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Nonaka T, Iwasaki Y, Horiuchi H, Satoh K. Detection limitations of prion seeding activities in blood samples from patients with sporadic prion disease. BMC Neurol 2024; 24:92. [PMID: 38468258 PMCID: PMC10926576 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03590-7] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human prion diseases (HPDs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by abnormal prion proteins (PrPSc). However, the detection of prion seeding activity in patients with high sensitivity remains challenging. Even though real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay is suitable for detecting prion seeding activity in a variety of specimens, it shows lower accuracy when whole blood, blood plasma, and blood-contaminated tissue samples are used. In this study, we developed a novel technology for the in vitro amplification of abnormal prion proteins in HPD to the end of enabling their detection with high sensitivity known as the enhanced quaking-induced conversion (eQuIC) assay. METHODS Three antibodies were used to develop the novel eQUIC method. Thereafter, SD50 seed activity was analyzed using brain tissue samples from patients with prion disease using the conventional RT-QUIC assay and the novel eQUIC assay. In addition, blood samples from six patients with solitary prion disease were analyzed using the novel eQuIC assay. RESULTS The eQuIC assay, involving the use of three types of human monoclonal antibodies, showed approximately 1000-fold higher sensitivity than the original RT-QuIC assay. However, when this assay was used to analyze blood samples from six patients with sporadic human prion disease, no prion activity was detected. CONCLUSION The detection of prion seeding activity in blood samples from patients with sporadic prion disease remains challenging. Thus, the development of alternative methods other than RT-QuIC and eQuIC will be necessary for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiaki Nonaka
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki City, 852-8501, Japan
| | - Yasushi Iwasaki
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute City, 480-1195, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Horiuchi
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima City, Japan
| | - Katsuya Satoh
- Department of Health Sciences, Unit of Medical and Dental Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki City, Japan.
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Bartz JC, Benavente R, Caughey B, Christensen S, Herbst A, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK, McKenzie D, Morales R, Schwabenlander MD, Walsh DP. Chronic Wasting Disease: State of the Science. Pathogens 2024; 13:138. [PMID: 38392876 PMCID: PMC10892334 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervid species, both free-ranging and captive populations. As the geographic range continues to expand and disease prevalence continues to increase, CWD will have an impact on cervid populations, local economies, and ecosystem health. Mitigation of this "wicked" disease will require input from many different stakeholders including hunters, landowners, research biologists, wildlife managers, and others, working together. The NC1209 (North American interdisciplinary chronic wasting disease research consortium) is composed of scientists from different disciplines involved with investigating and managing CWD. Leveraging this broad breadth of expertise, the Consortium has created a state-of-the-science review of five key aspects of CWD, including current diagnostic capabilities for detecting prions, requirements for validating these diagnostics, the role of environmental transmission in CWD dynamics, and potential zoonotic risks associated with CWD. The goal of this review is to increase stakeholders', managers', and decision-makers' understanding of this disease informed by current scientific knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA;
| | - Sonja Christensen
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Allen Herbst
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA;
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada;
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Marc D. Schwabenlander
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Mok TH, Nihat A, Majbour N, Sequeira D, Holm-Mercer L, Coysh T, Darwent L, Batchelor M, Groveman BR, Orr CD, Hughson AG, Heslegrave A, Laban R, Veleva E, Paterson RW, Keshavan A, Schott JM, Swift IJ, Heller C, Rohrer JD, Gerhard A, Butler C, Rowe JB, Masellis M, Chapman M, Lunn MP, Bieschke J, Jackson GS, Zetterberg H, Caughey B, Rudge P, Collinge J, Mead S. Seed amplification and neurodegeneration marker trajectories in individuals at risk of prion disease. Brain 2023; 146:2570-2583. [PMID: 36975162 PMCID: PMC10232278 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases are remarkable for long incubation times followed typically by rapid clinical decline. Seed amplification assays and neurodegeneration biofluid biomarkers are remarkably useful in the clinical phase, but their potential to predict clinical onset in healthy people remains unclear. This is relevant not only to the design of preventive strategies in those at-risk of prion diseases, but more broadly, because prion-like mechanisms are thought to underpin many neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report the accrual of a longitudinal biofluid resource in patients, controls and healthy people at risk of prion diseases, to which ultrasensitive techniques such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and single molecule array (Simoa) digital immunoassays were applied for preclinical biomarker discovery. We studied 648 CSF and plasma samples, including 16 people who had samples taken when healthy but later developed inherited prion disease (IPD) ('converters'; range from 9.9 prior to, and 7.4 years after onset). Symptomatic IPD CSF samples were screened by RT-QuIC assay variations, before testing the entire collection of at-risk samples using the most sensitive assay. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), tau and UCH-L1 levels were measured in plasma and CSF. Second generation (IQ-CSF) RT-QuIC proved 100% sensitive and specific for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), iatrogenic and familial CJD phenotypes, and subsequently detected seeding activity in four presymptomatic CSF samples from three E200K carriers; one converted in under 2 months while two remain asymptomatic after at least 3 years' follow-up. A bespoke HuPrP P102L RT-QuIC showed partial sensitivity for P102L disease. No compatible RT-QuIC assay was discovered for classical 6-OPRI, A117V and D178N, and these at-risk samples tested negative with bank vole RT-QuIC. Plasma GFAP and NfL, and CSF NfL levels emerged as proximity markers of neurodegeneration in the typically slow IPDs (e.g. P102L), with significant differences in mean values segregating healthy control from IPD carriers (within 2 years to onset) and symptomatic IPD cohorts; plasma GFAP appears to change before NfL, and before clinical conversion. In conclusion, we show distinct biomarker trajectories in fast and slow IPDs. Specifically, we identify several years of presymptomatic seeding positivity in E200K, a new proximity marker (plasma GFAP) and sequential neurodegenerative marker evolution (plasma GFAP followed by NfL) in slow IPDs. We suggest a new preclinical staging system featuring clinical, seeding and neurodegeneration aspects, for validation with larger prion at-risk cohorts, and with potential application to other neurodegenerative proteopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze How Mok
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Akin Nihat
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nour Majbour
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Danielle Sequeira
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Leah Holm-Mercer
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Thomas Coysh
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lee Darwent
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Christina D Orr
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rhiannon Laban
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elena Veleva
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ross W Paterson
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Ashvini Keshavan
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Imogen J Swift
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Carolin Heller
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Alexander Gerhard
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Christopher Butler
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Miles Chapman
- Neuroimmunology and CSF Laboratory, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael P Lunn
- Neuroimmunology and CSF Laboratory, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jan Bieschke
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Graham S Jackson
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-43180 Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792-2420, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Peter Rudge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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4
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Kuzkina A, Rößle J, Seger A, Panzer C, Kohl A, Maltese V, Musacchio T, Blaschke SJ, Tamgüney G, Kaulitz S, Rak K, Scherzad A, Zimmermann PH, Klussmann JP, Hackenberg S, Volkmann J, Sommer C, Sommerauer M, Doppler K. Combining skin and olfactory α-synuclein seed amplification assays (SAA)-towards biomarker-driven phenotyping in synucleinopathies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:79. [PMID: 37248217 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00519-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Seed amplification assays (SAA) are becoming commonly used in synucleinopathies to detect α-synuclein aggregates. Studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) and isolated REM-sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) have shown a considerably lower sensitivity in the olfactory epithelium than in CSF or skin. To get an insight into α-synuclein (α-syn) distribution within the nervous system and reasons for low sensitivity, we compared SAA assessment of nasal brushings and skin biopsies in PD (n = 27) and iRBD patients (n = 18) and unaffected controls (n = 30). α-syn misfolding was overall found less commonly in the olfactory epithelium than in the skin, which could be partially explained by the nasal brushing matrix exerting an inhibitory effect on aggregation. Importantly, the α-syn distribution was not uniform: there was a higher deposition of misfolded α-syn across all sampled tissues in the iRBD cohort compared to PD (supporting the notion of RBD as a marker of a more malignant subtype of synucleinopathy) and in a subgroup of PD patients, misfolded α-syn was detectable only in the olfactory epithelium, suggestive of the recently proposed brain-first PD subtype. Assaying α-syn of diverse origins, such as olfactory (part of the central nervous system) and skin (peripheral nervous system), could increase diagnostic accuracy and allow better stratification of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kuzkina
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - J Rößle
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Seger
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - C Panzer
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Kohl
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - V Maltese
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - T Musacchio
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - S J Blaschke
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - G Tamgüney
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (Structural Biochemistry: IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - S Kaulitz
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - K Rak
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - A Scherzad
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - P H Zimmermann
- University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Robert-Koch-Strasse 21, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - J P Klussmann
- University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Robert-Koch-Strasse 21, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - S Hackenberg
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Aachen, Germany
| | - J Volkmann
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - C Sommer
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Sommerauer
- University Hospital Cologne, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - K Doppler
- University Hospital Würzburg (UKW), Department of Neurology, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
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Olech M. Conventional and State-of-the-Art Detection Methods of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087135. [PMID: 37108297 PMCID: PMC10139118 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). It is believed that the infectious agent responsible for prion diseases is abnormally folded prion protein (PrPSc), which derives from a normal cellular protein (PrPC), which is a cell surface glycoprotein predominantly expressed in neurons. There are three different types of BSE, the classical BSE (C-type) strain and two atypical strains (H-type and L-type). BSE is primarily a disease of cattle; however, sheep and goats also can be infected with BSE strains and develop a disease clinically and pathogenically indistinguishable from scrapie. Therefore, TSE cases in cattle and small ruminants require discriminatory testing to determine whether the TSE is BSE or scrapie and to discriminate classical BSE from the atypical H- or L-type strains. Many methods have been developed for the detection of BSE and have been reported in numerous studies. Detection of BSE is mainly based on the identification of characteristic lesions or detection of the PrPSc in the brain, often by use of their partial proteinase K resistance properties. The objective of this paper was to summarize the currently available methods, highlight their diagnostic performance, and emphasize the advantages and drawbacks of the application of individual tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Olech
- Department of Pathology, National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
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Da Silva Correia SM, Schmitz M, Fischer A, Hermann P, Zerr I. Role of different recombinant PrP substrates in the diagnostic accuracy of the CSF RT-QuIC assay in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:301-306. [PMID: 36536226 PMCID: PMC10113290 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03715-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe development of the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), an in vitro protein misfolding amplification assay, was an innovation in the scientific field of protein misfolding diseases. In prion diseases, these types of assays imitate the pathological conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a protease-resistant and/or amyloid form of PrP, called PrP resistant (PrPRes). The RT-QuIC is an automatic assay system based on real-time measuring of thioflavin-T (Th-T) incorporation into amyloid fibrils using shaking for disaggregation. It has already been applied in diagnostics, drug pre-screening, and to distinguish between different prion strains. The seeded conversion efficiency and the diagnostic accuracy of the RT-QuIC assay strongly depend on the kind of recombinant PrP (rec PrP) substrate. The DNA sequences of different substrates may originate from different species, such as human, bank vole, and hamster, or from a combination of two species, e.g., hamster-sheep chimera. In routine use, either full-length (FL) or truncated substrates are applied which can accelerate the conversion reaction, e.g., to a more sensitive version of RT-QuIC assay. In the present review, we provide an overview on the different types of PrP substrates (FL and truncated forms), recapitulate the production and purification process of different rec PrP substrates, and discuss the diagnostic value of CSF RT-QuIC in human prion disease diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Margarida Da Silva Correia
- National Reference Center for TSE and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- National Reference Center for TSE and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Andre Fischer
- Department for Epigenetics and Systems Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for TSE and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for TSE and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
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Poleggi A, Baiardi S, Ladogana A, Parchi P. The Use of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion for the Diagnosis of Human Prion Diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:874734. [PMID: 35547619 PMCID: PMC9083464 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.874734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rapidly progressive, invariably fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders associated with the accumulation of the amyloidogenic form of the prion protein in the central nervous system (CNS). In humans, prion diseases are highly heterogeneous both clinically and neuropathologically. Prion diseases are challenging to diagnose as many other neurologic disorders share the same symptoms, especially at clinical onset. Definitive diagnosis requires brain autopsy to identify the accumulation of the pathological prion protein, which is the only specific disease biomarker. Although brain post-mortem investigation remains the gold standard for diagnosis, antemortem clinical, instrumental, and laboratory tests showing variable sensitivities and specificity, being surrogate disease biomarkers, have been progressively introduced in clinical practice to reach a diagnosis. More recently, the ultrasensitive Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, exploiting, for the first time, the detection of misfolded prion protein through an amplification strategy, has highly improved the “in-vitam” diagnostic process, reaching in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and olfactory mucosa (OM) around 96% sensitivity and close to 100% specificity. RT-QuIC also improved the detection of the pathologic prion protein in several peripheral tissues, possibly even before the clinical onset of the disease. The latter aspect is of great interest for the early and even preclinical diagnosis in subjects at genetic risk of developing the disease, who will likely be the main target population in future clinical trials. This review presents an overview of the current knowledge and future perspectives on using RT-QuIC to diagnose human prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Poleggi
- Unit of Clinic, Diagnostics and Therapy of the Central Nervous System Diseases, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Programma Neuropatologia delle Malattie Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Unit of Clinic, Diagnostics and Therapy of the Central Nervous System Diseases, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Programma Neuropatologia delle Malattie Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Piero Parchi,
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Srivastava A, Alam P, Caughey B. RT-QuIC and Related Assays for Detecting and Quantifying Prion-like Pathological Seeds of α-Synuclein. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12040576. [PMID: 35454165 PMCID: PMC9030929 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Various disease-associated forms or strains of α-synuclein (αSynD) can spread and accumulate in a prion-like fashion during synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). This capacity for self-propagation has enabled the development of seed amplification assays (SAAs) that can detect αSynD in clinical samples. Notably, α-synuclein real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assays have evolved as ultrasensitive, specific, and relatively practical methods for detecting αSynD in a variety of biospecimens including brain tissue, CSF, skin, and olfactory mucosa from synucleinopathy patients. However, αSyn SAAs still lack concordance in detecting MSA and familial forms of PD/DLB, and the assay parameters show poor correlations with various clinical measures. End-point dilution analysis in αSyn RT-QuIC assays allows for the quantitation of relative amounts of αSynD seeding activity that may correlate moderately with clinical measures and levels of other biomarkers. Herein, we review recent advancements in α-synuclein SAAs for detecting αSynD and describe in detail the modified Spearman–Karber quantification algorithm used with end-point dilutions.
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Vascellari S, Orrù CD, Caughey B. Real-Time Quaking- Induced Conversion Assays for Prion Diseases, Synucleinopathies, and Tauopathies. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:853050. [PMID: 35360213 PMCID: PMC8960852 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.853050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, synucleinopathies and tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by deposition of abnormal protein aggregates in brain and other tissues. These aggregates consist of misfolded forms of prion, α-synuclein (αSyn), or tau proteins that cause neurodegeneration and represent hallmarks of these disorders. A main challenge in the management of these diseases is the accurate detection and differentiation of these abnormal proteins during the early stages of disease before the onset of severe clinical symptoms. Unfortunately, many clinical manifestations may occur only after neuronal damage is already advanced and definite diagnoses typically require post-mortem neuropathological analysis. Over the last decade, several methods have been developed to increase the sensitivity of prion detection with the aim of finding reliable assays for the accurate diagnosis of prion disorders. Among these, the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay now provides a validated diagnostic tool for human patients, with positive results being accepted as an official criterion for a diagnosis of probable prion disease in multiple countries. In recent years, applications of this approach to the diagnosis of other prion-like disorders, such as synucleinopathies and tauopathies, have been developed. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the use of the RT-QuIC assays for human proteopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Vascellari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Christina D. Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases (LPVD), Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases (LPVD), Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT, United States
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CSF biomarkers for prion diseases. Neurochem Int 2022; 155:105306. [PMID: 35176437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105306] [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: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, clinical trials of human prion disease (HPD) treatments have begun in many countries, and the therapeutic window of these trials focuses mainly on the early stage of the disease. Furthermore, few studies have examined the role of biomarkers at the early stage. According to the World Health Organization, the clinical diagnostic criteria for HPDs include clinical findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein markers, and electroencephalography (EEG). In contrast, the UK and European clinical diagnostic criteria include a combination of clinical findings, 14-3-3 protein in the CSF, magnetic resonance imaging-diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI), and EEG. Moreover, recent advancements in laboratory testing and MRI-DWI have improved the accuracy of diagnostics used for prion diseases. However, according to MRI-DWI data, patients with rapidly progressing dementia are sometimes misdiagnosed with HPD due to the high-intensity areas detected in their brains. Thus, analyzing the CSF biomarkers is critical to diagnose accurately different diseases. CSF biomarkers are investigated using a biochemical approach or the protein amplification methods that utilize the unique properties of prion proteins and the ability of PrPSc to induce a conformational change. The biochemical markers include the 14-3-3 and total tau proteins of the CSF. In contrast, the protein amplification methods include the protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. The RT-QuIC analysis of the CSF has been proved to be a highly sensitive and specific test for identifying sporadic HPD forms; for this reason, it was included in the diagnostic criteria.
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Transmission of cervid prions to humanized mice demonstrates the zoonotic potential of CWD. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:767-784. [PMID: 35996016 PMCID: PMC9468132 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Prions cause infectious and fatal neurodegenerative diseases in mammals. Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease of cervids, spreads efficiently among wild and farmed animals. Potential transmission to humans of CWD is a growing concern due to its increasing prevalence. Here, we provide evidence for a zoonotic potential of CWD prions, and its probable signature using mice expressing human prion protein (PrP) as an infection model. Inoculation of these mice with deer CWD isolates resulted in atypical clinical manifestation with prion seeding activity and efficient transmissible infectivity in the brain and, remarkably, in feces, but without classical neuropathological or Western blot appearances of prion diseases. Intriguingly, the protease-resistant PrP in the brain resembled that found in a familial human prion disease and was transmissible upon second passage. Our results suggest that CWD might infect humans, although the transmission barrier is likely higher compared to zoonotic transmission of cattle prions. Notably, our data suggest a different clinical presentation, prion signature, and tissue tropism, which causes challenges for detection by current diagnostic assays. Furthermore, the presence of infectious prions in feces is concerning because if this occurs in humans, it is a source for human-to-human transmission. These findings have strong implications for public health and CWD management.
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Variant CJD: Reflections a Quarter of a Century on. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111413. [PMID: 34832569 PMCID: PMC8619291 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Twenty-five years has now passed since variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) was first described in the United Kingdom (UK). Early epidemiological, neuropathological and biochemical investigations suggested that vCJD represented a new zoonotic form of human prion disease resulting from dietary exposure to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. This hypothesis has since been confirmed though a large body of experimental evidence, predominantly using animal models of the disease. Today, the clinical, pathological and biochemical phenotype of vCJD is well characterized and demonstrates a unique and remarkably consistent pattern between individual cases when compared to other human prion diseases. While the numbers of vCJD cases remain reassuringly low, with 178 primary vCJD cases reported in the UK and a further 54 reported worldwide, concerns remain over the possible appearance of new vCJD cases in other genetic cohorts and the numbers of asymptomatic individuals in the population harboring vCJD infectivity. This review will provide a historical perspective on vCJD, examining the origins of this acquired prion disease and its association with BSE. We will investigate the epidemiology of the disease along with the unique clinicopathological and biochemical phenotype associated with vCJD cases. Additionally, this review will examine the impact vCJD has had on public health in the UK and the ongoing concerns raised by this rare group of disorders.
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Singh S, DeMarco ML. In Vitro Conversion Assays Diagnostic for Neurodegenerative Proteinopathies. J Appl Lab Med 2021; 5:142-157. [PMID: 31811072 DOI: 10.1373/jalm.2019.029801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In vitro conversion assays, including real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) techniques, were first developed to study the conversion process of the prion protein to its misfolded, disease-associated conformation. The intrinsic property of prion proteins to propagate their misfolded structure was later exploited to detect subfemtogram quantities of the misfolded protein present in tissues and fluids from humans and animals with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Currently, conversion assays are used clinically as sensitive and specific diagnostic tools for antemortem diagnosis of prion disease. CONTENT In vitro conversion assays are now being applied to the development of diagnostics for related neurodegenerative diseases, including detection of misfolded α-synuclein in Parkinson disease, misfolded amyloid-β in Alzheimer disease, and misfolded tau in Pick disease. Like the predicate prion protein in vitro conversion diagnostics, these assays exploit the ability of endogenously misfolded proteins to induce misfolding and aggregation of their natively folded counterpart in vitro. This property enables biomarker detection of the underlying protein pathology. Herein, we review RT-QuIC and PMCA for (a) prion-, (b) α-synuclein-, (c) amyloid-β-, and (d) tau-opathies. SUMMARY Although already in routine clinical use for the detection of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, in vitro conversion assays for other neurodegenerative disorders require further development and evaluation of diagnostic performance before consideration for clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Singh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mari L DeMarco
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St. Paul's Hospital, Providence Health Care, Vancouver, Canada
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Dong TTT, Satoh K. The Latest Research on RT-QuIC Assays-A Literature Review. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10030305. [PMID: 33807776 PMCID: PMC8000803 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10030305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The misfolding of proteins such as the prion protein, α-synuclein, and tau represents a key initiating event for pathogenesis of most common neurodegenerative disorders, and its presence correlates with infectivity. To date, the diagnosis of these disorders mainly relied on the recognition of clinical symptoms when neurodegeneration was already at an advanced phase. In recent years, several efforts have been made to develop new diagnostic tools for the early diagnosis of prion diseases. The real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT–QuIC) assay, an in vitro assay that can indirectly detect very low amounts of PrPSc aggregates, has provided a very promising tool to improve the early diagnosis of human prion diseases. Over the decade since RT–QuIC was introduced, the diagnosis of not only prion diseases but also synucleinopathies and tauopathies has greatly improved. Therefore, in our study, we summarize the current trends and knowledge of RT–QuIC assays, as well as discuss the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases using RT–QuIC assays, which have been updated in recent years.
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Haley N. Amplification Techniques for the Detection of Misfolded Prion Proteins in Experimental and Clinical Samples. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 130:e118. [PMID: 32150353 DOI: 10.1002/cpmb.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This article describes two methods for amplifying prions present in experimental and clinical samples: the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay and the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Protocols for preparation of amplification substrate and analysis of results are included in addition to those for the individual assays. For each assay, control and suspect samples are mixed with appropriate amplification substrate, which is whole brains from mice in the case of PMCA and recombinant prion protein produced in bacteria for RT-QuIC, followed by cyclic amplification over a number of cycles of sonication (PMCA) or shaking (RT-QuIC) at a consistent incubation temperature. The resultant amplification products are then assessed either by western blotting (PMCA) or based on fluorescent emissions (RT-QuIC). The equipment and expertise necessary for successfully performing either assay vary and will be important factors for individual laboratories to consider when identifying which assay is more appropriate for their experimental design. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Prion amplification via protein misfolding cyclic amplification Support Protocol 1: Collection of whole brains from mice and preparation of normal brain homogenate Basic Protocol 2: Prion amplification via real-time quaking-induced conversion Support Protocol 2: Preparation of recombinant truncated white-tailed-deer prion protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Haley
- College of Graduate Studies, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona
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Kal'nov SL, Verkhovsky OA, Tsibezov VV, Alekseev KP, Chudakova DA, Filatov IE, Grebennikova TV. [Problems of ante mortem diagnostics of prion diseases]. Vopr Virusol 2021; 65:326-334. [PMID: 33533229 DOI: 10.36233/0507-4088-2020-65-6-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The review presents the state-of-the-art on the problem of diagnosis of prion diseases (PD) in humans and animals with a brief description of their etiology and pathogenesis. We pointed out that understanding the nature of the etio logical agent of PD determined their zoonotic potential and led to the development of highly specific immunological diagnostic methods aimed at identifying the infectious isoform of prion protein (PrPd) as the only marker of the disease. In this regard, we briefly summarize the results of studies, including our own, concerning the conversion of normal prion protein molecules (PrPc) to PrPd, the production of monoclonal antibodies and their application as immunodiagnostic reagents for the post-mortem detection of PrPd in various formats of immunoassay. We also emphasize the issues related to the development of methods for ante mortem diagnostics of PD. In this regard, a method for amplifying amino acid sequences using quacking-induced conversion of PrPc to PrPd in real time (RTQuIC) described in details. The results of recent studies on the assessment of the sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of this method, carried out in various laboratories around the world, are presented. The data obtained indicate that RT-QuIC is currently the most promising laboratory assay for detecting PrPd in biological material at the preclinical stage of the disease. The significant contribution of US scientists to the introduction of this method into clinical practice on the model of diagnosis of chronic wasting disease of wild Cervidae (CWD) is noted. The possible further spread of CWD in the population of moose and deer in the territories bordering with Russia, as well as the established fact of alimentary transmission of CWD to macaques, indicate the threat of the appearance of PD in our country. In conclusion, the importance of developing new hypersensitive and/or selective components of known methods for PrPd identification from the point of view of assessing the risks of creating artificial infectious prion proteins in vivo or in vitro, primarily new pathogenic isoforms ("strains") and synthetic prions, was outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Kal'nov
- FSBI «National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - O A Verkhovsky
- ANO «Diagnostic and Prevention for Human and Animal Diseases Research Institute»
| | - V V Tsibezov
- FSBI «National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - K P Alekseev
- FSBI «National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - D A Chudakova
- School of Biological sciences, University of Auckland
| | - I E Filatov
- FSBI «National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia
| | - T V Grebennikova
- FSBI «National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya» of the Ministry of Health of Russia
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Suzuki A, Sawada K, Yamasaki T, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA, Horiuchi M. Involvement of N- and C-terminal region of recombinant cervid prion protein in its reactivity to CWD and atypical BSE prions in real-time quaking-induced conversion reaction in the presence of high concentrations of tissue homogenates. Prion 2020; 14:283-295. [PMID: 33345717 PMCID: PMC7757825 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2020.1858694] [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: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) reaction is a sensitive and specific method for detecting prions. However, inhibitory factors present in tissue homogenates can easily interfere with this reaction. To identify the RT-QuIC condition under which low levels of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions can be detected in the presence of high concentrations of brain tissue homogenates, reactivities of various recombinant prion proteins (rPrPs) were tested. Among the tested rPrPs, recombinant cervid PrP (rCerPrP) showed a unique reactivity: the reactivity of rCerPrP to CWD and atypical BSE prions was not highly affected by high concentrations of normal brain homogenates. The unique reactivity of rCerPrP disappeared when the N-terminal region (aa 25-93) was truncated. Replacement of aa 23-149 of mouse (Mo) PrP with the corresponding region of CerPrP partially restored the unique reactivity of rCerPrP in RT-QuIC. Replacement of the extreme C-terminal region of MoPrP aa 219-231 to the corresponding region of CerPrP partially conferred the unique reactivity of rCerPrP to rMoPrP, suggesting the involvement of both N- and C-terminal regions. Additionally, rCerN-Mo-CerCPrP, a chimeric PrP comprising CerPrP aa 25-153, MoPrP aa 150-218, and CerPrP aa 223-233, showed an additive effect of the N- and C-terminal regions. These results provide a mechanistic implication for detecting CWD and atypical BSE prions using rCerPrP and are useful for further improvements of RT-QuIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Suzuki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuhei Sawada
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamasaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Nathaniel D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Motohiro Horiuchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Hygiene, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control. Global Institute for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
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Ascari LM, Rocha SC, Gonçalves PB, Vieira TCRG, Cordeiro Y. Challenges and Advances in Antemortem Diagnosis of Human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:585896. [PMID: 33195151 PMCID: PMC7606880 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.585896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, arise from the structural conversion of the monomeric, cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its multimeric scrapie form (PrPSc). These pathologies comprise a group of intractable, rapidly evolving neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, a definitive diagnosis of TSE relies on the detection of PrPSc and/or the identification of pathognomonic histological features in brain tissue samples, which are usually obtained postmortem or, in rare cases, by brain biopsy (antemortem). Over the past two decades, several paraclinical tests for antemortem diagnosis have been developed to preclude the need for brain samples. Some of these alternative methods have been validated and can provide a probable diagnosis when combined with clinical evaluation. Paraclinical tests include in vitro cell-free conversion techniques, such as the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), as well as immunoassays, electroencephalography (EEG), and brain bioimaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whose importance has increased over the years. PrPSc is the main biomarker in TSEs, and the RT-QuIC assay stands out for its ability to detect PrPSc in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), olfactory mucosa, and dermatome skin samples with high sensitivity and specificity. Other biochemical biomarkers are the proteins 14-3-3, tau, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), astroglial protein S100B, α-synuclein, and neurofilament light chain protein (NFL), but they are not specific for TSEs. This paper reviews the techniques employed for definite diagnosis, as well as the clinical and paraclinical methods for possible and probable diagnosis, both those in use currently and those no longer employed. We also discuss current criteria, challenges, and perspectives for TSE diagnosis. An early and accurate diagnosis may allow earlier implementation of strategies to delay or stop disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas M. Ascari
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Stephanie C. Rocha
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Priscila B. Gonçalves
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tuane C. R. G. Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging and fatal contagious prion disease that affects cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer reindeer, elk, and moose. CWD prions are widely distributed throughout the bodies of CWD-infected animals and are found in the nervous system, lymphoid tissues, muscle, blood, urine, feces, and antler velvet. The mechanism of CWD transmission in natural settings is unknown. Potential mechanisms of transmission include horizontal, maternal, or environmental routes. Due to the presence of prions in the blood of CWD-infected animals, the potential exists for invertebrates that feed on mammalian blood to contribute to the transmission of CWD. The geographic range of the Rocky Mountain Wood tick, Dermancentor andersoni, overlaps with CWD throughout the northwest United States and southwest Canada, raising the possibility that D. andersoni parasitization of cervids may be involved in CWD transmission. We investigated this possibility by examining the blood meal of D. andersoni that fed upon prion-infected hamsters for the presence of prion infectivity by animal bioassay. None of the hamsters inoculated with a D. andersoni blood meal that had been ingested from prion-infected hamsters developed clinical signs of prion disease or had evidence for a subclinical prion infection. Overall, the data do not demonstrate a role for D. andersoni in the transmission of prion disease.IMPORTANCE Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease that affects cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, black-tailed deer, red deer reindeer, elk, and moose. The mechanism of CWD transmission in unknown. Due to the presence of prions in the blood of CWD-infected animals, it is possible for invertebrates that feed on cervid blood to contribute to the transmission of CWD. We examined the blood meal of D. andersoni, a tick with a similar geographic range as cervids, that fed upon prion-infected hamsters for the presence of prion infectivity by animal bioassay. None of the D. andersoni blood meals that had been ingested from prion-infected hamsters yielded evidence of prion infection. Overall, the data do not support a role of D. andersoni in the transmission of prion disease.
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Ferreira NDC, Caughey B. Proteopathic Seed Amplification Assays for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Clin Lab Med 2020; 40:257-270. [PMID: 32718498 DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2020.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The need for etiological biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases involving protein aggregation has prompted development of ultrasensitive cellular and cell-free assays based on the prion-like seeding capacity of such aggregates. Among them, prion RT-QuIC assays allow accurate antemortem Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease diagnosis using cerebrospinal fluid and nasal brushings. Analogous assays for synucleinopathies (e.g., Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies) provide unprecedented diagnostic sensitivity using cerebrospinal fluid. Biosensor cell and tau RT-QuIC assays can detect and discriminate tau aggregates associated with multiple tauopathies (e.g., Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal degeneration). An expanding panel of seed amplification assays should improve diagnostics and therapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália do Carmo Ferreira
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
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Koutsoumanis K, Allende A, Bolton D, Bover-Cid S, Chemaly M, Davies R, De Cesare A, Herman L, Hilbert F, Lindqvist R, Nauta M, Peixe L, Ru G, Simmons M, Skandamis P, Suffredini E, Andréoletti O, Escámez PF, Griffin J, Spiropoulos J, Ashe S, Ortiz-Peláez A, Alvarez-Ordóñez A. Evaluation of an alternative method for production of biodiesel from processed fats derived from Category 1, 2 and 3 animal by-products (submitted by College Proteins). EFSA J 2020; 18:e06089. [PMID: 32874297 PMCID: PMC7448056 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6089] [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: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An alternative method for the production of biodiesel from processed fats derived from Category 1, 2 and 3 animal by-products was assessed. The method is based on a pre-cleaning process, acidic esterification/transesterification of tallow using 1.5% methanesulfonic acid w/w; 140°C; 5.5 bar absolute pressure (bara); 4 h, followed by fractional distillation. The application focuses on the capacity of the alternative method to inactivate prions. Given the limitations that biodiesel presents for direct measurement of prion infectivity, the BIOHAZ Panel considered, based on the outcome of previous EFSA Opinions and current expert evaluation, that a reduction of 6 log10 in detectable PrPS c signal would be necessary to consider the process at least equivalent to previously approved methods for Category 1 animal by-products. This is in addition to the inactivation achieved by the pressure sterilisation method applied before the application of any biodiesel production method. Experimental data were provided via ad hoc studies commissioned to quantify the reduction in detectable PrPS c in material spiked with scrapie hamster strain 263K, as measured by western blot, for the first two steps, with distillation assumed to provide at least an additional 3 log10 reduction, based on published data. Despite the intrinsic methodological caveats of the detection of PrPS c in laboratory studies, the BIOHAZ Panel considers that the alternative method, including the final fractional distillation, is capable of achieving the required 6 log10 reduction of the strain 263K PrPS c signal. Therefore, the method under assessment can be considered at least equivalent to the processing methods previously approved for the production of biodiesel from all categories of animal by-product raw materials. It is recommended to check the feasibility of the proposed HACCP plan by recording the main processing parameters for a certain time period under real industrial conditions.
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22
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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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23
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McNulty EE, Nalls AV, Xun R, Denkers ND, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK. In vitro detection of haematogenous prions in white-tailed deer orally dosed with low concentrations of chronic wasting disease. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:347-361. [PMID: 31846418 PMCID: PMC7416609 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectivity associated with prion disease has been demonstrated in blood throughout the course of disease, yet the ability to detect blood-borne prions by in vitro methods remains challenging. We capitalized on longitudinal pathogenesis studies of chronic wasting disease (CWD) conducted in the native host to examine haematogenous prion load by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification. Our study demonstrated in vitro detection of amyloid seeding activity (prions) in buffy-coat cells harvested from deer orally dosed with low concentrations of CWD positive (+) brain (1 gr and 300 ng) or saliva (300 ng RT-QuIC equivalent). These findings make possible the longitudinal assessment of prion disease and deeper investigation of the role haematogenous prions play in prion pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Amy V. Nalls
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Randy Xun
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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24
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Metrick MA, Ferreira NDC, Saijo E, Kraus A, Newell K, Zanusso G, Vendruscolo M, Ghetti B, Caughey B. A single ultrasensitive assay for detection and discrimination of tau aggregates of Alzheimer and Pick diseases. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:22. [PMID: 32087764 PMCID: PMC7036215 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-0887-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by aggregation of tau molecules. Adult humans express six isoforms of tau that contain either 3 or 4 microtubule binding repeats (3R or 4R tau). Different diseases involve preferential aggregation of 3R (e.g Pick disease), 4R (e.g. progressive supranuclear palsy), or both 3R and 4R tau molecules [e.g. Alzheimer disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy]. Three ultrasensitive cell-free seed amplification assays [called tau real-time quaking induced conversion (tau RT-QuIC) assays] have been developed that preferentially detect 3R, 4R, or 3R/4R tau aggregates in biospecimens. In these reactions, low-fg amounts of a given self-propagating protein aggregate (the seed) are incubated with a vast excess of recombinant tau monomers (the substrate) in multi-well plates. Over time, the seeds incorporate the substrate to grow into amyloids that can then be detected using thioflavin T fluorescence. Here we describe a tau RT-QuIC assay (K12 RT-QuIC) that, using a C-terminally extended recombinant 3R tau substrate (K12CFh), enables sensitive detection of Pick disease, Alzheimer disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy seeds in brain homogenates. The discrimination of Pick disease from Alzheimer disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy cases is then achieved through the quantitative differences in K12 RT-QuIC assay thioflavin T responses, which correlate with structural properties of the reaction products. In particular, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of the respective K12CFh amyloids showed distinct β-sheet conformations, suggesting at least partial propagation of the original seed conformations in vitro. Thus, K12 RT-QuIC provides a single assay for ultrasensitive detection and discrimination of tau aggregates comprised mainly of 3R, or both 3R and 4R, tau isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Metrick
- LPVD, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW UK
| | | | - Eri Saijo
- LPVD, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- LPVD, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
| | - Kathy Newell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Gianluigi Zanusso
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW UK
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- LPVD, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840 USA
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25
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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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26
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Enhanced detection of prion infectivity from blood by preanalytical enrichment with peptoid-conjugated beads. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216013. [PMID: 31513666 PMCID: PMC6742390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions cause transmissible infectious diseases in humans and animals and have been found to be transmissible by blood transfusion even in the presymptomatic stage. However, the concentration of prions in body fluids such as blood and urine is extremely low; therefore, direct diagnostic tests on such specimens often yield false-negative results. Quantitative preanalytical prion enrichment may significantly improve the sensitivity of prion assays by concentrating trace amounts of prions from large volumes of body fluids. Here, we show that beads conjugated to positively charged peptoids not only captured PrP aggregates from plasma of prion-infected hamsters, but also adsorbed prion infectivity in both the symptomatic and preclinical stages of the disease. Bead absorbed prion infectivity efficiently transmitted disease to transgenic indicator mice. We found that the readout of the peptoid-based misfolded protein assay (MPA) correlates closely with prion infectivity in vivo, thereby validating the MPA as a simple, quantitative, and sensitive surrogate indicator of the presence of prions. The reliable and sensitive detection of prions in plasma will enable a wide variety of applications in basic prion research and diagnostics.
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27
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Amplification and Detection of Minuscule Amounts of Misfolded Prion Protein by Using the Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion. Methods Mol Biol 2019. [PMID: 29886538 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7816-8_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
A characteristic feature of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) is the progressive accumulation of protein aggregates in the brain in a self-propagation manner. Based on this mechanism, in vitro protein amplification systems (such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC)) for the detection of misfolded prion protein scrapie (PrPres) in CSF were a major step in pre-mortem diagnosis of human prion diseases. Here, we describe a protocol of the RT-QuIC assay to detect PrPres in CSF of prion disease patients. This methodology depends on prion seeds that induce misfolding and aggregation of a substrate by cycles of incubation and quaking. Besides diagnostics, further applications of the RT-QuIC appear to be promising for discrimination between different PrP subtypes or strains, understanding the mechanism of protein misfolding and pre-screening of anti-prion drugs. The technique can be further developed to be used to study characteristics of misfolded proteins in other "prion like" diseases, such as tauopathies, synucleinopathies, or amyloidopathies.
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28
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McNulty E, Nalls AV, Mellentine S, Hughes E, Pulscher L, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK. Comparison of conventional, amplification and bio-assay detection methods for a chronic wasting disease inoculum pool. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216621. [PMID: 31071138 PMCID: PMC6508678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the native host have provided considerable understanding of how this prion disease continues to efficiently spread among cervid species. These studies entail great cost in animal, time and financial support. A variety of methods have emerged including transgenic mouse bioassay, western blot, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) and real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), that deepen our understanding of this and other protein misfolding disorders. To further characterize an inoculum source used for ongoing CWD studies and to determine how the readouts from each of these assays compare, we assayed a CWD-positive brain pool homogenate (CBP6) and a mouse dilutional bioassay of this homogenate using the above detection methods. We demonstrate that: (i) amplification assays enhanced detection of amyloid seeding activity in the CWD+ cervid brain pool to levels beyond mouse LD50, (ii) conventional detection methods (IHC and western blot) performed well in identifying the presence of PrPSc in terminal brain tissue yet lack sufficient detection sensitivity to identify all CWD-infected mice, and (iii) the incorporation of amplification assays enhanced detection of CWD-infected mice near the LD50. This cross-platform analysis provides a basis to calibrate the relative sensitivities of CWD detection assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Amy V. Nalls
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Samuel Mellentine
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Erin Hughes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Laura Pulscher
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Favole A, Mazza M, Vallino Costassa E, D'Angelo A, Lombardi G, Marconi P, Crociara P, Berrone E, Gallo M, Palmitessa C, Orrù CD, Caughey B, Acutis PL, Caramelli M, Casalone C, Corona C. Early and Pre-Clinical Detection of Prion Seeding Activity in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Goats using Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6173. [PMID: 30992522 PMCID: PMC6467873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42449-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Since 2005, two cases of natural bovine spongiform encephalopathies (BSE) have been reported in goats. Furthermore, experimental transmissions of classical (C-BSE) and atypical (L-BSE) forms of BSE in goats were also reported. To minimize further spreading of prion diseases in small ruminants the development of a highly sensitive and specific test for ante-mortem detection of infected animals would be of great value. Recent studies reported high diagnostic value of a second generation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay across a wide spectrum of human prions. Here, we applied this improved QuIC (IQ-CSF) for highly efficient detection of TSEs prion protein in goat cerebrospinal fluid. IQ-CSF sensitivity and specificity were evaluated on CSF samples collected at disease endpoint from goats naturally and experimentally infected with scrapie or bovine isolates of C-BSE and L-BSE, respectively. Next, CSF samples collected from L-BSE infected goats during pre-symptomatic stage were also analysed. PrPL-BSE associated seeding activity was detected at early time points after experimental inoculation, with an average time of 439 days before clinical symptoms appeared. Taken together these data are indicative of the great potential of this in vitro prion amplification assay as ante-mortem TSE test for live and asymptomatic small ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Favole
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Mazza
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Vallino Costassa
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio D'Angelo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Sezione Clinica Medica, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
| | - Guerino Lombardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paola Marconi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana, Firenze, Italy
| | - Paola Crociara
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Berrone
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Marina Gallo
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Claudia Palmitessa
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Christina D Orrù
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Pier L Acutis
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Caramelli
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristiano Corona
- National Reference Laboratory of TSEs (CEA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Turin, Italy.
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30
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Cell-free prion protein conversion assays in screening for anti-prion drug candidates. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018; 44:1-7. [PMID: 30412823 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The search for medications to treat prion diseases has lasted more than 30 years but no clinically validated treatments for prion diseases of humans or livestock have been realized. A primary strategy has been to identify molecules that can inhibit the formation of pathological forms of prion protein, for example, protease-resistant forms called PrPres. Such inhibitors can prolong the lives of experimental animals inoculated peripherally with prions, but the practical therapeutic efficacy of known inhibitors against ongoing brain infections has so far been limited by toxicity, insufficient bioavailability to the CNS, and/or strain specificities. Thus, the search continues for clinically applicable inhibitors of PrPres accumulation. Here we highlight key cell-free assays that are useful for the initial screening and mechanistic characterization of such compounds and are relatively high throughput, rapid, and cost-effective. These include cell-free conversions, protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), and fluorescence correlation-based competitive binding assays.
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31
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Modified Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification Overcomes Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay Inhibitors in Deer Saliva To Detect Chronic Wasting Disease Prions. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56:JCM.00947-18. [PMID: 29950332 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00947-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease of cervids, has spread across North America and has been detected in The Republic of Korea, Finland, and Norway. CWD appears to spread by horizontal transmission, and prions shed in saliva, feces, and urine are thought to contribute. However, studies investigating the rapid spread of CWD have been hampered by assay inhibitors and a lack of consistent and sensitive means to detect the relatively low levels of prions in these samples. Here we show that saliva frequently contains an inhibitor of the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) and that the inhibitor is a member of the mucin family. To circumvent the inhibitor, we developed a modified protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) method to amplify CWD prions in saliva that were undetectable or ambiguous by RT-QuIC. Our results reinforce the impact of saliva in horizontal CWD transmission and highlight the importance of detection optimization.
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32
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Groveman BR, Orrù CD, Hughson AG, Raymond LD, Zanusso G, Ghetti B, Campbell KJ, Safar J, Galasko D, Caughey B. Rapid and ultra-sensitive quantitation of disease-associated α-synuclein seeds in brain and cerebrospinal fluid by αSyn RT-QuIC. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:7. [PMID: 29422107 PMCID: PMC5806364 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0508-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis and treatment of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies would be aided by the availability of assays for the pathogenic disease-associated forms of α-synuclein (αSynD) that are sufficiently sensitive, specific, and practical for analysis of accessible diagnostic specimens. Two recent αSynD seed amplification tests have provided the first prototypes for ultrasensitive and specific detection of αSynD in patients' cerebrospinal fluid. These prototypic assays require 5-13 days to perform. Here, we describe an improved α-synuclein real time quaking-induced conversion (αSyn RT-QuIC) assay that has similar sensitivity and specificity to the prior assays, but can be performed in 1-2 days with quantitation. Blinded analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from 29 synucleinopathy cases [12 Parkinson's and 17 dementia with Lewy bodies] and 31 non-synucleinopathy controls, including 16 Alzheimer's cases, yielded 93% diagnostic sensitivity and 100% specificity for this test so far. End-point dilution analyses allowed quantitation of relative amounts of αSynD seeding activity in cerebrospinal fluid samples, and detection in as little as 0.2 μL. These results confirm that αSynD seeding activity is present in cerebrospinal fluid. We also demonstrate that it can be rapidly detected, and quantitated, even in early symptomatic stages of synucleinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Christina D Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Lynne D Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Gianluigi Zanusso
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Katrina J Campbell
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jiri Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.
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Stravalaci M, Tapella L, Beeg M, Rossi A, Joshi P, Pizzi E, Mazzanti M, Balducci C, Forloni G, Biasini E, Salmona M, Diomede L, Chiesa R, Gobbi M. The Anti-Prion Antibody 15B3 Detects Toxic Amyloid-β Oligomers. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 53:1485-97. [PMID: 27392850 PMCID: PMC5044783 DOI: 10.3233/jad-150882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
15B3 is a monoclonal IgM antibody that selectively detects pathological aggregates of the prion protein (PrP). We report the unexpected finding that 15B3 also recognizes oligomeric but not monomeric forms of amyloid-β (Aβ)42, an aggregating peptide implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The 15B3 antibody: i) inhibits the binding of synthetic Aβ42 oligomers to recombinant PrP and neuronal membranes; ii) prevents oligomer-induced membrane depolarization; iii) antagonizes the inhibitory effects of oligomers on the physiological pharyngeal contractions of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; and iv) counteracts the memory deficits induced by intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ42 oligomers in mice. Thus this antibody binds to pathologically relevant forms of Aβ, and offers a potential research, diagnostic, and therapeutic tool for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Stravalaci
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Tapella
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Marten Beeg
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Pooja Joshi
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano (MI), Italy
| | - Erika Pizzi
- Department of Life Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Balducci
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Emiliano Biasini
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Diomede
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Chiesa
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Gobbi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
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Igel-Egalon A, Béringue V, Rezaei H, Sibille P. Prion Strains and Transmission Barrier Phenomena. Pathogens 2018; 7:E5. [PMID: 29301257 PMCID: PMC5874731 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens7010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several experimental evidences show that prions are non-conventional pathogens, which physical support consists only in proteins. This finding raised questions regarding the observed prion strain-to-strain variations and the species barrier that happened to be crossed with dramatic consequences on human health and veterinary policies during the last 3 decades. This review presents a focus on a few advances in the field of prion structure and prion strains characterization: from the historical approaches that allowed the concept of prion strains to emerge, to the last results demonstrating that a prion strain may in fact be a combination of a few quasi species with subtle biophysical specificities. Then, we will focus on the current knowledge on the factors that impact species barrier strength and species barrier crossing. Finally, we present probable scenarios on how the interaction of strain properties with host characteristics may account for differential selection of new conformer variants and eventually species barrier crossing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Igel-Egalon
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR892, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR892, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Human Rezaei
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR892, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Pierre Sibille
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, UR892, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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Manne S, Kondru N, Nichols T, Lehmkuhl A, Thomsen B, Main R, Halbur P, Dutta S, Kanthasamy AG. Ante-mortem detection of chronic wasting disease in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues from elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) using real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay: A blinded collaborative study. Prion 2017; 11:415-430. [PMID: 29098931 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2017.1368936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. Antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a TSE affecting both wild and captive populations of cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, muntjac, and most recently, wild reindeer. This study represents a well-controlled evaluation of a newly developed real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay as a potential CWD diagnostic screening test using rectal biopsy sections from a depopulated elk herd. We evaluated 69 blinded samples of recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) obtained from USDA Veterinary Services. The results were later un-blinded and statistically compared to immunohistochemical (IHC) results from the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for RAMALT, obex, and medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRPLN). Comparison of RAMALT RT-QuIC assay results with the IHC results of RAMALT revealed 92% relative sensitivity (95% confidence limits: 61.52-99.8%) and 95% relative specificity (95% confidence limits: 85.13-99%). Collectively, our results show a potential utility of the RT-QuIC assay to advance the development of a rapid, sensitive, and specific prion diagnostic assay for CWD prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sireesha Manne
- a Department of Biomedical Sciences , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Naveen Kondru
- a Department of Biomedical Sciences , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Tracy Nichols
- b United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) , National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services , Fort Collins , CO , USA
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- c USDA, National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), Veterinary Services , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Bruce Thomsen
- c USDA, National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), Veterinary Services , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Rodger Main
- d Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine , Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Patrick Halbur
- d Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine , Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Somak Dutta
- e Department of Statistics , Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
| | - Anumantha G Kanthasamy
- a Department of Biomedical Sciences , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames , IA , USA
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Cheng YC, Hannaoui S, John TR, Dudas S, Czub S, Gilch S. Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28994814 DOI: 10.3791/56373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The RT-QuIC technique is a sensitive in vitro cell-free prion amplification assay based mainly on the seeded misfolding and aggregation of recombinant prion protein (PrP) substrate using prion seeds as a template for the conversion. RT-QuIC is a novel high-throughput technique which is analogous to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Detection of amyloid fibril growth is based on the dye Thioflavin T, which fluoresces upon specific interaction with ᵦ-sheet rich proteins. Thus, amyloid formation can be detected in real time. We attempted to develop a reliable non-invasive screening test to detect chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions in fecal extract. Here, we have specifically adapted the RT-QuIC technique to reveal PrPSc seeding activity in feces of CWD infected cervids. Initially, the seeding activity of the fecal extracts we prepared was relatively low in RT-QuIC, possibly due to potential assay inhibitors in the fecal material. To improve seeding activity of feces extracts and remove potential assay inhibitors, we homogenized the fecal samples in a buffer containing detergents and protease inhibitors. We also submitted the samples to different methodologies to concentrate PrPSc on the basis of protein precipitation using sodium phosphotungstic acid, and centrifugal force. Finally, the feces extracts were tested by optimized RT-QuIC which included substrate replacement in the protocol to improve the sensitivity of detection. Thus, we established a protocol for sensitive detection of CWD prion seeding activity in feces of pre-clinical and clinical cervids by RT-QuIC, which can be a practical tool for non-invasive CWD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Ching Cheng
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Units, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Units, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
| | | | - Sandor Dudas
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge Laboratories
| | - Stefanie Czub
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge Laboratories
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Units, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary;
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Candelise N, Schmitz M, Da Silva Correia SM, Arora AS, Villar-Piqué A, Zafar S, Llorens F, Cramm M, Zerr I. Applications of the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay in diagnosis, prion strain-typing, drug pre-screening and other amyloidopathies. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2017; 17:897-904. [PMID: 28817974 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2017.1368389] [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] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The development of in vitro protein misfolding amplification assays for the detection and analysis of abnormally folded proteins, such as proteinase K resistant prion protein (PrPres) was a major innovation in the prion field. In prion diseases, these types of assays imitate the pathological conversion of the cellular PrP (PrPC) into a proteinase resistant associated conformer or amyloid, called PrPres. Areas covered: The most prominent protein misfolding amplification assays are the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), which is based on sonication and the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) technique based on shaking. The more recently established RT-QuIC is fully automatic and enables the monitoring of misfolded protein aggregates in real-time by using a fluorescent dye. Expert commentary: RT-QuIC is a very robust and highly reproducible test system which is applicable in diagnosis, prion strain-typing, drug pre-screening and other amyloidopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Susana Margarida Da Silva Correia
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Amandeep Singh Arora
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Anna Villar-Piqué
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- b Department of Neuropathology , Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Maria Cramm
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
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Caughey B, Orru CD, Groveman BR, Hughson AG, Manca M, Raymond LD, Raymond GJ, Race B, Saijo E, Kraus A. Amplified Detection of Prions and Other Amyloids by RT-QuIC in Diagnostics and the Evaluation of Therapeutics and Disinfectants. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:375-388. [PMID: 28838670 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Among the most sensitive, specific and practical of methods for detecting prions are the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays. These assays exploit the fundamental self-propagating activity of prions to amplify the presence of prion seeds by as much as a trillion-fold. The reactions can detect most of the known mammalian prion diseases, often with sensitivities greater than those of animal bioassays. RT-QuIC assays are performed in multiwell plates with fluorescence detection and have now reached the sensitivity and practicality required for routine prion disease diagnostics. Some key strains of prions within particular host species, e.g., humans, cattle, and sheep, can be discriminated by comparison of RT-QuIC responses with different recombinant prion protein substrates. The most thoroughly validated diagnostic application of RT-QuIC is in the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) using cerebrospinal fluid. Diagnostic sensitivities as high as 96% can be achieved in less than 24h with specificities of 98%-100%. The ability, if needed, to also test nasal swab samples can increase the RT-QuIC sensitivity for sCJD to virtually 100%. In addition to diagnostic applications, RT-QuIC has also been used in the testing of prion disinfectants and potential therapeutics. Mechanistically related assays are also now being developed for other protein misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States.
| | - Christina D Orru
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Matteo Manca
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Lynne D Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Gregory J Raymond
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Eri Saijo
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Allison Kraus
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
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Henderson DM, Tennant JM, Haley NJ, Denkers ND, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Detection of chronic wasting disease prion seeding activity in deer and elk feces by real-time quaking-induced conversion. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:1953-1962. [PMID: 28703697 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emergent prion disease affecting cervid species in North America, Canada, South Korea, and recently, Norway. Detection of CWD has been advanced by techniques that rely on amplification of low levels of prion amyloid to a detectable level. However, the increased sensitivity of amplification assays is often compromised by inhibitors and/or activators in complex biologic samples including body fluids, excreta, or the environment. Here, we adapt real-time quaking-induced conversion conditions to specifically detect CWD prions in fecal samples from both experimentally infected deer and naturally infected elk and estimate environmental contamination. The results have application to detection, surveillance and management of CWD, and potentially to other protein-misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin M Henderson
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Joanne M Tennant
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nicholas J Haley
- Department of Microbiology and Pathology, Midwestern State University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Edward A Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Prion Diagnosis: Application of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:5413936. [PMID: 28596963 PMCID: PMC5449729 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5413936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prions composed of pathogenic scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) are infectious pathogens that cause progressive neurological conditions known as prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Although these diseases pose considerable risk to public health, procedures for early diagnosis have not been established. One of the most recent attempts at sensitive and specific detection of prions is the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) method, which measures the activity of PrPSc aggregates or amyloid formation triggered by PrPSc seeds in the presence of recombinant PrP. In this review, we summarize prions, prion diseases, and current approaches to diagnosis, including the principle, conditions for assay performance, and current diagnostic applications of RT-QuIC.
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Kondru N, Manne S, Greenlee J, West Greenlee H, Anantharam V, Halbur P, Kanthasamy A, Kanthasamy A. Integrated Organotypic Slice Cultures and RT-QuIC (OSCAR) Assay: Implications for Translational Discovery in Protein Misfolding Diseases. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43155. [PMID: 28233859 PMCID: PMC5324099 DOI: 10.1038/srep43155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding is a key pathological event in neurodegenerative diseases like prion diseases, synucleinopathies, and tauopathies that are collectively termed protein misfolding disorders. Prions are a prototypic model to study protein aggregation biology and therapeutic development. Attempts to develop anti-prion therapeutics have been impeded by the lack of screening models that faithfully replicate prion diseases and the lack of rapid, sensitive biological screening systems. Therefore, a sensitive model encompassing prion replication and neurotoxicity would be indispensable to the pursuit of intervention strategies. We present an ultra-sensitive screening system coupled to an ex vivo prion organotypic slice culture model to rapidly advance rationale-based high-throughput therapeutic strategies. This hybrid Organotypic Slice Culture Assay coupled with RT-QuIC (OSCAR) permits sensitive, specific and quantitative detection of prions from an infectious slice culture model on a reduced time scale. We demonstrate that the anti-prion activity of test compounds can be readily resolved based on the power and kinetics of seeding activity in the OSCAR screening platform and that the prions generated in slice cultures are biologically active. Collectively, our results imply that OSCAR is a robust model of prion diseases that offers a promising platform for understanding prion proteinopathies and advancing anti-prion therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kondru
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Sireesha Manne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Justin Greenlee
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Heather West Greenlee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Vellareddy Anantharam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Patrick Halbur
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Arthi Kanthasamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Anumantha Kanthasamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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Anti-Prion Screening for Acridine, Dextran, and Tannic Acid using Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion: A Comparison with PrPSc-Infected Cell Screening. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170266. [PMID: 28095474 PMCID: PMC5240994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion propagation is mediated by the structural alteration of normal prion protein (PrPC) to generate pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc). To date, compounds for the inhibition of prion propagation have mainly been screened using PrPSc-infected cells. Real time-quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is one alternative screening method. In this study, we assessed the propagation inhibition effects of known anti-prion compounds using RT-QuIC and compared the results with those from a PrPSc-infected cell assay. Compounds were applied to RT-QuIC reactions at 0 h or 22 h after prion propagation to determine whether they inhibited propagation or reduced amplified aggregates. RT-QuIC reactions in presence of acridine, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and tannic acid inhibited seeded aggregation with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at 0 h. After treatment at 22 h, amplified fluorescence was decreased in wells treated with either acridine or tannic acid. Compound activities were verified by western blot of RT-QuIC products and in a dye-independent conversion assay, the Multimer Detection System. Protease K-resistant PrPSc fragments (PrPres) were reduced by DSS and tannic acid in the PrPSc-infected cell assay. Importantly, these inhibitory effects were similar despite different treatment times (0 h versus 3 days). Consequentially, RT-QuIC enabled the more specific classification of compounds according to action (i.e., inhibition of prion propagation versus reduction of amplified aggregates). RT-QuIC addresses the limitations of cell-based screening methods and can be used to further aid our understanding of the mechanisms of action of anti-prion compounds.
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PrP Knockout Cells Expressing Transmembrane PrP Resist Prion Infection. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01686-16. [PMID: 27847358 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01686-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring of the prion protein (PrPC) influences PrPC misfolding into the disease-associated isoform, PrPres, as well as prion propagation and infectivity. GPI proteins are found in cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich membrane regions called rafts. Exchanging the GPI anchor for a nonraft transmembrane sequence redirects PrPC away from rafts. Previous studies showed that nonraft transmembrane PrPC variants resist conversion to PrPres when transfected into scrapie-infected N2a neuroblastoma cells, likely due to segregation of transmembrane PrPC and GPI-anchored PrPres in distinct membrane environments. Thus, it remained unclear whether transmembrane PrPC might convert to PrPres if seeded by an exogenous source of PrPres not associated with host cell rafts and without the potential influence of endogenous expression of GPI-anchored PrPC To further explore these questions, constructs containing either a C-terminal wild-type GPI anchor signal sequence or a nonraft transmembrane sequence containing a flexible linker were expressed in a cell line derived from PrP knockout hippocampal neurons, NpL2. NpL2 cells have physiological similarities to primary neurons, representing a novel and advantageous model for studying transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) infection. Cells were infected with inocula from multiple prion strains and in different biochemical states (i.e., membrane bound as in brain microsomes from wild-type mice or purified GPI-anchorless amyloid fibrils). Only GPI-anchored PrPC supported persistent PrPres propagation. Our data provide strong evidence that in cell culture GPI anchor-directed membrane association of PrPC is required for persistent PrPres propagation, implicating raft microdomains as a location for conversion. IMPORTANCE Mechanisms of prion propagation, and what makes them transmissible, are poorly understood. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchoring of the prion protein (PrPC) directs it to specific regions of cell membranes called rafts. In order to test the importance of the raft environment on prion propagation, we developed a novel model for prion infection where cells expressing either GPI-anchored PrPC or transmembrane-anchored PrPC, which partitions it to a different location, were treated with infectious, misfolded forms of the prion protein, PrPres We show that only GPI-anchored PrPC was able to convert to PrPres and able to serially propagate. The results strongly suggest that GPI anchoring and the localization of PrPC to rafts are crucial to the ability of PrPC to propagate as a prion.
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Bougard D, Brandel JP, Belondrade M, Beringue V, Segarra C, Fleury H, Laplanche JL, Mayran C, Nicot S, Green A, Welaratne A, Narbey D, Fournier-Wirth C, Knight R, Will R, Tiberghien P, Hai k S, Coste J. Detection of prions in the plasma of presymptomatic and symptomatic patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Sci Transl Med 2016; 8:370ra182. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aag1257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Alibhai J, Blanco RA, Barria MA, Piccardo P, Caughey B, Perry VH, Freeman TC, Manson JC. Distribution of Misfolded Prion Protein Seeding Activity Alone Does Not Predict Regions of Neurodegeneration. PLoS Biol 2016; 14:e1002579. [PMID: 27880767 PMCID: PMC5120774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding is common across many neurodegenerative diseases, with misfolded proteins acting as seeds for "prion-like" conversion of normally folded protein to abnormal conformations. A central hypothesis is that misfolded protein accumulation, spread, and distribution are restricted to specific neuronal populations of the central nervous system and thus predict regions of neurodegeneration. We examined this hypothesis using a highly sensitive assay system for detection of misfolded protein seeds in a murine model of prion disease. Misfolded prion protein (PrP) seeds were observed widespread throughout the brain, accumulating in all brain regions examined irrespective of neurodegeneration. Importantly, neither time of exposure nor amount of misfolded protein seeds present determined regions of neurodegeneration. We further demonstrate two distinct microglia responses in prion-infected brains: a novel homeostatic response in all regions and an innate immune response restricted to sites of neurodegeneration. Therefore, accumulation of misfolded prion protein alone does not define targeting of neurodegeneration, which instead results only when misfolded prion protein accompanies a specific innate immune response. The distribution of misfolded prion protein seeding activity alone does not predict regions of neurodegeneration in prion disease; rather, a complex microglial response appears to determine selective vulnerability and provides new strategies for therapy. Normal brain function requires tight regulation of protein folding; when this goes wrong, proteins can fold into abnormal conformations, which have severe impacts on brain performance, leading to conditions like dementia. Previous studies show that abnormally folded proteins are found in restricted parts of the brain, and neuronal cells in these specific brain regions have been shown to undergo degeneration. Recent technological advances have enhanced the detection of abnormally folded prion protein (PrP) during disease; we used these technologies to test whether distribution of abnormally folded proteins is indeed restricted to regions of the brain undergoing degeneration. Surprisingly, we observed abnormally folded proteins throughout the brain, demonstrating that these proteins can accumulate in parts of the brain that do not show degeneration. Thus, the distribution of abnormally folded protein, by itself, is not sufficient for neuronal degeneration. In addition, we found that microglia (one of the nonneuronal cell types in the brain) change their response during prion disease in two different ways; one response is associated with resilient brain regions, and the second, an inflammatory response is associated with regions susceptible to degeneration. Thus, the microglial response appears to be important in determining the outcome of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Alibhai
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. Blanco
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelo A. Barria
- The National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro Piccardo
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - V. Hugh Perry
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Tom C. Freeman
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jean C. Manson
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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46
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Cheng YC, Hannaoui S, John TR, Dudas S, Czub S, Gilch S. Early and Non-Invasive Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions in Elk Feces by Real-Time Quaking Induced Conversion. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166187. [PMID: 27829062 PMCID: PMC5102397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of wild and captive cervids in North America. Prions are infectious agents composed of a misfolded version of a host-encoded protein, termed PrPSc. Infected cervids excrete and secrete prions, contributing to lateral transmission. Geographical distribution is expanding and case numbers in wild cervids are increasing. Recently, the first European cases of CWD have been reported in a wild reindeer and two moose from Norway. Therefore, methods to detect the infection early in the incubation time using easily available samples are desirable to facilitate effective disease management. We have adapted the real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, a sensitive in vitro prion amplification method, for pre-clinical detection of prion seeding activity in elk feces. Testing fecal samples from orally inoculated elk taken at various time points post infection revealed early shedding and detectable prion seeding activity throughout the disease course. Early shedding was also found in two elk encoding a PrP genotype associated with reduced susceptibility for CWD. In summary, we suggest that detection of CWD prions in feces by RT-QuIC may become a useful tool to support CWD surveillance in wild and captive cervids. The finding of early shedding independent of the elk’s prion protein genotype raises the question whether prolonged survival is beneficial, considering accumulation of environmental prions and its contribution to CWD transmission upon extended duration of shedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Ching Cheng
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Samia Hannaoui
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Theodore R. John
- Dept. of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, United States of America
| | - Sandor Dudas
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge Laboratories, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Stefanie Czub
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Lethbridge Laboratories, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Dept. of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Schmitz M, Cramm M, Llorens F, Müller-Cramm D, Collins S, Atarashi R, Satoh K, Orrù CD, Groveman BR, Zafar S, Schulz-Schaeffer WJ, Caughey B, Zerr I. The real-time quaking-induced conversion assay for detection of human prion disease and study of other protein misfolding diseases. Nat Protoc 2016; 11:2233-2242. [PMID: 27735933 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The development and adaption of in vitro misfolded protein amplification systems has been a major innovation in the detection of abnormally folded prion protein scrapie (PrPSc) in human brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. Herein, we describe a fast and efficient protein amplification technique, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), for the detection of a PrPSc seed in human brain and CSF. In contrast to other in vitro misfolded protein amplification assays-such as protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA)-which are based on sonication, the RT-QuIC technique is based on prion seed-induced misfolding and aggregation of recombinant prion protein substrate, accelerated by alternating cycles of shaking and rest in fluorescence plate readers. A single RT-QuIC assay typically analyzes up to 32 samples in triplicate, using a 96-well-plate format. From sample preparation to analysis of results, the protocol takes ∼87 h to complete. In addition to diagnostics, this technique has substantial generic analytical applications, including drug screening, prion strain discrimination, biohazard screening (e.g., to reduce transmission risk related to prion diseases) and the study of protein misfolding; in addition, it can potentially be used for the investigation of other protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Cramm
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Müller-Cramm
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Steven Collins
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ryuichiro Atarashi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Katsuya Satoh
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Christina D Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Walter J Schulz-Schaeffer
- Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
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Inactivation of Prions and Amyloid Seeds with Hypochlorous Acid. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005914. [PMID: 27685252 PMCID: PMC5042475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is produced naturally by neutrophils and other cells to kill conventional microbes in vivo. Synthetic preparations containing HOCl can also be effective as microbial disinfectants. Here we have tested whether HOCl can also inactivate prions and other self-propagating protein amyloid seeds. Prions are deadly pathogens that are notoriously difficult to inactivate, and standard microbial disinfection protocols are often inadequate. Recommended treatments for prion decontamination include strongly basic (pH ≥~12) sodium hypochlorite bleach, ≥1 N sodium hydroxide, and/or prolonged autoclaving. These treatments are damaging and/or unsuitable for many clinical, agricultural and environmental applications. We have tested the anti-prion activity of a weakly acidic aqueous formulation of HOCl (BrioHOCl) that poses no apparent hazard to either users or many surfaces. For example, BrioHOCl can be applied directly to skin and mucous membranes and has been aerosolized to treat entire rooms without apparent deleterious effects. Here, we demonstrate that immersion in BrioHOCl can inactivate not only a range of target microbes, including spores of Bacillus subtilis, but also prions in tissue suspensions and on stainless steel. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays showed that BrioHOCl treatments eliminated all detectable prion seeding activity of human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cervine chronic wasting disease, sheep scrapie and hamster scrapie; these findings indicated reductions of ≥103- to 106-fold. Transgenic mouse bioassays showed that all detectable hamster-adapted scrapie infectivity in brain homogenates or on steel wires was eliminated, representing reductions of ≥~105.75-fold and >104-fold, respectively. Inactivation of RT-QuIC seeding activity correlated with free chlorine concentration and higher order aggregation or destruction of proteins generally, including prion protein. BrioHOCl treatments had similar effects on amyloids composed of human α-synuclein and a fragment of human tau. These results indicate that HOCl can block the self-propagating activity of prions and other amyloids. Many serious diseases have been linked to pathogenic states of various proteins. These naturally occurring proteins can be corrupted to form aggregates such as prions and amyloids that propagate in and between tissues by acting as seeds that convert the normal form of the protein into more of the pathological form. For example, corrupted prion protein can cause fatal transmissible neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, chronic wasting disease in cervids and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Other amyloid-forming protein aggregates are pathogenic in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. The fact that prions and amyloids are composed predominantly of tough, tightly packed proteins makes them unusually resistant to conventional microbial disinfection procedures. Infectious prions can persist indefinitely in, or on, a variety of materials such as tissues, fluids, tools, instruments, and environmental surfaces, making it important to identify decontaminants that are effective without being dangerous or damaging. Here we show that hypochlorous acid, a disinfectant that is produced naturally by certain cells within the body, has strong anti-prion and anti-amyloid activity. We find that a non-irritating and broadly applicable hypochlorous acid preparation can disinfect prions in tissue homogenates and on stainless steel wires serving as surrogates for surgical instruments.
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Cervenakova L, Saá P, Yakovleva O, Vasilyeva I, de Castro J, Brown P, Dodd R. Are prions transported by plasma exosomes? Transfus Apher Sci 2016; 55:70-83. [PMID: 27499183 DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Blood has been shown to contain disease-associated misfolded prion protein (PrP(TSE)) in animals naturally and experimentally infected with various transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents, and in humans infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Recently, we have demonstrated PrP(TSE) in extracellular vesicle preparations (EVs) containing exosomes from plasma of mice infected with mouse-adapted vCJD by Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA). Here we report the detection of PrP(TSE) by PMCA in EVs from plasma of mice infected with Fukuoka-1 (FU), an isolate from a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease patient. We used Tga20 transgenic mice that over-express mouse cellular prion protein, to assay by intracranial injections the level of infectivity in a FU-infected brain homogenate from wild-type mice (FU-BH), and in blood cellular components (BCC), consisting of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, plasma EVs, and plasma EVs subjected to multiple rounds of PMCA. Only FU-BH and plasma EVs from FU-infected mice subjected to PMCA that contained PrP(TSE) transmitted disease to Tga20 mice. Plasma EVs not subjected to PMCA and BCC from FU-infected mice failed to transmit disease. These findings confirm the high sensitivity of PMCA for PrP(TSE) detection in plasma EVs and the efficiency of this in vitro method to produce highly infectious prions. The results of our study encourage further research to define the role of EVs and, more specifically exosomes, as blood-borne carriers of PrP(TSE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Cervenakova
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
| | - Paula Saá
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Oksana Yakovleva
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA; The Laboratory of Bacterial and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents, DETTD, OBRR, CBER, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Irina Vasilyeva
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Jorge de Castro
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Paul Brown
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Roger Dodd
- Scientific Affairs, American National Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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50
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Schmitz M, Cramm M, Llorens F, Candelise N, Müller-Cramm D, Varges D, Schulz-Schaeffer WJ, Zafar S, Zerr I. Application of an in vitro-amplification assay as a novel pre-screening test for compounds inhibiting the aggregation of prion protein scrapie. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28711. [PMID: 27385410 PMCID: PMC4935936 DOI: 10.1038/srep28711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro amplification assays, such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) are used to detect aggregation activity of misfolded prion protein (PrP) in brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine samples from patients with a prion disease. We believe that the method also has a much broader application spectrum. In the present study, we applied RT-QuIC as a pre-screening test for substances that potentially inhibit the aggregation process of the cellular PrP (PrP(C)) to proteinase (PK)-resistant PrP(res). We chose doxycycline as the test substance as it has been tested successfully in animal models and proposed in clinical studies as a therapeutic for prion diseases. The RT-QuIC-reaction was seeded with brain tissue or CSF from sCJD patients and doxycycline was then added in different concentrations as well as at different time points. In both experiments, we observed a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of the RT-QuIC seeding response and a decrease of PK resistant PrP(res) when doxycycline was added. In contrast, ampicillin or sucrose had no effect on the RT-QuIC seeding response. Our study is the first to apply RT-QuIC as a pre-screening assay for compounds inhibiting the PrP aggregation in vitro and confirms that doxycycline is an efficient inhibitor of the PrP aggregation process in RT-QuIC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Cramm
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Niccolò Candelise
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Müller-Cramm
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Varges
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, Göttingen, Germany
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