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Jurcau MC, Jurcau A, Diaconu RG, Hogea VO, Nunkoo VS. A Systematic Review of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Attempts. Neurol Int 2024; 16:1039-1065. [PMID: 39311352 PMCID: PMC11417857 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint16050079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare neurodegenerative and invariably fatal disease with a fulminant course once the first clinical symptoms emerge. Its incidence appears to be rising, although the increasing figures may be related to the improved diagnostic tools. Due to the highly variable clinical picture at onset, many specialty physicians should be aware of this disease and refer the patient to a neurologist for complete evaluation. The diagnostic criteria have been changed based on the considerable progress made in research on the pathogenesis and on the identification of reliable biomarkers. Moreover, accumulated knowledge on pathogenesis led to the identification of a series of possible therapeutic targets, although, given the low incidence and very rapid course, the evaluation of safety and efficacy of these therapeutic strategies is challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina Jurcau
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Anamaria Jurcau
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania
| | - Razvan Gabriel Diaconu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Vlad Octavian Hogea
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Vharoon Sharma Nunkoo
- Neurorehabilitation Ward, Clinical Emergency County Hospital Bihor, 410169 Oradea, Romania
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2
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Makarava N, Kushwaha R, Baskakov IV. Reactive astrocytes in prion diseases: Friend or foe? PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012286. [PMID: 38900746 PMCID: PMC11189187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rajesh Kushwaha
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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3
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Hay A, Popichak K, Moreno J, Zabel M. The Role of Glial Cells in Neurobiology and Prion Neuropathology. Cells 2024; 13:832. [PMID: 38786054 PMCID: PMC11119027 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rare and neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by the misfolding and infectious spread of the prion protein in the brain, causing progressive and irreversible neuronal loss and associated clinical and behavioral manifestations in humans and animals, ultimately leading to death. The brain has a complex network of neurons and glial cells whose crosstalk is critical for function and homeostasis. Although it is established that prion infection of neurons is necessary for clinical disease to occur, debate remains in the field as to the role played by glial cells, namely astrocytes and microglia, and whether these cells are beneficial to the host or further accelerate disease. Here, we review the current literature assessing the complex morphologies of astrocytes and microglia, and the crosstalk between these two cell types, in the prion-infected brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle Hay
- Division of Intramural Research, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Katriana Popichak
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (K.P.); (J.M.); (M.Z.)
| | - Julie Moreno
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (K.P.); (J.M.); (M.Z.)
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mark Zabel
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (K.P.); (J.M.); (M.Z.)
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4
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Assis-de-Lemos G, Moura-do-Nascimento R, Amaral-do-Nascimento M, Miceli AC, Vieira TCRG. Interactions between Cytokines and the Pathogenesis of Prion Diseases: Insights and Implications. Brain Sci 2024; 14:413. [PMID: 38790392 PMCID: PMC11117815 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), including prion diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, pose unique challenges to the scientific and medical communities due to their infectious nature, neurodegenerative effects, and the absence of a cure. Central to the progression of TSEs is the conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its infectious scrapie form (PrPSc), leading to neurodegeneration through a complex interplay involving the immune system. This review elucidates the current understanding of the immune response in prion diseases, emphasizing the dual role of the immune system in both propagating and mitigating the disease through mechanisms such as glial activation, cytokine release, and blood-brain barrier dynamics. We highlight the differential cytokine profiles associated with various prion strains and stages of disease, pointing towards the potential for cytokines as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Immunomodulatory strategies are discussed as promising avenues for mitigating neuroinflammation and delaying disease progression. This comprehensive examination of the immune response in TSEs not only advances our understanding of these enigmatic diseases but also sheds light on broader neuroinflammatory processes, offering hope for future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Tuane C. R. G. Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis and National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (G.A.-d.-L.); (R.M.-d.-N.); (M.A.-d.-N.); (A.C.M.)
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5
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Catalano M, Limatola C, Trettel F. Non-neoplastic astrocytes: key players for brain tumor progression. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1352130. [PMID: 38293652 PMCID: PMC10825036 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1352130] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly plastic cells whose activity is essential to maintain the cerebral homeostasis, regulating synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission, vascular and metabolic functions, ions, neuro- and gliotransmitters concentrations. In pathological conditions, astrocytes may undergo transient or long-lasting molecular and functional changes that contribute to disease resolution or exacerbation. In recent years, many studies demonstrated that non-neoplastic astrocytes are key cells of the tumor microenvironment that contribute to the pathogenesis of glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor and of secondary metastatic brain tumors. This Mini Review covers the recent development of research on non-neoplastic astrocytes as tumor-modulators. Their double-edged capability to promote cancer progression or to represent potential tools to counteract brain tumors will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Catalano
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Limatola
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Flavia Trettel
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Jones E, Hill E, Linehan J, Nazari T, Caulder A, Codner GF, Hutchison M, Mackenzie M, Farmer M, Coysh T, De Oliveira MW, Al-Doujaily H, Sandberg M, Viré E, Cunningham TJ, Asante EA, Brandner S, Collinge J, Mead S. Characterisation and prion transmission study in mice with genetic reduction of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease risk gene Stx6. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106363. [PMID: 37996040 PMCID: PMC7615600 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), the most common human prion disease, is thought to occur when the cellular prion protein (PrPC) spontaneously misfolds and assembles into prion fibrils, culminating in fatal neurodegeneration. In a genome-wide association study of sCJD, we recently identified risk variants in and around the gene STX6, with evidence to suggest a causal increase of STX6 expression in disease-relevant brain regions. STX6 encodes syntaxin-6, a SNARE protein primarily involved in early endosome to trans-Golgi network retrograde transport. Here we developed and characterised a mouse model with genetic depletion of Stx6 and investigated a causal role of Stx6 expression in mouse prion disease through a classical prion transmission study, assessing the impact of homozygous and heterozygous syntaxin-6 knockout on disease incubation periods and prion-related neuropathology. Following inoculation with RML prions, incubation periods in Stx6-/- and Stx6+/- mice differed by 12 days relative to wildtype. Similarly, in Stx6-/- mice, disease incubation periods following inoculation with ME7 prions also differed by 12 days. Histopathological analysis revealed a modest increase in astrogliosis in ME7-inoculated Stx6-/- animals and a variable effect of Stx6 expression on microglia activation, however no differences in neuronal loss, spongiform change or PrP deposition were observed at endpoint. Importantly, Stx6-/- mice are viable and fertile with no gross impairments on a range of neurological, biochemical, histological and skeletal structure tests. Our results provide some support for a pathological role of Stx6 expression in prion disease, which warrants further investigation in the context of prion disease but also other neurodegenerative diseases considering syntaxin-6 appears to have pleiotropic risk effects in progressive supranuclear palsy and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Jones
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Elizabeth Hill
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Jacqueline Linehan
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Tamsin Nazari
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Adam Caulder
- Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Gemma F Codner
- Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Marie Hutchison
- Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Matthew Mackenzie
- Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Michael Farmer
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Thomas Coysh
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Michael Wiggins De Oliveira
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Huda Al-Doujaily
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Malin Sandberg
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Viré
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Thomas J Cunningham
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Asante
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- Division of Neuropathology and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London (UCL), UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK.
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7
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Makarava N, Mychko O, Molesworth K, Chang JCY, Henry RJ, Tsymbalyuk N, Gerzanich V, Simard JM, Loane DJ, Baskakov IV. Region-Specific Homeostatic Identity of Astrocytes Is Essential for Defining Their Response to Pathological Insults. Cells 2023; 12:2172. [PMID: 37681904 PMCID: PMC10486627 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The transformation of astrocytes into reactive states constitutes a biological response of the central nervous system under a variety of pathological insults. Astrocytes display diverse homeostatic identities that are developmentally predetermined and regionally specified. Upon transformation into reactive states associated with neurodegenerative diseases and other neurological disorders, astrocytes acquire diverse reactive phenotypes. However, it is not clear whether their reactive phenotypes are dictated by region-specific homeostatic identity or by the nature of an insult. To address this question, region-specific gene expression profiling was performed for four brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus) in mice using a custom NanoString panel consisting of selected sets of genes associated with astrocyte functions and their reactivity for five conditions: prion disease, traumatic brain injury, brain ischemia, 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease model and normal aging. Upon transformation into reactive states, genes that are predominantly associated with astrocytes were found to respond to insults in a region-specific manner. Regardless of the nature of the insult or the insult-specificity of astrocyte response, strong correlations between undirected GSA (gene set analysis) scores reporting on astrocyte reactivity and on their homeostatic functions were observed within each individual brain region. The insult-specific gene expression signatures did not separate well from each other and instead partially overlapped, forming continuums. The current study demonstrates that region-specific homeostatic identities of astrocytes are important for defining their response to pathological insults. Within region-specific populations, reactive astrocytes show continuums of gene expression signatures, partially overlapping between individual insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Olga Mychko
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Kara Molesworth
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Henry
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (D.J.L.)
| | - Natalya Tsymbalyuk
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Volodymyr Gerzanich
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - J. Marc Simard
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - David J. Loane
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (D.J.L.)
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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8
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Hay AJD, Latham AS, Mumford G, Hines AD, Risen S, Gordon E, Siebenaler C, Gilberto VS, Zabel MD, Moreno JA. Intranasally delivered mesenchymal stromal cells decrease glial inflammation early in prion disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1158408. [PMID: 37250395 PMCID: PMC10213210 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1158408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are an intriguing avenue for the treatment of neurological disorders due to their ability to migrate to sites of neuroinflammation and respond to paracrine signaling in those sites by secreting cytokines, growth factors, and other neuromodulators. We potentiated this ability by stimulating MSCs with inflammatory molecules, improving their migratory and secretory properties. We investigated the use of intranasally delivered adipose-derived MSCs (AdMSCs) in combating prion disease in a mouse model. Prion disease is a rare, lethal neurodegenerative disease that results from the misfolding and aggregation of the prion protein. Early signs of this disease include neuroinflammation, activation of microglia, and development of reactive astrocytes. Later stages of disease include development of vacuoles, neuronal loss, abundant aggregated prions, and astrogliosis. We demonstrate the ability of AdMSCs to upregulate anti-inflammatory genes and growth factors when stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) or prion-infected brain homogenates. We stimulated AdMSCs with TNFα and performed biweekly intranasal deliveries of AdMSCs on mice that had been intracranially inoculated with mouse-adapted prions. At early stages in disease, animals treated with AdMSCs showed decreased vacuolization throughout the brain. Expression of genes associated with Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and Nod-Like Receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signaling were decreased in the hippocampus. AdMSC treatment promoted a quiescent state in hippocampal microglia by inducing changes in both number and morphology. Animals that received AdMSCs showed a decrease in both overall and reactive astrocyte number, and morphological changes indicative of homeostatic astrocytes. Although this treatment did not prolong survival or rescue neurons, it demonstrates the benefits of MSCs in combatting neuroinflammation and astrogliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle J. D. Hay
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Amanda S. Latham
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Genova Mumford
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Amelia D. Hines
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sydney Risen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Elizabeth Gordon
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Connor Siebenaler
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Vincenzo S. Gilberto
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Mark D. Zabel
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Center for Healthy Aging, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Julie A. Moreno
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Center for Healthy Aging, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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9
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Bruno R, Riccardi G, Iacobone F, Chiarotti F, Pirisinu L, Vanni I, Marcon S, D'Agostino C, Giovannelli M, Parchi P, Agrimi U, Nonno R, Di Bari MA. Strain-Dependent Morphology of Reactive Astrocytes in Human- and Animal-Vole-Adapted Prions. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050757. [PMID: 37238627 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive astrogliosis is one of the pathological hallmarks of prion diseases. Recent studies highlighted the influence of several factors on the astrocyte phenotype in prion diseases, including the brain region involved, the genotype backgrounds of the host, and the prion strain. Elucidating the influence of prion strains on the astrocyte phenotype may provide crucial insights for developing therapeutic strategies. Here, we investigated the relationship between prion strains and astrocyte phenotype in six human- and animal-vole-adapted strains characterized by distinctive neuropathological features. In particular, we compared astrocyte morphology and astrocyte-associated PrPSc deposition among strains in the same brain region, the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MDTN). Astrogliosis was detected to some extent in the MDTN of all analyzed voles. However, we observed variability in the morphological appearance of astrocytes depending on the strain. Astrocytes displayed variability in thickness and length of cellular processes and cellular body size, suggesting strain-specific phenotypes of reactive astrocytes. Remarkably, four out of six strains displayed astrocyte-associated PrPSc deposition, which correlated with the size of astrocytes. Overall, these data show that the heterogeneous reactivity of astrocytes in prion diseases depends at least in part on the infecting prion strains and their specific interaction with astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Bruno
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Geraldina Riccardi
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Floriana Iacobone
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Chiarotti
- Reference Center for the Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vanni
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Marcon
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia D'Agostino
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Giovannelli
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Umberto Agrimi
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Angelo Di Bari
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
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10
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Makarava N, Baskakov IV. Role of sialylation of N-linked glycans in prion pathogenesis. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:201-214. [PMID: 35088180 PMCID: PMC9329487 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian prion or PrPSc is a proteinaceous infectious agent that consists of a misfolded, self-replicating state of the prion protein or PrPC. PrPC and PrPSc are posttranslationally modified with N-linked glycans, which are sialylated at the terminal positions. More than 30 years have passed since the first characterization of the composition and structural diversity of N-linked glycans associated with the prion protein, yet the role of carbohydrate groups that constitute N-glycans and, in particular, their terminal sialic acid residues in prion disease pathogenesis remains poorly understood. A number of recent studies shed a light on the role of sialylation in the biology of prion diseases. This review article discusses several mechanisms by which terminal sialylation dictates the spread of PrPSc across brain regions and the outcomes of prion infection in an organism. In particular, relationships between the sialylation status of PrPSc and important strain-specific features including lymphotropism, neurotropism, and neuroinflammation are discussed. Moreover, emerging evidence pointing out the roles of sialic acid residues in prion replication, cross-species transmission, strain competition, and strain adaptation are reviewed. A hypothesis according to which selective, strain-specified recruitment of PrPC sialoglycoforms dictates unique strain-specific disease phenotypes is examined. Finally, the current article proposes that prion strains evolve as a result of a delicate balance between recruiting highly sialylated glycoforms to avoid an "eat-me" response by glia and limiting heavily sialylated glycoforms for enabling rapid prion replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ilia V Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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11
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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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12
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Makarava N, Katorcha E, Chang JCY, Lau JTY, Baskakov IV. Deficiency in ST6GAL1, one of the two α2,6-sialyltransferases, has only a minor effect on the pathogenesis of prion disease. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1058602. [PMID: 36452458 PMCID: PMC9702343 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1058602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by misfolding of the normal cellular form of the prion protein or PrPC, into a disease-associated self-replicating state or PrPSc. PrPC and PrPSc are posttranslationally modified with N-linked glycans, in which the terminal positions occupied by sialic acids residues are attached to galactose predominantly via α2-6 linkages. The sialylation status of PrPSc is an important determinant of prion disease pathogenesis, as it dictates the rate of prion replication and controls the fate of prions in an organism. The current study tests whether a knockout of ST6Gal1, one of the two mammalian sialyltransferases that catalyze the sialylation of glycans via α2-6 linkages, reduces the sialylation status of PrPSc and alters prion disease pathogenesis. We found that a global knockout of ST6Gal1 in mice significantly reduces the α2-6 sialylation of the brain parenchyma, as determined by staining with Sambucus Nigra agglutinin. However, the sialylation of PrPSc remained stable and the incubation time to disease increased only modestly in ST6Gal1 knockout mice (ST6Gal1-KO). A lack of significant changes in the PrPSc sialylation status and prion pathogenesis is attributed to the redundancy in sialylation and, in particular, the plausible involvement of a second member of the sialyltransferase family that sialylate via α2-6 linkages, ST6Gal2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Elizaveta Katorcha
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Joseph T. Y. Lau
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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13
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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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14
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Tahir W, Thapa S, Schatzl HM. Astrocyte in prion disease: a double-edged sword. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1659-1665. [PMID: 35017412 PMCID: PMC8820723 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.332202] [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: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious protein misfolding disorders of the central nervous system that result from misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the pathologic isoform PrPSc. Pathologic hallmarks of prion disease are depositions of pathological prion protein PrPSc, neuronal loss, spongiform degeneration and astrogliosis in the brain. Prion diseases affect human and animals, there is no effective therapy, and they invariably remain fatal. For a long time, neuronal loss was considered the sole reason for neurodegeneration in prion pathogenesis, and the contribution of non-neuronal cells like microglia and astrocytes was considered less important. Recent evidence suggests that neurodegeneration during prion pathogenesis is a consequence of a complex interplay between neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the brain, but the exact role of these non-neuronal cells during prion pathology is still elusive. Astrocytes are non-neuronal cells that regulate brain homeostasis under physiological conditions. However, astrocytes can deposit PrPSc aggregates and propagate prions in prion-infected brains. Additionally, sub-populations of reactive astrocytes that include neurotrophic and neurotoxic species have been identified, differentially expressed in the brain during prion infection. Revealing the exact role of astrocytes in prion disease is hampered by the lack of in vitro models of prion-infected astrocytes. Recently, we established a murine astrocyte cell line persistently infected with mouse-adapted prions, and showed how such astrocytes differentially process various prion strains. Considering the complexity of the role of astrocytes in prion pathogenesis, we need more in vitro and in vivo models for exploring the contribution of sub-populations of reactive astrocytes, their differential regulation of signaling cascades, and the interaction with neurons and microglia during prion pathogenesis. This will help to establish novel in vivo models and define new therapeutic targets against prion diseases. In this review, we will discuss the complex role of astrocytes in prion disease, the existing experimental resources, the challenges to analyze the contribution of astrocytes in prion disease pathogenesis, and future strategies to improve the understanding of their role in prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Tahir
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Simrika Thapa
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Hermann M. Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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15
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Zambrano K, Barba D, Castillo K, Robayo P, Arizaga E, Caicedo A, Gavilanes AWD. A new hope: Mitochondria, a critical factor in the war against prions. Mitochondrion 2022; 65:113-123. [PMID: 35623560 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2022.05.004] [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: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases encompass a group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders that occur due to the misfolding and aggregation of infectious proteins. The most well-known prion diseases are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as mad cow disease), and kuru. It is estimated that around 1-2 persons per million worldwide are affected annually by prion disorders. Infectious prion proteins propagate in the brain, clustering in the cells and rapidly inducing tissue degeneration and death. Prion disease alters cell metabolism and energy production damaging mitochondrial function and dynamics leading to a fast accumulation of damage. Dysfunction of mitochondria could be considered as an early precursor and central element in the pathogenesis of prion diseases such as in sporadic CJD. Preserving mitochondria function may help to resist the rapid spread and damage of prion proteins and even clearance. In the war against prions and other degenerative diseases, studying how to preserve the function of mitochondria by using antioxidants and even replacing them with artificial mitochondrial transfer/transplant (AMT/T) may bring a new hope and lead to an increase in patients' survival. In this perspective review, we provide key insights about the relationship between the progression of prion disease and mitochondria, in which understanding how protecting mitochondria function and viability by using antioxidants or AMT/T may help to develop novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Zambrano
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Mito-Act Research Consortium, Quito, Ecuador; Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Diego Barba
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Mito-Act Research Consortium, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Karina Castillo
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Paola Robayo
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Eduardo Arizaga
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andrés Caicedo
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Mito-Act Research Consortium, Quito, Ecuador; Sistemas Médicos SIME, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Antonio W D Gavilanes
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Medicina, 17-12-841, Quito, Ecuador; Mito-Act Research Consortium, Quito, Ecuador.
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16
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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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17
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Zattoni M, Mearelli M, Vanni S, Colini Baldeschi A, Tran TH, Ferracin C, Catania M, Moda F, Di Fede G, Giaccone G, Tagliavini F, Zanusso G, Ironside JW, Ferrer I, Legname G. Serpin Signatures in Prion and Alzheimer's Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:3778-3799. [PMID: 35416570 PMCID: PMC9148297 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02817-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Serpins represent the most broadly distributed superfamily of proteases inhibitors. They contribute to a variety of physiological functions and any alteration of the serpin-protease equilibrium can lead to severe consequences. SERPINA3 dysregulation has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and prion diseases. In this study, we investigated the differential expression of serpin superfamily members in neurodegenerative diseases. SERPIN expression was analyzed in human frontal cortex samples from cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), patients at early stages of AD-related pathology, and age-matched controls not affected by neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, we studied whether Serpin expression was dysregulated in two animal models of prion disease and AD.Our analysis revealed that, besides the already observed upregulation of SERPINA3 in patients with prion disease and AD, SERPINB1, SERPINB6, SERPING1, SERPINH1, and SERPINI1 were dysregulated in sCJD individuals compared to controls, while only SERPINB1 was upregulated in AD patients. Furthermore, we analyzed whether other serpin members were differentially expressed in prion-infected mice compared to controls and, together with SerpinA3n, SerpinF2 increased levels were observed. Interestingly, SerpinA3n transcript and protein were upregulated in a mouse model of AD. The SERPINA3/SerpinA3nincreased anti-protease activity found in post-mortem brain tissue of AD and prion disease samples suggest its involvement in the neurodegenerative processes. A SERPINA3/SerpinA3n role in neurodegenerative disease-related protein aggregation was further corroborated by in vitro SerpinA3n-dependent prion accumulation changes. Our results indicate SERPINA3/SerpinA3n is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of prion and prion-like neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zattoni
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marika Mearelli
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silvia Vanni
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,Osteoncology Unit, Bioscience Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo Per Lo Studio Dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", 47014, Meldola, Italy
| | - Arianna Colini Baldeschi
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thanh Hoa Tran
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.,VN-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education, The University of Danang, Da Nang, Vietnam
| | - Chiara Ferracin
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Marcella Catania
- Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Moda
- Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Zanusso
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research of Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Biomedical Research Network Center of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy.
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18
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García-Martínez M, Cortez LM, Otero A, Betancor M, Serrano-Pérez B, Bolea R, Badiola JJ, Garza MC. Distinctive Toll-like Receptors Gene Expression and Glial Response in Different Brain Regions of Natural Scrapie. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073579. [PMID: 35408945 PMCID: PMC8998348 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are chronic and fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of disease-specific prion protein (PrPSc), spongiform changes, neuronal loss, and gliosis. Growing evidence shows that the neuroinflammatory response is a key component of prion diseases and contributes to neurodegeneration. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been proposed as important mediators of innate immune responses triggered in the central nervous system in other human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, little is known about the role of TLRs in prion diseases, and their involvement in the neuropathology of natural scrapie has not been studied. We assessed the gene expression of ovine TLRs in four anatomically distinct brain regions in natural scrapie-infected sheep and evaluated the possible correlations between gene expression and the pathological hallmarks of prion disease. We observed significant changes in TLR expression in scrapie-infected sheep that correlate with the degree of spongiosis, PrPSc deposition, and gliosis in each of the regions studied. Remarkably, TLR4 was the only gene upregulated in all regions, regardless of the severity of neuropathology. In the hippocampus, we observed milder neuropathology associated with a distinct TLR gene expression profile and the presence of a peculiar microglial morphology, called rod microglia, described here for the first time in the brain of scrapie-infected sheep. The concurrence of these features suggests partial neuroprotection of the hippocampus. Finally, a comparison of the findings in naturallyinfected sheep versus an ovinized mouse model (tg338 mice) revealed distinct patterns of TLRgene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirta García-Martínez
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, IA2, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.-M.); (M.B.); (R.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Leonardo M. Cortez
- Department of Medicine and Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada
- Correspondence: (L.M.C.); (A.O.)
| | - Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, IA2, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.-M.); (M.B.); (R.B.); (J.J.B.)
- Correspondence: (L.M.C.); (A.O.)
| | - Marina Betancor
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, IA2, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.-M.); (M.B.); (R.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Beatriz Serrano-Pérez
- Agrotecnio-CERCA Center, Department of Animal Science, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain;
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, IA2, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.-M.); (M.B.); (R.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Juan J. Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, IA2, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.-M.); (M.B.); (R.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - María Carmen Garza
- Departamento de Anatomía e Histología Humanas, IIS Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
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19
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P B Gomes M, de Lima EV, G Q Barros-Aragão F, Passos YM, Lemos FS, Zamberlan DC, Ribeiro G, Macedo B, C Ferreira N, Silva JL, Figueiredo CP, Clarke JR, Cordeiro Y. Prion protein complexed to a DNA aptamer induce behavioral and synapse dysfunction in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 419:113680. [PMID: 34822947 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the scrapie form (PrPSc) is the leading step to the development of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), still incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Interaction of PrPC with cellular and synthetic ligands that induce formation of scrapie-like conformations has been deeply investigated in vitro. Different nucleic acid (NA) sequences bind PrP and convert it to β-sheet-rich or unfolded species; among such NAs, a 21-mer double-stranded DNA, D67, was shown to induce formation of PrP aggregates that were cytotoxic. However, in vivo effects of these PrP-DNA complexes were not explored. Herein, aggregates of recombinant full-length PrP (rPrP23-231) induced by interaction with the D67 aptamer were inoculated into the lateral ventricle of Swiss mice and acute effects were investigated. The aggregates had no influence on emotional, locomotor and motor behavior of mice. In contrast, mice developed cognitive impairment and hippocampal synapse loss, which was accompanied by intense activation of glial cells in this brain region. Our results suggest that the i.c.v. injection of rPrP:D67 aggregates is an interesting model to study the neurotoxicity of aggregated PrP in vivo, and that glial cell activation may be an important step for behavioral and cognitive dysfunction in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P B Gomes
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos, Bio-Manguinhos, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle V de Lima
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Fernanda G Q Barros-Aragão
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Yulli M Passos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Lemos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; Biomedical Sciences Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Daniele C Zamberlan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Ribeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Bruno Macedo
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Natalia C Ferreira
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil; IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jerson L Silva
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo De Meis, National Institute of Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil
| | | | - Julia R Clarke
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil.
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Abstract
Transformation of astrocytes into reactive states is considered one of the major pathological hallmarks of prion and other neurodegenerative diseases. Recent years witnessed a growing appreciation of the view that reactive astrocytes are intimately involved in chronic neurodegeneration; however, little is known about their role in disease pathogenesis. The current article reviews the progress of the last few years and critically discusses controversial questions of whether reactive astrocytes associated with prion diseases are neurotoxic or neuroprotective and whether bidirectional A1–A2 model is applicable for describing polarization of astrocytes. Moreover, other important topics, including reversibility of a transition to a reactive state, along with the role of microglia and other stimuli in triggering astrocyte activation are reviewed. Defining the role of reactive astrocytes in pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases will open unrealized opportunities for developing new therapeutic approaches against prion and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia V Baskakov
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, And Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Garcés M, Guijarro IM, Ritchie DL, Badiola JJ, Monzón M. Novel Morphological Glial Alterations in the Spectrum of Prion Disease Types: A Focus on Common Findings. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10050596. [PMID: 34068251 PMCID: PMC8153175 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10050596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases are a group of rare fatal neurodegenerative diseases with sporadic, genetic, and acquired forms. They are neuropathologically characterized by pathological prion protein accumulation, neuronal death, and vacuolation. Classical immunological response has long been known not to play a major in prion diseases; however, gliosis is known to be a common feature although variable in extent and poorly described. In this investigation, astrogliosis and activated microglia in two brain regions were assessed and compared with non-neurologically affected patients in a representative sample across the spectrum of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) forms and subtypes in order to analyze the influence of prion strain on pathological processes. In this report, we choose to focus on features common to all CJD types rather than the diversity among them. Novel pathological changes in both glial cell types were found to be shared by all CJD types. Microglial activation correlated to astrogliosis. Spongiosis, but not pathological prion protein deposition, correlated to both astrogliosis and microgliosis. At the ultrastructural level, astrocytic glial filaments correlated with pathological changes associated with prion disease. These observations confirm that neuroglia play a prominent role in the neurodegenerative process of prion diseases, regardless of the causative prion type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Garcés
- Research Centre for Encephalopathies and Transmissible Emerging Diseases, Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS), University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.); (I.M.G.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Isabel M. Guijarro
- Research Centre for Encephalopathies and Transmissible Emerging Diseases, Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS), University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.); (I.M.G.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Diane L. Ritchie
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK;
| | - Juan J. Badiola
- Research Centre for Encephalopathies and Transmissible Emerging Diseases, Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS), University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.); (I.M.G.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Marta Monzón
- Research Centre for Encephalopathies and Transmissible Emerging Diseases, Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS), University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (M.G.); (I.M.G.); (J.J.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-976-762944
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22
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The degree of astrocyte activation is predictive of the incubation time to prion disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:87. [PMID: 33980286 PMCID: PMC8114720 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire disease-associated reactive phenotypes. With growing appreciation of their role in chronic neurodegeneration, the questions whether astrocytes lose their ability to perform homeostatic functions in the reactive states and whether the reactive phenotypes are neurotoxic or neuroprotective remain unsettled. The current work examined region-specific changes in expression of genes, which report on astrocyte physiological functions and their reactive states, in C57Black/6J mice challenged with four prion strains via two inoculation routes. Unexpectedly, strong reverse correlation between the incubation time to the diseases and the degree of astrocyte activation along with disturbance in functional pathways was observed. The animal groups with the most severe astrocyte response and degree of activation showed the most rapid disease progression. The degree of activation tightly intertwined with the global transformation of the homeostatic state, characterized by disturbances in multiple gene sets responsible for normal physiological functions producing a neurotoxic, reactive phenotype as a net result. The neurotoxic reactive phenotype exhibited a universal gene signature regardless of the prion strain. The current work suggests that the degree of astrocyte activation along with the disturbance in their physiological pathways contribute to the faster progression of disease and perhaps even drive prion pathogenesis.
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23
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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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Kushwaha R, Sinha A, Makarava N, Molesworth K, Baskakov IV. Non-cell autonomous astrocyte-mediated neuronal toxicity in prion diseases. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:22. [PMID: 33546775 PMCID: PMC7866439 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01123-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions, astrocytes perform a number of important physiological functions centered around neuronal support and synapse maintenance. In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire reactive phenotypes, which are sustained throughout the disease progression. It is not known whether in the reactive states associated with prion diseases, astrocytes lose their ability to perform physiological functions and whether the reactive states are neurotoxic or, on the contrary, neuroprotective. The current work addresses these questions by testing the effects of reactive astrocytes isolated from prion-infected C57BL/6J mice on primary neuronal cultures. We found that astrocytes isolated at the clinical stage of the disease exhibited reactive, pro-inflammatory phenotype, which also showed downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In astrocyte-neuron co-cultures, astrocytes from prion-infected animals impaired neuronal growth, dendritic spine development and synapse maturation. Toward examining the role of factors secreted by reactive astrocytes, astrocyte-conditioned media was found to have detrimental effects on neuronal viability and synaptogenic functions via impairing synapse integrity, and by reducing spine size and density. Reactive microglia isolated from prion-infected animals were found to induce phenotypic changes in primary astrocytes reminiscent to those observed in prion-infected mice. In particular, astrocytes cultured with reactive microglia-conditioned media displayed hypertrophic morphology and a downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In summary, the current study provided experimental support toward the non-cell autonomous mechanisms behind neurotoxicity in prion diseases and demonstrated that the astrocyte reactive phenotype associated with prion diseases is synaptotoxic.
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25
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Short and sweet: How glycans impact prion conversion, cofactor interactions, and cross-species transmission. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009123. [PMID: 33444414 PMCID: PMC7808606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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26
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Otero A, Betancor M, Eraña H, Fernández Borges N, Lucas JJ, Badiola JJ, Castilla J, Bolea R. Prion-Associated Neurodegeneration Causes Both Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Proteasome Impairment in a Murine Model of Spontaneous Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22010465. [PMID: 33466523 PMCID: PMC7796520 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that can be spontaneous, familial or acquired by infection. The conversion of the prion protein PrPC to its abnormal and misfolded isoform PrPSc is the main event in the pathogenesis of prion diseases of all origins. In spontaneous prion diseases, the mechanisms that trigger the formation of PrPSc in the central nervous system remain unknown. Several reports have demonstrated that the accumulation of PrPSc can induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and proteasome impairment from the early stages of the prion disease. Both mechanisms lead to an increment of PrP aggregates in the secretory pathway, which could explain the pathogenesis of spontaneous prion diseases. Here, we investigate the role of ER stress and proteasome impairment during prion disorders in a murine model of spontaneous prion disease (TgVole) co-expressing the UbG76V-GFP reporter, which allows measuring the proteasome activity in vivo. Spontaneously prion-affected mice showed a significantly higher accumulation of the PKR-like ER kinase (PERK), the ER chaperone binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP/Grp78), the ER protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and the UbG76V-GFP reporter than age-matched controls in certain brain areas. The upregulation of PERK, BiP, PDI and ubiquitin was detected from the preclinical stage of the disease, indicating that ER stress and proteasome impairment begin at early stages of the spontaneous disease. Strong correlations were found between the deposition of these markers and neuropathological markers of prion disease in both preclinical and clinical mice. Our results suggest that both ER stress and proteasome impairment occur during the pathogenesis of spontaneous prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza IA2 IIS Aragón, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.); (M.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Marina Betancor
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza IA2 IIS Aragón, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.); (M.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Hasier Eraña
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S.L., Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain;
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE) Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain; (N.F.B.); (J.C.)
| | - Natalia Fernández Borges
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE) Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain; (N.F.B.); (J.C.)
| | - José J. Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza IA2 IIS Aragón, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.); (M.B.); (J.J.B.)
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE) Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160 Derio, Spain; (N.F.B.); (J.C.)
- IKERBasque Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Universidad de Zaragoza IA2 IIS Aragón, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (A.O.); (M.B.); (J.J.B.)
- Correspondence:
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Chen KY, Chen YJ, Cheng CJ, Jhan KY, Chiu CH, Wang LC. 3-Hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde enhance survival of mouse astrocytes treated with Angiostrongylus cantonensis young adults excretory/secretory products. Biomed J 2020; 44:S258-S266. [PMID: 35300947 PMCID: PMC9068576 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Methods Results Conclusions
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Makarava N, Chang JCY, Molesworth K, Baskakov IV. Posttranslational modifications define course of prion strain adaptation and disease phenotype. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:4382-4395. [PMID: 32484800 PMCID: PMC7410085 DOI: 10.1172/jci138677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications are a common feature of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases including prion protein (PrPC), tau, and α-synuclein. Alternative self-propagating protein states or strains give rise to different disease phenotypes and display strain-specific subsets of posttranslational modifications. The relationships between strain-specific structure, posttranslational modifications, and disease phenotype are poorly understood. We previously reported that among hundreds of PrPC sialoglycoforms expressed by a cell, individual prion strains recruited PrPC molecules selectively, according to the sialylation status of their N-linked glycans. Here we report that transmission of a prion strain to a new host is accompanied by a dramatic shift in the selectivity of recruitment of PrPC sialoglycoforms, giving rise to a self-propagating scrapie isoform (PrPSc) with a unique sialoglycoform signature and disease phenotype. The newly emerged strain has the shortest incubation time to disease and is characterized by colocalization of PrPSc with microglia and a very profound proinflammatory response, features that are linked to a unique sialoglycoform composition of PrPSc. The current work provides experimental support for the hypothesis that strain-specific patterns of PrPSc sialoglycoforms formed as a result of selective recruitment dictate strain-specific disease phenotypes. This work suggests a causative relationship between a strain-specific structure, posttranslational modifications, and disease phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kara Molesworth
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology and
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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29
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Makarava N, Chang JCY, Baskakov IV. Region-Specific Sialylation Pattern of Prion Strains Provides Novel Insight into Prion Neurotropism. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030828. [PMID: 32012886 PMCID: PMC7037812 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian prions are unconventional infectious agents that invade and replicate in an organism by recruiting a normal form of a prion protein (PrPC) and converting it into misfolded, disease-associated state referred to as PrPSc. PrPC is posttranslationally modified with two N-linked glycans. Prion strains replicate by selecting substrates from a large pool of PrPC sialoglycoforms expressed by a host. Brain regions have different vulnerability to prion infection, however, molecular mechanisms underlying selective vulnerability is not well understood. Toward addressing this question, the current study looked into a possibility that sialylation of PrPSc might be involved in defining selective vulnerability of brain regions. The current work found that in 22L -infected animals, PrPSc is indeed sialylated in a region dependent manner. PrPSc in hippocampus and cortex was more sialylated than PrPSc from thalamus and stem. Similar trends were also observed in brain materials from RML- and ME7-infected animals. The current study established that PrPSc sialylation status is indeed region-specific. Together with previous studies demonstrating that low sialylation status accelerates prion replication, this work suggests that high vulnerability of certain brain region to prion infection could be attributed to their low sialylation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Correspondence:
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