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Nicholson EM, Greenlee JJ, Hwang S. Aqueous extraction of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and detection of prion disease using real-time quaking-induced conversion. BMC Res Notes 2024; 17:266. [PMID: 39285497 PMCID: PMC11403835 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-024-06886-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of the research presented here is to determine if methods previously developed for the aqueous extraction of PrPSc from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) are applicable to the detection PrPSc by real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). Previous work has utilized aqueous extraction of FFPET for detection of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) utilizing western blot and ELISA. This research extends the range of suitable methods for detection of TSEs in FFPET to RT-QuIC, which is arguably the most sensitive method to detect TSEs. RESULTS We found complete agreement between the TSE status and the results from RT-QuIC seeded with the aqueous extract of FFPET samples. The method affords the diagnostic assessment TSE status by RT-QuIC of FFPET without the use of organic solvents that would otherwise create a mixed chemical-biological waste for disposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, 1920 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA, 50010, USA.
| | - Justin J Greenlee
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, 1920 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, 1920 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA, 50010, USA
- Center for Veterinary Biologics, USDA-APHIS, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
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2
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Standardization of Data Analysis for RT-QuIC-Based Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020309. [PMID: 36839581 PMCID: PMC9962701 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a disease affecting cervids and is caused by prions accumulating as pathogenic fibrils in lymphoid tissue and the central nervous system. Approaches for detecting CWD prions historically relied on antibody-based assays. However, recent advancements in protein amplification technology provided the foundation for a new class of CWD diagnostic tools. In particular, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has rapidly become a feasible option for CWD diagnosis. Despite its increased usage for CWD-focused research, there lacks a consensus regarding the interpretation of RT-QuIC data for diagnostic purposes. It is imperative then to identify a standardized and replicable method for determining CWD status from RT-QuIC data. Here, we assessed variables that could impact RT-QuIC results and explored the use of maxpoint ratios (maximumRFU/backgroundRFU) to improve the consistency of RT-QuIC analysis. We examined a variety of statistical analyses to retrospectively analyze CWD status based on RT-QuIC and ELISA results from 668 white-tailed deer lymph nodes. Our results revealed an MPR threshold of 2.0 for determining the rate of amyloid formation, and MPR analysis showed excellent agreement with independent ELISA results. These findings suggest that the use of MPR is a statistically viable option for normalizing between RT-QuIC experiments and defining CWD status.
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Salamat MKF, Stewart P, Brown H, Tan KBC, Smith A, de Wolf C, Alejo Blanco AR, Turner M, Manson JC, McCutcheon S, Houston EF. Subclinical infection occurs frequently following low dose exposure to prions by blood transfusion. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10923. [PMID: 35764688 PMCID: PMC9240018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15105-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious prion diseases have very long incubation periods, and the role that subclinical infections play in transmission, persistence and re-emergence of these diseases is unclear. In this study, we used a well-established model of vCJD (sheep experimentally infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE) to determine the prevalence of subclinical infection following exposure by blood transfusion from infected donors. Many recipient sheep survived for years post-transfusion with no clinical signs and no disease-associated PrP (PrPSc) found in post mortem tissue samples by conventional tests. Using a sensitive protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay (PMCA), we found that the majority of these sheep had detectable PrPSc in lymph node samples, at levels approximately 105-106 times lower than in equivalent samples from clinically positive sheep. Further testing revealed the presence of PrPSc in other tissues, including brain, but not in blood samples. The results demonstrate that subclinical infection is a frequent outcome of low dose prion infection by a clinically relevant route for humans (blood transfusion). The long term persistence of low levels of infection has important implications for prion disease control and the risks of re-emergent infections in both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Khalid F Salamat
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paula Stewart
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Helen Brown
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kyle B C Tan
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Allister Smith
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher de Wolf
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Richard Alejo Blanco
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marc Turner
- Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS), The Jack Copland Centre, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jean C Manson
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sandra McCutcheon
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - E Fiona Houston
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK.
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Favole A, Mazza M, D'Angelo A, Lombardi G, Palmitessa C, Dell'Atti L, Cagnotti G, Berrone E, Gallo M, Avanzato T, Messana E, Masoero L, Acutis PL, Meloni D, Cardone F, Caramelli M, Casalone C, Corona C. RT-QuIC detection of pathological prion protein in subclinical goats following experimental oral transmission of L-type BSE. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:442. [PMID: 34876215 PMCID: PMC8650279 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05859-3] [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: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent to small ruminants is still a major issue in the surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (L-BSE) is an atypical form of BSE with an unknown zoonotic potential that is transmissible to cattle and small ruminants. Our current knowledge of bovine atypical prion strains in sheep and goat relies only on experimental transmission studies by intracranial inoculation. To assess oral susceptibility of goats to L-BSE, we orally inoculated five goats with cattle L-BSE brain homogenates and investigated pathogenic prion protein (PrPsc) distribution by an ultrasensitive in vitro conversion assay known as Real-Time Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC). Results Despite a prolonged observation period of 80 months, all these animals and the uninfected controls did not develop clinical signs referable to TSEs and tested negative by standard diagnostics. Otherwise, RT-QuIC analysis showed seeding activity in five out of five examined brain samples. PrPsc accumulation was also detected in spinal cord and lymphoreticular system. These results indicate that caprine species are susceptible to L-BSE by oral transmission and that ultrasensitive prion tests deserve consideration to improve the potential of current surveillance systems against otherwise undetectable forms of animal prion infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Favole
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy.
| | - Maria Mazza
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Guerino Lombardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Claudia Palmitessa
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Luana Dell'Atti
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Elena Berrone
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Marina Gallo
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Tiziana Avanzato
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Erika Messana
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Loretta Masoero
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Acutis
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Daniela Meloni
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Maria Caramelli
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristiano Corona
- S.C. Neuroscienze, Lab. di Neurobiologia Sperimentale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy.
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Hwang S, Dassanayake RP, Nicholson EM. PAD-Beads enrichment enhances detection of PrP Sc using real-time quaking-induced conversion. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:806. [PMID: 31836019 PMCID: PMC6911270 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4842-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that naturally occurs in sheep and goats. This fatal neurodegenerative disease results from misfolding of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) to a pathogenic prion protein form (PrPSc). This pathogenic form, PrPSc, accumulates in the brain and lymphoid tissues. The presence of PrPSc can be detected by an in vitro conversion assay known as real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). RT-QuIC has been used to detect PrPSc in a variety of biological tissues from brains to fluids. While this technique is both rapid and sensitive, enhancing the detection of prions would be valuable in the diagnostic laboratories. Results In this study, we assessed whether PrPSc detection sensitivity of RT-QuIC can be increased by enriching PrPSc in scrapie tissue homogenates using commercially available aggregated protein binding ligands coated magnetic beads (PAD-Beads). Coupling of RT-QuIC to PAD-Beads based cleanup allowed detection of PrPSc rapidly and without dilution of scrapie sheep brain homogenates prior to RT-QuIC. The PAD-Beads sample pretreatment step prior to RT-QuIC is a useful enhancement in the diagnosis of TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Rohana P Dassanayake
- Ruminant Disease and Immunology Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA.
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McNulty E, Nalls AV, Mellentine S, Hughes E, Pulscher L, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK. Comparison of conventional, amplification and bio-assay detection methods for a chronic wasting disease inoculum pool. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216621. [PMID: 31071138 PMCID: PMC6508678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Longitudinal studies of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the native host have provided considerable understanding of how this prion disease continues to efficiently spread among cervid species. These studies entail great cost in animal, time and financial support. A variety of methods have emerged including transgenic mouse bioassay, western blot, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), serial protein misfolding cyclic amplification (sPMCA) and real time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), that deepen our understanding of this and other protein misfolding disorders. To further characterize an inoculum source used for ongoing CWD studies and to determine how the readouts from each of these assays compare, we assayed a CWD-positive brain pool homogenate (CBP6) and a mouse dilutional bioassay of this homogenate using the above detection methods. We demonstrate that: (i) amplification assays enhanced detection of amyloid seeding activity in the CWD+ cervid brain pool to levels beyond mouse LD50, (ii) conventional detection methods (IHC and western blot) performed well in identifying the presence of PrPSc in terminal brain tissue yet lack sufficient detection sensitivity to identify all CWD-infected mice, and (iii) the incorporation of amplification assays enhanced detection of CWD-infected mice near the LD50. This cross-platform analysis provides a basis to calibrate the relative sensitivities of CWD detection assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Amy V. Nalls
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Samuel Mellentine
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Erin Hughes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Laura Pulscher
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hwang S, Tatum T, Lebepe-Mazur S, Nicholson EM. Preparation of lyophilized recombinant prion protein for TSE diagnosis by RT-QuIC. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:895. [PMID: 30547851 PMCID: PMC6295004 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3982-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases, often referred as prion diseases. TSEs result from the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathogenic form (PrPSc) that accumulates in the brain and lymphatic tissue. Amplification based assays such as real-time quaking induced conversion allow us to assess the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc. Real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) can be used for the detection of PrPSc in a variety of biological tissues from humans and animals. However, RT-QuIC requires a continuous supply of freshly purified prion protein and this necessity is not sustainable in a diagnostic laboratory setting. Results In this study, we developed a method to dry and preserve the prion protein for long term storage allowing for production of the protein and storage for extended time prior to use and room temperature shipping to appropriate diagnostic laboratory destinations facilitating widespread use of RT-QuIC as a diagnostic method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Trudy Tatum
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Semakaleng Lebepe-Mazur
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50010, USA.
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