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Wright EA, Reddock MB, Roberts EK, Legesse YW, Perry G, Bradley RD. Genetic characterization of the prion protein gene in camels ( Camelus) with comments on the evolutionary history of prion disease in Cetartiodactyla. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17552. [PMID: 38948234 PMCID: PMC11214740 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a fatal neurogenerative disease that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and several others as well as the recently described camel prion disease (CPD). CPD originally was documented in 3.1% of camels examined during an antemortem slaughterhouse inspection in the Ouargla region of Algeria. Of three individuals confirmed for CPD, two were sequenced for the exon 3 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) and were identical to sequences previously reported for Camelus dromedarius. Given that other TSEs, such as BSE, are known to be capable of cross-species transmission and that there is household consumption of meat and milk from Camelus, regulations to ensure camel and human health should be a One Health priority in exporting countries. Although the interspecies transmissibility of CPD currently is unknown, genotypic characterization of Camelus PRNP may be used for predictability of predisposition and potential susceptibility to CPD. Herein, eight breeds of dromedary camels from a previous genetic (mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites) and morphological study were genotyped for PRNP and compared to genotypes from CPD-positive Algerian camels. Sequence data from PRNP indicated that Ethiopian camels possessed 100% sequence identity to CPD-positive camels from Algeria. In addition, the camel PRNP genotype is unique compared to other members of the Orders Cetartiodactyla and Perissodactyla and provides an in-depth phylogenetic analysis of families within Cetartiodactyla and Perissodactyla that was used to infer the evolutionary history of the PRNP gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Wright
- Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Madison B. Reddock
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Emma K. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
- Climate Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Yoseph W. Legesse
- School of Animal and Range Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
- Institute of Pastoral and Agropastoral Development Studies, Jigjiga University, Jigjiga, Ethiopia
| | - Gad Perry
- Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Robert D. Bradley
- Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
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Myers RR, John A, Zhang W, Zou WQ, Cembran A, Fernandez-Funez P. Y225A induces long-range conformational changes in human prion protein that are protective in Drosophila. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104881. [PMID: 37269948 PMCID: PMC10339063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) misfolding is the key trigger in the devastating prion diseases. Yet the sequence and structural determinants of PrP conformation and toxicity are not known in detail. Here, we describe the impact of replacing Y225 in human PrP with A225 from rabbit PrP, an animal highly resistant to prion diseases. We first examined human PrP-Y225A by molecular dynamics simulations. We next introduced human PrP in Drosophila and compared the toxicity of human PrP-WT and Y225A in the eye and in brain neurons. Y225A stabilizes the β2-α2 loop into a 310-helix from six different conformations identified in WT and lowers hydrophobic exposure. Transgenic flies expressing PrP-Y225A exhibit less toxicity in the eye and in brain neurons and less accumulation of insoluble PrP. Overall, we determined that Y225A lowers toxicity in Drosophila assays by promoting a structured loop conformation that increases the stability of the globular domain. These findings are significant because they shed light on the key role of distal α-helix 3 on the dynamics of the loop and the entire globular domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Aliciarose John
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Weiguanliu Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Neurology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Wen-Quan Zou
- Department of Pathology and Neurology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Alessandro Cembran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
| | - Pedro Fernandez-Funez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
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3
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Evolution of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and the Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) in Mammals. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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4
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Myers R, Cembran A, Fernandez-Funez P. Insight From Animals Resistant to Prion Diseases: Deciphering the Genotype - Morphotype - Phenotype Code for the Prion Protein. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:254. [PMID: 33013324 PMCID: PMC7461849 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative diseases endemic in humans and several ruminants caused by the misfolding of native prion protein (PrP) into pathological conformations. Experimental work and the mad-cow epidemic of the 1980s exposed a wide spectrum of animal susceptibility to prion diseases, including a few highly resistant animals: horses, rabbits, pigs, and dogs/canids. The variable susceptibility to disease offers a unique opportunity to uncover the mechanisms governing PrP misfolding, neurotoxicity, and transmission. Previous work indicates that PrP-intrinsic differences (sequence) are the main contributors to disease susceptibility. Several residues have been cited as critical for encoding PrP conformational stability in prion-resistant animals, including D/E159 in dog, S167 in horse, and S174 in rabbit and pig PrP (all according to human numbering). These amino acids alter PrP properties in a variety of assays, but we still do not clearly understand the structural correlates of PrP toxicity. Additional insight can be extracted from comparative structural studies, followed by molecular dynamics simulations of selected mutations, and testing in manipulable animal models. Our working hypothesis is that protective amino acids generate more compact and stable structures in a C-terminal subdomain of the PrP globular domain. We will explore this idea in this review and identify subdomains within the globular domain that may hold the key to unravel how conformational stability and disease susceptibility are encoded in PrP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - Alessandro Cembran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, United States
| | - Pedro Fernandez-Funez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, United States
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5
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Vidal E, Fernández-Borges N, Eraña H, Parra B, Pintado B, Sánchez-Martín MA, Charco JM, Ordóñez M, Pérez-Castro MA, Pumarola M, Mathiason CK, Mayoral T, Castilla J. Dogs are resistant to prion infection, due to the presence of aspartic or glutamic acid at position 163 of their prion protein. FASEB J 2020; 34:3969-3982. [PMID: 31944411 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902646r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Unlike other species, prion disease has never been described in dogs even though they were similarly exposed to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. This resistance prompted a thorough analysis of the canine PRNP gene and the presence of a negatively charged amino acid residue in position 163 was readily identified as potentially fundamental as it differed from all known susceptible species. In the present study, the first transgenic mouse model expressing dog prion protein (PrP) was generated and challenged intracerebrally with a panel of prion isolates, none of which could infect them. The brains of these mice were subjected to in vitro prion amplification and failed to find even minimal amounts of misfolded prions providing definitive experimental evidence that dogs are resistant to prion disease. Subsequently, a second transgenic model was generated in which aspartic acid in position 163 was substituted for asparagine (the most common in prion susceptible species) resulting in susceptibility to BSE-derived isolates. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that the amino acid residue at position 163 of canine cellular prion protein (PrPC ) is a major determinant of the exceptional resistance of the canidae family to prion infection and establish this as a promising therapeutic target for prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Vidal
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Beatriz Parra
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Pintado
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel A Sánchez-Martín
- Servicio de Transgénesis, Nucleus, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,IBSAL, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Montserrat Ordóñez
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Martí Pumarola
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals. Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Candace K Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Tomás Mayoral
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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6
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Fernández-Borges N, Eraña H, Castilla J. Behind the potential evolution towards prion resistant species. Prion 2018; 12:83-87. [PMID: 29388474 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1435935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, the observation of naturally occurring cases of prion disease led to the classification of different susceptibility grades and to the designation of prion resistant species. However, the development of highly efficient in vitro prion propagation systems and the generation of ad hoc transgenic models allowed determining that leporidae and equidae families have been erroneously considered resistant to prion infection. On the contrary, similar approaches revealed an unexpected high level of resistance of the canidae family. In PLoS Pathogens [ 1 ], we describe experiments directed toward elucidating which are the determinants of the alleged prion resistance of this family. Studies based on the sequence of the canine prion protein coupled with structural in silico analysis identified a key residue probably implicated in this resistance. Cell and brain-based PMCA highlighted that the presence of aspartic or glutamic acid at codon 163 of the canid PrP, strongly inhibits prion replication in vitro. Transgenic animals carrying this substitution in mouse PrP were resistant to prion infection after intracerebral challenge with different mouse prion strains. The confirmation of the importance of this substitution and its exclusivity in this family, suggests it could have been evolutionarily favored, due to their diet based on carrion and small ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hasier Eraña
- a CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia , Derio , Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- a CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia , Derio , Spain.,b IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science , Bilbao , Spain
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7
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Otero A, Bolea R, Hedman C, Fernández-Borges N, Marín B, López-Pérez Ó, Barrio T, Eraña H, Sánchez-Martín MA, Monzón M, Badiola JJ, Castilla J. An Amino Acid Substitution Found in Animals with Low Susceptibility to Prion Diseases Confers a Protective Dominant-Negative Effect in Prion-Infected Transgenic Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:6182-6192. [PMID: 29264770 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0832-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
While prion diseases have been described in numerous species, some, including those of the Canidae family, appear to show resistance or reduced susceptibility. A better understanding of the factors underlying prion susceptibility is crucial for the development of effective treatment and control measures. We recently demonstrated resistance to prion infection in mice overexpressing a mutated prion protein (PrP) carrying a specific amino acid substitution characteristic of canids. Here, we show that coexpression of this mutated PrP and wild-type mouse PrP in transgenic mice inoculated with different mouse-adapted prion strains (22 L, ME7, RML, and 301C) significantly increases survival times (by 45 to 113%). These data indicate that this amino acid substitution confers a dominant-negative effect on PrP, attenuating the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc and delaying disease onset without altering the neuropathological properties of the prion strains. Taken together, these findings have important implications for the development of new treatment approaches for prion diseases based on dominant-negative proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Carlos Hedman
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Belén Marín
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Óscar López-Pérez
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Laboratorio de Genética Bioquímica (LAGENBIO), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Tomás Barrio
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Manuel A Sánchez-Martín
- Servicio de Transgénesis, Nucleus, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,IBSAL, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marta Monzón
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan José Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain. .,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.
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8
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In Vitro Approach To Identify Key Amino Acids in Low Susceptibility of Rabbit Prion Protein to Misfolding. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01543-17. [PMID: 28978705 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01543-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders caused by an abnormally folded prion protein (PrPSc). This is capable of transforming the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into new infectious PrPSc Interspecies prion transmissibility studies performed by experimental challenge and the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy that occurred in the late 1980s and 1990s showed that while some species (sheep, mice, and cats) are readily susceptible to TSEs, others are apparently resistant (rabbits, dogs, and horses) to the same agent. To study the mechanisms of low susceptibility to TSEs of certain species, the mouse-rabbit transmission barrier was used as a model. To identify which specific amino acid residues determine high or low susceptibility to PrPSc propagation, protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), which mimics PrPC-to-PrPSc conversion with accelerated kinetics, was used. This allowed amino acid substitutions in rabbit PrP and accurate analysis of misfolding propensities. Wild-type rabbit recombinant PrP could not be misfolded into a protease-resistant self-propagating isoform in vitro despite seeding with at least 12 different infectious prions from diverse origins. Therefore, rabbit recombinant PrP mutants were designed to contain every single amino acid substitution that distinguishes rabbit recombinant PrP from mouse recombinant PrP. Key amino acid residue substitutions were identified that make rabbit recombinant PrP susceptible to misfolding, and using these, protease-resistant misfolded recombinant rabbit PrP was generated. Additional studies characterized the mechanisms by which these critical amino acid residue substitutions increased the misfolding susceptibility of rabbit PrP.IMPORTANCE Prion disorders are invariably fatal, untreatable diseases typically associated with long incubation periods and characteristic spongiform changes associated with neuronal loss in the brain. Development of any treatment or preventative measure is dependent upon a detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases, and understanding the mechanism by which certain species appear to be resistant to TSEs is critical. Rabbits are highly resistant to naturally acquired TSEs, and even under experimental conditions, induction of clinical disease is not easy. Using recombinant rabbit PrP as a model, this study describes critical molecular determinants that confer this high resistance to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
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Fernández-Borges N, Parra B, Vidal E, Eraña H, Sánchez-Martín MA, de Castro J, Elezgarai SR, Pumarola M, Mayoral T, Castilla J. Unraveling the key to the resistance of canids to prion diseases. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006716. [PMID: 29131852 PMCID: PMC5703577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the characteristics of prions is their ability to infect some species but not others and prion resistant species have been of special interest because of their potential in deciphering the determinants for susceptibility. Previously, we developed different in vitro and in vivo models to assess the susceptibility of species that were erroneously considered resistant to prion infection, such as members of the Leporidae and Equidae families. Here we undertake in vitro and in vivo approaches to understand the unresolved low prion susceptibility of canids. Studies based on the amino acid sequence of the canine prion protein (PrP), together with a structural analysis in silico, identified unique key amino acids whose characteristics could orchestrate its high resistance to prion disease. Cell- and brain-based PMCA studies were performed highlighting the relevance of the D163 amino acid in proneness to protein misfolding. This was also investigated by the generation of a novel transgenic mouse model carrying this substitution and these mice showed complete resistance to disease despite intracerebral challenge with three different mouse prion strains (RML, 22L and 301C) known to cause disease in wild-type mice. These findings suggest that dog D163 amino acid is primarily, if not totally, responsible for the prion resistance of canids. Detection of individuals or whole species resistant to any infectious disease is vital to understand the determinants of susceptibility and to develop appropriate therapeutic and preventative strategies. Canids have long been considered resistant to prion infection given the absence of clinical disease despite exposure to the causal agent. Through extensive analysis of the canine prion protein we have detected a key amino acid that might be responsible for their universal resistance to prion disease. Using in vitro and in vivo models we demonstrated that the presence of this residue confers resistance to prion infection when introduced to susceptible animals, opening the way to develop a new therapeutic approach against these, at present, untreatable disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beatriz Parra
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Vidal
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Manuel A. Sánchez-Martín
- Servicio de Transgénesis, Nucleus, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- IBSAL, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jorge de Castro
- Department of Infectology, Scripps Florida, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | | | - Martí Pumarola
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomás Mayoral
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria (LCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
- * E-mail:
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10
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Castle AR, Gill AC. Physiological Functions of the Cellular Prion Protein. Front Mol Biosci 2017; 4:19. [PMID: 28428956 PMCID: PMC5382174 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2017.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The prion protein, PrPC, is a small, cell-surface glycoprotein notable primarily for its critical role in pathogenesis of the neurodegenerative disorders known as prion diseases. A hallmark of prion diseases is the conversion of PrPC into an abnormally folded isoform, which provides a template for further pathogenic conversion of PrPC, allowing disease to spread from cell to cell and, in some circumstances, to transfer to a new host. In addition to the putative neurotoxicity caused by the misfolded form(s), loss of normal PrPC function could be an integral part of the neurodegenerative processes and, consequently, significant research efforts have been directed toward determining the physiological functions of PrPC. In this review, we first summarise important aspects of the biochemistry of PrPC before moving on to address the current understanding of the various proposed functions of the protein, including details of the underlying molecular mechanisms potentially involved in these functions. Over years of study, PrPC has been associated with a wide array of different cellular processes and many interacting partners have been suggested. However, recent studies have cast doubt on the previously well-established links between PrPC and processes such as stress-protection, copper homeostasis and neuronal excitability. Instead, the functions best-supported by the current literature include regulation of myelin maintenance and of processes linked to cellular differentiation, including proliferation, adhesion, and control of cell morphology. Intriguing connections have also been made between PrPC and the modulation of circadian rhythm, glucose homeostasis, immune function and cellular iron uptake, all of which warrant further investigation.
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Yu Z, Huang P, Yu Y, Zheng Z, Huang Z, Guo C, Lin D. Unique Properties of the Rabbit Prion Protein Oligomer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160874. [PMID: 27529173 PMCID: PMC4987043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders infecting both humans and animals. Recent works have demonstrated that the soluble prion protein oligomer (PrPO), the intermediate of the conformational transformation from the host-derived cellular form (PrPC) to the disease-associated Scrapie form (PrPSc), exerts the major neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Rabbits show strong resistance to TSEs, the underlying mechanism is unclear to date. It is expected that the relative TSEs-resistance of rabbits is closely associated with the unique properties of rabbit prion protein oligomer which remain to be addressed in detail. In the present work, we prepared rabbit prion protein oligomer (recRaPrPO) and human prion protein oligomer (recHuPrPO) under varied conditions, analyzed the effects of pH, NaCl concentration and incubation temperature on the oligomerization, and compared the properties of recRaPrPO and recHuPrPO. We found that several factors facilitated the formation of prion protein oligomers, including low pH, high NaCl concentration, high incubation temperature and low conformational stability of monomeric prion protein. RecRaPrPO was formed more slowly than recHuPrPO at physiological-like conditions (< 57°C, < 150 mM NaCl). Furthermore, recRaPrPO possessed higher susceptibility to proteinase K and lower cytotoxicity in vitro than recHuPrPO. These unique properties of recRaPrPO might substantially contribute to the TSEs-resistance of rabbits. Our work sheds light on the oligomerization of prion proteins and is of benefit to mechanistic understanding of TSEs-resistance of rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Yu
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Pei Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yuanhui Yu
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zhen Zheng
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zicheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chenyun Guo
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Donghai Lin
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Mammalian prions are composed of misfolded aggregated prion protein (PrP) with amyloid-like features. Prions are zoonotic disease agents that infect a wide variety of mammalian species including humans. Mammals and by-products thereof which are frequently encountered in daily life are most important for human health. It is established that bovine prions (BSE) can infect humans while there is no such evidence for any other prion susceptible species in the human food chain (sheep, goat, elk, deer) and largely prion resistant species (pig) or susceptible and resistant pets (cat and dogs, respectively). PrPs from these species have been characterized using biochemistry, biophysics and neurobiology. Recently we studied PrPs from several mammals in vitro and found evidence for generic amyloidogenicity as well as cross-seeding fibril formation activity of all PrPs on the human PrP sequence regardless if the original species was resistant or susceptible to prion disease. Porcine PrP amyloidogenicity was among the studied. Experimentally inoculated pigs as well as transgenic mouse lines overexpressing porcine PrP have, in the past, been used to investigate the possibility of prion transmission in pigs. The pig is a species with extraordinarily wide use within human daily life with over a billion pigs harvested for human consumption each year. Here we discuss the possibility that the largely prion disease resistant pig can be a clinically silent carrier of replicating prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Hammarström
- a IFM-Department of Chemistry ; Linköping University ; Linköping , Sweden
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13
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Lin K, Yu Z, Yu Y, Liao X, Huang P, Guo C, Lin D. Distinct effects of Cu2+-binding on oligomerization of human and rabbit prion proteins. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2015; 47:842-50. [PMID: 26350098 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmv081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is a kind of cell-surface Cu(2+)-binding glycoprotein. The oligomerization of PrP(C) is highly related to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Cu(2+) plays a vital role in the oligomerization of PrP(C), and participates in the pathogenic process of TSE diseases. It is expected that Cu(2+)-binding has different effects on the oligomerization of TSE-sensitive human PrP(C) (HuPrP(C)) and TSE-resistant rabbit PrP(C) (RaPrP(C)). However, the details of the distinct effects remain unclear. In the present study, we measured the interactions of Cu(2+) with HuPrP(C) (91-230) and RaPrP(C) (91-228) by isothermal titration calorimetry, and compared the effects of Cu(2+)-binding on the oligomerization of both PrPs. The measured dissociation constants (Kd) of Cu(2+) were 11.1 ± 2.1 μM for HuPrP(C) and 21.1 ± 3.1 μM for RaPrP(C). Cu(2+)-binding promoted the oligomerization of HuPrP(C) more significantly than that of RaPrP(C). The far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy experiments showed that Cu(2+)-binding induced more significant secondary structure change and increased more β-sheet content for HuPrP(C) compared with RaPrP(C). Moreover, the urea-induced unfolding transition experiments indicated that Cu(2+)-binding decreased the conformational stability of HuPrP(C) more distinctly than that of RaPrP(C). These results suggest that RaPrP(C) possesses a low susceptibility to Cu(2+), potentially weakening the risk of Cu(2+)-induced TSE diseases. Our work sheds light on the Cu(2+)-promoted oligomerization of PrP(C), and may be helpful for further understanding the TSE-resistance of rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejiang Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 21009, China
| | - Ziyao Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 21009, China
| | - Yuanhui Yu
- High-field NMR Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xinli Liao
- High-field NMR Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Pei Huang
- High-field NMR Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chenyun Guo
- High-field NMR Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Donghai Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 21009, China High-field NMR Research Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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Vidal E, Fernández-Borges N, Pintado B, Eraña H, Ordóñez M, Márquez M, Chianini F, Fondevila D, Sánchez-Martín MA, Andreoletti O, Dagleish MP, Pumarola M, Castilla J. Transgenic Mouse Bioassay: Evidence That Rabbits Are Susceptible to a Variety of Prion Isolates. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004977. [PMID: 26247589 PMCID: PMC4527758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecies transmission of prions is a well-established phenomenon, both experimentally and under field conditions. Upon passage through new hosts, prion strains have proven their capacity to change their properties and this is a source of strain diversity which needs to be considered when assessing the potential risks associated with consumption of prion contaminated protein sources. Rabbits were considered for decades to be a prion resistant species until proven otherwise recently. To determine the extent of rabbit susceptibility to prions and to assess the effects of passage of different prion strains through this species a transgenic mouse model overexpressing rabbit PrPC was developed (TgRab). Intracerebral challenges with prion strains originating from a variety of species including field isolates (ovine SSBP/1 scrapie, Nor98- scrapie; cattle BSE, BSE-L and cervid CWD), experimental murine strains (ME7 and RML) and experimentally obtained ruminant (sheepBSE) and rabbit (de novo NZW) strains were performed. On first passage TgRab were susceptible to the majority of prions (Cattle BSE, SheepBSE, BSE-L, de novo NZW, ME7 and RML) tested with the exception of SSBP/1 scrapie, CWD and Nor98 scrapie. Furthermore, TgRab were capable of propagating strain-specific features such as differences in incubation periods, histological brain lesions, abnormal prion (PrPd) deposition profiles and proteinase-K (PK) resistant western blotting band patterns. Our results confirm previous studies proving that rabbits are not resistant to prion infection and show for the first time that rabbits are susceptible to PrPd originating in a number of other species. This should be taken into account when choosing protein sources to feed rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Vidal
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Belén Pintado
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB), Campus de Cantoblanco, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Montserrat Ordóñez
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Mercedes Márquez
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesca Chianini
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Dolors Fondevila
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manuel A. Sánchez-Martín
- Unidad de Generación de OMGs, S.E.A. Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Olivier Andreoletti
- Ecole Nationale du Veterinaire, Service de Pathologie du Bétail, Toulouse, France
| | - Mark P. Dagleish
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Near Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Martí Pumarola
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
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15
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Generic amyloidogenicity of mammalian prion proteins from species susceptible and resistant to prions. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10101. [PMID: 25960067 PMCID: PMC4650755 DOI: 10.1038/srep10101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are lethal, infectious diseases associated with prion protein (PrP) misfolding. A large number of mammals are susceptible to both sporadic and acquired prion diseases. Although PrP is highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed in all mammals, not all species exhibit prion disease. By employing full length recombinant PrP from five known prion susceptible species (human, cattle, cat, mouse and hamster) and two species considered to be prion resistant (pig and dog) the amyloidogenicity of these PrPs has been delineated. All the mammalian PrPs, even from resistant species, were swiftly converted from the native state to amyloid-like structure when subjected to a native condition conversion assay. The PrPs displayed amyloidotypic tinctorial and ultrastructural hallmarks. Self-seeded conversion of the PrPs displayed significantly decreased lag phases demonstrating that nucleation dependent polymerization is a dominating mechanism in the fibrillation process. Fibrils from Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, Lysozyme, Insulin and Transthyretin did not accelerate conversion of HuPrP whereas fibrils from HuPrP90-231 and HuPrP121-231 as well as full length PrPs of all PrPs efficiently seeded conversion showing specificity of the assay requiring the C-terminal PrP sequence. Our findings have implications for PrP misfolding and could have ramifications in the context of prion resistant species and silent carriers.
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Qing LL, Zhao H, Liu LL. Progress on low susceptibility mechanisms of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 35:436-45. [PMID: 25297084 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2014.5.436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases detected in a wide range of mammalian species. The "protein-only" hypothesis of TSE suggests that prions are transmissible particles devoid of nucleic acid and the primary pathogenic event is thought to be the conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into the disease-associated isoform (PrP(Sc)). According to susceptibility to TSEs, animals can be classified into susceptible species and low susceptibility species. In this review we focus on several species with low susceptibility to TSEs: dogs, rabbits, horses and buffaloes. We summarize recent studies into the characteristics of low susceptibility regarding protein structure, and biochemical and genetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Li Qing
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
| | - Lin-Lin Liu
- Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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17
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Puig B, Altmeppen H, Glatzel M. The GPI-anchoring of PrP: implications in sorting and pathogenesis. Prion 2015; 8:11-8. [PMID: 24509692 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is an N-glycosylated GPI-anchored protein usually present in lipid rafts with numerous putative functions. When it changes its conformation to a pathological isoform (then referred to as PrP(Sc)), it is an essential part of the prion, the agent causing fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative prion diseases. There is growing evidence that toxicity and neuronal damage on the one hand and propagation/infectivity on the other hand are two distinct processes of the disease and that the GPI-anchor attachment of PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) plays an important role in protein localization and in neurotoxicity. Here we review how the signal sequence of the GPI-anchor matters in PrP(C) localization, how an altered cellular localization of PrP(C) or differences in GPI-anchor composition can affect prion infection, and we discuss through which mechanisms changes on the anchorage of PrP(C) can modify the disease process.
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18
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Vidal E, Fernández-Borges N, Pintado B, Ordóñez M, Márquez M, Fondevila D, Eraña H, Torres JM, Pumarola M, Castilla J. Exploring the risks of a putative transmission of BSE to new species. Prion 2013; 7:443-6. [PMID: 24184875 DOI: 10.4161/pri.27014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion responsible for the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) shows unique features when compared with other prions. One of these features is its ability to infect almost all experimentally tested animal models. In the paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience (1) we describe a series of experiments directed toward elucidating which would be the in vivo behavior of BSE if it would infect dogs and rabbits, two alleged prion resistant species. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) was used to generate canidae and leporidae in vitro adapted BSE prions. A characterization of their in vivo pathobiological properties showed that BSE prions were capable not only of adapting to new species but they maintained, in the case of rabbits, their ability to infect transgenic mice expressing human PrP. The remarkable adaptation ability of certain prions implies that any new host species could lead to the emergence of new infectious agents with unpredictable transmission potential. Our results suggest that caution must be taken when considering the use of any mammal derived protein in feedstuffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Vidal
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA); UAB-IRTA; Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Barcelona, Spain
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19
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Yuan Z, Zhao D, Yang L. Decipher the mechanisms of rabbit's low susceptibility to prion infection. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2013; 45:899-903. [PMID: 24041958 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmt093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabbits have low susceptibility to prion infection. Studies on prion protein (PrP) from animal species of different susceptibility to prion diseases identified key amino acid residues, specific motif, and special features in rabbit prion protein (RaPrP(C)) that contribute to the stability of rabbit PrP(C) and low susceptibility to prion infection. However, there is no evidence showing that rabbits are completely resistant to prion diseases. It has been reported that the rabbit prion could be generated in vitro through protein misfolding cyclic amplification and proved to be infectious and transmissible. Here, we reviewed studies on rabbit-specific PrP structures and features in relation to rabbit's low susceptibility to prion infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yuan
- State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Lab of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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20
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Molecular dynamics studies on the NMR and X-ray structures of rabbit prion proteins. J Theor Biol 2013; 342:70-82. [PMID: 24184221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 08/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, traditionally referred to as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide variety of mammalian species, manifesting as scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad-cow disease) in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, and kulu in humans, etc. These neurodegenerative diseases are caused by the conversion from a soluble normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into insoluble abnormally folded infectious prions (PrP(Sc)), and the conversion of PrP(C) to PrP(Sc) is believed to involve conformational change from a predominantly α-helical protein to one rich in β-sheet structure. Such a conformational change may be amenable to study by molecular dynamics (MD) techniques. For rabbits, classical studies show that they have a low susceptibility to be infected by PrP(Sc), but recently it was reported that rabbit prions can be generated through saPMCA (serial automated Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification) in vitro and the rabbit prion is infectious and transmissible. In this paper, we first do a detailed survey on the research advances of rabbit prion protein (RaPrP) and then we perform MD simulations on the NMR and X-ray molecular structures of rabbit prion protein wild-type and mutants. The survey shows to us that rabbits were not challenged directly in vivo with other known prion strains and the saPMCA result did not pass the test of the known BSE strain of cattle. Thus, we might still look rabbits as a prion resistant species. MD results indicate that the three α-helices of the wild-type are stable under the neutral pH environment (but under low pH environment the three α-helices have been unfolded into β-sheets), and the three α-helices of the mutants (I214V and S173N) are unfolded into rich β-sheet structures under the same pH environment. In addition, we found an interesting result that the salt bridges such as ASP201-ARG155, ASP177-ARG163 contribute greatly to the structural stability of RaPrP.
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Huang P, Lian F, Wen Y, Guo C, Lin D. Prion protein oligomer and its neurotoxicity. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2013; 45:442-51. [PMID: 23557632 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmt037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are fatal neurodegenerative disorders. According to the 'protein only' hypothesis, the key molecular event in the pathogenesis of prion disease is the conformational conversion of the host-derived cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into a misfolded form (scrapie PrP, PrP(Sc)). Increasing evidence has shown that the most infectious factor is the smaller subfibrillar oligomers formed by prion proteins. Both the prion oligomer and PrP(Sc) are rich in β-sheet structure and resistant to the proteolysis of proteinase K. The prion oligomer is soluble in physiologic environments whereas PrP(Sc) is insoluble. Various prion oligomers are formed in different conditions. Prion oligomers exhibited more neurotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo than the fibrillar forms of PrP(Sc), implying that prion oligomers could be potential drug targets for attacking prion diseases. In this article, we describe recent experimental evidence regarding prion oligomers, with a special focus on prion oligomer formation and its neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 21009, China
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Zhang J, Zhang Y. Molecular dynamics studies on 3D structures of the hydrophobic region PrP(109-136). Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2013; 45:509-19. [PMID: 23563221 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmt031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, traditionally referred to as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases that affect a wide variety of mammalian species, manifesting as scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (or 'mad-cow' disease) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Strussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia (FFI), and Kulu in humans, etc. These neurodegenerative diseases are caused by the conversion from a soluble normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into insoluble abnormally folded infectious prions (PrP(Sc)). The hydrophobic region PrP(109-136) controls the formation of diseased prions: the normal PrP(113-120) AGAAAAGA palindrome is an inhibitor/blocker of prion diseases and the highly conserved glycine-xxx-glycine motif PrP(119-131) can inhibit the formation of infectious prion proteins in cells. This article gives detailed reviews on the PrP(109-136) region and presents the studies of its three-dimensional structures and structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiapu Zhang
- Graduate School of Sciences, Information Technology and Engineering, CIAO, The University of Ballarat, MT Helen Campus, Victoria 3353, Australia.
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