Life Science College of Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Cheng-Qiang He
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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The function of the cellular prion protein in health and disease. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 135:159-178. [PMID: 29151170 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1790-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The essential role of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) in prion disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is well documented. Moreover, evidence is accumulating that PrPC may act as a receptor for protein aggregates and transduce neurotoxic signals in more common neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Although the pathological roles of PrPC have been thoroughly characterized, a general consensus on its physiological function within the brain has not yet been established. Knockout studies in various organisms, ranging from zebrafish to mice, have implicated PrPC in a diverse range of nervous system-related activities that include a key role in the maintenance of peripheral nerve myelination as well as a general ability to protect against neurotoxic stimuli. Thus, the function of PrPC may be multifaceted, with different cell types taking advantage of unique aspects of its biology. Deciphering the cellular function(s) of PrPC and the consequences of its absence is not simply an academic curiosity, since lowering PrPC levels in the brain is predicted to be a powerful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of prion disease. In this review, we outline the various approaches that have been employed in an effort to uncover the physiological and pathological functions of PrPC. While these studies have revealed important clues about the biology of the prion protein, the precise reason for PrPC's existence remains enigmatic.
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Cheng L, Zhao W, Hill AF. Exosomes and their role in the intercellular trafficking of normal and disease associated prion proteins. Mol Aspects Med 2017; 60:62-68. [PMID: 29196098 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, small extracellular vesicles called exosomes have been observed to harbour protein and genetic cargo that can assist in health and also cause disease. Many groups are extensively investigating the mechanisms involved that regulate the trafficking and packaging of exosomal contents and how these processes may be deregulated in disease. Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders and are characterized by the presence of detectable misfolded prion proteins. The disease associated form of the prion protein can be found in exosomes and its transmissible properties have provided a reliable experimental read out that can be used to understand how exosomes and their cargo are involved in cell-cell communication and in the spread of prion diseases. This review reports on the current understanding of how exosomes are involved in the intercellular spread of infectious prions. Furthermore, we discuss how these principles are leading future investigations in developing new exosome based diagnostic tools and therapeutic drugs that could be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Wenting Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Andrew F Hill
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
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What Is Our Current Understanding of PrP Sc-Associated Neurotoxicity and Its Molecular Underpinnings? Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6040063. [PMID: 29194372 PMCID: PMC5750587 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The prion diseases are a collection of fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative diseases that cause rapid onset dementia and ultimately death. Uniquely, the infectious agent is a misfolded form of the endogenous cellular prion protein, termed PrPSc. Despite the identity of the molecular agent remaining the same, PrPSc can cause a range of diseases with hereditary, spontaneous or iatrogenic aetiologies. However, the link between PrPSc and toxicity is complex, with subclinical cases of prion disease discovered, and prion neurodegeneration without obvious PrPSc deposition. The toxic mechanisms by which PrPSc causes the extensive neuropathology are still poorly understood, although recent advances are beginning to unravel the molecular underpinnings, including oxidative stress, disruption of proteostasis and induction of the unfolded protein response. This review will discuss the diseases caused by PrPSc toxicity, the nature of the toxicity of PrPSc, and our current understanding of the downstream toxic signaling events triggered by the presence of PrPSc.
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Inhibition of IL-1β Signaling Normalizes NMDA-Dependent Neurotransmission and Reduces Seizure Susceptibility in a Mouse Model of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. J Neurosci 2017; 37:10278-10289. [PMID: 28924012 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1301-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by prion protein (PrP) misfolding, clinically recognized by cognitive and motor deficits, electroencephalographic abnormalities, and seizures. Its neurophysiological bases are not known. To assess the potential involvement of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction, we analyzed NMDA-dependent synaptic plasticity in hippocampal slices from Tg(CJD) mice, which model a genetic form of CJD. Because PrP depletion may result in functional upregulation of NMDARs, we also analyzed PrP knock-out (KO) mice. Long-term potentiation (LTP) at the Schaffer collateral-commissural synapses in the CA1 area of ∼100-d-old Tg(CJD) mice was comparable to that of wild-type (WT) controls, but there was an inversion of metaplasticity, with increased GluN2B phosphorylation, which is indicative of enhanced NMDAR activation. Similar but less marked changes were seen in PrP KO mice. At ∼300 d of age, the magnitude of LTP increased in Tg(CJD) mice but decreased in PrP KO mice, indicating divergent changes in hippocampal synaptic responsiveness. Tg(CJD) but not PrP KO mice were intrinsically more susceptible than WT controls to focal hippocampal seizures induced by kainic acid. IL-1β-positive astrocytes increased in the Tg(CJD) hippocampus, and blocking IL-1 receptor signaling restored normal synaptic responses and reduced seizure susceptibility. These results indicate that alterations in NMDA-dependent glutamatergic transmission in Tg(CJD) mice do not depend solely on PrP functional loss. Moreover, astrocytic IL-1β plays a role in the enhanced synaptic responsiveness and seizure susceptibility, suggesting that targeting IL-1β signaling may offer a novel symptomatic treatment for CJD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dementia and myoclonic jerks develop in individuals with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), an incurable brain disorder caused by alterations in prion protein structure. These individuals are prone to seizures and have high brain levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Here we show that blocking IL-1β receptors with anakinra, the human recombinant form of the endogenous IL-1 receptor antagonist used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, normalizes hippocampal neurotransmission and reduces seizure susceptibility in a CJD mouse model. These results link neuroinflammation to defective neurotransmission and the enhanced susceptibility to seizures in CJD and raise the possibility that targeting IL-1β with clinically available drugs may be beneficial for symptomatic treatment of the disease.
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Immunization of cervidized transgenic mice with multimeric deer prion protein induces self-antibodies that antagonize chronic wasting disease infectivity in vitro. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10538. [PMID: 28874781 PMCID: PMC5585258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most contagious prion disease. It is expanding rapidly in North America, was found recently in Europe, and the potential for transmission to humans cannot be excluded yet. We hypothesized that it is possible to prevent peripheral CWD infection and CWD prion shedding by inducing auto-antibodies against the cellular prion protein (PrPC) by active vaccination. Our objective is to overcome self-tolerance against PrP by using a multimeric recombinant PrP (recPrP) as an immunogen. We expressed in E. coli, purified and refolded four immunogens: cervid and murine recPrP in monomeric and dimeric form. Testing immunogenicity in sera of the vaccinated transgenic mice expressing cervid PrP revealed that all four immunogens effectively overcame self-tolerance against the prion protein as shown by high antibody titers. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed effective binding of post-immune sera to surface-located PrPC in both murine and cervid PrP expressing cultured cells. Remarkably, the post-immune auto-antibodies effectively inhibited CWD-induced prion conversion in RT-QuIC assay when incubated with either PrP substrate or CWD seed. Furthermore, they mitigated prion propagation in CWD-infected cervid-PrP expressing RK13 cells. Together, multimeric recombinant cervid PrP effectively overcomes self-tolerance to PrP and induces auto-antibodies that interfere with CWD conversion in vitro.
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Hirsch TZ, Martin-Lannerée S, Mouillet-Richard S. Functions of the Prion Protein. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:1-34. [PMID: 28838656 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Although initially disregarded compared to prion pathogenesis, the functions exerted by the cellular prion protein PrPC have gained much interest over the past two decades. Research aiming at unraveling PrPC functions started to intensify when it became appreciated that it would give clues as to how it is subverted in the context of prion infection and, more recently, in the context of Alzheimer's disease. It must now be admitted that PrPC is implicated in an incredible variety of biological processes, including neuronal homeostasis, stem cell fate, protection against stress, or cell adhesion. It appears that these diverse roles can all be fulfilled through the involvement of PrPC in cell signaling events. Our aim here is to provide an overview of our current understanding of PrPC functions from the animal to the molecular scale and to highlight some of the remaining gaps that should be addressed in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Z Hirsch
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France.
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De Mario A, Peggion C, Massimino ML, Viviani F, Castellani A, Giacomello M, Lim D, Bertoli A, Sorgato MC. The prion protein regulates glutamate-mediated Ca 2+ entry and mitochondrial Ca 2+ accumulation in neurons. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:2736-2746. [PMID: 28701513 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.196972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) whose conformational misfolding leads to the production of deadly prions, has a still-unclarified cellular function despite decades of intensive research. Following our recent finding that PrPC limits Ca2+ entry via store-operated Ca2+ channels in neurons, we investigated whether the protein could also control the activity of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). To this end, we compared local Ca2+ movements in primary cerebellar granule neurons and cortical neurons transduced with genetically encoded Ca2+ probes and expressing, or not expressing, PrPC Our investigation demonstrated that PrPC downregulates Ca2+ entry through each specific agonist-stimulated iGluR and after stimulation by glutamate. We found that, although PrP-knockout (KO) mitochondria were displaced from the plasma membrane, glutamate addition resulted in a higher mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in PrP-KO neurons than in their PrPC-expressing counterpart. This was because the increased Ca2+ entry through iGluRs in PrP-KO neurons led to a parallel increase in Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release via ryanodine receptor channels. These data thus suggest that PrPC takes part in the cell apparatus controlling Ca2+ homeostasis, and that PrPC is involved in protecting neurons from toxic Ca2+ overloads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Lina Massimino
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Viviani
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Angela Castellani
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Giacomello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Dmitry Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Catia Sorgato
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy .,CNR Neuroscience Institute, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Halliday M, Radford H, Zents KAM, Molloy C, Moreno JA, Verity NC, Smith E, Ortori CA, Barrett DA, Bushell M, Mallucci GR. Repurposed drugs targeting eIF2α-P-mediated translational repression prevent neurodegeneration in mice. Brain 2017; 140:1768-1783. [PMID: 28430857 PMCID: PMC5445255 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
See Mercado and Hetz (doi:10.1093/brain/awx107) for a scientific commentary on this article.Signalling through the PERK/eIF2α-P branch of the unfolded protein response plays a critical role in controlling protein synthesis rates in cells. This pathway is overactivated in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders and has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic target for these currently untreatable conditions. Thus, in mouse models of neurodegenerative disease, prolonged overactivation of PERK/eIF2α-P signalling causes sustained attenuation of protein synthesis, leading to memory impairment and neuronal loss. Re-establishing translation rates by inhibition of eIF2α-P activity, genetically or pharmacologically, restores memory and prevents neurodegeneration and extends survival. However, the experimental compounds used preclinically are unsuitable for use in humans, due to associated toxicity or poor pharmacokinetic properties. To discover compounds that have anti-eIF2α-P activity suitable for clinical use, we performed phenotypic screens on a NINDS small molecule library of 1040 drugs. We identified two compounds, trazodone hydrochloride and dibenzoylmethane, which reversed eIF2α-P-mediated translational attenuation in vitro and in vivo. Both drugs were markedly neuroprotective in two mouse models of neurodegeneration, using clinically relevant doses over a prolonged period of time, without systemic toxicity. Thus, in prion-diseased mice, both trazodone and dibenzoylmethane treatment restored memory deficits, abrogated development of neurological signs, prevented neurodegeneration and significantly prolonged survival. In tauopathy-frontotemporal dementia mice, both drugs were neuroprotective, rescued memory deficits and reduced hippocampal atrophy. Further, trazodone reduced p-tau burden. These compounds therefore represent potential new disease-modifying treatments for dementia. Trazodone in particular, a licensed drug, should now be tested in clinical trials in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Halliday
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Helois Radford
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Karlijn A M Zents
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Collin Molloy
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Julie A Moreno
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Nicholas C Verity
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Ewan Smith
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Catharine A Ortori
- Centre for Analytical Bioscience, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - David A Barrett
- Centre for Analytical Bioscience, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Martin Bushell
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Giovanna R Mallucci
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
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Abstract
The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) causes fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Yet PrPC is highly conserved in mammals, suggesting that it exerts beneficial functions preventing its evolutionary elimination. Ablation of PrPC in mice results in well-defined structural and functional alterations in the peripheral nervous system. Many additional phenotypes were ascribed to the lack of PrPC, but some of these were found to arise from genetic artifacts of the underlying mouse models. Here, we revisit the proposed physiological roles of PrPC in the central and peripheral nervous systems and highlight the need for their critical reassessment using new, rigorously controlled animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Angela Wulf
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Abstract
Although an effective therapy for prion disease has not yet been established, many advances have been made toward understanding its pathogenesis, which has facilitated research into therapeutics for the disease. Several compounds, including flupirtine, quinacrine, pentosan polysulfate, and doxycycline, have recently been used on a trial basis for patients with prion disease. Concomitantly, several lead antiprion compounds, including compound B (compB), IND series, and anle138b, have been discovered. However, clinical trials are still far from yielding significantly beneficial results, and the findings of lead compound studies in animals have highlighted new challenges. These efforts have highlighted areas that need improvement or further exploration to achieve more effective therapies. In this work, we review recent advances in prion-related therapeutic research and discuss basic scientific issues to be resolved for meaningful medical intervention of prion disease.
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RTN3 Is a Novel Cold-Induced Protein and Mediates Neuroprotective Effects of RBM3. Curr Biol 2017; 27:638-650. [PMID: 28238655 PMCID: PMC5344685 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cooling and hypothermia are profoundly neuroprotective, mediated, at least in part, by the cold shock protein, RBM3. However, the neuroprotective effector proteins induced by RBM3 and the mechanisms by which mRNAs encoding cold shock proteins escape cooling-induced translational repression are unknown. Here, we show that cooling induces reprogramming of the translatome, including the upregulation of a new cold shock protein, RTN3, a reticulon protein implicated in synapse formation. We report that this has two mechanistic components. Thus, RTN3 both evades cooling-induced translational elongation repression and is also bound by RBM3, which drives the increased expression of RTN3. In mice, knockdown of RTN3 expression eliminated cooling-induced neuroprotection. However, lentivirally mediated RTN3 overexpression prevented synaptic loss and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of neurodegeneration, downstream and independently of RBM3. We conclude that RTN3 expression is a mediator of RBM3-induced neuroprotection, controlled by novel mechanisms of escape from translational inhibition on cooling. Cooling-induced reprogramming of the translatome increases synthesis of RTN3 The neuroprotective protein RBM3 binds RTN3 mRNA and drives its expression RTN3 overexpression prevents synaptic loss in mice with prion disease RTN3 expression is a mediator of RBM3-induced neuroprotection
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Fremont R, Tewari A, Angueyra C, Khodakhah K. A role for cerebellum in the hereditary dystonia DYT1. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28198698 PMCID: PMC5340526 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DYT1 is a debilitating movement disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in torsinA. How these mutations cause dystonia remains unknown. Mouse models which have embryonically targeted torsinA have failed to recapitulate the dystonia seen in patients, possibly due to differential developmental compensation between rodents and humans. To address this issue, torsinA was acutely knocked down in select brain regions of adult mice using shRNAs. TorsinA knockdown in the cerebellum, but not in the basal ganglia, was sufficient to induce dystonia. In agreement with a potential developmental compensation for loss of torsinA in rodents, torsinA knockdown in the immature cerebellum failed to produce dystonia. Abnormal motor symptoms in knockdown animals were associated with irregular cerebellar output caused by changes in the intrinsic activity of both Purkinje cells and neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei. These data identify the cerebellum as the main site of dysfunction in DYT1, and offer new therapeutic targets. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22775.001 Dystonia is the third most common type of movement disorder after Parkinson’s disease and tremor. Patients with dystonia experience prolonged involuntary contractions of their muscles, often causing uncontrollable postures or repetitive movements. Almost thirty years ago, genetic studies revealed that a mutation in the gene that encodes a protein called torsinA causes the most common type of dystonia, called DYT1. Exactly how mutations that affect the torsinA protein give rise to DYT1 remains unclear, and there are still no effective treatments for the disorder. Part of the problem is that we do not fully understand how torsinA works, or which of its many proposed functions is relevant to dystonia. Moreover, attempts to study DYT1 using genetically modified mice have proved largely unsuccessful. This is because mice that simply express the same genetic mutations that cause dystonia in humans do not show the overt symptoms of dystonia. Fremont, Tewari et al. have now generated a mouse ‘model’ that does show symptoms of dystonia, and used these model mice to investigate the role of torsinA in the disorder. Acutely reducing the amount of torsinA protein in a region of the brain called the cerebellum induced the symptoms of dystonia in the mice. Conversely, reducing the amount of torsinA in a different brain area known as the basal ganglia had no such effect, even though both the cerebellum and the basal ganglia contribute to movement. Furthermore, neither manipulation had any effect in juvenile mice, which suggests that, in contrast to humans, young mice can compensate for the loss of torsinA. Fremont, Tewari et al. also found that the loss of torsinA causes the cerebellum to generate incorrect output signals, which in turn trigger the abnormal movements seen in dystonia. In the future, further studies of the model mice could identify the exact changes that occur in neurons following the loss of torsinA from the cerebellum. Understanding these changes could potentially pave the way for developing effective treatments for DYT1 and other dystonias. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22775.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Fremont
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Ambika Tewari
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Chantal Angueyra
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, United States
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Brandner S, Jaunmuktane Z. Prion disease: experimental models and reality. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 133:197-222. [PMID: 28084518 PMCID: PMC5250673 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1670-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The understanding of the pathogenesis and mechanisms of diseases requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving clinical observation, correlation to pathological processes, and modelling of disease mechanisms. It is an inherent challenge, and arguably impossible to generate model systems that can faithfully recapitulate all aspects of human disease. It is, therefore, important to be aware of the potentials and also the limitations of specific model systems. Model systems are usually designed to recapitulate only specific aspects of the disease, such as a pathological phenotype, a pathomechanism, or to test a hypothesis. Here, we evaluate and discuss model systems that were generated to understand clinical, pathological, genetic, biochemical, and epidemiological aspects of prion diseases. Whilst clinical research and studies on human tissue are an essential component of prion research, much of the understanding of the mechanisms governing transmission, replication, and toxicity comes from in vitro and in vivo studies. As with other neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding, the pathogenesis of prion disease is complex, full of conundra and contradictions. We will give here a historical overview of the use of models of prion disease, how they have evolved alongside the scientific questions, and how advancements in technologies have pushed the boundaries of our understanding of prion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Brandner
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology and Division of Neuropathology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology and Division of Neuropathology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
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Toni M, Massimino ML, De Mario A, Angiulli E, Spisni E. Metal Dyshomeostasis and Their Pathological Role in Prion and Prion-Like Diseases: The Basis for a Nutritional Approach. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:3. [PMID: 28154522 PMCID: PMC5243831 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal ions are key elements in organisms' life acting like cofactors of many enzymes but they can also be potentially dangerous for the cell participating in redox reactions that lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Any factor inducing or limiting a metal dyshomeostasis, ROS production and cell injury may contribute to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases or play a neuroprotective action. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting the central nervous system (CNS) of human and other mammalian species. The causative agent of TSEs is believed to be the scrapie prion protein PrPSc, the β sheet-rich pathogenic isoform produced by the conformational conversion of the α-helix-rich physiological isoform PrPC. The peculiarity of PrPSc is its ability to self-propagate in exponential fashion in cells and its tendency to precipitate in insoluble and protease-resistance amyloid aggregates leading to neuronal cell death. The expression “prion-like diseases” refers to a group of neurodegenerative diseases that share some neuropathological features with prion diseases such as the involvement of proteins (α-synuclein, amyloid β, and tau) able to precipitate producing amyloid deposits following conformational change. High social impact diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's belong to prion-like diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that the exposure to environmental metals is a risk factor for the development of prion and prion-like diseases and that metal ions can directly bind to prion and prion-like proteins affecting the amount of amyloid aggregates. The diet, source of metal ions but also of natural antioxidant and chelating agents such as polyphenols, is an aspect to take into account in addressing the issue of neurodegeneration. Epidemiological data suggest that the Mediterranean diet, based on the abundant consumption of fresh vegetables and on low intake of meat, could play a preventive or delaying role in prion and prion-like neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, metal role in the onset of prion and prion-like diseases is dealt with from a nutritional, cellular, and molecular point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Toni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University Rome, Italy
| | - Maria L Massimino
- National Research Council (CNR), Neuroscience Institute c/o Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| | - Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| | - Elisa Angiulli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Spisni
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna Bologna, Italy
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50
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Seelig DM, Goodman PA, Skinner PJ. Potential approaches for heterologous prion protein treatment of prion diseases. Prion 2017; 10:18-24. [PMID: 26636482 PMCID: PMC4981202 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2015.1123372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are progressive, fatal neurodegenerative diseases with no effective treatment. The pathology of these diseases involves the conversion of a protease sensitive form of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a protease resistant infectious form (PrPres). The efficiency of this conversion is predicated upon a number of factors, most notably a strong homology between cellular PrPC and PrPres. In our recently published study, we infected mice with the RML-Chandler strain of scrapie and treated them with heterologous hamster prion proteins. This treatment was seen to reduce clinical signs of prion disease, to delay the onset of clinical symptoms and to prolong survival. In this current article we discuss potential mechanisms of action of treatment with heterologous prion proteins. We also discuss potential extensions of these studies using a heterologous rabbit PrP-based treatment strategy or a peptide based strategy, and improvement of treatment delivery including a lentiviral-based system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davis M Seelig
- a Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department , University of Minnesota , Saint Paul , MN , USA
| | - Patricia A Goodman
- b Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department , University of Minnesota , Saint Paul , MN , USA
| | - Pamela J Skinner
- b Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department , University of Minnesota , Saint Paul , MN , USA
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