Prion diseases

Immunoquantitative PCR for prion protein detection in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

BACKGROUND

The most common human prion disorder is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD); it includes sporadic, familial, iatrogenic, and variant subtypes. Diagnostic tests aim at detection with the highest specificity of very small deposits of abnormal prion protein (PrP).

METHODS

We used immunoquantitative PCR (iqPCR) to detect proteinase K-resistant PrP (PrPRes) in tissue from the middle frontal gyrus of 7 patients with sporadic CJD and 7 non-CJD cases. We compared iqPCR with routine optimized ELISA, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical analyses.

RESULTS

The 4 methods showed similar 100% sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of CJD. Along with high specificity, however, iqPCR had a threshold for PrP(Res) detection at least 10-fold lower than that of the classic ELISA.

CONCLUSIONS

iqPCR is a new method for PrPRes detection that combines 100% specificity with a detection threshold at least 10-fold lower than classic techniques. This method may improve the detection of minute PrPRes deposits in tissues and body fluids and thus be useful for diagnostic and sterilization applications.

Conformational remodeling of proteasomal substrates by PA700, the 19 S regulatory complex of the 26 S proteasome

PA700, the 19 S regulatory complex of the 26 S proteasome, plays a central role in the recognition and efficient degradation of misfolded proteins. PA700 promotes degradation by recruiting proteasomal substrates utilizing polyubiquitin chains and chaperone-like binding activities and by opening the access to the core of the 20 S proteasome to promote degradation. Here we provide evidence that PA700 in addition to binding misfolded protein substrates also acts to remodel their conformation prior to proteolysis. Scrambled RNase A (scRNase A), a misfolded protein, only slowly refolds spontaneously into an active form because of the rate-limiting unfolding of misfolded disulfide isomers. Notably, PA700 accelerates the rate of reactivation of scRNase A, consistent with its ability to increase the exposure of these disulfide bonds to the solvent. In this regard, PA700 also exposes otherwise buried sites to digestion by exogenous chymotrypsin in a polyubiquitinated enzymatically active substrate, pentaubiquitinated dihydrofolate reductase, Ub(5)DHFR. The dihydrofolate reductase ligand methotrexate counters the ability of PA700 to promote digestion by chymotrypsin. Together, these results indicate that in addition to increasing substrate affinity and opening the access channel to the catalytic sites, PA700 activates proteasomal degradation by remodeling the conformation of protein substrates.