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Awada C, Saporito AF, Zelikoff JT, Klein CB. E-Cigarette Exposure Alters Neuroinflammation Gene and Protein Expression in a Murine Model: Insights from Perinatally Exposed Offspring and Post-Birth Mothers. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:322. [PMID: 38540381 PMCID: PMC10970539 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of E-cigarettes, often considered a safer alternative to traditional smoking, has been associated with high rates of cellular toxicity, genetic alterations, and inflammation. Neuroinflammatory impacts of cigarette smoking during pregnancy have been associated with increased risks of adverse childhood health outcomes; however, it is still relatively unknown if the same propensity is conferred on offspring by maternal vaping during gestation. Results from our previous mouse inhalation studies suggest such a connection. In this earlier study, pregnant C57BL/6 mice were exposed daily to inhaled E-cig aerosols (i.e., propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, [PG/VG]), with or without nicotine (16 mg/mL) by whole-body inhalation throughout gestation (3 h/d; 5 d/week; total ~3-week) and continuing postnatally from post-natal day (PND) 4-21. As neuroinflammation is involved in the dysregulation of glucose homeostasis and weight gain, this study aimed to explore genes associated with these pathways in 1-mo.-old offspring (equivalent in humans to 12-18 years of age). Results in the offspring demonstrated a significant increase in glucose metabolism protein levels in both treatment groups compared to filtered air controls. Gene expression analysis in the hypothalamus of 1 mo. old offspring exposed perinatally to E-cig aerosols, with and without nicotine, revealed significantly increased gene expression changes in multiple genes associated with neuroinflammation. In a second proof-of-principal parallel study employing the same experimental design, we shifted our focus to the hippocampus of the postpartum mothers. We targeted the mRNA levels of several neurotrophic factors (NTFs) indicative of neuroinflammation. While there were suggestive changes in mRNA expression in this study, levels failed to reach statistical significance. These studies highlight the need for ongoing research on E-cig-induced alterations in neuroinflammatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Awada
- Division of Environmental Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA; (A.F.S.); (J.T.Z.); (C.B.K.)
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Harnessing the Physiological Functions of Cellular Prion Protein in the Kidneys: Applications for Treating Renal Diseases. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060784. [PMID: 34067472 PMCID: PMC8224798 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a ubiquitous cell surface glycoprotein, and its physiological functions have been receiving increased attention. Endogenous PrPC is present in various kidney tissues and undergoes glomerular filtration. In prion diseases, abnormal prion proteins are found to accumulate in renal tissues and filtered into urine. Urinary prion protein could serve as a diagnostic biomarker. PrPC plays a role in cellular signaling pathways, reno-protective effects, and kidney iron uptake. PrPC signaling affects mitochondrial function via the ERK pathway and is affected by the regulatory influence of microRNAs, small molecules, and signaling proteins. Targeting PrPC in acute and chronic kidney disease could help improve iron homeostasis, ameliorate damage from ischemia/reperfusion injury, and enhance the efficacy of mesenchymal stem/stromal cell or extracellular vesicle-based therapeutic strategies. PrPC may also be under the influence of BMP/Smad signaling and affect the progression of TGF-β-related renal fibrosis. PrPC conveys TNF-α resistance in some renal cancers, and therefore, the coadministration of anti-PrPC antibodies improves chemotherapy. PrPC can be used to design antibody-drug conjugates, aptamer-drug conjugates, and customized tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases to suppress cancer. With preclinical studies demonstrating promising results, further research on PrPC in the kidney may lead to innovative PrPC-based therapeutic strategies for renal disease.
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Onur P, Shaver M, Iqbal MA. Interstitial 20p13 microdeletion including PRNP and adjacent genes in a fetus with congenital abnormalities-First case report. Clin Case Rep 2021; 9:e04082. [PMID: 34084500 PMCID: PMC8142463 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.4082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a prenatal case with congenital anomalies that revealed a 759 kb microdeletion at 20p13 possibly implicating PRNP and adjacent genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelin Onur
- Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNYUSA
| | - Mary Shaver
- Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNYUSA
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The Role of Cellular Prion Protein in Promoting Stemness and Differentiation in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13020170. [PMID: 33418999 PMCID: PMC7825291 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13020170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Aside from its well-established role in prion disorders, in the last decades the significance of cellular prion protein (PrPC) expression in human cancers has attracted great attention. An extensive body of work provided evidence that PrPC contributes to tumorigenesis by regulating tumor growth, differentiation, and resistance to conventional therapies. In particular, PrPC over-expression has been related to the acquisition of a malignant phenotype of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in a variety of solid tumors, encompassing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers, and primary brain tumors as well. According to consensus, increased levels of PrPC endow CSCs with self-renewal, proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities, along with increased resistance to anti-cancer agents. In addition, increasing evidence demonstrates that PrPc also participates in multi-protein complexes to modulate the oncogenic properties of CSCs, thus sustaining tumorigenesis. Therefore, strategies aimed at targeting PrPC and/or PrPC-organized complexes could be a promising approach for anti-cancer therapy. Abstract Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is seminal to modulate a variety of baseline cell functions to grant homeostasis. The classic role of such a protein was defined as a chaperone-like molecule being able to rescue cell survival. Nonetheless, PrPC also represents the precursor of the deleterious misfolded variant known as scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). This variant is detrimental in a variety of prion disorders. This multi-faceted role of PrP is greatly increased by recent findings showing how PrPC in its folded conformation may foster tumor progression by acting at multiple levels. The present review focuses on such a cancer-promoting effect. The manuscript analyzes recent findings on the occurrence of PrPC in various cancers and discusses the multiple effects, which sustain cancer progression. Within this frame, the effects of PrPC on stemness and differentiation are discussed. A special emphasis is provided on the spreading of PrPC and the epigenetic effects, which are induced in neighboring cells to activate cancer-related genes. These detrimental effects are further discussed in relation to the aberrancy of its physiological and beneficial role on cell homeostasis. A specific paragraph is dedicated to the role of PrPC beyond its effects in the biology of cancer to represent a potential biomarker in the follow up of patients following surgical resection.
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Passet B, Castille J, Makhzami S, Truchet S, Vaiman A, Floriot S, Moazami-Goudarzi K, Vilotte M, Gaillard AL, Helary L, Bertaud M, Andréoletti O, Vaiman D, Calvel P, Daniel-Carlier N, Moudjou M, Beauvallet C, Benharouga M, Laloé D, Mouillet-Richard S, Duchesne A, Béringue V, Vilotte JL. The Prion-like protein Shadoo is involved in mouse embryonic and mammary development and differentiation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6765. [PMID: 32317725 PMCID: PMC7174383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63805-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Shadoo belongs to the prion protein family, an evolutionary conserved and extensively studied family due to the implication of PrP in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. However, the biological function of these genes remains poorly understood. While Sprn-knockdown experiments suggested an involvement of Shadoo during mouse embryonic development, Sprn-knockout experiments in 129Pas/C57BL/6J or 129Pas/FVB/NCr mice did not confirm it. In the present study, we analyzed the impact of Sprn gene invalidation in a pure FVB/NJ genetic background, using a zinc finger nuclease approach. The in-depth analysis of the derived knockout transgenic mice revealed a significant increase in embryonic lethality at early post-implantation stages, a growth retardation of young Sprn-knockout pups fed by wild type mice and a lactation defect of Sprn-knockout females. Histological and transcriptional analyses of knockout E7.5 embryos, E14.5 placentas and G7.5 mammary glands revealed specific roles of the Shadoo protein in mouse early embryogenesis, tissue development and differentiation with a potential antagonist action between PrP and Shadoo. This study thus highlights the entanglement between the proteins of the prion family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Passet
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Johan Castille
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Samira Makhzami
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sandrine Truchet
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Anne Vaiman
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sandrine Floriot
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Marthe Vilotte
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Anne-Laure Gaillard
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Louise Helary
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Maud Bertaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, UMR 8504 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Calvel
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Mohammed Moudjou
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Christian Beauvallet
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Denis Laloé
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Amandine Duchesne
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR1313-GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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Fremuntova Z, Mosko T, Soukup J, Kucerova J, Kostelanska M, Hanusova ZB, Filipova M, Cervenakova L, Holada K. Changes in cellular prion protein expression, processing and localisation during differentiation of the neuronal cell line CAD 5. Biol Cell 2019; 112:1-21. [PMID: 31736091 DOI: 10.1111/boc.201900045] [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] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Cellular prion protein (PrPC ) is infamous for its role in prion diseases. The physiological function of PrPC remains enigmatic, but several studies point to its involvement in cell differentiation processes. To test this possibility, we monitored PrPC changes during the differentiation of prion-susceptible CAD 5 cells, and then we analysed the effect of PrPC ablation on the differentiation process. RESULTS Neuronal CAD 5 cells differentiate within 5 days of serum withdrawal, with the majority of the cells developing long neurites. This process is accompanied by an up to sixfold increase in PrPC expression and enhanced N-terminal β-cleavage of the protein, which suggests a role for the PrPC in the differentiation process. Moreover, the majority of PrPC in differentiated cells is inside the cell, and a large proportion of the protein does not associate with membrane lipid rafts. In contrast, PrPC in proliferating cells is found mostly on the cytoplasmic membrane and is predominantly associated with lipid rafts. To determine the importance of PrPC in cell differentiation, a CAD 5 PrP-/- cell line with ablated PrPC expression was created using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We observed no considerable difference in morphology, proliferation rate or expression of molecular markers between CAD 5 and CAD 5 PrP-/- cells during the differentiation initiated by serum withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS PrPC characteristics, such as cell localisation, level of expression and posttranslational modifications, change during CAD 5 cell differentiation, but PrPC ablation does not change the course of the differentiation process. SIGNIFICANCE Ablation of PrPC expression does not affect CAD 5 cell differentiation, although we observed many intriguing changes in PrPC features during the process. Our study does not support the concept that PrPC is important for neuronal cell differentiation, at least in simple in vitro conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Fremuntova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Mosko
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Soukup
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Johanka Kucerova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Kostelanska
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenka Backovska Hanusova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Filipova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Karel Holada
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Thellung S, Corsaro A, Bosio AG, Zambito M, Barbieri F, Mazzanti M, Florio T. Emerging Role of Cellular Prion Protein in the Maintenance and Expansion of Glioma Stem Cells. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111458. [PMID: 31752162 PMCID: PMC6912268 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a membrane-anchored glycoprotein representing the physiological counterpart of PrP scrapie (PrPSc), which plays a pathogenetic role in prion diseases. Relatively little information is however available about physiological role of PrPC. Although PrPC ablation in mice does not induce lethal phenotypes, impairment of neuronal and bone marrow plasticity was reported in embryos and adult animals. In neurons, PrPC stimulates neurite growth, prevents oxidative stress-dependent cell death, and favors antiapoptotic signaling. However, PrPC activity is not restricted to post-mitotic neurons, but promotes cell proliferation and migration during embryogenesis and tissue regeneration in adult. PrPC acts as scaffold to stabilize the binding between different membrane receptors, growth factors, and basement proteins, contributing to tumorigenesis. Indeed, ablation of PrPC expression reduces cancer cell proliferation and migration and restores cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. Conversely, PrPC overexpression in cancer stem cells (CSCs) from different tumors, including gliomas—the most malignant brain tumors—is predictive for poor prognosis, and correlates with relapses. The mechanisms of the PrPC role in tumorigenesis and its molecular partners in this activity are the topic of the present review, with a particular focus on PrPC contribution to glioma CSCs multipotency, invasiveness, and tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Thellung
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessia G. Bosio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Martina Zambito
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Federica Barbieri
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Michele Mazzanti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
| | - Tullio Florio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
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Velho A, Wang H, Koenig L, Grant KE, Menezes ES, Kaya A, Moura A, Memili E. Expression dynamics of Integrin Subunit Beta 5 in bovine gametes and embryos imply functions in male fertility and early embryonic development. Andrologia 2019; 51:e13305. [PMID: 31090238 DOI: 10.1111/and.13305] [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] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrins have been shown to act as signalling receptors, and they primarily recognise extracellular matrix ligands on the oocyte surface. However, their possible roles in oocyte activation and embryo development are not clearly understood. The objectives of this study were to evaluate expression of Integrin Subunit Beta 5 (ITGβ5) in bovine sperm, oocytes, and early embryos and to ascertain the evolutionary conservation of ITGβ5. To accomplish these objectives, we used western blotting to study expression levels of ITGβ5 protein in sperm and RT-qPCR to determine expression levels of ITGβ5 transcripts in oocytes and embryos. We have also used bioinformatic analysis to determine the evolutionary conservation of the ITGβ5 protein among various species. Western blotting showed that ITGβ5 protein was detectable in bull sperm. Moreover, results of RT-qPCR showed that levels of ITGβ5 were significantly higher in the two-cell embryos, followed by the 8-16-cell embryos. However, no significant difference in expression levels were noted for the morula and blastocyst stages as compared to MII oocytes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that ITGβ5 is conserved among various species. We conclude that expression of ITGβ5 in bovine gametes and embryos implies an important role in fertilisation and embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Velho
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Hongfeng Wang
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Leslie Koenig
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Kamilah E Grant
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Erika S Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Arlindo Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
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Hirsch TZ, Martin-Lannerée S, Mouillet-Richard S. Functions of the Prion Protein. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:1-34. [PMID: 28838656 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Although initially disregarded compared to prion pathogenesis, the functions exerted by the cellular prion protein PrPC have gained much interest over the past two decades. Research aiming at unraveling PrPC functions started to intensify when it became appreciated that it would give clues as to how it is subverted in the context of prion infection and, more recently, in the context of Alzheimer's disease. It must now be admitted that PrPC is implicated in an incredible variety of biological processes, including neuronal homeostasis, stem cell fate, protection against stress, or cell adhesion. It appears that these diverse roles can all be fulfilled through the involvement of PrPC in cell signaling events. Our aim here is to provide an overview of our current understanding of PrPC functions from the animal to the molecular scale and to highlight some of the remaining gaps that should be addressed in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Z Hirsch
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- INSERM UMR 1124, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR 1124, Paris, France.
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Infectious Prions in the Pregnancy Microenvironment of Chronic Wasting Disease-Infected Reeves' Muntjac Deer. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00501-17. [PMID: 28539446 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00501-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample evidence exists for the presence of infectious agents at the maternal-fetal interface, often with grave outcomes to the developing fetus (i.e., Zika virus, brucella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasma). While less studied, pregnancy-related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) have been implicated in several species, including humans. Our previous work has shown that prions can be transferred from mother to offspring, resulting in the development of clinical TSE disease in offspring born to muntjac dams infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) (1). We further demonstrated protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA)-competent prions within the female reproductive tract and in fetal tissues harvested from CWD experimentally and naturally exposed cervids (1, 2). To assess whether the PMCA-competent prions residing at the maternal-fetal interface were infectious and to determine if the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) methodology may enhance our ability to detect amyloid fibrils within the pregnancy microenvironment, we employed a mouse bioassay and RT-QuIC. In this study, we have demonstrated RT-QuIC seeding activity in uterus, placentome, ovary, and amniotic fluid but not in allantoic fluids harvested from CWD-infected Reeves' muntjac dams showing clinical signs of infection (clinically CWD-infected) and in some placentomes from pre-clinically CWD-infected dams. Prion infectivity was confirmed within the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placentome, the semipermeable interface that sustains the developing fetus, of CWD-infected dams. This is the first report of prion infectivity within the cervid pregnancy microenvironment, revealing a source of fetal CWD exposure prior to the birthing process, maternal grooming, or encounters with contaminated environments.IMPORTANCE The facile dissemination of chronic wasting disease within captive and free-range cervid populations has led to questions regarding the transmission dynamics of this disease. Direct contact with infected animals and indirect contact with infectious prions in bodily fluids and contaminated environments are suspected to explain the majority of this transmission. A third mode of transmission, from mother to offspring, may be underappreciated. The presence of pregnancy-related prion infectivity within the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placental structure reveals that the developing fetus is exposed to a source of prions long before exposure to the infectious agent during and after the birthing process or via contact with contaminated environments. These findings have impact on our current concept of CWD disease transmission.
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Dalai W, Matsuo E, Takeyama N, Kawano J, Saeki K. Increased expression of prion protein gene is accompanied by demethylation of CpG sites in a mouse embryonal carcinoma cell line, P19C6. J Vet Med Sci 2017; 79:644-648. [PMID: 28132962 PMCID: PMC5383191 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidation of the processes regulating the prion protein gene (Prnp) is an important key to understanding the development of prion disorders.
In this study, we explored the involvement of DNA methylation in Prnp transcriptional regulation during neuronal differentiation of embryonic
carcinoma P19C6 cells. When P19C6 cells were differentiated into neuronal cells, the expression of Prnp was markedly increased, while CpG
methylation was significantly demethylated at the nucleotide region between −599 and −238 from the transcription start site. In addition, when P19C6 cells were
applied in a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, RG108, Prnp transcripts were also significantly increased in relation to the decreased
methylation statuses. These findings helped to elucidate the DNA methylation-mediated regulation of Prnp expression during neuronal
differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuyun Dalai
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan
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Mueller AJ, Tew SR, Vasieva O, Clegg PD, Canty-Laird EG. A systems biology approach to defining regulatory mechanisms for cartilage and tendon cell phenotypes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33956. [PMID: 27670352 PMCID: PMC5037390 DOI: 10.1038/srep33956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity of adult somatic cells has provided emerging avenues for the development of regenerative therapeutics. In musculoskeletal biology the mechanistic regulatory networks of genes governing the phenotypic plasticity of cartilage and tendon cells has not been considered systematically. Additionally, a lack of strategies to effectively reproduce in vitro functional models of cartilage and tendon is retarding progress in this field. De- and redifferentiation represent phenotypic transitions that may contribute to loss of function in ageing musculoskeletal tissues. Applying a systems biology network analysis approach to global gene expression profiles derived from common in vitro culture systems (monolayer and three-dimensional cultures) this study demonstrates common regulatory mechanisms governing de- and redifferentiation transitions in cartilage and tendon cells. Furthermore, evidence of convergence of gene expression profiles during monolayer expansion of cartilage and tendon cells, and the expression of key developmental markers, challenges the physiological relevance of this culture system. The study also suggests that oxidative stress and PI3K signalling pathways are key modulators of in vitro phenotypes for cells of musculoskeletal origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. J. Mueller
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
| | - S. R. Tew
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
- The MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
| | - O. Vasieva
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - P. D. Clegg
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
- The MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
| | - E. G. Canty-Laird
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
- The MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
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Ikeda N, Nakayama Y, Nakazawa N, Yoshida A, Ninomiya H, Shirayoshi Y. Prion Protein and Stage Specific Embryo Antigen 1 as Selection Markers to Enrich the Fraction of Murine Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Yonago Acta Med 2016; 59:126-134. [PMID: 27493483 PMCID: PMC4973018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prion protein (PrP) might be useful as a tool to collect cardiac progenitor cells derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells. It is also possible that PrP(+) cells include undifferentiated cells with a capacity to develop into tumors. METHODS PrP(+) cells isolated from embryoid bodies (EB) formed by mouse AB1 ES cells were examined using RT-PCR analysis and clonogeneic cell assay. To assess their potential to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, Nkx2.5(GFP/+) (hcgp7) cells, another ES cell line that carries the GFP reporter gene in the Nkx2.5 loci, were used. RESULTS PrP(+) cells isolated from EB of day 7 and 14 did not express pluripotency markers, but expressed cardiac cell markers, while PrP(+) cells isolated from EB of day 21 expressed pluripotency markers. Cultured PrP(+) cells isolated from EB of day 21 expressed pluripotency markers to form colonies, whereas those isolated from EB of day 7 and 14 did not. To exclude proliferating cells from PrP(+) cells, stage specific embryo antigen 1 (SSEA1) was employed as a second marker. PrP(+)/SSEA1(-) cells did not proliferate and expressed cardiac cell markers, while PrP(+)/SSEA1(+) did proliferate. CONCLUSION PrP(+) cells isolated from EB included undifferentiated cells in day 21. PrP(+)/SSEA1(-) cells included cardiomyoctes, suggesting PrP and SSEA1 may be useful as markers to enrich the fraction of cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhito Ikeda
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Yuji Nakayama
- †Division of Functional Genomics, Research Center for Bioscience and Technology, Tottori University, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Natsumi Nakazawa
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Akio Yoshida
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Haruaki Ninomiya
- ‡Department of Biological Regulation, School of Health Sciences, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Shirayoshi
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Genetic Medicine and Regenerative Therapeutics, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan
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Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Ramírez MÁ. Characterisation of the deleted in azoospermia like (Dazl)-green fluorescent protein mouse model generated by a two-step embryonic stem cell-based strategy to identify pluripotent and germ cells. Reprod Fertil Dev 2015; 28:RD14253. [PMID: 25942058 DOI: 10.1071/rd14253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The deleted in azoospermia like (Dazl) gene is preferentially expressed in germ cells; however, recent studies indicate that it may have pluripotency-related functions. We generated Dazl-green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice and assayed the ability of Dazl-driven GFP to mark preimplantation embryo development, fetal, neonatal and adult tissues, and in vitro differentiation from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to embryoid bodies (EBs) and to primordial germ cell (PGC)-like cells. The Dazl-GFP mice were generated by a two-step ESC-based strategy, which enabled primary and secondary screening of stably transfected clones before embryo injection. During preimplantation embryo stages, GFP was detected from the zygote to blastocyst stage. At Embryonic Day (E) 12.5, GFP was expressed in gonadal ridges and in neonatal gonads of both sexes. In adult mice, GFP expression was found during spermatogenesis from spermatogonia to elongating spermatids and in the cytoplasm of oocytes. However, GFP mRNA was also detected in other tissues harbouring multipotent cells, such as the intestine and bone marrow. Fluorescence was maintained along in vitro Dazl-GFP ESC differentiation to EBs, and in PGC-like cells. In addition to its largely known function in germ cell development, Dazl could have an additional role in pluripotency, supporting these transgenic mice as a valuable tool for the prospective identification of stem cells from several tissues.
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15
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Prodromidou K, Papastefanaki F, Sklaviadis T, Matsas R. Functional cross-talk between the cellular prion protein and the neural cell adhesion molecule is critical for neuronal differentiation of neural stem/precursor cells. Stem Cells 2015; 32:1674-87. [PMID: 24497115 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrP) is prominently expressed in brain, in differentiated neurons but also in neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs). The misfolding of PrP is a central event in prion diseases, yet the physiological function of PrP is insufficiently understood. Although PrP has been reported to associate with the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), the consequences of concerted PrP-NCAM action in NPC physiology are unknown. Here, we generated NPCs from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of postnatal day 5 wild-type and PrP null (-/-) mice and observed that PrP is essential for proper NPC proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Moreover, we found that PrP is required for the NPC response to NCAM-induced neuronal differentiation. In the absence of PrP, NCAM not only fails to promote neuronal differentiation but also induces an accumulation of doublecortin-positive neuronal progenitors at the proliferation stage. In agreement, we noted an increase in cycling neuronal progenitors in the SVZ of PrP-/- mice compared with PrP+/+ mice, as evidenced by double labeling for the proliferation marker Ki67 and doublecortin as well as by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation experiments. Additionally, fewer newly born neurons were detected in the rostral migratory stream of PrP-/- mice. Analysis of the migration of SVZ cells in microexplant cultures from wild-type and PrP-/- mice revealed no differences between genotypes or a role for NCAM in this process. Our data demonstrate that PrP plays a critical role in neuronal differentiation of NPCs and suggest that this function is, at least in part, NCAM-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanella Prodromidou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
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16
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Lee YJ, Baskakov IV. The cellular form of the prion protein guides the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into neuron-, oligodendrocyte-, and astrocyte-committed lineages. Prion 2014; 8:266-75. [PMID: 25486050 DOI: 10.4161/pri.32079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion protein, PrP(C), is a glycoprotein that is expressed on the cell surface beginning with the early stages of embryonic stem cell differentiation. Previously, we showed that ectopic expression of PrP(C) in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) triggered differentiation toward endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal lineages, whereas silencing of PrP(C) suppressed differentiation toward ectodermal but not endodermal or mesodermal lineages. Considering that PrP(C) might be involved in controlling the balance between cells of different lineages, the current study was designed to test whether PrP(C) controls differentiation of hESCs into cells of neuron-, oligodendrocyte-, and astrocyte-committed lineages. PrP(C) was silenced in hESCs cultured under three sets of conditions that were previously shown to induce hESCs differentiation into predominantly neuron-, oligodendrocyte-, and astrocyte-committed lineages. We found that silencing of PrP(C) suppressed differentiation toward all three lineages. Similar results were observed in all three protocols, arguing that the effect of PrP(C) was independent of differentiation conditions employed. Moreover, switching PrP(C) expression during a differentiation time course revealed that silencing PrP(C) expression during the very initial stage that corresponds to embryonic bodies has a more significant impact than silencing at later stages of differentiation. The current work illustrates that PrP(C) controls differentiation of hESCs toward neuron-, oligodendrocyte-, and astrocyte-committed lineages and is likely involved at the stage of uncommitted neural progenitor cells rather than lineage-committed neural progenitors.
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Key Words
- CNTF, ciliary neurotrophic factor
- EBs, embryoid bodies
- EFG, epidermal growth factor
- ESCs, embryonic stem cells
- GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein
- GRM, glial restrictive medium
- Lenti-ShPrPC, lentiviral vector expressing short hairpin RNA against PrPC
- Lenti-ShScram, lentiviral vector expressing scrambled shRNA
- Lenti-TetR, lentiviral vector expressing tetracycline repressor
- MEF-CM, mouse embryonic feeder-conditioned medium
- MEFs, mouse embryonic fibroblasts
- NDM, neuronal differentiation medium
- NIM, neural induction medium
- NPM, neural proliferation medium
- Olig1, a marker of oligodendrocyte-committed lineages
- PrPC, normal, cellular isoform of the prion protein
- RA, retinoic acid
- Syn, synapsin I
- TH, tyrosine hydroxylase
- Tet, tetracycline
- TetR, tetracycline repressor
- bFGF, basic fibroblast growth factor
- hES+TetR+ShPrPC, hESCs transfected with Lenti-TetR and Lenti-ShPrPC
- hES+TetR+ShScram, hESCs transfected with Lenti-TetR and Lenti-ShScram
- hESCs, human ESCs
- human embryonic stem cells
- neural progenitor cells
- neuron-committed lineages
- prion protein
- stem cell differentiation
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Jin Lee
- a Center for Biomedical Engineering and; Technology Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology ; University of Maryland School of Medicine ; Baltimore , MD USA
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Halliez S, Passet B, Martin-Lannerée S, Hernandez-Rapp J, Laude H, Mouillet-Richard S, Vilotte JL, Béringue V. To develop with or without the prion protein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:58. [PMID: 25364763 PMCID: PMC4207017 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The deletion of the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) in mouse, goat, and cattle has no drastic phenotypic consequence. This stands in apparent contradiction with PrPC quasi-ubiquitous expression and conserved primary and tertiary structures in mammals, and its pivotal role in neurodegenerative diseases such as prion and Alzheimer's diseases. In zebrafish embryos, depletion of PrP ortholog leads to a severe loss-of-function phenotype. This raises the question of a potential role of PrPC in the development of all vertebrates. This view is further supported by the early expression of the PrPC encoding gene (Prnp) in many tissues of the mouse embryo, the transient disruption of a broad number of cellular pathways in early Prnp−/− mouse embryos, and a growing body of evidence for PrPC involvement in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in various types of mammalian stem cells and progenitors. Finally, several studies in both zebrafish embryos and in mammalian cells and tissues in formation support a role for PrPC in cell adhesion, extra-cellular matrix interactions and cytoskeleton. In this review, we summarize and compare the different models used to decipher PrPC functions at early developmental stages during embryo- and organo-genesis and discuss their relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Halliez
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Julia Hernandez-Rapp
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Hubert Laude
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
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18
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Martin-Lannerée S, Hirsch TZ, Hernandez-Rapp J, Halliez S, Vilotte JL, Launay JM, Mouillet-Richard S. PrP(C) from stem cells to cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:55. [PMID: 25364760 PMCID: PMC4207012 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein PrP(C) was initially discovered as the normal counterpart of the pathological scrapie prion protein PrP(Sc), the main component of the infectious agent of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. While clues as to the physiological function of this ubiquitous protein were greatly anticipated from the development of knockout animals, PrP-null mice turned out to be viable and to develop without major phenotypic abnormalities. Notwithstanding, the discovery that hematopoietic stem cells from PrP-null mice have impaired long-term repopulating potential has set the stage for investigating into the role of PrP(C) in stem cell biology. A wealth of data have now exemplified that PrP(C) is expressed in distinct types of stem cells and regulates their self-renewal as well as their differentiation potential. A role for PrP(C) in the fate restriction of embryonic stem cells has further been proposed. Paralleling these observations, an overexpression of PrP(C) has been documented in various types of tumors. In line with the contribution of PrP(C) to stemness and to the proliferation of cancer cells, PrP(C) was recently found to be enriched in subpopulations of tumor-initiating cells. In the present review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role played by PrP(C) in stem cell biology and discuss how the subversion of its function may contribute to cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, INSERM UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Théo Z Hirsch
- Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, INSERM UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Julia Hernandez-Rapp
- Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, INSERM UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Sud 11, ED419 Biosigne Orsay, France
| | - Sophie Halliez
- U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, INRA Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative, INRA Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Marie Launay
- AP-HP Service de Biochimie, Fondation FondaMental, INSERM U942 Hôpital Lariboisière Paris, France ; Pharma Research Department, F. Hoffmann-La-Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, INSERM UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Toxicology, Pharmacology and Cellular Signaling, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
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19
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Makzhami S, Passet B, Halliez S, Castille J, Moazami-Goudarzi K, Duchesne A, Vilotte M, Laude H, Mouillet-Richard S, Béringue V, Vaiman D, Vilotte JL. The prion protein family: a view from the placenta. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:35. [PMID: 25364742 PMCID: PMC4207016 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on its developmental pattern of expression, early studies suggested the implication of the mammalian Prion protein PrP, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored ubiquitously expressed and evolutionary conserved glycoprotein encoded by the Prnp gene, in early embryogenesis. However, gene invalidation in several species did not result in obvious developmental abnormalities and it was only recently that it was associated in mice with intra-uterine growth retardation and placental dysfunction. A proposed explanation for this lack of easily detectable developmental-related phenotype is the existence in the genome of one or more gene (s) able to compensate for the absence of PrP. Indeed, two other members of the Prnp gene family have been recently described, Doppel and Shadoo, and the consequences of their invalidation alongside that of PrP tested in mice. No embryonic defect was observed in mice depleted for Doppel and PrP. Interestingly, the co-invalidation of PrP and Shadoo in two independent studies led to apparently conflicting observations, with no apparent consequences in one report and the observation of a developmental defect of the ectoplacental cone that leads to early embryonic lethality in the other. This short review aims at summarizing these recent, apparently conflicting data highlighting the related biological questions and associated implications in terms of animal and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Makzhami
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Halliez
- INRA, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Johan Castille
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Amandine Duchesne
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Marthe Vilotte
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Hubert Laude
- INRA, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- INSERM, UMR-S1124 Signalisation et Physiopathologie Neurologique, Université Paris Descartes Paris, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- INRA, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Faculté Paris Descartes, UMR8104 CNRS, U1016 INSERM, Institut Cochin Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- INRA, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Foodborne transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to non-human primates results in preclinical rapid-onset obesity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104343. [PMID: 25090610 PMCID: PMC4121290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity has become one of the largest public health challenges worldwide. Recently, certain bacterial and viral pathogens have been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed clinical data, plasma samples and post-mortem tissue specimens derived from a risk assessment study in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). The original study design aimed to determine minimal infectious doses after oral or intracerebral (i.c.) infection of macaques to assess the risk for humans. High-dose exposures resulted in 100% attack rates and a median incubation time of 4.7 years as described previously. Retrospective analyses of clinical data from high-dosed macaques revealed that foodborne BSE transmission caused rapid weight gain within 1.5 years post infection (β = 0.915; P<0.0001) which was not seen in age- and sex-matched control animals or i.c. infected animals. The rapid-onset obesity was not associated with impaired pancreatic islet function or glucose metabolism. In the early preclinical phase of oral transmission associated with body weight gain, prion accumulation was confined to the gastrointestinal tract. Intriguingly, immunohistochemical findings suggest that foodborne BSE transmission has a pathophysiological impact on gut endocrine cells which may explain rapid weight gain. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental model which clearly demonstrates that foodborne pathogens can induce obesity.
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21
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Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Ramírez MÁ. Germ-cell culture conditions facilitate the production of mouse embryonic stem cells. Mol Reprod Dev 2014; 81:794-804. [PMID: 24861201 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The derivation of embryonic stem-cell (ESC) lines from blastocysts is a very inefficient process. Murine ESCs are thought to arise from epiblast cells that are already predisposed to a primordial-germ-cell fate. During the process of ESC derivation from B6D2 F1 hybrid mice, if we first culture the embryo from the two-cell stage in medium supplemented with LIF, we improve the quality of the blastocyst. When the blastocyst is then cultured in a germ-line stem-cell culture medium (GSCm), we are able to more efficiently (28.3%) obtain quality ESC lines that have a normal karyotype, proper degree of chimerism, and exhibit germ-line transmission when microinjected into blastocysts. Although germ-cell-specific genes were expressed in all culture medium conditions, GSCm did not shift the transcriptome towards germ-cell specification. A correlation was further observed between ESC derivation efficiency and the expression of some imprinted genes and retrotransposable elements. In conclusion, the combination of LIF supplementation followed by culture in GSCm establishes a higher efficiency method for ESC derivation.
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22
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Csermely P, Hódsági J, Korcsmáros T, Módos D, Perez-Lopez ÁR, Szalay K, Veres DV, Lenti K, Wu LY, Zhang XS. Cancer stem cells display extremely large evolvability: alternating plastic and rigid networks as a potential Mechanism: network models, novel therapeutic target strategies, and the contributions of hypoxia, inflammation and cellular senescence. Semin Cancer Biol 2014; 30:42-51. [PMID: 24412105 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is increasingly perceived as a systems-level, network phenomenon. The major trend of malignant transformation can be described as a two-phase process, where an initial increase of network plasticity is followed by a decrease of plasticity at late stages of tumor development. The fluctuating intensity of stress factors, like hypoxia, inflammation and the either cooperative or hostile interactions of tumor inter-cellular networks, all increase the adaptation potential of cancer cells. This may lead to the bypass of cellular senescence, and to the development of cancer stem cells. We propose that the central tenet of cancer stem cell definition lies exactly in the indefinability of cancer stem cells. Actual properties of cancer stem cells depend on the individual "stress-history" of the given tumor. Cancer stem cells are characterized by an extremely large evolvability (i.e. a capacity to generate heritable phenotypic variation), which corresponds well with the defining hallmarks of cancer stem cells: the possession of the capacity to self-renew and to repeatedly re-build the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise a tumor in new environments. Cancer stem cells represent a cell population, which is adapted to adapt. We argue that the high evolvability of cancer stem cells is helped by their repeated transitions between plastic (proliferative, symmetrically dividing) and rigid (quiescent, asymmetrically dividing, often more invasive) phenotypes having plastic and rigid networks. Thus, cancer stem cells reverse and replay cancer development multiple times. We describe network models potentially explaining cancer stem cell-like behavior. Finally, we propose novel strategies including combination therapies and multi-target drugs to overcome the Nietzschean dilemma of cancer stem cell targeting: "what does not kill me makes me stronger".
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Csermely
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary.
| | - János Hódsági
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary
| | - Tamás Korcsmáros
- Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezső Módos
- Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Semmelweis University, Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Vas u. 17, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Áron R Perez-Lopez
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary
| | - Kristóf Szalay
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary
| | - Dániel V Veres
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary
| | - Katalin Lenti
- Semmelweis University, Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Vas u. 17, H-1088 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ling-Yun Wu
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 55, Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiang-Sun Zhang
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 55, Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing 100190, China
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23
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Abstract
Individuals infected with prions succumb to brain damage, and prion infections continue to be inexorably lethal. However, many crucial steps in prion pathogenesis occur in lymphatic organs and precede invasion of the central nervous system. In the past two decades, a great deal has been learnt concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms of prion lymphoinvasion. These properties are diagnostically useful and have, for example, facilitated preclinical diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the tonsils. Moreover, the early colonization of lymphoid organs can be exploited for post-exposure prophylaxis of prion infections. As stromal cells of lymphoid organs are crucial for peripheral prion infection, the dedifferentiation of these cells offers a powerful means of hindering prion spread in infected individuals. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge of the immunobiology of prions with an emphasis on how basic discoveries might enable translational strategies.
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Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Ramírez MA, Gutierrez-Adan A. Most regions of mouse epididymis are able to phagocytose immature germ cells. Reproduction 2013; 146:481-9. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of the epididymis as a quality control organ in preventing infertile gametes entering the ejaculate has been extensively explored, and it has been suggested that a specific region of mammalian epididymis is able to phagocytose abnormal germ cells. This study examines whether the epithelium of certain zones of the mouse epididymis can act as a selection barrier by removing immature germ cells from the lumen by phagocytosis. To detect the presence of immature germ cells in the epididymis, we generated transgenic mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein under the deleted in azoospermia-like (mDazl) promoter to easily identify immature germ cells under fluorescence microscopy. Using this technique, we observed that during the first stage of spermatogenesis in prepuberal mice, a wave of immature germ cells is released into the epididymis and that the immature epididymis is not able to react to this abnormal situation. By contrast, when immature germ cells were artificially released into the epididymis in adult mice, a phagocytic response was observed. Phagosomes appeared inside principal cells of the epididymal epithelium and were observed to contain immature germ cells at different degradation stages in different zones of the epididymis, following the main wave of immature germ cells. In this paper, we describe how the epididymal epithelium controls sperm quality by clearing immature germ cells in response to their artificially induced massive shedding into the epididymal lumen. Our observations indicate that this phenomenon is not restricted to a given epididymis region and that phagocytic capacity is gradually acquired during epididymal development.
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25
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Llorens F, Ferrer I, del Río JA. Gene expression resulting from PrPC ablation and PrPC overexpression in murine and cellular models. Mol Neurobiol 2013; 49:413-23. [PMID: 23949728 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8529-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) plays a key role in prion diseases when it converts to the pathogenic form scrapie prion protein. Increasing knowledge of its participation in prion infection contrasts with the elusive and controversial data regarding its physiological role probably related to its pleiotropy, cell-specific functions, and cellular-specific milieu. Multiple approaches have been made to the increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms and cellular functions modulated by PrP(C) at the transcriptomic and proteomic levels. Gene expression analyses have been made in several mouse and cellular models with regulated expression of PrP(C) resulting in PrP(C) ablation or PrP(C) overexpression. These analyses support previous functional data and have yielded clues about new potential functions. However, experiments on animal models have shown moderate and varied results which are difficult to interpret. Moreover, studies in cell cultures correlate little with in vivo counterparts. Yet, both animal and cell models have provided some insights on how to proceed in the future by using more refined methods and selected functional experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franc Llorens
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bellvitge-Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain,
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26
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Miranda A, Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Ramirez MA, Gutierrez-Adan A. The role of prion protein in stem cell regulation. Reproduction 2013; 146:R91-9. [PMID: 23740082 DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) has been well described as an essential partner of prion diseases due to the existence of a pathological conformation (PrP(Sc)). Recently, it has also been demonstrated that PrP(C) is an important element of the pluripotency and self-renewal matrix, with an increasing amount of evidence pointing in this direction. Here, we review the data that demonstrate its role in the transcriptional regulation of pluripotency, in the differentiation of stem cells into different lineages (e.g. muscle and neurons), in embryonic development, and its involvement in reproductive cells. Also highlighted are recent results from our laboratory that describe an important regulation by PrP(C) of the major pluripotency gene Nanog. Together, these data support the appearance of new strategies to control stemness, which could represent an important advance in the field of regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Miranda
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro no. 12, Local 10, Madrid 28040, Spain
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27
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Llorens F, Carulla P, Villa A, Torres JM, Fortes P, Ferrer I, del Río JA. PrP(C) regulates epidermal growth factor receptor function and cell shape dynamics in Neuro2a cells. J Neurochem 2013; 127:124-38. [PMID: 23638794 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2012] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 04/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The prion protein (PrP) plays a key role in prion disease pathogenesis. Although the misfolded and pathologic variant of this protein (PrP(SC)) has been studied in depth, the physiological role of PrP(C) remains elusive and controversial. PrP(C) is a cell-surface glycoprotein involved in multiple cellular functions at the plasma membrane, where it interacts with a myriad of partners and regulates several intracellular signal transduction cascades. However, little is known about the gene expression changes modulated by PrP(C) in animals and in cellular models. In this article, we present PrP(C)-dependent gene expression signature in N2a cells and its implication in the most overrepresented functions: cell cycle, cell growth and proliferation, and maintenance of cell shape. PrP(C) over-expression enhances cell proliferation and cell cycle re-entrance after serum stimulation, while PrP(C) silencing slows down cell cycle progression. In addition, MAP kinase and protein kinase B (AKT) pathway activation are under the regulation of PrP(C) in asynchronous cells and following mitogenic stimulation. These effects are due in part to the modulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by PrP(C) in the plasma membrane, where the two proteins interact in a multimeric complex. We also describe how PrP(C) over-expression modulates filopodia formation by Rho GTPase regulation mainly in an AKT-Cdc42-N-WASP-dependent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franc Llorens
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Center for Networker Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
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28
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Millan MJ. An epigenetic framework for neurodevelopmental disorders: from pathogenesis to potential therapy. Neuropharmacology 2012; 68:2-82. [PMID: 23246909 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2012] [Revised: 11/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are characterized by aberrant and delayed early-life development of the brain, leading to deficits in language, cognition, motor behaviour and other functional domains, often accompanied by somatic symptoms. Environmental factors like perinatal infection, malnutrition and trauma can increase the risk of the heterogeneous, multifactorial and polygenic disorders, autism and schizophrenia. Conversely, discrete genetic anomalies are involved in Down, Rett and Fragile X syndromes, tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis, the less familiar Phelan-McDermid, Sotos, Kleefstra, Coffin-Lowry and "ATRX" syndromes, and the disorders of imprinting, Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes. NDDs have been termed "synaptopathies" in reference to structural and functional disturbance of synaptic plasticity, several involve abnormal Ras-Kinase signalling ("rasopathies"), and many are characterized by disrupted cerebral connectivity and an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission. However, at a different level of integration, NDDs are accompanied by aberrant "epigenetic" regulation of processes critical for normal and orderly development of the brain. Epigenetics refers to potentially-heritable (by mitosis and/or meiosis) mechanisms controlling gene expression without changes in DNA sequence. In certain NDDs, prototypical epigenetic processes of DNA methylation and covalent histone marking are impacted. Conversely, others involve anomalies in chromatin-modelling, mRNA splicing/editing, mRNA translation, ribosome biogenesis and/or the regulatory actions of small nucleolar RNAs and micro-RNAs. Since epigenetic mechanisms are modifiable, this raises the hope of novel therapy, though questions remain concerning efficacy and safety. The above issues are critically surveyed in this review, which advocates a broad-based epigenetic framework for understanding and ultimately treating a diverse assemblage of NDDs ("epigenopathies") lying at the interface of genetic, developmental and environmental processes. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Neurodevelopmental Disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Unit for Research and Discovery in Neuroscience, IDR Servier, 125 chemin de ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, Paris, France.
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29
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Lee YJ, Baskakov IV. The cellular form of the prion protein is involved in controlling cell cycle dynamics, self-renewal, and the fate of human embryonic stem cell differentiation. J Neurochem 2012; 124:310-22. [PMID: 22860629 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07913.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Revised: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP(C) ), is a glycoprotein that is expressed on the cell surface. The current study examines the role of PrP(C) in early human embryogenesis using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and tetracycline-regulated lentiviral vectors that up-regulate or suppresses PrP(C) expression. Here, we show that expression of PrP(C) in pluripotent hESCs cultured under self-renewal conditions induced cell differentiation toward lineages of three germ layers. Silencing of PrP(C) in hESCs undergoing spontaneous differentiation altered the dynamics of the cell cycle and changed the balance between the lineages of the three germ layers, where differentiation toward ectodermal lineages was suppressed. Moreover, over-expression of PrP(C) in hESCs undergoing spontaneous differentiation inhibited differentiation toward lineages of all three germ layers and helped to preserve high proliferation activity. These results illustrate that PrP(C) is involved in key activities that dictate the status of hESCs including regulation of cell cycle dynamics, controlling the switch between self-renewal and differentiation, and determining the fate of hESCs differentiation. This study suggests that PrP(C) is at the crossroads of several signaling pathways that regulate the switch between preservation of or departure from the self-renewal state, control cell proliferation activity, and define stem cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Jin Lee
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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30
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Martin GR, Alvarez AL, Bashashati M, Keenan CM, Jirik FR, Sharkey KA. Endogenous cellular prion protein regulates contractility of the mouse ileum. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2012; 24:e412-24. [PMID: 22762267 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2012.01970.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular prion protein (PrP(C) ) is expressed in the enteric nervous system (ENS), however, its physiological role has not been identified. Studies suggest that PrP(C) can function as a metal-binding protein, as absence of the protein has been linked to altered copper metabolism and atypical synaptic activity. Because copper is known to modulate smooth muscle relaxation, we tested the hypothesis that PrP(C) deficiency would alter intestinal contractility. METHODS We examined electrically evoked ileal contractility in Prnp(-/-) or wild type littermate mice and the effects of copper or copper chelation. PrP(C) expression was studied in whole mount ileal preparations of mice and guinea pigs by immunohistochemistry. KEY RESULTS Relative to wild type mice, ileal tissues of Prnp(-/-) mice exhibited reduced electrical field stimulation (EFS)-evoked contractility. Furthermore, EFS-induced relaxation, as a percentage of that induced by a nitric oxide donor, was enhanced. Addition of a copper donor to the organ bath increased, whereas the addition of a copper chelator inhibited, nitric oxide donor-induced ileal relaxation in Prnp(-/-) mice. PrP(C) was expressed on nerve fibers or terminals, and some cell bodies in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses of wild type mice. PrP(C) colocalized with a neuron-specific ectonucleotidase, nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 3 (NTPDase3), but to only a limited extent with GFAP, a marker of enteric glia. Guinea pigs expressed PrP(C) in nerve fibers or terminals and enteric glia in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES Our findings suggest that PrP(C) , which is abundant in the ENS, has a role in the regulation of ileal contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Martin
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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31
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Human prion protein binds Argonaute and promotes accumulation of microRNA effector complexes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2012; 19:517-24, S1. [PMID: 22484317 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 02/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite intense research in the context of neurodegenerative diseases associated with its misfolding, the endogenous human prion protein PrP(C) (or PRNP) has poorly understood physiological functions. Whereas most PrP(C) is exposed to the extracellular environment, conserved domains result in transmembrane forms of PrP(C) that traffic in the endolysosomal system and are linked to inherited and infectious neuropathologies. One transmembrane PrP(C) variant orients the N-terminal 'octarepeat' domain into the cytoplasm. Here we demonstrate that the octarepeat domain of human PrP(C) contains GW/WG motifs that bind Argonaute (AGO) proteins, the essential components of microRNA (miRNA)-induced silencing complexes (miRISCs). Transmembrane PrP(C) preferentially binds AGO, and PrP(C) promotes formation or stability of miRISC effector complexes containing the trinucleotide repeat-containing gene 6 proteins (TNRC6) and miRNA-repressed mRNA. Accordingly, effective repression of several miRNA targets requires PrP(C). We propose that dynamic interactions between PrP(C)-enriched endosomes and subcellular foci of AGO underpin these effects.
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32
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Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) can be considered a pivotal molecule because it interacts with several partners to perform a diverse range of critical biological functions that might differ in embryonic and adult cells. In recent years, there have been major advances in elucidating the putative role of PrP in the basic biology of stem cells in many different systems. Here, we review the evidence indicating that PrP is a key molecule involved in driving different aspects of the potency of embryonic and tissue-specific stem cells in self-perpetuation and differentiation in many cell types. It has been shown that PrP is involved in stem cell self-renewal, controlling pluripotency gene expression, proliferation, and neural and cardiomyocyte differentiation. PrP also has essential roles in distinct processes that regulate tissue-specific stem cell biology in nervous and hematopoietic systems and during muscle regeneration. Results from our own investigations have shown that PrP is able to modulate self-renewal and proliferation in neural stem cells, processes that are enhanced by PrP interactions with stress inducible protein 1 (STI1). Thus, the available data reveal the influence of PrP in acting upon the maintenance of pluripotent status or the differentiation of stem cells from the early embryogenesis through adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilene H Lopes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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33
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Miranda A, Pericuesta E, Ramírez MÁ, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Prion protein in ESC regulation. Prion 2011; 5:169-71. [PMID: 21814032 DOI: 10.4161/pri.5.3.16797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A large number of studies have analysed the putative functions of the prion protein (PrP(C)) in mammals. Although its sequence conservation over a wide range of different animals may indicate that this protein could have a key role in prion diseases, an absolutely accepted involvement has not been found so far. We have recently reported that PrP(C) regulates Nanog mRNA expression, the first non-redundant function of PrP(C) in embryonic stem cells (ESC), which translates into control of pluripotency and early differentiation. Contrary to what it is believed, the other two members of the prion protein family, Doppel and Shadoo, cannot replace the absence of PrP(C), causing the appearance of a new embryoid body (EB) population in our in vitro culture. The similarities between EB and an early post-implantation embryo suggest that this might also occur in vivo, enhancing the importance of this finding. On the other hand, our data may support the hypothesis of a relationship between the loss of PrP(C) function and neuronal degeneration in prion diseases. A reduction in brain stem cells pluripotency after PrP(C) is misfolded into the pathological conformation (PrP(Sc)) could lead to a delay or a disappearance of the normal brain damage recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Miranda
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Madrid, Spain.
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34
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Syed M, Nourizadeh-Lillabadi R, Press CM, Alestrøm P. Prion protein function and the disturbance of early embryonic development in zebrafish. Prion 2011; 5:88-92. [PMID: 21628994 DOI: 10.4161/pri.5.2.16093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases are a threat to food safety and to human and animal health. The molecular mechanisms responsible for prion diseases share similarities with a wider group of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease and the central pathological event is a disturbance of protein folding of a normal cellular protein that is eventually accompanied by neuronal cell death and the death of the host. Prion protein (PrP) is a constituent of most normal mammalian cells and its presence is essential in the pathogenesis of TSE. However, the function of this normal cellular protein remains unclear. The prevention of PRNP gene expression in mammalian species has been undramatic, implying a functional redundancy. Yet PrP is conserved from mammals to fish. Recent studies of PrP in zebrafish have yielded novel findings showing that PrP has essential roles in early embryonic development. The amenability of zebrafish to global technologies has generated data indicating the existence of "anchorless" splice variants of PrP in the early embryo. This paper will discuss the possibility that the experimentalist's view of PrP functions might be clearer at a greater phylogenetic distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohasina Syed
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway.
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