1
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Eraña H, Díaz-Domínguez CM, Charco JM, Vidal E, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MA, Piñeiro P, López-Moreno R, Sampedro-Torres-Quevedo C, Fernández-Veiga L, Tasis-Galarza J, Lorenzo NL, Santini-Santiago A, Lázaro M, García-Martínez S, Gonçalves-Anjo N, San-Juan-Ansoleaga M, Galarza-Ahumada J, Fernández-Muñoz E, Giler S, Valle M, Telling GC, Geijó M, Requena JR, Castilla J. Understanding the key features of the spontaneous formation of bona fide prions through a novel methodology that enables their swift and consistent generation. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:145. [PMID: 37679832 PMCID: PMC10486007 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01640-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Among transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases affecting humans, sporadic forms such as sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are the vast majority. Unlike genetic or acquired forms of the disease, these idiopathic forms occur seemingly due to a random event of spontaneous misfolding of the cellular PrP (PrPC) into the pathogenic isoform (PrPSc). Currently, the molecular mechanisms that trigger and drive this event, which occurs in approximately one individual per million each year, remain completely unknown. Modelling this phenomenon in experimental settings is highly challenging due to its sporadic and rare occurrence. Previous attempts to model spontaneous prion misfolding in vitro have not been fully successful, as the spontaneous formation of prions is infrequent and stochastic, hindering the systematic study of the phenomenon. In this study, we present the first method that consistently induces spontaneous misfolding of recombinant PrP into bona fide prions within hours, providing unprecedented possibilities to investigate the mechanisms underlying sporadic prionopathies. By fine-tuning the Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification method, which was initially developed to propagate recombinant prions, we have created a methodology that consistently produces spontaneously misfolded recombinant prions in 100% of the cases. Furthermore, this method gives rise to distinct strains and reveals the critical influence of charged surfaces in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasier Eraña
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos M Díaz-Domínguez
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge M Charco
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Vidal
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ezequiel González-Miranda
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Miguel A Pérez-Castro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Patricia Piñeiro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Moreno
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Cristina Sampedro-Torres-Quevedo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Leire Fernández-Veiga
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Juan Tasis-Galarza
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Nuria L Lorenzo
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Aileen Santini-Santiago
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Melisa Lázaro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Sandra García-Martínez
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Nuno Gonçalves-Anjo
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Maitena San-Juan-Ansoleaga
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Josu Galarza-Ahumada
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Eva Fernández-Muñoz
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Samanta Giler
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mikel Valle
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Glenn C Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Mariví Geijó
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Spain
| | - Jesús R Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, 48160, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Carlos III National Health Institute, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011, Bilbao, Spain.
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2
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Ma J, Zhang J, Yan R. Recombinant Mammalian Prions: The “Correctly” Misfolded Prion Protein Conformers. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091940. [PMID: 36146746 PMCID: PMC9504972 DOI: 10.3390/v14091940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Generating a prion with exogenously produced recombinant prion protein is widely accepted as the ultimate proof of the prion hypothesis. Over the years, a plethora of misfolded recPrP conformers have been generated, but despite their seeding capability, many of them have failed to elicit a fatal neurodegenerative disorder in wild-type animals like a naturally occurring prion. The application of the protein misfolding cyclic amplification technique and the inclusion of non-protein cofactors in the reaction mixture have led to the generation of authentic recombinant prions that fully recapitulate the characteristics of native prions. Together, these studies reveal that recPrP can stably exist in a variety of misfolded conformations and when inoculated into wild-type animals, misfolded recPrP conformers cause a wide range of outcomes, from being completely innocuous to lethal. Since all these recPrP conformers possess seeding capabilities, these results clearly suggest that seeding activity alone is not equivalent to prion activity. Instead, authentic prions are those PrP conformers that are not only heritable (the ability to seed the conversion of normal PrP) but also pathogenic (the ability to cause fatal neurodegeneration). The knowledge gained from the studies of the recombinant prion is important for us to understand the pathogenesis of prion disease and the roles of misfolded proteins in other neurodegenerative disorders.
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3
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Zhang X, Pan YH, Chen Y, Pan C, Ma J, Yuan C, Yu G, Ma J. The protease-sensitive N-terminal polybasic region of prion protein modulates its conversion to the pathogenic prion conformer. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101344. [PMID: 34710372 PMCID: PMC8604679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversion of normal prion protein (PrPC) to the pathogenic PrPSc conformer is central to prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie; however, the detailed mechanism of this conversion remains obscure. To investigate how the N-terminal polybasic region of PrP (NPR) influences the PrPC-to-PrPSc conversion, we analyzed two PrP mutants: ΔN6 (deletion of all six amino acids in NPR) and Met4-1 (replacement of four positively charged amino acids in NPR with methionine). We found that ΔN6 and Met4-1 differentially impacted the binding of recombinant PrP (recPrP) to the negatively charged phospholipid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylglycerol, a nonprotein cofactor that facilitates PrP conversion. Both mutant recPrPs were able to form recombinant prion (recPrPSc) in vitro, but the convertibility was greatly reduced, with ΔN6 displaying the lowest convertibility. Prion infection assays in mammalian RK13 cells expressing WT or NPR-mutant PrPs confirmed these differences in convertibility, indicating that the NPR affects the conversion of both bacterially expressed recPrP and post-translationally modified PrP in eukaryotic cells. We also found that both WT and mutant recPrPSc conformers caused prion disease in WT mice with a 100% attack rate, but the incubation times and neuropathological changes caused by two recPrPSc mutants were significantly different from each other and from that of WT recPrPSc. Together, our results support that the NPR greatly influences PrPC-to-PrPSc conversion, but it is not essential for the generation of PrPSc. Moreover, the significant differences between ΔN6 and Met4-1 suggest that not only charge but also the identity of amino acids in NPR is important to PrP conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Hsuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenhua Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji Ma
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chonggang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohua Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan, China
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Department of Neurodegeneraive Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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4
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Pan C, Yang J, Zhang X, Chen Y, Wei S, Yu G, Pan YH, Ma J, Yuan C. Oral Ingestion of Synthetically Generated Recombinant Prion Is Sufficient to Cause Prion Disease in Wild-Type Mice. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9080653. [PMID: 32823763 PMCID: PMC7459977 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9080653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion disease is a group of transmissible neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and animals. The prion hypothesis postulates that PrPSc, the pathogenic conformer of host-encoded prion protein (PrP), is the unconventional proteinaceous infectious agent called prion. Supporting this hypothesis, highly infectious prion has been generated in vitro with recombinant PrP plus defined non-protein cofactors and the synthetically generated prion (recPrPSc) is capable of causing prion disease in wild-type mice through intracerebral (i.c.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation. Given that many of the naturally occurring prion diseases are acquired through oral route, demonstrating the capability of recPrPSc to cause prion disease via oral transmission is important, but has never been proven. Here we showed for the first time that oral ingestion of recPrPSc is sufficient to cause prion disease in wild-type mice, which was supported by the development of fatal neurodegeneration in exposed mice, biochemical and histopathological analyses of diseased brains, and second round transmission. Our results demonstrate the oral transmissibility of recPrPSc and provide the missing evidence to support that the in vitro generated recPrPSc recapitulates all the important properties of naturally occurring prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhua Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Junwei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Xiangyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Ying Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Shunxiong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Guohua Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364012, China;
| | - Yi-Hsuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (C.Y.)
| | - Chonggang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; (C.P.); (J.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.W.); (Y.-H.P.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (C.Y.)
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5
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Vanni I, Pirisinu L, Acevedo-Morantes C, Kamali-Jamil R, Rathod V, Di Bari MA, D’Agostino C, Marcon S, Esposito E, Riccardi G, Hornemann S, Senatore A, Aguzzi A, Agrimi U, Wille H, Nonno R. Isolation of infectious, non-fibrillar and oligomeric prions from a genetic prion disease. Brain 2020; 143:1512-1524. [PMID: 32303068 PMCID: PMC7241950 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are transmissible agents causing lethal neurodegenerative diseases that are composed of aggregates of misfolded cellular prion protein (PrPSc). Despite non-fibrillar oligomers having been proposed as the most infectious prion particles, prions purified from diseased brains usually consist of large and fibrillar PrPSc aggregates, whose protease-resistant core (PrPres) encompasses the whole C-terminus of PrP. In contrast, PrPSc from Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease associated with alanine to valine substitution at position 117 (GSS-A117V) is characterized by a small protease-resistant core, which is devoid of the C-terminus. We thus aimed to investigate the role of this unusual PrPSc in terms of infectivity, strain characteristics, and structural features. We found, by titration in bank voles, that the infectivity of GSS-A117V is extremely high (109.3 ID50 U/g) and is resistant to treatment with proteinase K (109.0 ID50 U/g). We then purified the proteinase K-resistant GSS-A117V prions and determined the amount of infectivity and PrPres in the different fractions, alongside the morphological characteristics of purified PrPres aggregates by electron microscopy. Purified pellet fractions from GSS-A117V contained the expected N- and C-terminally cleaved 7 kDa PrPres, although the yield of PrPres was low. We found that this low yield depended on the low density/small size of GSS-A117V PrPres, as it was mainly retained in the last supernatant fraction. All fractions were highly infectious, thus confirming the infectious nature of the 7 kDa PrPres, with infectivity levels that directly correlated with the PrPres amount detected. Finally, electron microscopy analysis of these fractions showed no presence of amyloid fibrils, but only very small and indistinct, non-fibrillar PrPresparticles were detected and confirmed to contain PrP via immunogold labelling. Our study demonstrates that purified aggregates of 7 kDa PrPres, spanning residues ∼90-150, are highly infectious oligomers that encode the biochemical and biological strain features of the original sample. Overall, the autocatalytic behaviour of the prion oligomers reveals their role in the propagation of neurodegeneration in patients with Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease and implies that the C-terminus of PrPSc is dispensable for infectivity and strain features for this prion strain, uncovering the central PrP domain as the minimal molecular component able to encode infectious prions. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that non-fibrillar prion particles are highly efficient propagators of disease and provide new molecular and morphological constraints on the structure of infectious prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Vanni
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Acevedo-Morantes
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Razieh Kamali-Jamil
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vineet Rathod
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michele Angelo Di Bari
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia D’Agostino
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Marcon
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Esposito
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Geraldina Riccardi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute for Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Assunta Senatore
- Institute for Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute for Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Umberto Agrimi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Holger Wille
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
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6
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Eraña H, Charco JM, Di Bari MA, Díaz-Domínguez CM, López-Moreno R, Vidal E, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MA, García-Martínez S, Bravo S, Fernández-Borges N, Geijo M, D’Agostino C, Garrido J, Bian J, König A, Uluca-Yazgi B, Sabate R, Khaychuk V, Vanni I, Telling GC, Heise H, Nonno R, Requena JR, Castilla J. Development of a new largely scalable in vitro prion propagation method for the production of infectious recombinant prions for high resolution structural studies. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008117. [PMID: 31644574 PMCID: PMC6827918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The resolution of the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions at the atomic level is pivotal to understand the pathobiology of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE), but has been long hindered due to certain particularities of these proteinaceous pathogens. Difficulties related to their purification from brain homogenates of disease-affected animals were resolved almost a decade ago by the development of in vitro recombinant prion propagation systems giving rise to highly infectious recombinant prions. However, lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of the misfolding event and the complexity of systems such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA), have limited generating the large amounts of homogeneous recombinant prion preparations required for high-resolution techniques such as solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) imaging. Herein, we present a novel recombinant prion propagation system based on PMCA that substitutes sonication with shaking thereby allowing the production of unprecedented amounts of multi-labeled, infectious recombinant prions. The use of specific cofactors, such as dextran sulfate, limit the structural heterogeneity of the in vitro propagated prions and makes possible, for the first time, the generation of infectious and likely homogeneous samples in sufficient quantities for studies with high-resolution structural techniques as demonstrated by the preliminary ssNMR spectrum presented here. Overall, we consider that this new method named Protein Misfolding Shaking Amplification (PMSA), opens new avenues to finally elucidate the three-dimensional structure of infectious prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
- ATLAS Molecular Pharma S. L. Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | | | - Michele A. Di Bari
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Enric Vidal
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Susana Bravo
- Proteomics Lab, IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Mariví Geijo
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | - Claudia D’Agostino
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Joseba Garrido
- Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
| | - Jifeng Bian
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Anna König
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Boran Uluca-Yazgi
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vadim Khaychuk
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Ilaria Vanni
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Glenn C. Telling
- Prion Research Center (PRC), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Henrike Heise
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) and Jülich Center for Structural Biology (JuStruct), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Jesús R. Requena
- CIMUS Biomedical Research Institute, University of Santiago de Compostela-IDIS, Spain
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
- IKERBasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao (Bizkaia), Spain
- * E-mail:
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7
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Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurological disorders caused by prions, which are composed of a misfolded protein (PrPSc) that self-propagates in the brain of infected individuals by converting the normal prion protein (PrPC) into the pathological isoform. Here, we report a novel experimental strategy for preventing prion disease based on producing a self-replicating, but innocuous PrPSc-like form, termed anti-prion, which can compete with the replication of pathogenic prions. Our results show that a prophylactic inoculation of prion-infected animals with an anti-prion delays the onset of the disease and in some animals completely prevents the development of clinical symptoms and brain damage. The data indicate that a single injection of the anti-prion eliminated ~99% of the infectivity associated to pathogenic prions. Furthermore, this treatment caused significant changes in the profile of regional PrPSc deposition in the brains of animals that were treated, but still succumbed to the disease. Our findings provide new insights for a mechanistic understanding of prion replication and support the concept that prion replication can be separated from toxicity, providing a novel target for therapeutic intervention.
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8
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Abstract
Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the principal histopathologic hallmarks of Alzheimer disease. The essential constituents of these lesions are structurally abnormal variants of normally generated proteins: Aβ protein in plaques and tau protein in tangles. At the molecular level, both proteins in a pathogenic state share key properties with classic prions, i.e., they consist of alternatively folded, β-sheet-rich forms of the proteins that autopropagate by the seeded corruption and self-assembly of like proteins. Other similarities with prions include the ability to manifest as polymorphic and polyfunctional strains, resistance to chemical and enzymatic destruction, and the ability to spread within the brain and from the periphery to the brain. In Alzheimer disease, current evidence indicates that the pathogenic cascade follows from the endogenous, sequential corruption of Aβ and then tau. Therapeutic options include reducing the production or multimerization of the proteins, uncoupling the Aβ-tauopathy connection, or promoting the inactivation or removal of anomalous assemblies from the brain. Although aberrant Aβ appears to be the prime mover of Alzheimer disease pathogenesis, once set in motion by Aβ, the prion-like propagation of tauopathy may proceed independently of Aβ; if so, Aβ might be solely targeted as an early preventive measure, but optimal treatment of Alzheimer disease at later stages of the cascade could require intervention in both pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lary C Walker
- Department of Neurology and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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9
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Song Z, Zhu T, Zhou X, Barrow P, Yang W, Cui Y, Yang L, Zhao D. REST alleviates neurotoxic prion peptide-induced synaptic abnormalities, neurofibrillary degeneration and neuronal death partially via LRP6-mediated Wnt-β-catenin signaling. Oncotarget 2017; 7:12035-52. [PMID: 26919115 PMCID: PMC4914267 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of infectious neurodegenerative diseases characterized by multiple neuropathological hallmarks including synaptic damage, spongiform degeneration and neuronal death. The factors and mechanisms that maintain cellular morphological integrity and protect against neurodegeneration in prion diseases are still unclear. Here we report that after stimulation with the neurotoxic PrP106-126 fragment in primary cortical neurons, REST translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and protects neurons from harmful effects of PrP106-126. Overexpression of REST reduces pathological damage and abnormal biochemical alterations of neurons induced by PrP106-126 and maintains neuronal viability by stabilizing the level of pro-survival protein FOXO1 and inhibiting the permeability of the mitochondrial outer membrane, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm and the activation of Capase3. Conversely, knockdown of REST exacerbates morphological damage and inhibits the expression of FOXO1. Additionally, by overexpression or knockdown of LRP6, we further show that LRP6-mediated Wnt-β-catenin signaling partly regulates the expression of REST. Collectively, we demonstrate for the first time novel neuroprotective function of REST in prion diseases and hypothesise that the LRP6-Wnt-β-catenin/REST signaling plays critical and collaborative roles in neuroprotection. This signaling of neuronal survival regulation could be explored as a viable therapeutic target for prion diseases and associated neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Song
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Zhu
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangmei Zhou
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Paul Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Wei Yang
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongyong Cui
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Yang
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Deming Zhao
- The State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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10
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Charco JM, Eraña H, Venegas V, García-Martínez S, López-Moreno R, González-Miranda E, Pérez-Castro MÁ, Castilla J. Recombinant PrP and Its Contribution to Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. Pathogens 2017; 6:E67. [PMID: 29240682 PMCID: PMC5750591 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6040067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the disease-associated isoform (PrPSc) and its accumulation as amyloid fibrils in the central nervous system is one of the central events in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Due to the proteinaceous nature of the causal agent the molecular mechanisms of misfolding, interspecies transmission, neurotoxicity and strain phenomenon remain mostly ill-defined or unknown. Significant advances were made using in vivo and in cellula models, but the limitations of these, primarily due to their inherent complexity and the small amounts of PrPSc that can be obtained, gave rise to the necessity of new model systems. The production of recombinant PrP using E. coli and subsequent induction of misfolding to the aberrant isoform using different techniques paved the way for the development of cell-free systems that complement the previous models. The generation of the first infectious recombinant prion proteins with identical properties of brain-derived PrPSc increased the value of cell-free systems for research on TSEs. The versatility and ease of implementation of these models have made them invaluable for the study of the molecular mechanisms of prion formation and propagation, and have enabled improvements in diagnosis, high-throughput screening of putative anti-prion compounds and the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we provide an overview of the resultant advances in the prion field due to the development of recombinant PrP and its use in cell-free systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M. Charco
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Hasier Eraña
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Vanessa Venegas
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Sandra García-Martínez
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Rafael López-Moreno
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Ezequiel González-Miranda
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Miguel Ángel Pérez-Castro
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
| | - Joaquín Castilla
- CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.M.C.); (H.E.); (V.V.); (S.G.-M.); (R.L.-M.); (E.G.-M.); (M.Á.P.-C.)
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
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11
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Song Z, Yang W, Zhou X, Yang L, Zhao D. Lithium alleviates neurotoxic prion peptide-induced synaptic damage and neuronal death partially by the upregulation of nuclear target REST and the restoration of Wnt signaling. Neuropharmacology 2017; 123:332-348. [PMID: 28545972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of infectious neurodegenerative diseases characterized by multiple neuropathological hallmarks, including accumulation of PrPSc, synaptic damage, and neuronal death. We previously reported that the repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), a novel neuroprotective marker in neurodegeneration, protects neurons against neurotoxic peptide (PrP106-126)-induced neurotoxicity, but fails to maintain survival following prolonged exposure to PrP106-126. Because Wnt signaling partially induces REST and is activated by lithium, we investigated the effects of lithium on REST in prion diseases. Lithium restores nuclear expression of REST, which is essential for regulating survival proteins. Lithium also mimics neuroprotective functions when REST is blocked, and these beneficial effects are additive with REST overexpression under physiological conditions. Reciprocally, under PrP106-126-stimulated pathological conditions, REST plays a critical role in the neuroprotective mechanisms of lithium treatment. Although lithium recovers Wnt signaling by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3β and stabilizing β-catenin, restores survival associated proteins after exposure to PrP106-126 in primary cortical neurons. Knockdown of REST significantly suppresses the neuroprotective function of lithium. Conversely, overexpression of REST partially recovers its actions. Notably, lithium directly alleviates PrP106-126-induced synaptic damage and neuronal cell death by preventing changes in presynaptic and postsynaptic marker proteins and promoting survival pathways also partially via the expression of REST. Our results suggest that REST acts as a novel and important nuclear target for lithium. We hypothesize that PrP106-126-stimulated neurotoxicity induces Wnt signaling dysfunction and lithium mimics this signaling cascade, suggesting that lithium should be considered as a potential therapeutic agent against prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Song
- The 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
| | - Wei Yang
- The 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
| | - Xiangmei Zhou
- The 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
| | - Lifeng Yang
- The 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
| | - Deming Zhao
- The 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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12
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Song Z, Shah SZA, Yang W, Dong H, Yang L, Zhou X, Zhao D. Downregulation of the Repressor Element 1-Silencing Transcription Factor (REST) Is Associated with Akt-mTOR and Wnt-β-Catenin Signaling in Prion Diseases Models. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:128. [PMID: 28515679 PMCID: PMC5413570 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of infectious diseases characterized by multiple neuropathological changes, yet the mechanisms that preserve function and protect against prion-associated neurodegeneration are still unclear. We previously reported that the repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) alleviates neurotoxic prion peptide (PrP106-126)-induced toxicity in primary neurons. Here we confirmed the findings of the in vitro model in 263K infected hamsters, an in vivo model of prion diseases and further showed the relationships between REST and related signaling pathways. REST was depleted from the nucleus in prion infected brains and taken up by autophagosomes in the cytoplasm, co-localizing with LC3-II. Importantly, downregulation of the Akt–mTOR and at least partially inactivation of LRP6-Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathways correlated with the decreased levels of REST in vivo in the brain of 263K-infected hamsters and in vitro in PrP106-126-treated primary neurons. Overexpression of REST in primary cortical neurons alleviated PrP106-126 peptide-induced neuronal oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage and partly inhibition of the LRP6-Wnt-β-catenin and Akt–mTOR signaling. Based on our findings, a model of REST-mediated neuroprotection in prion infected animals is proposed, with Akt–mTOR and Wnt-β-catenin signaling as the key pathways. REST-mediated neuronal survival signaling could be explored as a viable therapeutic target for prion diseases and related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqi Song
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Syed Z A Shah
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Wei Yang
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Haodi Dong
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Lifeng Yang
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Xiangmei Zhou
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Deming Zhao
- The 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 UniversityBeijing, China
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13
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Vanni I, Migliore S, Cosseddu GM, Di Bari MA, Pirisinu L, D’Agostino C, Riccardi G, Agrimi U, Nonno R. Isolation of a Defective Prion Mutant from Natural Scrapie. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1006016. [PMID: 27880822 PMCID: PMC5120856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely known that prion strains can mutate in response to modification of the replication environment and we have recently reported that prion mutations can occur in vitro during amplification of vole-adapted prions by Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification on bank vole substrate (bvPMCA). Here we exploited the high efficiency of prion replication by bvPMCA to study the in vitro propagation of natural scrapie isolates. Although in vitro vole-adapted PrPSc conformers were usually similar to the sheep counterpart, we repeatedly isolated a PrPSc mutant exclusively when starting from extremely diluted seeds of a single sheep isolate. The mutant and faithful PrPSc conformers showed to be efficiently autocatalytic in vitro and were characterized by different PrP protease resistant cores, spanning aa ∼155–231 and ∼80–231 respectively, and by different conformational stabilities. The two conformers could thus be seen as different bona fide PrPSc types, putatively accounting for prion populations with different biological properties. Indeed, once inoculated in bank vole the faithful conformer was competent for in vivo replication while the mutant was unable to infect voles, de facto behaving like a defective prion mutant. Overall, our findings confirm that prions can adapt and evolve in the new replication environments and that the starting population size can affect their evolutionary landscape, at least in vitro. Furthermore, we report the first example of “authentic” defective prion mutant, composed of brain-derived PrPC and originating from a natural scrapie isolate. Our results clearly indicate that the defective mutant lacks of some structural characteristics, that presumably involve the central region ∼90–155, critical for infectivity but not for in vitro replication. Finally, we propose a molecular mechanism able to account for the discordant in vitro and in vivo behavior, suggesting possible new paths for investigating the molecular bases of prion infectivity. Prions are unique infectious agents, consisting of PrPSc, a self-propagating aggregated conformer of the host-encoded prion protein PrPC. Despite the absence of any nucleic acid information, prions exist as distinct strains that share the same amino acid sequence but differ in their conformation. Moreover, prions can mutate and are thus heterogeneous populations able to evolve and adapt to new replication environments. During in vitro amplification of sheep scrapie, we found that a prion mutant could be obtained from one natural isolate. The prion mutant identified was characterized in vivo and in vitro, showing unusual biochemical and biological features: a smaller than usual C-terminal proteinase resistant core of PrPSc, which spans aa ∼155–231, and the inability to propagate in vivo despite an efficient autocatalytic replication in vitro. With such a signature, we denoted the mutant as a “defective” prion mutant. We thus postulate a new hypothesis for the discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo behavior of the defective mutant and suggest that the central PrPSc domain ∼90–160 might have a key role in prion replication. This work provides important new insights into the mechanism underpinning prion replication and has numerous implications for understanding the molecular requirements indispensable for prion infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Vanni
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Migliore
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Sicily "A. Mirri", Palermo, Italy
| | - Gian Mario Cosseddu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - Michele Angelo Di Bari
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Pirisinu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia D’Agostino
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Geraldina Riccardi
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Agrimi
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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14
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Imamura M, Tabeta N, Kato N, Matsuura Y, Iwamaru Y, Yokoyama T, Murayama Y. Heparan Sulfate and Heparin Promote Faithful Prion Replication in Vitro by Binding to Normal and Abnormal Prion Proteins in Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:26478-26486. [PMID: 27821590 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.745851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise mechanism underlying the conversion of normal prion protein (PrPC) into abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) remains unclear. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), an in vitro technique used for amplifying PrPSc, results in PrPSc replication that preserves the strain-specific characteristics of the input PrPSc; thus, PMCA mimics the process of in vivo PrPSc replication. Previous work has demonstrated that in PMCA, nucleic acids are critical for PrPSc amplification, but little information has been reported on glycosaminoglycan (GAG) participation in PrPSc replication in vitro Here, we investigated whether GAGs play a role in the faithful replication of PrPSc by using a modified PMCA performed with baculovirus-derived recombinant PrP (Bac-PrP) as a substrate. The addition of heparan sulfate (HS) or its analog heparin (HP) restored the conversion efficiency in PMCA that was inhibited through nucleic acid depletion. Moreover, the PMCA products obtained under these conditions were infectious and preserved the properties of the input PrPSc These data suggest that HS and HP play the same role as nucleic acids in facilitating faithful replication of prions in PMCA. Furthermore, we showed that HP binds to both Bac-PrP and Bac-PrPSc through the sulfated groups present on HP and that the N-terminal domain of Bac-PrPSc might potentially not be involved in the binding to HP. These results suggest that the interaction of GAGs such as HS and HP with PrPC and/or PrPSc through their sulfate groups is critical for the faithful replication of prions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morikazu Imamura
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Naoko Tabeta
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Nobuko Kato
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Yuichi Matsuura
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Iwamaru
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Takashi Yokoyama
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Yuichi Murayama
- From the National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
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15
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Walker LC, Schelle J, Jucker M. The Prion-Like Properties of Amyloid-β Assemblies: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2016; 6:cshperspect.a024398. [PMID: 27270558 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery that prion diseases can be transmitted to experimental animals by inoculation with afflicted brain matter, researchers have speculated that the brains of patients suffering from other neurodegenerative diseases might also harbor causative agents with transmissible properties. Foremost among these disorders is Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. A growing body of research supports the concept that the pathogenesis of AD is initiated and sustained by the endogenous, seeded misfolding and aggregation of the protein fragment amyloid-β (Aβ). At the molecular level, this mechanism of nucleated protein self-assembly is virtually identical to that of prions consisting of the prion protein (PrP). The formation, propagation, and spread of Aβ seeds within the brain can thus be considered a fundamental feature of AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lary C Walker
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Juliane Schelle
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Jucker
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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16
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Abstract
The prion paradigm has emerged as a unifying molecular principle for the pathogenesis of many age-related neurodegenerative diseases. This paradigm holds that a fundamental cause of specific disorders is the misfolding and seeded aggregation of certain proteins. The concept arose from the discovery that devastating brain diseases called spongiform encephalopathies are transmissible to new hosts by agents consisting solely of a misfolded protein, now known as the prion protein. Accordingly, "prion" was defined as a "proteinaceous infectious particle." As the concept has expanded to include other diseases, many of which are not infectious by any conventional definition, the designation of prions as infectious agents has become problematic. We propose to define prions as "proteinaceous nucleating particles" to highlight the molecular action of the agents, lessen unwarranted apprehension about the transmissibility of noninfectious proteopathies, and promote the wider acceptance of this revolutionary paradigm by the biomedical community.
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