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Güvendi M, Can H, Köseoğlu AE, Erkunt Alak S, Ün C. First report of a novel 108 bp deletion and five novel SNPs in PRNP gene of stray cats and in silico analysis of their possible relation with feline spongiform encephalopathy. Top Companion Anim Med 2024; 59:100859. [PMID: 38508487 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcam.2024.100859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. A relationship between variations in the prion gene of some species and susceptibility to prion diseases has been detected. However, variations in the prion protein of cats that have close contact with humans and their effect on prion protein are not well-known. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the variations of prion protein-encoding gene (PRNP gene) in stray cats and to evaluate variants detected in terms of genetic factors associated with susceptibility or resistance to feline spongiform encephalopathy using bioinformatics tools. For this, cat DNA samples were amplified by a PCR targeting PRNP gene and then sequenced to reveal the variations. Finally, the effects of variants on prion protein were predicted by bioinformatics tools. According to the obtained results, a novel 108 bp deletion and nine SNPs were detected. Among SNPs, five (c314A>G, c.454T>A, c.579G>C, c.642G>C and c.672G>C) were detected for the first time in this study. Bioinformatics findings showed that c.579G>C (Q193H), c.454T>A (Y152N) and c.457G>A (E153K) variants have deleterious effects on prion protein and c.579G>C (Q193H) has high amyloid propensities. This study demonstrates prion protein variants of stray cats and their deleterious effects on prion protein for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mervenur Güvendi
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Hüseyin Can
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Ahmet Efe Köseoğlu
- Biruni University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, İstanbul, Türkiye
| | - Sedef Erkunt Alak
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye
| | - Cemal Ün
- Ege University Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Molecular Biology Section, İzmir, Türkiye.
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Mountain Lions (Puma concolor) Resist Long-Term Dietary Exposure To Chronic Wasting Disease. J Wildl Dis 2021; 58:40-49. [PMID: 34753180 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
For nearly 18 yr, we evaluated susceptibility of captive mountain lions (Puma concolor) to chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the face of repeated exposure associated with consuming infected cervid carcasses. Three mountain lions with a monomorphic prion protein gene (PRNP) sequence identical to that described previously for the species had access to parts of ≥432 infected carcasses during ≥2,013 feeding occasions, conservatively representing >14,000 kg of infected feed material, during May 2002 to March 2020. The proportion of diet in infected carcass material averaged 43% overall but differed from year to year (minimally 11%-74%). Most infected carcasses were mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; ∼75%). We observed no clinical signs suggestive of progressive encephalopathy or other neurologic disease over the ∼14.5-17.9 yr between first known exposure and eventual death. Histopathology revealed no spongiform changes or immunostaining suggestive of prion infection in multiple sections of nervous and lymphoid tissue. Similarly, none of 133 free-ranging mountain lion carcasses sampled opportunistically during 2004-2020 showed immunostaining consistent with prion infection in sections of brainstem or lymph node. These findings align with prior work suggesting that CWD-associated prions face strong barriers to natural transmission among species outside the family Cervidae.
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A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF BRAIN LESIONS IN CAPTIVE NONDOMESTIC FELIDS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2021; 52:918-925. [PMID: 34687508 DOI: 10.1638/2021-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This retrospective study identified and characterized brain lesions in captive nondomestic felids from a large cat sanctuary. Necropsy reports from January 2002 through December 2018 were examined, and gross images and microscopic slides were reviewed from individual cats, where available. In total, 255 cats met the following inclusion criteria: complete necropsy report available, brain examined grossly or microscopically, and age of >1 mon. Of the 255 cats, 49 cats (19%) were determined to have brain lesions. Eleven different felid species, as well as one captive-bred hybrid (liger), were included in the study, with tigers (Panthera tigris) (55%) and lions (Panthera leo) (18%) being the most common species. Lesions were grouped into six etiologic categories: neoplastic (32%), vascular (26%), inflammatory or infectious (20%), congenital (9%), idiopathic (7%), and metabolic (6%). Not included in these categorized lesions were previously undescribed amphophilic globules in the cerebral cortex of many cats with and without other brain lesions; these were in 95% of lion and 93% of tiger brains where the cerebral cortex was available for histologic examination. These globules were not associated with clinical disease. The histopathologic and gross brain changes documented in this study provide insight into specific diseases and pathologic processes that affect the brains of captive large cat populations.
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Gallardo MJ, Delgado FO. Animal prion diseases: A review of intraspecies transmission. Open Vet J 2021; 11:707-723. [PMID: 35070868 PMCID: PMC8770171 DOI: 10.5455/ovj.2021.v11.i4.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative, transmissible, and fatal disorders that affect several animal species. The causative agent, prion, is a misfolded isoform of normal cellular prion protein, which is found in cells with higher concentration in the central nervous system. This review explored the sources of infection and different natural transmission routes of animal prion diseases in susceptible populations. Chronic wasting disease in cervids and scrapie in small ruminants are prion diseases capable of maintaining themselves in susceptible populations through horizontal and vertical transmission. The other prion animal diseases can only be transmitted through food contaminated with prions. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is the only animal prion disease considered zoonotic. However, due to its inability to transmit within a population, it could be controlled. The emergence of atypical cases of scrapie and BSE, even the recent report of prion disease in camels, demonstrates the importance of understanding the transmission routes of prion diseases to take measures to control them and to assess the risks to human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Julián Gallardo
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, IPVet, UEDD INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Oscar Delgado
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, IPVet, UEDD INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Facultad de Cs. Agrarias y Veterinarias, Universidad del Salvador, Pilar, Argentina
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Allelic Interference in Prion Replication Is Modulated by the Convertibility of the Interfering PrP C and Other Host-Specific Factors. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03508-20. [PMID: 33727358 PMCID: PMC8092304 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03508-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion propagation can be interfered with by the expression of a second prion protein in the host. In the present study, we investigated prion propagation in a host expressing two different prion protein genes. Early studies in transgenic mouse lines have shown that the coexpression of endogenous murine prion protein (PrPC) and transgenic PrPC from another species either inhibits or allows the propagation of prions, depending on the infecting prion strain and interacting protein species. The way whereby this phenomenon, so-called “interference,” is modulated remains to be determined. In this study, different transgenic mouse lines were crossbred to produce mice coexpressing bovine and porcine PrPC, bovine and murine PrPC, or murine and porcine PrPC. These animals and their respective hemizygous controls were inoculated with several prion strains from different sources (cattle, mice, and pigs) to examine the effects of the simultaneous presence of PrPC from two different species. Our results indicate interference with the infection process, manifested as extended survival times and reduced attack rates. The interference with the infectious process was reduced or absent when the potentiality interfering PrPC species was efficiently converted by the inoculated agent. However, the propagation of the endogenous murine PrPSc was favored, allowing us to speculate that host-specific factors may disturb the interference caused by the coexpression of an exogenous second PrPC.
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Kim HH, Kim YC, Kim K, Kim AD, Jeong BH. Novel Polymorphisms and Genetic Features of the Prion Protein Gene ( PRNP) in Cats, Hosts of Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy. Genes (Basel) 2020; 12:genes12010013. [PMID: 33374431 PMCID: PMC7824082 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by vacuolation and gliosis in the brain. Prion diseases have been reported in several mammals, and genetic polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP) play an essential role in the vulnerability of prion diseases. However, to date, investigations of PRNP polymorphisms are rare in cats, which are the major host of feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE). Thus, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms of the cat PRNP gene and analyzed the structural characteristics of the PrP of cats compared to those of dog, prion disease-resistant animal. To investigate the genetic variations of the cat PRNP gene in 208 cats, we performed amplicon sequencing and examined the genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies of cat PRNP polymorphisms. We evaluated the influence of cat PRNP polymorphisms using PolyPhen-2, PANTHER, PROVEAN and AMYCO. In addition, we carried out structural analysis of cat PrP according to the allele of nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (c.457G > A, Glu153Lys) using Swiss-PdbViewer. Finally, we compared the structural differences between cat and canine PrPs for SNPs associated with prion disease resistance in dogs. We identified a total of 15 polymorphisms, including 14 novel SNPs and one insertion/deletion polymorphism (InDel). Among them, Glu153Lys was predicted to affect the structural stability and amyloid propensity of cat PrP. In addition, asparagine at codon 166 of cat PrP was predicted to have longer hydrogen bond than aspartic acid at codon 163 of canine PrP. Furthermore, substitution to dog-specific amino acids in cat PrP showed an increase in structural stability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study regarding the structural characteristics of cat PRNP gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Ho Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
| | - Kiwon Kim
- Haemalken Animal Hospital, Yangju, Gyeonggi 11492, Korea;
| | - An-Dang Kim
- Cool-Pet Animal Hospital, Anyang, Gyeonggi 14066, Korea;
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 54531, Korea; (H.-H.K.); (Y.-C.K.)
- Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-63-900-4040; Fax: +82-63-900-4012
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Bettinger J, Ghaemmaghami S. Methionine oxidation within the prion protein. Prion 2020; 14:193-205. [PMID: 32744136 PMCID: PMC7518762 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1796898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by the self-templated misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into infectious aggregates (PrPSc). The detailed molecular basis of the misfolding and aggregation of PrPC remains incompletely understood. It is believed that the transient misfolding of PrPC into partially structured intermediates precedes the formation of insoluble protein aggregates and is a critical component of the prion misfolding pathway. A number of environmental factors have been shown to induce the destabilization of PrPC and promote its initial misfolding. Recently, oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have emerged as one possible mechanism by which the destabilization of PrPC can be induced under physiological conditions. Methionine residues are uniquely vulnerable to oxidation by ROS and the formation of methionine sulfoxides leads to the misfolding and subsequent aggregation of PrPC. Here, we provide a review of the evidence for the oxidation of methionine residues in PrPC and its potential role in the formation of pathogenic prion aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bettinger
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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Yakubu UM, Catumbela CSG, Morales R, Morano KA. Understanding and exploiting interactions between cellular proteostasis pathways and infectious prion proteins for therapeutic benefit. Open Biol 2020; 10:200282. [PMID: 33234071 PMCID: PMC7729027 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several neurodegenerative diseases of humans and animals are caused by the misfolded prion protein (PrPSc), a self-propagating protein infectious agent that aggregates into oligomeric, fibrillar structures and leads to cell death by incompletely understood mechanisms. Work in multiple biological model systems, from simple baker's yeast to transgenic mouse lines, as well as in vitro studies, has illuminated molecular and cellular modifiers of prion disease. In this review, we focus on intersections between PrP and the proteostasis network, including unfolded protein stress response pathways and roles played by the powerful regulators of protein folding known as protein chaperones. We close with analysis of promising therapeutic avenues for treatment enabled by these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unekwu M Yakubu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA.,MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA
| | - Celso S G Catumbela
- MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA.,Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA.,Centro integrativo de biología y química aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kevin A Morano
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, TX USA
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Detection of Pathognomonic Biomarker PrP Sc and the Contribution of Cell Free-Amplification Techniques to the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030469. [PMID: 32204429 PMCID: PMC7175149 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, the clinical manifestation of which can resemble other promptly evolving neurological maladies. Therefore, the unequivocal ante-mortem diagnosis is highly challenging and was only possible by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the brain at necropsy. Although surrogate biomarkers of neurological damage have become invaluable to complement clinical data and provide more accurate diagnostics at early stages, other neurodegenerative diseases show similar alterations hindering the differential diagnosis. To solve that, the detection of the pathognomonic biomarker of disease, PrPSc, the aberrantly folded isoform of the prion protein, could be used. However, the amounts in easily accessible tissues or body fluids at pre-clinical or early clinical stages are extremely low for the standard detection methods. The solution comes from the recent development of in vitro prion propagation techniques, such as Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), which have been already applied to detect minute amounts of PrPSc in different matrixes and make early diagnosis of prion diseases feasible in a near future. Herein, the most relevant tissues and body fluids in which PrPSc has been detected in animals and humans are being reviewed, especially those in which cell-free prion propagation systems have been used with diagnostic purposes.
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Hwang S, Dassanayake RP, Nicholson EM. PAD-Beads enrichment enhances detection of PrP Sc using real-time quaking-induced conversion. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:806. [PMID: 31836019 PMCID: PMC6911270 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4842-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that naturally occurs in sheep and goats. This fatal neurodegenerative disease results from misfolding of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) to a pathogenic prion protein form (PrPSc). This pathogenic form, PrPSc, accumulates in the brain and lymphoid tissues. The presence of PrPSc can be detected by an in vitro conversion assay known as real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). RT-QuIC has been used to detect PrPSc in a variety of biological tissues from brains to fluids. While this technique is both rapid and sensitive, enhancing the detection of prions would be valuable in the diagnostic laboratories. Results In this study, we assessed whether PrPSc detection sensitivity of RT-QuIC can be increased by enriching PrPSc in scrapie tissue homogenates using commercially available aggregated protein binding ligands coated magnetic beads (PAD-Beads). Coupling of RT-QuIC to PAD-Beads based cleanup allowed detection of PrPSc rapidly and without dilution of scrapie sheep brain homogenates prior to RT-QuIC. The PAD-Beads sample pretreatment step prior to RT-QuIC is a useful enhancement in the diagnosis of TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Rohana P Dassanayake
- Ruminant Disease and Immunology Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA.
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Fast C, Keller M, Kaatz M, Ziegler U, Groschup MH. Low levels of classical BSE infectivity in rendered fat tissue. Vet Res 2018; 49:122. [PMID: 30572960 PMCID: PMC6302288 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0618-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BSE infectivity in mesentery fat is most likely associated with embedded nervous tissue. To prove this mesentery containing celiac ganglion was taken from oral BSE infected cattle in different stages of the disease and from one control animal. Fat was rendered according to standard tallow production methods and the prion infectivity therein analysed in transgenic mouse bioassay. Rendered fat of the clinical animal revealed low infectivity levels, whereas preclinical and control animals remained negative. This study, although not representative, provides a proof of principle, indicating the potential contamination of melted mesenteric fat by embedded nervous structures during standard tallow production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Fast
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Markus Keller
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Kaatz
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany.
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Terio KA, Mitchell E, Walzer C, Schmidt-Küntzel A, Marker L, Citino S. Diseases Impacting Captive and Free-Ranging Cheetahs. CHEETAHS: BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2018. [PMCID: PMC7148644 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-804088-1.00025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Bistaffa E, Rossi M, De Luca CMG, Moda F. Biosafety of Prions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:455-485. [PMID: 28838674 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prions are the infectious agents that cause devastating and untreatable disorders known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). The pathologic events and the infectious nature of these transmissible agents are not completely understood yet. Due to the difficulties in inactivating prions, working with them requires specific recommendations and precautions. Moreover, with the advent of innovative technologies, such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and the Real Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), prions could be amplified in vitro and the infectious features of the amplified products need to be carefully assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Bistaffa
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy; Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Rossi
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara M G De Luca
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy; Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabio Moda
- IRCCS Foundation Carlo Besta Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy.
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MacLea KS. What Makes a Prion: Infectious Proteins From Animals to Yeast. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 329:227-276. [PMID: 28109329 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
While philosophers in ancient times had many ideas for the cause of contagion, the modern study of infective agents began with Fracastoro's 1546 proposal that invisible "spores" spread infectious disease. However, firm categorization of the pathogens of the natural world would need to await a mature germ theory that would not arise for 300 years. In the 19th century, the earliest pathogens described were bacteria and other cellular microbes. By the close of that century, the work of Ivanovsky and Beijerinck introduced the concept of a virus, an infective particle smaller than any known cell. Extending into the early-mid-20th century there was an explosive growth in pathogenic microbiology, with a cellular or viral cause identified for nearly every transmissible disease. A few occult pathogens remained to be discovered, including the infectious proteins (prions) proposed by Prusiner in 1982. This review discusses the prions identified in mammals, yeasts, and other organisms, focusing on the amyloid-based prions. I discuss the essential biochemical properties of these agents and the application of this knowledge to diseases of protein misfolding and aggregation, as well as the utility of yeast as a model organism to study prion and amyloid proteins that affect human and animal health. Further, I summarize the ideas emerging out of these studies that the prion concept may go beyond proteinaceous infectious particles and that prions may be a subset of proteins having general nucleating or seeding functions involved in noninfectious as well as infectious pathogenic protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K S MacLea
- University of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH, United States.
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16
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Baral PK, Swayampakula M, Aguzzi A, James MNG. X-ray structural and molecular dynamical studies of the globular domains of cow, deer, elk and Syrian hamster prion proteins. J Struct Biol 2015; 192:37-47. [PMID: 26320075 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Misfolded prion proteins are the cause of neurodegenerative diseases that affect many mammalian species, including humans. Transmission of the prion diseases poses a considerable public-health risk as a specific prion disease such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy can be transferred to humans and other mammalian species upon contaminant exposure. The underlying mechanism of prion propagation and the species barriers that control cross species transmission has been investigated quite extensively. So far a number of prion strains have been characterized and those have been intimately linked to species-specific infectivity and other pathophysiological manifestations. These strains are encoded by a protein-only agent, and have a high degree of sequence identity across mammalian species. The molecular events that lead to strain differentiation remain elusive. In order to contribute to the understanding of strain differentiation, we have determined the crystal structures of the globular, folded domains of four prion proteins (cow, deer, elk and Syrian hamster) bound to the POM1 antibody fragment Fab. Although the overall structural folds of the mammalian prion proteins remains extremely similar, there are several local structural variations observed in the misfolding-initiator motifs. In additional molecular dynamics simulation studies on these several prion proteins reveal differences in the local fluctuations and imply that these differences have possible roles in the unfolding of the globular domains. These local variations in the structured domains perpetuate diverse patterns of prion misfolding and possibly facilitate the strain selection and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravas Kumar Baral
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Mridula Swayampakula
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael N G James
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
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Scientific Opinion on a request for a review of a scientific publication concerning the zoonotic potential of ovine scrapie prions. EFSA J 2015. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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Aguilar-Calvo P, García C, Espinosa JC, Andreoletti O, Torres JM. Prion and prion-like diseases in animals. Virus Res 2014; 207:82-93. [PMID: 25444937 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopaties (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the aggregation and accumulation of the misfolded prion protein in the brain. Other proteins such as β-amyloid, tau or Serum Amyloid-A (SAA) seem to share with prions some aspects of their pathogenic mechanism; causing a variety of so called prion-like diseases in humans and/or animals such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Type II diabetes mellitus or amyloidosis. The question remains whether these misfolding proteins have the ability to self-propagate and transmit in a similar manner to prions. In this review, we describe the prion and prion-like diseases affecting animals as well as the recent findings suggesting the prion-like transmissibility of certain non-prion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Consolación García
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivier Andreoletti
- INRA, UMR 1225, Interactions Hôtes Agents Pathogènes, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Juan María Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), 28130 Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Fast C, Keller M, Balkema-Buschmann A, Hills B, Groschup MH. Complementary studies detecting classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy infectivity in jejunum, ileum and ileocaecal junction in incubating cattle. Vet Res 2013; 44:123. [PMID: 24359408 PMCID: PMC3890602 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently we have described the distribution of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infectivity and/or PrPSc in Peyer's patches (PP) of the small intestine of orally BSE infected cattle. In this follow-up study additional jejunal and ileal PP's and ileocaecal-junction tissue samples from 1, 4, and 24 months post infection (mpi) were examined by mouse (Tgbov XV) bioassay. Infectivity was demonstrated in ileal PP's 4 mpi and the distribution/extent of infectivity at 24 mpi was comparable to those seen at earlier time points, revealing no indication for a decline/clearance. These data are relevant for the definition of Specified Risk Materials in the context of the TSE legislation worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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20
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Vidal E, Fernández-Borges N, Pintado B, Ordóñez M, Márquez M, Fondevila D, Eraña H, Torres JM, Pumarola M, Castilla J. Exploring the risks of a putative transmission of BSE to new species. Prion 2013; 7:443-6. [PMID: 24184875 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion responsible for the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) shows unique features when compared with other prions. One of these features is its ability to infect almost all experimentally tested animal models. In the paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience (1) we describe a series of experiments directed toward elucidating which would be the in vivo behavior of BSE if it would infect dogs and rabbits, two alleged prion resistant species. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) was used to generate canidae and leporidae in vitro adapted BSE prions. A characterization of their in vivo pathobiological properties showed that BSE prions were capable not only of adapting to new species but they maintained, in the case of rabbits, their ability to infect transgenic mice expressing human PrP. The remarkable adaptation ability of certain prions implies that any new host species could lead to the emergence of new infectious agents with unpredictable transmission potential. Our results suggest that caution must be taken when considering the use of any mammal derived protein in feedstuffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Vidal
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA); UAB-IRTA; Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Bovine spongiform encephalopathy induces misfolding of alleged prion-resistant species cellular prion protein without altering its pathobiological features. J Neurosci 2013; 33:7778-86. [PMID: 23637170 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0244-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions were responsible for an unforeseen epizootic in cattle which had a vast social, economic, and public health impact. This was primarily because BSE prions were found to be transmissible to humans. Other species were also susceptible to BSE either by natural infection (e.g., felids, caprids) or in experimental settings (e.g., sheep, mice). However, certain species closely related to humans, such as canids and leporids, were apparently resistant to BSE. In vitro prion amplification techniques (saPMCA) were used to successfully misfold the cellular prion protein (PrP(c)) of these allegedly resistant species into a BSE-type prion protein. The biochemical and biological properties of the new prions generated in vitro after seeding rabbit and dog brain homogenates with classical BSE were studied. Pathobiological features of the resultant prion strains were determined after their inoculation into transgenic mice expressing bovine and human PrP(C). Strain characteristics of the in vitro-adapted rabbit and dog BSE agent remained invariable with respect to the original cattle BSE prion, suggesting that the naturally low susceptibility of rabbits and dogs to prion infections should not alter their zoonotic potential if these animals became infected with BSE. This study provides a sound basis for risk assessment regarding prion diseases in purportedly resistant species.
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Stewart P, Campbell L, Skogtvedt S, Griffin KA, Arnemo JM, Tryland M, Girling S, Miller MW, Tranulis MA, Goldmann W. Genetic predictions of prion disease susceptibility in carnivore species based on variability of the prion gene coding region. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50623. [PMID: 23236380 PMCID: PMC3517517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian species vary widely in their apparent susceptibility to prion diseases. For example, several felid species developed prion disease (feline spongiform encephalopathy or FSE) during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom, whereas no canine BSE cases were detected. Whether either of these or other groups of carnivore species can contract other prion diseases (e.g. chronic wasting disease or CWD) remains an open question. Variation in the host-encoded prion protein (PrPC) largely explains observed disease susceptibility patterns within ruminant species, and may explain interspecies differences in susceptibility as well. We sequenced and compared the open reading frame of the PRNP gene encoding PrPC protein from 609 animal samples comprising 29 species from 22 genera of the Order Carnivora; amongst these samples were 15 FSE cases. Our analysis revealed that FSE cases did not encode an identifiable disease-associated PrP polymorphism. However, all canid PrPs contained aspartic acid or glutamic acid at codon 163 which we propose provides a genetic basis for observed susceptibility differences between canids and felids. Among other carnivores studied, wolverine (Gulo gulo) and pine marten (Martes martes) were the only non-canid species to also express PrP-Asp163, which may impact on their prion diseases susceptibility. Populations of black bear (Ursus americanus) and mountain lion (Puma concolor) from Colorado showed little genetic variation in the PrP protein and no variants likely to be highly resistant to prions in general, suggesting that strain differences between BSE and CWD prions also may contribute to the limited apparent host range of the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Stewart
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Campbell
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Skogtvedt
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Dept. Basic Sciences & Aquatic Medicine, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karen A. Griffin
- Wildlife Research Center, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry & Wildlife Management, Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Campus Evenstad, Elverum, Norway & Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Morten Tryland
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Tromsø, Norway
- GenØk - Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Simon Girling
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Michael W. Miller
- Wildlife Research Center, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Tranulis
- Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Dept. Basic Sciences & Aquatic Medicine, Oslo, Norway
| | - Wilfred Goldmann
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Franz M, Eiden M, Balkema-Buschmann A, Greenlee J, Schatzl H, Fast C, Richt J, Hildebrandt JP, Groschup MH. Detection of PrP(Sc) in peripheral tissues of clinically affected cattle after oral challenge with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. J Gen Virol 2012; 93:2740-2748. [PMID: 22915695 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.044578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease that mainly affects cattle. Transmission of BSE to humans caused a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Following infection, the protease-resistant, disease-associated isoform of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) accumulates in the central nervous system and in other tissues. Many countries have defined bovine tissues that may contain prions as specified risk materials, which must not enter the human or animal food chains and therefore must be discarded. Ultrasensitive techniques such as protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) have been developed to detect PrP(Sc) when present in minuscule amounts that are not readily detected by other diagnostic methods such as immunohistochemistry or Western blotting. This study was conducted to determine when and where PrP(Sc) can be found by PMCA in cattle orally challenged with BSE. A total of 48 different tissue samples from four cattle infected orally with BSE at various clinical stages of disease were examined using a standardized PMCA protocol. The protocol used brain homogenate from bovine PrP transgenic mice (Tgbov XV) as substrate and three consecutive rounds of PMCA. Using this protocol, PrP(Sc) was found in the brain, spinal cord, nerve ganglia, optic nerve and Peyer's patches. The presence of PrP(Sc) was confirmed in adrenal glands, as well as in mesenteric lymph nodes - a finding that was reported recently by another group. Interestingly, additional positive results were obtained for the first time in the oesophagus, abomasum, rumen and rectum of clinically affected cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Franz
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Justin Greenlee
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, PO BOX 70 Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Hermann Schatzl
- Department of Veterinary Sciences and Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, MICRO/Molecular Biology, 1000 E. University Avenue Laramie, Wyoming, WY 82071, USA
| | - Christine Fast
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jürgen Richt
- Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, K224B Mosier Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Jan-Peter Hildebrandt
- Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Zoological Institute, Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Biotechnikum, Walther-Rathenau-Strasse 49a, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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Imran M, Mahmood S. An overview of animal prion diseases. Virol J 2011; 8:493. [PMID: 22044871 PMCID: PMC3228711 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-8-493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative conditions affecting human and a wide range of animal species. The pathogenesis of prion diseases is associated with the accumulation of aggregates of misfolded conformers of host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrPC). Animal prion diseases include scrapie of sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, transmissible mink encephalopathy, feline spongiform encephalopathy, exotic ungulate spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease of cervids and spongiform encephalopathy of primates. Although some cases of sporadic atypical scrapie and BSE have also been reported, animal prion diseases have basically occurred via the acquisition of infection from contaminated feed or via the exposure to contaminated environment. Scrapie and chronic wasting disease are naturally sustaining epidemics. The transmission of BSE to human has caused more than 200 cases of variant Cruetzfeldt-Jacob disease and has raised serious public health concerns. The present review discusses the epidemiology, clinical neuropathology, transmissibility and genetics of animal prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran
- 1Centre for Research in Endocrinology and Reproductive Sciences (CRERS), Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Health Sciences (UHS), Khayaban-e-Jamia Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
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25
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Abstract
Prion diseases are associated with the presence of PrP(Sc), a disease-associated misfolded conformer of the prion protein. We report that superparamagnetic nanoparticles bind PrP(Sc) molecules efficiently and specifically, permitting magnetic separation of prions from a sample mixture. Captured PrP(Sc) molecules retain the activity to seed protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) reactions, enabling the rapid concentration of dilute prions to improve detection. Furthermore, superparamagnetic nanoparticles clear contaminated solutions of PrP(Sc). Our findings suggest that coupling magnetic nanoparticle capture with PMCA could accelerate and improve prion detection. Magnetic nanoparticles may also be useful for developing a nontoxic prion decontamination method for biologically derived products.
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