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Caredio D, Koderman M, Frontzek KJ, Sorce S, Nuvolone M, Bremer J, Mariutti G, Schwarz P, Madrigal L, Mitrovic M, Sellitto S, Streichenberger N, Scheckel C, Aguzzi A. Prion diseases disrupt glutamate/glutamine metabolism in skeletal muscle. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012552. [PMID: 39259763 PMCID: PMC11419395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012552] [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: 06/19/2024] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In prion diseases (PrDs), aggregates of misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) accumulate not only in the brain but also in extraneural organs. This raises the question whether prion-specific pathologies arise also extraneurally. Here we sequenced mRNA transcripts in skeletal muscle, spleen and blood of prion-inoculated mice at eight timepoints during disease progression. We detected gene-expression changes in all three organs, with skeletal muscle showing the most consistent alterations. The glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL) gene exhibited uniform upregulation in skeletal muscles of mice infected with three distinct scrapie prion strains (RML, ME7, and 22L) and in victims of human sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. GLUL dysregulation was accompanied by changes in glutamate/glutamine metabolism, leading to reduced glutamate levels in skeletal muscle. None of these changes were observed in skeletal muscle of humans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, or dementia with Lewy bodies, suggesting that they are specific to prion diseases. These findings reveal an unexpected metabolic dimension of prion infections and point to a potential role for GLUL dysregulation in the glutamate/glutamine metabolism in prion-affected skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Caredio
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maruša Koderman
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karl J. Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Silvia Sorce
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Bremer
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Mariutti
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lidia Madrigal
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marija Mitrovic
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Sellitto
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Claudia Scheckel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Liu Y, Guo J, Matoga M, Korotkova M, Jakobsson PJ, Aguzzi A. NG2 glia protect against prion neurotoxicity by inhibiting microglia-to-neuron prostaglandin E2 signaling. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1534-1544. [PMID: 38802591 PMCID: PMC11303249 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01663-x] [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: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Oligodendrocyte-lineage cells, including NG2 glia, undergo prominent changes in various neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we identify a neuroprotective role for NG2 glia against prion toxicity. NG2 glia were activated after prion infection in cerebellar organotypic cultured slices (COCS) and in brains of prion-inoculated mice. In both model systems, depletion of NG2 glia exacerbated prion-induced neurodegeneration and accelerated prion pathology. Loss of NG2 glia enhanced the biosynthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by microglia, which augmented prion neurotoxicity through binding to the EP4 receptor. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of PGE2 biosynthesis attenuated prion-induced neurodegeneration in COCS and mice, reduced the enhanced neurodegeneration in NG2-glia-depleted COCS after prion infection, and dampened the acceleration of prion disease in NG2-glia-depleted mice. These data unveil a non-cell-autonomous interaction between NG2 glia and microglia in prion disease and suggest that PGE2 signaling may represent an actionable target against prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjun Liu
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maja Matoga
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marina Korotkova
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Rheumatology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Karolinska University Hospital at Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per-Johan Jakobsson
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Rheumatology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Karolinska University Hospital at Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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3
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Heinzer D, Avar M, Pfammatter M, Moos R, Schwarz P, Buhmann MT, Kuhn B, Mauerhofer S, Rosenberg U, Aguzzi A, Hornemann S. Advancing surgical instrument safety: A screen of oxidative and alkaline prion decontaminants using real-time quaking-induced conversion with prion-coated steel beads as surgical instrument mimetic. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304603. [PMID: 38870196 PMCID: PMC11175539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304603] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Iatrogenic transmission of prions, the infectious agents of fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, through inefficiently decontaminated medical instruments remains a critical issue. Harsh chemical treatments are effective, but not suited for routine reprocessing of reusable surgical instruments in medical cleaning and disinfection processes due to material incompatibilities. The identification of mild detergents with activity against prions is therefore of high interest but laborious due to the low throughput of traditional assays measuring prion infectivity. Here, we report the establishment of TESSA (sTainlESs steel-bead Seed Amplification assay), a modified real-time quaking induced cyclic amplification (RT-QuIC) assay that explores the propagation activity of prions with stainless steel beads. TESSA was applied for the screening of about 70 different commercially available and novel formulations and conditions for their prion inactivation efficacy. One hypochlorite-based formulation, two commercially available alkaline formulations and a manual alkaline pre-cleaner were found to be highly effective in inactivating prions under conditions simulating automated washer-disinfector cleaning processes. The efficacy of these formulations was confirmed in vivo in a murine prion infectivity bioassay, yielding a reduction of the prion titer for bead surface adsorbed prions below detectability. Our data suggest that TESSA represents an effective method for a rapid screening of prion-inactivating detergents, and that alkaline and oxidative formulations are promising in reducing the risk of potential iatrogenic prion transmission through insufficiently decontaminated instrument surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Heinzer
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Merve Avar
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Rita Moos
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Losa M, Morsy Y, Emmenegger M, Manz SM, Schwarz P, Aguzzi A, Scharl M. Longitudinal microbiome investigation throughout prion disease course reveals pre- and symptomatic compositional perturbations linked to short-chain fatty acid metabolism and cognitive impairment in mice. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1412765. [PMID: 38919500 PMCID: PMC11196846 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1412765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Commensal intestinal bacteria shape our microbiome and have decisive roles in preserving host metabolic and immune homeostasis. They conspicuously impact disease development and progression, including amyloid-beta (Aβ) and alpha (α)-synuclein pathology in neurodegenerative diseases, conveying the importance of the brain-gut-microbiome axis in such conditions. However, little is known about the longitudinal microbiome landscape and its potential clinical implications in other protein misfolding disorders, such as prion disease. We investigated the microbiome architecture throughout prion disease course in mice. Fecal specimens were assessed by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. We report a temporal microbiome signature in prion disease and uncovered alterations in Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Muribaculaceae family members in this disease. Moreover, we determined the enrichment of Bilophila, a microorganism connected to cognitive impairment, long before the clinical manifestation of disease symptoms. Based on temporal microbial abundances, several associated metabolic pathways and resulting metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, were linked to the disease. We propose that neuroinflammatory processes relate to perturbations of the intestinal microbiome and metabolic state by an interorgan brain-gut crosstalk. Furthermore, we describe biomarkers possibly suitable for early disease diagnostics and anti-prion therapy monitoring. While our study is confined to prion disease, our discoveries might be of equivalent relevance in other proteinopathies and central nervous system pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Losa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yasser Morsy
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marc Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salomon M. Manz
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Scharl
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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5
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Mortberg MA, Gentile JE, Nadaf N, Vanderburg C, Simmons S, Dubinsky D, Slamin A, Maldonado S, Petersen C, Jones N, Kordasiewicz H, Zhao H, Vallabh S, Minikel E. A single-cell map of antisense oligonucleotide activity in the brain. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:7109-7124. [PMID: 37188501 PMCID: PMC10415122 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) dosed into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) distribute broadly throughout the central nervous system (CNS). By modulating RNA, they hold the promise of targeting root molecular causes of disease and hold potential to treat myriad CNS disorders. Realization of this potential requires that ASOs must be active in the disease-relevant cells, and ideally, that monitorable biomarkers also reflect ASO activity in these cells. The biodistribution and activity of such centrally delivered ASOs have been deeply characterized in rodent and non-human primate (NHP) models, but usually only in bulk tissue, limiting our understanding of the distribution of ASO activity across individual cells and across diverse CNS cell types. Moreover, in human clinical trials, target engagement is usually monitorable only in a single compartment, CSF. We sought a deeper understanding of how individual cells and cell types contribute to bulk tissue signal in the CNS, and how these are linked to CSF biomarker outcomes. We employed single nucleus transcriptomics on tissue from mice treated with RNase H1 ASOs against Prnp and Malat1 and NHPs treated with an ASO against PRNP. Pharmacologic activity was observed in every cell type, though sometimes with substantial differences in magnitude. Single cell RNA count distributions implied target RNA suppression in every single sequenced cell, rather than intense knockdown in only some cells. Duration of action up to 12 weeks post-dose differed across cell types, being shorter in microglia than in neurons. Suppression in neurons was generally similar to, or more robust than, the bulk tissue. In macaques, PrP in CSF was lowered 40% in conjunction with PRNP knockdown across all cell types including neurons, arguing that a CSF biomarker readout is likely to reflect ASO pharmacodynamic effect in disease-relevant cells in a neuronal disorder. Our results provide a reference dataset for ASO activity distribution in the CNS and establish single nucleus sequencing as a method for evaluating cell type specificity of oligonucleotide therapeutics and other modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Mortberg
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Juliana E Gentile
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Naeem M Nadaf
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Charles Vanderburg
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sean Simmons
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dan Dubinsky
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Adam Slamin
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Salome Maldonado
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Caroline L Petersen
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Nichole Jones
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | | | - Hien T Zhao
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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6
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Vallabh SM, Zou D, Pitstick R, O’Moore J, Peters J, Silvius D, Kriz J, Jackson WS, Carlson GA, Minikel EV, Cabin DE. Therapeutic Trial of anle138b in Mouse Models of Genetic Prion Disease. J Virol 2023; 97:e0167222. [PMID: 36651748 PMCID: PMC9973041 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01672-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic screening has yielded small-molecule inhibitors of prion replication that are effective in vivo against certain prion strains but not others. Here, we sought to test the small molecule anle138b in multiple mouse models of prion disease. In mice inoculated with the RML strain of prions, anle138b doubled survival and durably suppressed astrogliosis measured by live-animal bioluminescence imaging. In knock-in mouse models of the D178N and E200K mutations that cause genetic prion disease, however, we were unable to identify a clear, quantifiable disease endpoint against which to measure therapeutic efficacy. Among untreated animals, the mutations did not impact overall survival, and bioluminescence remained low out to >20 months of age. Vacuolization and PrP deposition were observed in some brain regions in a subset of mutant animals but appeared to be unable to carry the weight of a primary endpoint in a therapeutic study. We conclude that not all animal models of prion disease are suited to well-powered therapeutic efficacy studies, and care should be taken in choosing the models that will support drug development programs. IMPORTANCE There is an urgent need to develop drugs for prion disease, a currently untreatable neurodegenerative disease. In this effort, there is a debate over which animal models can best support a drug development program. While the study of prion disease benefits from excellent animal models because prions naturally afflict many different mammals, different models have different capabilities and limitations. Here, we conducted a therapeutic efficacy study of the drug candidate anle138b in mouse models with two of the most common mutations that cause genetic prion disease. In a more typical model where prions are injected directly into the brain, we found anle138b to be effective. In the genetic models, however, the animals never reached a clear, measurable point of disease onset. We conclude that not all prion disease animal models are ideally suited to drug efficacy studies, and well-defined, quantitative disease metrics should be a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M. Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dan Zou
- Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Rose Pitstick
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jill O’Moore
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Janet Peters
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Derek Silvius
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jasna Kriz
- Cervo Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - George A. Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Hay AJD, Murphy TJ, Popichak KA, Zabel MD, Moreno JA. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells decrease prion-induced glial inflammation in vitro. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22567. [PMID: 36581683 PMCID: PMC9800558 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26628-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are characterized by the cellular prion protein, PrPC, misfolding and aggregating into the infectious prion protein, PrPSc, which leads to neurodegeneration and death. An early sign of disease is inflammation in the brain and the shift of resting glial cells to reactive astrocytes and activated microglia. Few therapeutics target this stage of disease. Mesenchymal stromal cells produce anti-inflammatory molecules when exposed to inflammatory signals and damaged tissue. Here, we show that adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AdMSCs) migrate toward prion-infected brain homogenate and produce the anti-inflammatory molecules transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6). In an in vitro model of prion exposure of both primary mixed glia and BV2 microglial cell line, co-culturing with AdMSCs led to a significant decrease in inflammatory cytokine mRNA and markers of reactive astrocytes and activated microglia. This protection against in vitro prion-associated inflammatory responses is independent of PrPSc replication. These data support a role for AdMSCs as a beneficial therapeutic for decreasing the early onset of glial inflammation and reprogramming glial cells to a protective phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle J. D. Hay
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Tanner J. Murphy
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Katriana A. Popichak
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Present Address: Center for Healthy Aging, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Mark D. Zabel
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Present Address: Center for Healthy Aging, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Julie A. Moreno
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA ,grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Present Address: Center for Healthy Aging, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
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8
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Tarozzi M, Baiardi S, Sala C, Bartoletti-Stella A, Parchi P, Capellari S, Castellani G. Genomic, transcriptomic and RNA editing analysis of human MM1 and VV2 sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:181. [PMID: 36517866 PMCID: PMC9749175 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01483-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is characterized by a broad phenotypic spectrum regarding symptoms, progression, and molecular features. Current sporadic CJD (sCJD) classification recognizes six main clinical-pathological phenotypes. This work investigates the molecular basis of the phenotypic heterogeneity of prion diseases through a multi-omics analysis of the two most common sCJD subtypes: MM1 and VV2. We performed DNA target sequencing on 118 genes on a cohort of 48 CJD patients and full exome RNA sequencing on post-mortem frontal cortex tissue on a subset of this cohort. DNA target sequencing identified multiple potential genetic contributors to the disease onset and phenotype, both in terms of coding, damaging-predicted variants, and enriched groups of SNPs in the whole cohort and the two subtypes. The results highlight a different functional impairment, with VV2 associated with higher impairment of the pathways related to dopamine secretion, regulation of calcium release and GABA signaling, showing some similarities with Parkinson's disease both on a genomic and a transcriptomic level. MM1 showed a gene expression profile with several traits shared with different neurodegenerative, without an apparent distinctive characteristic or similarities with a specific disease. In addition, integrating genomic and transcriptomic data led to the discovery of several sites of ADAR-mediated RNA editing events, confirming and expanding previous findings in animal models. On the transcriptomic level, this work represents the first application of RNA sequencing on CJD human brain samples. Here, a good clusterization of the transcriptomic profiles of the two subtypes was achieved, together with the finding of several differently impaired pathways between the two subtypes. The results add to the understanding of the molecular features associated with sporadic CJD and its most common subtypes, revealing strain-specific genetic signatures and functional similarities between VV2 and Parkinson's disease and providing preliminary evidence of RNA editing modifications in human sCJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Tarozzi
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy ,grid.492077.fProgramma di Neuropatologia delle Malattie, Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Sala
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Bartoletti-Stella
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- grid.492077.fProgramma di Neuropatologia delle Malattie, Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy ,grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- grid.492077.fProgramma di Neuropatologia delle Malattie, Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy ,grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gastone Castellani
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
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9
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Kim YC, Jeong BH. Transcriptomic analysis identifies novel potential biomarkers and highlights cilium-related biological processes in the early stages of prion disease in mice. Prion 2022; 16:84-90. [PMID: 35786398 PMCID: PMC9255203 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2095186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal and irreversible neurodegenerative diseases induced by the pathogenic form of the prion protein (PrPSc), which is converted from the benign form of the prion protein (PrPC). These diseases are characterized by an extended asymptomatic incubation period accompanied by continuous conversion of PrPC to PrPSc. However, to date, the mechanism governing the conversion to PrPSc in the initial stages of prion disease has not been fully elucidated. We collected transcriptome data from the hippocampus of wild-type mice and prion-infected mice at 8 weeks post injection from the Gene Expression Omnibus and analysed differentially expressed genes and related signalling biological process using bioinformatic tools. We identified a total of 36 differentially expressed genes, including 22 upregulated genes and 14 downregulated genes. In addition, we identified that the cilium-related biological process was enriched in the early stages of prion disease. Furthermore, up- and down-regulated genes were associated with cilium-related cellular components and synapse-related cellular components, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, our study was the first to observe the upregulation of cilium-related genes in the early stages of prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chan Kim
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Hoon Jeong
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Republic of Korea,Department of Bioactive Material Sciences and Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea,CONTACT Byung-Hoon Jeong Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, 820-120, Hana-ro, Iksan, Jeonbuk54531, Republic of Korea
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10
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Slota JA, Sajesh BV, Frost KF, Medina SJ, Booth SA. Dysregulation of neuroprotective astrocytes, a spectrum of microglial activation states, and altered hippocampal neurogenesis are revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing in prion disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:161. [PMID: 36352465 PMCID: PMC9647949 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01450-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders with long asymptomatic incubation periods, followed by a rapid progression of cognitive and functional decline culminating in death. The complexity of intercellular interactions in the brain is challenging to unravel and the basis of disease pathobiology remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to produce an atlas of 147,536 single cell transcriptomes from cortex and hippocampus of mice infected with prions and showing clinical signs. We identified transcriptionally distinct populations and sub-populations of all the major brain cell-types. Disease-related transcription was highly specific to not only overarching cell-types, but also to sub-populations of glia and neurons. Most striking was an apparent decrease in relative frequency of astrocytes expressing genes that are required for brain homeostasis such as lipid synthesis, glutamate clearance, synaptic modulation and regulation of blood flow. Additionally, we described a spectrum of microglial activation states that suggest delineation of phagocytic and neuroinflammatory functions in different cell subsets. Differential responses of immature and mature neuron populations were also observed, alongside abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis. Our scRNAseq library provides a new layer of knowledge on single cell gene expression in prion disease, and is a basis for a more detailed understanding of cellular interplay that leads to neurodegeneration.
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11
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Spiers JG, Cortina Chen HJ, Barry TL, Bourgognon JM, Steinert JR. Redox stress and metal dys-homeostasis appear as hallmarks of early prion disease pathogenesis in mice. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 192:182-190. [PMID: 36170956 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with a multitude of dysfunctional cellular pathways. One major contributory factor is a redox stress challenge during the development of several protein misfolding conditions including Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and less common conditions such as Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD). CJD is caused by misfolding of the neuronal prion protein and is characterised by a neurotoxic unfolded protein response involving chronic endoplasmic reticulum stress, reduced protein translation and spongiosis leading subsequently to synaptic and neuronal loss. Here we have characterised prion disease in mice to assess redox stress components including nitrergic and oxidative markers associated with neuroinflammatory activation. Aberrant regulation of the homeostasis of several redox metals contributes to the overall cellular redox stress and we have identified altered levels of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese in the hippocampus of prion diseased mice. Our data show that early in disease, there is evidence for oxidative stress in conjunction with reduced antioxidant superoxide dismutase mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, expression of divalent metal transporter proteins was reduced for Atp7b, Atox1, Slc11a2, Slc39a14 at 6-7 weeks but increased for Slc39a14 and Mt1 at 10 weeks of disease. Our data present evidence for a strong pro-oxidant environment and altered redox metal homeostasis in early disease pathology which both may be contributory factors to aggravating this protein misfolding disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jereme G Spiers
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.
| | - Hsiao-Jou Cortina Chen
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome Trust MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Tiffany L Barry
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Julie-Myrtille Bourgognon
- School of Infection and Immunity, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Joern R Steinert
- Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, UK.
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12
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Avar M, Heinzer D, Thackray AM, Liu Y, Hruska‐Plochan M, Sellitto S, Schaper E, Pease DP, Yin J, Lakkaraju AKK, Emmenegger M, Losa M, Chincisan A, Hornemann S, Polymenidou M, Bujdoso R, Aguzzi A. An arrayed genome-wide perturbation screen identifies the ribonucleoprotein Hnrnpk as rate-limiting for prion propagation. EMBO J 2022; 41:e112338. [PMID: 36254605 PMCID: PMC9713719 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A defining characteristic of mammalian prions is their capacity for self-sustained propagation. Theoretical considerations and experimental evidence suggest that prion propagation is modulated by cell-autonomous and non-autonomous modifiers. Using a novel quantitative phospholipase protection assay (QUIPPER) for high-throughput prion measurements, we performed an arrayed genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen aimed at detecting cellular host-factors that can modify prion propagation. We exposed prion-infected cells in high-density microplates to 35,364 ternary pools of 52,746 siRNAs targeting 17,582 genes representing the majority of the mouse protein-coding transcriptome. We identified 1,191 modulators of prion propagation. While 1,151 modified the expression of both the pathological prion protein, PrPSc , and its cellular counterpart, PrPC , 40 genes selectively affected PrPSc . Of the latter 40 genes, 20 augmented prion production when suppressed. A prominent limiter of prion propagation was the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein Hnrnpk. Psammaplysene A (PSA), which binds Hnrnpk, reduced prion levels in cultured cells and protected them from cytotoxicity. PSA also reduced prion levels in infected cerebellar organotypic slices and alleviated locomotor deficits in prion-infected Drosophila melanogaster expressing ovine PrPC . Hence, genome-wide QUIPPER-based perturbations can discover actionable cellular pathways involved in prion propagation. Further, the unexpected identification of a prion-controlling ribonucleoprotein suggests a role for RNA in the generation of infectious prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Avar
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Daniel Heinzer
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Alana M Thackray
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Yingjun Liu
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Stefano Sellitto
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Elke Schaper
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Daniel P Pease
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jiang‐An Yin
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Marc Emmenegger
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Marco Losa
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Andra Chincisan
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Raymond Bujdoso
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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13
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Ojeda-Juárez D, Lawrence JA, Soldau K, Pizzo DP, Wheeler E, Aguilar-Calvo P, Khuu H, Chen J, Malik A, Funk G, Nam P, Sanchez H, Geschwind MD, Wu C, Yeo GW, Chen X, Patrick GN, Sigurdson CJ. Prions induce an early Arc response and a subsequent reduction in mGluR5 in the hippocampus. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 172:105834. [PMID: 35905927 PMCID: PMC10080886 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105834] [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: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse dysfunction and loss are central features of neurodegenerative diseases, caused in part by the accumulation of protein oligomers. Amyloid-β, tau, prion, and α-synuclein oligomers bind to the cellular prion protein (PrPC), resulting in the activation of macromolecular complexes and signaling at the post-synapse, yet the early signaling events are unclear. Here we sought to determine the early transcript and protein alterations in the hippocampus during the pre-clinical stages of prion disease. We used a transcriptomic approach focused on the early-stage, prion-infected hippocampus of male wild-type mice, and identify immediate early genes, including the synaptic activity response gene, Arc/Arg3.1, as significantly upregulated. In a longitudinal study of male, prion-infected mice, Arc/Arg-3.1 protein was increased early (40% of the incubation period), and by mid-disease (pre-clinical), phosphorylated AMPA receptors (pGluA1-S845) were increased and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR5 dimers) were markedly reduced in the hippocampus. Notably, sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) post-mortem cortical samples also showed low levels of mGluR5 dimers. Together, these findings suggest that prions trigger an early Arc response, followed by an increase in phosphorylated GluA1 and a reduction in mGluR5 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ojeda-Juárez
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jessica A Lawrence
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Katrin Soldau
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Donald P Pizzo
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emily Wheeler
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Helen Khuu
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joy Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adela Malik
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gail Funk
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Percival Nam
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Henry Sanchez
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gentry N Patrick
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christina J Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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14
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Wang Y, Hartmann K, Thies E, Mohammadi B, Altmeppen H, Sepulveda-Falla D, Glatzel M, Krasemann S. Loss of Homeostatic Microglia Signature in Prion Diseases. Cells 2022; 11:cells11192948. [PMID: 36230910 PMCID: PMC9563810 DOI: 10.3390/cells11192948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and animals. They are always fatal and, to date, no treatment exists. The hallmark of prion disease pathophysiology is the misfolding of an endogenous protein, the cellular prion protein (PrPC), into its disease-associated isoform PrPSc. Besides the aggregation and deposition of misfolded PrPSc, prion diseases are characterized by spongiform lesions and the activation of astrocytes and microglia. Microglia are the innate immune cells of the brain. Activated microglia and astrocytes represent a common pathological feature in neurodegenerative disorders. The role of activated microglia has already been studied in prion disease mouse models; however, it is still not fully clear how they contribute to disease progression. Moreover, the role of microglia in human prion diseases has not been thoroughly investigated thus far, and specific molecular pathways are still undetermined. Here, we review the current knowledge on the different roles of microglia in prion pathophysiology. We discuss microglia markers that are also dysregulated in other neurodegenerative diseases including microglia homeostasis markers. Data on murine and human brain tissues show that microglia are highly dysregulated in prion diseases. We highlight here that the loss of homeostatic markers may especially stand out.
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15
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Mercer RCC, Harris DA. Mechanisms of prion-induced toxicity. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:81-96. [PMID: 36070155 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03683-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are devastating neurodegenerative diseases caused by the structural conversion of the normally benign prion protein (PrPC) to an infectious, disease-associated, conformer, PrPSc. After decades of intense research, much is known about the self-templated prion conversion process, a phenomenon which is now understood to be operative in other more common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, we provide the current state of knowledge concerning a relatively poorly understood aspect of prion diseases: mechanisms of neurotoxicity. We provide an overview of proposed functions of PrPC and its interactions with other extracellular proteins in the central nervous system, in vivo and in vitro models used to delineate signaling events downstream of prion propagation, the application of omics technologies, and the emerging appreciation of the role played by non-neuronal cell types in pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C C Mercer
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Kaczmarczyk L, Schleif M, Dittrich L, Williams RH, Koderman M, Bansal V, Rajput A, Schulte T, Jonson M, Krost C, Testaquadra FJ, Bonn S, Jackson WS. Distinct translatome changes in specific neural populations precede electroencephalographic changes in prion-infected mice. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010747. [PMID: 35960762 PMCID: PMC9401167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective vulnerability is an enigmatic feature of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), whereby a widely expressed protein causes lesions in specific cell types and brain regions. Using the RiboTag method in mice, translational responses of five neural subtypes to acquired prion disease (PrD) were measured. Pre-onset and disease onset timepoints were chosen based on longitudinal electroencephalography (EEG) that revealed a gradual increase in theta power between 10- and 18-weeks after prion injection, resembling a clinical feature of human PrD. At disease onset, marked by significantly increased theta power and histopathological lesions, mice had pronounced translatome changes in all five cell types despite appearing normal. Remarkably, at a pre-onset stage, prior to EEG and neuropathological changes, we found that 1) translatomes of astrocytes indicated reduced synthesis of ribosomal and mitochondrial components, 2) glutamatergic neurons showed increased expression of cytoskeletal genes, and 3) GABAergic neurons revealed reduced expression of circadian rhythm genes. These data demonstrate that early translatome responses to neurodegeneration emerge prior to conventional markers of disease and are cell type-specific. Therapeutic strategies may need to target multiple pathways in specific populations of cells, early in disease. Prions are infectious agents composed of a misfolded protein. When isolated from a mammalian brain and transferred to the same host species, prions will cause the same neurodegenerative disease affecting the same brain regions and cell types. This concept of selective vulnerability is also a feature of more common types of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. To better understand the mechanisms behind selective vulnerability, we studied disease responses of five cell types with different vulnerabilities in prion-infected mice at two different disease stages. Responses were measured as changes to mRNAs undergoing translation, referred to as the translatome. Before prion-infected mice demonstrated typical disease signs, electroencephalography (a method used clinically to characterize neurodegeneration in humans) revealed brain changes resembling those in human prion diseases, and surprisingly, the translatomes of all cells were drastically changed. Furthermore, before electroencephalography changes emerged, three cell types made unique responses while the most vulnerable cell type did not. These results suggests that mechanisms causing selective vulnerability will be difficult to dissect and that therapies will likely need to be provided before clinical signs emerge and individually engage multiple cell types and their distinct molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lech Kaczmarczyk
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Melvin Schleif
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Dittrich
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Maruša Koderman
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Vikas Bansal
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Biomedical AI (bAIome), Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ashish Rajput
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Biomedical AI (bAIome), Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
- Maximon AG, Zug, Switzerland
| | | | - Maria Jonson
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Clemens Krost
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Bonn
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Biomedical AI (bAIome), Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
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17
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Liu Y, Senatore A, Sorce S, Nuvolone M, Guo J, Gümüş ZH, Aguzzi A. Brain aging is faithfully modelled in organotypic brain slices and accelerated by prions. Commun Biol 2022; 5:557. [PMID: 35676449 PMCID: PMC9177860 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03496-5] [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: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian models are essential for brain aging research. However, the long lifespan and poor amenability to genetic and pharmacological perturbations have hindered the use of mammals for dissecting aging-regulatory molecular networks and discovering new anti-aging interventions. To circumvent these limitations, we developed an ex vivo model system that faithfully mimics the aging process of the mammalian brain using cultured mouse brain slices. Genome-wide gene expression analyses showed that cultured brain slices spontaneously upregulated senescence-associated genes over time and reproduced many of the transcriptional characteristics of aged brains. Treatment with rapamycin, a classical anti-aging compound, largely abolished the time-dependent transcriptional changes in naturally aged brain slice cultures. Using this model system, we discovered that prions drastically accelerated the development of age-related molecular signatures and the pace of brain aging. We confirmed this finding in mouse models and human victims of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. These data establish an innovative, eminently tractable mammalian model of brain aging, and uncover a surprising acceleration of brain aging in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjun Liu
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Sorce
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Center, Foundation IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zeynep H Gümüş
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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18
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Arshad H, Watts JC. Genetically engineered cellular models of prion propagation. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:63-80. [PMID: 35581386 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03630-z] [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: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
For over three decades, cultured cells have been a useful tool for dissecting the molecular details of prion replication and the identification of candidate therapeutics for prion disease. A major issue limiting the translatability of these studies has been the inability to reliably propagate disease-relevant, non-mouse strains of prions in cells relevant to prion pathogenesis. In recent years, fueled by advances in gene editing technology, it has become possible to propagate prions from hamsters, cervids, and sheep in immortalized cell lines originating from the central nervous system. In particular, the use of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to generate versions of prion-permissive cell lines that lack endogenous PrP expression has provided a blank canvas upon which re-expression of PrP leads to species-matched susceptibility to prion infection. When coupled with the ability to propagate prions in cells or organoids derived from stem cells, these next-generation cellular models should provide an ideal paradigm for identifying small molecules and other biological therapeutics capable of interfering with prion replication in animal and human prion disorders. In this review, we summarize recent advances that have widened the spectrum of prion strains that can be propagated in cultured cells and cutting-edge tissue-based models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Arshad
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building Rm. 5207, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building Rm. 5207, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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19
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Slota JA, Medina SJ, Frost KL, Booth SA. Neurons and Astrocytes Elicit Brain Region Specific Transcriptional Responses to Prion Disease in the Murine CA1 and Thalamus. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:918811. [PMID: 35651626 PMCID: PMC9149297 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.918811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons ultimately culminates in the symptoms and eventual fatality of prion disease, yet the pathways and mechanisms that lead to neuronal degeneration remain elusive. Here, we used RNAseq to profile transcriptional changes in microdissected CA1 and thalamus brain tissues from prion infected mice. Numerous transcripts were altered during clinical disease, whereas very few transcripts were reliably altered at pre-clinical time points. Prion altered transcripts were assigned to broadly defined brain cell types and we noted a strong transcriptional signature that was affiliated with reactive microglia and astrocytes. While very few neuronal transcripts were common between the CA1 and thalamus, we described transcriptional changes in both regions that were related to synaptic dysfunction. Using transcriptional profiling to compare how different neuronal populations respond during prion disease may help decipher mechanisms that lead to neuronal demise and should be investigated with greater detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy A. Slota
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Medina
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kathy L. Frost
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Stephanie A. Booth
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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20
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Gene expression and epigenetic markers of prion diseases. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:285-294. [PMID: 35307791 PMCID: PMC10113299 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics, meaning the variety of mechanisms underpinning gene regulation and chromatin states, plays a key role in normal development as well as in disease initiation and progression. Epigenetic mechanisms like alteration of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, have been proposed as biomarkers for diagnosis, classification, or monitoring of responsiveness to treatment in many diseases. In prion diseases, the profound associations with human aging, the effects of cell type and differentiation on in vitro susceptibility, and recently identified human risk factors, all implicate causal epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we review the current state of the art of epigenetics in prion diseases and its interaction with genetic determinants. In particular, we will review recent advances made by several groups in the field profiling DNA methylation and microRNA expression in mammalian prion diseases and the potential for these discoveries to be exploited as biomarkers.
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21
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Nucleic acid actions on abnormal protein aggregation, phase transitions and phase separation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 73:102346. [PMID: 35247749 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and phase transitions (PT) of proteins, which include the formation of gel- and solid-like species, have been characterized as physical processes related to the pathology of conformational diseases. Nucleic acid (NA)-binding proteins related to neurodegenerative disorders and cancer were shown by us and others to experience PT modulated by different NAs. Herein, we discuss recent work on phase separation and phase transitions of two amyloidogenic proteins, i.e. the prion protein (PrP) and p53, which undergo conformational changes and aggregate upon NA interaction. The role of different NAs in these processes is discussed to shed light on the relevance of PSs and PTs for both the functional and pathological roles of these mammalian proteins.
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22
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Lakkaraju AKK, Sorce S, Senatore A, Nuvolone M, Guo J, Schwarz P, Moos R, Pelczar P, Aguzzi A. Glial activation in prion diseases is selectively triggered by neuronal PrP Sc. Brain Pathol 2022; 32:e13056. [PMID: 35178783 PMCID: PMC9425016 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although prion infections cause cognitive impairment and neuronal death, transcriptional and translational profiling shows progressive derangement within glia but surprisingly little changes within neurons. Here we expressed PrPC selectively in neurons and astrocytes of mice. After prion infection, both astrocyte and neuron‐restricted PrPC expression led to copious brain accumulation of PrPSc. As expected, neuron‐restricted expression was associated with typical prion disease. However, mice with astrocyte‐restricted PrPC expression experienced a normal life span, did not develop clinical disease, and did not show astro‐ or microgliosis. Besides confirming that PrPSc is innocuous to PrPC‐deficient neurons, these results show that astrocyte‐born PrPSc does not activate the extreme neuroinflammation that accompanies the onset of prion disease and precedes any molecular changes of neurons. This points to a nonautonomous mechanism by which prion‐infected neurons instruct astrocytes and microglia to acquire a specific cellular state that, in turn, drives neural dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asvin K K Lakkaraju
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Sorce
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Center, Foundation Scientific Institute Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rita Moos
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pawel Pelczar
- Center for Transgenic Models, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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23
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Bujdoso R, Smith A, Fleck O, Spiropoulos J, Andréoletti O, Thackray AM. Prion disease modelled in Drosophila. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:47-62. [PMID: 35092497 PMCID: PMC10113284 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03586-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPrion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative conditions of humans and various vertebrate species that are transmissible between individuals of the same or different species. A novel infectious moiety referred to as a prion is considered responsible for transmission of these conditions. Prion replication is believed to be the cause of the neurotoxicity that arises during prion disease pathogenesis. The prion hypothesis predicts that the transmissible prion agent consists of PrPSc, which is comprised of aggregated misfolded conformers of the normal host protein PrPC. It is important to understand the biology of transmissible prions and to identify genetic modifiers of prion-induced neurotoxicity. This information will underpin the development of therapeutic and control strategies for human and animal prion diseases. The most reliable method to detect prion infectivity is by in vivo transmission in a suitable experimental host, which to date have been mammalian species. Current prion bioassays are slow, cumbersome and relatively insensitive to low titres of prion infectivity, and do not lend themselves to rapid genetic analysis of prion disease. Here, we provide an overview of our novel studies that have led to the establishment of Drosophila melanogaster, a genetically well-defined invertebrate host, as a sensitive, versatile and economically viable animal model for the detection of mammalian prion infectivity and genetic modifiers of prion-induced toxicity.
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Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). As the main component of prion, PrPSc acts as an infectious template that recruits and converts normal cellular PrPC into its pathogenic, misfolded isoform. Intriguingly, the phenomenon of prionoid, or prion-like, spread has also been observed in many other disease-associated proteins, such as amyloid β (Aβ), tau and α-synuclein. This Cell Science at a Glance and the accompanying poster highlight recently described physiological roles of prion protein and the advanced understanding of pathogenesis of prion disease they have afforded. Importantly, prion protein may also be involved in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic studies of prion disease have also exploited novel strategies to combat these devastating diseases. Future studies on prion protein and prion disease will deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, CH-8091, Switzerland
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25
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Lakkaraju AKK, Frontzek K, Lemes E, Herrmann U, Losa M, Marpakwar R, Aguzzi A. Loss of PIKfyve drives the spongiform degeneration in prion diseases. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e14714. [PMID: 34291577 PMCID: PMC8518562 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain‐matter vacuolation is a defining trait of all prion diseases, yet its cause is unknown. Here, we report that prion infection and prion‐mimetic antibodies deplete the phosphoinositide kinase PIKfyve—which controls endolysosomal maturation—from mouse brains, cultured cells, organotypic brain slices, and brains of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease victims. We found that PIKfyve is acylated by the acyltransferases zDHHC9 and zDHHC21, whose juxtavesicular topology is disturbed by prion infection, resulting in PIKfyve deacylation and rapid degradation, as well as endolysosomal hypertrophy and activation of TFEB‐dependent lysosomal enzymes. A protracted unfolded protein response (UPR), typical of prion diseases, also induced PIKfyve deacylation and degradation. Conversely, UPR antagonists restored PIKfyve levels in prion‐infected cells. Overexpression of zDHHC9 and zDHHC21, administration of the antiprion polythiophene LIN5044, or supplementation with the PIKfyve reaction product PI(3,5)P2 suppressed prion‐induced vacuolation and restored lysosomal homeostasis. Thus, PIKfyve emerges as a central mediator of vacuolation and neurotoxicity in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karl Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emina Lemes
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Uli Herrmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Losa
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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26
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Li B, Chen M, Aguzzi A, Zhu C. The role of macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (Msr1) in prion pathogenesis. J Mol Med (Berl) 2021; 99:877-887. [PMID: 33758958 PMCID: PMC8164582 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-021-02061-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The progression of prion diseases is accompanied by the accumulation of prions in the brain. Ablation of microglia enhances prion accumulation and accelerates disease progression, suggesting that microglia play a neuroprotective role by clearing prions. However, the mechanisms underlying the phagocytosis and clearance of prion are largely unknown. The macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (Msr1) is an important phagocytic receptor expressed by microglia in the brain and is involved in the uptake and clearance of soluble amyloid-β. We therefore asked whether Msr1 might play a role in prion clearance and assessed the scavenger function of Msr1 in prion pathogenesis. We found that Msr1 expression was upregulated in prion-infected mouse brains. However, Msr1 deficiency did not change prion disease progression or lesion patterns. Prion deposition in Msr1 deficient mice was similar to their wild-type littermates. In addition, prion-induced neuroinflammation was not affected by Msr1 ablation. We conclude that Msr1 does not play a major role in prion pathogenesis. KEY MESSAGES: Msr1 expression is upregulated in prion-infected mouse brains at the terminal stage Msr1 deficiency does not affect prion disease progression Msr1 does not play a major role in prion clearance or prion pathogenesis Microglia-mediated phagocytosis and clearance of Aβ and prion may adopt distinct molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Dong'An Road 130, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Meiling Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Dong'An Road 130, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Caihong Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Dong'An Road 130, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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27
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Meisl G, Kurt T, Condado-Morales I, Bett C, Sorce S, Nuvolone M, Michaels TCT, Heinzer D, Avar M, Cohen SIA, Hornemann S, Aguzzi A, Dobson CM, Sigurdson CJ, Knowles TPJ. Scaling analysis reveals the mechanism and rates of prion replication in vivo. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021; 28:365-372. [PMID: 33767451 PMCID: PMC8922999 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-021-00565-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Prions consist of pathological aggregates of cellular prion protein and have the ability to replicate, causing neurodegenerative diseases, a phenomenon mirrored in many other diseases connected to protein aggregation, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, despite their key importance in disease, the individual processes governing this formation of pathogenic aggregates, as well as their rates, have remained challenging to elucidate in vivo. Here we bring together a mathematical framework with kinetics of the accumulation of prions in mice and microfluidic measurements of aggregate size to dissect the overall aggregation reaction into its constituent processes and quantify the reaction rates in mice. Taken together, the data show that multiplication of prions in vivo is slower than in in vitro experiments, but efficient when compared with other amyloid systems, and displays scaling behavior characteristic of aggregate fragmentation. These results provide a framework for the determination of the mechanisms of disease-associated aggregation processes within living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Meisl
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Timothy Kurt
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Itzel Condado-Morales
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cyrus Bett
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Silvia Sorce
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Center, Foundation IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Thomas C T Michaels
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Heinzer
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Merve Avar
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuel I A Cohen
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wren Therapeutics, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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28
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Neuroinflammation in Prion Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22042196. [PMID: 33672129 PMCID: PMC7926464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, typically manifest as microglial activation and astrogliosis accompanied by transcriptomic alterations, represents a common hallmark of various neurodegenerative conditions including prion diseases. Microglia play an overall neuroprotective role in prion disease, whereas reactive astrocytes with aberrant phenotypes propagate prions and contribute to prion-induced neurodegeneration. The existence of heterogeneous subpopulations and dual functions of microglia and astrocytes in prion disease make them potential targets for therapeutic intervention. A variety of neuroinflammation-related molecules are involved in prion pathogenesis. Therapeutics targeting neuroinflammation represents a novel approach to combat prion disease. Deciphering neuroinflammation in prion disease will deepen our understanding of pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders.
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29
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Soluble dimeric prion protein ligand activates Adgrg6 receptor but does not rescue early signs of demyelination in PrP-deficient mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242137. [PMID: 33180885 PMCID: PMC7660510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242137] [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: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The adhesion G-protein coupled receptor Adgrg6 (formerly Gpr126) is instrumental in the development, maintenance and repair of peripheral nervous system myelin. The prion protein (PrP) is a potent activator of Adgrg6 and could be used as a potential therapeutic agent in treating peripheral demyelinating and dysmyelinating diseases. We designed a dimeric Fc-fusion protein comprising the myelinotrophic domain of PrP (FT2Fc), which activated Adgrg6 in vitro and exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic properties for in vivo treatment of peripheral neuropathies. While chronic FT2Fc treatment elicited specific transcriptomic changes in the sciatic nerves of PrP knockout mice, no amelioration of the early molecular signs demyelination was detected. Instead, RNA sequencing of sciatic nerves revealed downregulation of cytoskeletal and sarcomere genes, akin to the gene expression changes seen in myopathic skeletal muscle of PrP overexpressing mice. These results call for caution when devising myelinotrophic therapies based on PrP-derived Adgrg6 ligands. While our treatment approach was not successful, Adgrg6 remains an attractive therapeutic target to be addressed in other disease models or by using different biologically active Adgrg6 ligands.
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30
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Minikel EV, Zhao HT, Le J, O'Moore J, Pitstick R, Graffam S, Carlson GA, Kavanaugh MP, Kriz J, Kim JB, Ma J, Wille H, Aiken J, McKenzie D, Doh-Ura K, Beck M, O'Keefe R, Stathopoulos J, Caron T, Schreiber SL, Carroll JB, Kordasiewicz HB, Cabin DE, Vallabh SM. Prion protein lowering is a disease-modifying therapy across prion disease stages, strains and endpoints. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10615-10631. [PMID: 32776089 PMCID: PMC7641729 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lowering of prion protein (PrP) expression in the brain is a genetically validated therapeutic hypothesis in prion disease. We recently showed that antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated PrP suppression extends survival and delays disease onset in intracerebrally prion-infected mice in both prophylactic and delayed dosing paradigms. Here, we examine the efficacy of this therapeutic approach across diverse paradigms, varying the dose and dosing regimen, prion strain, treatment timepoint, and examining symptomatic, survival, and biomarker readouts. We recapitulate our previous findings with additional PrP-targeting ASOs, and demonstrate therapeutic benefit against four additional prion strains. We demonstrate that <25% PrP suppression is sufficient to extend survival and delay symptoms in a prophylactic paradigm. Rise in both neuroinflammation and neuronal injury markers can be reversed by a single dose of PrP-lowering ASO administered after the detection of pathological change. Chronic ASO-mediated suppression of PrP beginning at any time up to early signs of neuropathology confers benefit similar to constitutive heterozygous PrP knockout. Remarkably, even after emergence of frank symptoms including weight loss, a single treatment prolongs survival by months in a subset of animals. These results support ASO-mediated PrP lowering, and PrP-lowering therapeutics in general, as a promising path forward against prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hien T Zhao
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Jason Le
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jill O'Moore
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA
| | - Rose Pitstick
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jasna Kriz
- Cervo Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | | | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Holger Wille
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | | | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Matthew Beck
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rhonda O'Keefe
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Tyler Caron
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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31
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Mabbott NA, Bradford BM, Pal R, Young R, Donaldson DS. The Effects of Immune System Modulation on Prion Disease Susceptibility and Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7299. [PMID: 33023255 PMCID: PMC7582561 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique group of infectious chronic neurodegenerative disorders to which there are no cures. Although prion infections do not stimulate adaptive immune responses in infected individuals, the actions of certain immune cell populations can have a significant impact on disease pathogenesis. After infection, the targeting of peripherally-acquired prions to specific immune cells in the secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), such as the lymph nodes and spleen, is essential for the efficient transmission of disease to the brain. Once the prions reach the brain, interactions with other immune cell populations can provide either host protection or accelerate the neurodegeneration. In this review, we provide a detailed account of how factors such as inflammation, ageing and pathogen co-infection can affect prion disease pathogenesis and susceptibility. For example, we discuss how changes to the abundance, function and activation status of specific immune cell populations can affect the transmission of prion diseases by peripheral routes. We also describe how the effects of systemic inflammation on certain glial cell subsets in the brains of infected individuals can accelerate the neurodegeneration. A detailed understanding of the factors that affect prion disease transmission and pathogenesis is essential for the development of novel intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A. Mabbott
- The Roslin Institute & Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK; (B.M.B.); (R.P.); (R.Y.); (D.S.D.)
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32
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Scheckel C, Imeri M, Schwarz P, Aguzzi A. Ribosomal profiling during prion disease uncovers progressive translational derangement in glia but not in neurons. eLife 2020; 9:62911. [PMID: 32960170 PMCID: PMC7527237 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by PrPSc, a self-replicating pathologically misfolded protein that exerts toxicity predominantly in the brain. The administration of PrPSc causes a robust, reproducible and specific disease manifestation. Here, we have applied a combination of translating ribosome affinity purification and ribosome profiling to identify biologically relevant prion-induced changes during disease progression in a cell-type-specific and genome-wide manner. Terminally diseased mice with severe neurological symptoms showed extensive alterations in astrocytes and microglia. Surprisingly, we detected only minor changes in the translational profiles of neurons. Prion-induced alterations in glia overlapped with those identified in other neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that similar events occur in a broad spectrum of pathologies. Our results suggest that aberrant translation within glia may suffice to cause severe neurological symptoms and may even be the primary driver of prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Scheckel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marigona Imeri
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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